A/N:
TW: This part is just a bit more angsty with mentions of a panic attack and fainting. If this triggers you, I'll try to mark the part where it all completely escalates.
Please enjoy the story!
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"Whoa, hold up! Is that one of your rules too?!" Ace yelled incredulously, eyes burning with rage.
"Yeah! If you want the tart gone, let me eat it!" Grim agreed, hopping off of Yuu's shoulder.
Yuu watched as the taller vice-housewarden pushed through the crowd of students, eyes wide in a desperate attempt to de-escalate the situation. "Housewarden, allow me to apologize. I was the one who suggested making a chestnut tart."
"I was a part of that too." Cater's voice rang over the chaos as he made his way over, standing protectively in front of the first years. "We had no idea there was a rule about it!"
"The making of the tart is not the issue. The issue is bringing it HERE. Today. THAT is the transgression!" Riddle fumed, his voice stern and his face burning crimson.
Yuu couldn't stop herself as a sudden burst of rage shot through her body. "That isn't fair! How can you live by such foolish rules?" She cried before she could consider her own words. She stopped herself when she noticed Riddle freeze
"What did you just call me?"Riddle turned to her, slowly with a terrifying glare, his face deepening from a cherry red to a rose red. "'Foolish'?!"
Yuu glared. "I didn't call you foolish. I called your stupid rules that." She retorted, deducting that it was definitely too late to try for peace.
"Everyone, stop! Don't dig this hole any deeper!" Cater pleaded, lightly pulling on Yuu's sleeve to try ushering her behind him.
When Yuu didn't budge, Cater turned to face his Housewarden. "And Riddle, please try to remember that these are new students who've only been here a few days!"
"Nah, bro. I've got a shovel and I am DIGGING." Ace growled, turning his attention back to Riddle. "Throwing away a tart to obey some insane rule is about as foolish as it gets."
"I agree with Ace. Of course, I understand that rules do need to be followed, but..." Deuce chimed in, tentative as he looked over to his friends. "This is going much too far."
"Are you attempting to debate me? Bold move. But I'll bite." Riddle scoffed, false amusement in his voice. "By breaking even the smallest rule, you are throwing wide the gate to anarchy."
Ace bit his lip, turning to face the students who cowered at their Housewarden's temper. "Everyone, I know you're afraid of getting your magic sealed away, but you know this is insane, right?" Ace seemed to beg for the support of at least one. Yuu watched, noting how many who seemed to agree seemed to shrink back.
"N-no, we, uh..." The bunny boy from earlier attempted, jumping slightly as Riddle's gaze fixed warningly on him.
"Well? Isn't it?" Riddle asked confidently. The bunny boy seemed to shrink back even more.
"Far from it, Housewarden Riddle, sir!"
"We trust in your judgment, sir!"
Grim curled around Yuu's ankles, glaring at the cowardly soldiers. "You little..."
"You spineless, fair-weather cowards..." Ace growled out, refusing to stand down.
"In the year since I became housewarden, not a single student from Heartslabyul House has dropped out or been held back a year." Riddle stood, marching toward Ace. "We are the only house that can boast such a feat. Furthermore, of everyone in this dorm, I have the best academic standing."
Yuu watched as Ace stepped back. She knew that because of that, Riddle saw a weakness.
"Hence, I am the most correct!" Riddle announced, voice sounding more insane. "If you would simply obey me without question, we wouldn't need to contend so." He picked up his staff, eyes hard and sharp like a steel dagger. He gestured to the students.
"Listen, we-!" Deuce began, only to be cut off.
"It's not off with their heads because I want to do that. I do it because rules must never be broken." Riddle explained. Yuu felt a chill run down her spine. There was something odd about the way Riddle had phrased that. As if he'd heard it many times.
She looked at Trey, who appeared to be helpless in this matter. Their eyes met for a brief moment before Trey looked away with a deep melancholy that Yuu could only describe as guilt toward the other party.
"If you will not obey me, then I will have all of your heads!" Riddle warned, preparing his staff.
"Yuu..." A familiar voice echoed in her ears "Run! It's too dangerous here!" The young woman shivered as things began to escalate. She ignored the voice, praying that she'd made the correct choice.
"Okay, let's all say, 'Yes, Housewarden Riddle.'" Cater tried, eyes pleading with the group.
"I... I can't." Deuce said, standing his ground.
"Me neither..." She agreed.
"I don't bow to self-important tyrants!" Ace glared.
Yuu watched Riddle freeze once more, a brief look of hurt and insult flashing across his delicate features before it was replaced with bubbling rage.
"What did you just call me?" His voice shook.
"He called you a tyrant for wantin' to destroy good food just 'cause you're throwin' a tantrum!" Grim snapped, clearly proud of himself.
"Grim!" She warned the cat, terror making her voice tremble slightly, watching Riddle's face match his hair. The magestone on his staff began to glow as Riddle clutched the staff hard enough to turn his knuckles white.
"Guys, I don't think we need to escalate this-" Deuce tried once more before a thunderous roar echoed in the dorm's courtyard. Yuu took a step back before yelping.
"Off! With! Your! Heads!"
** What the TW mentioned. Skip to the next chapter if you need to **
A sudden cold, heavy brace clasped tightly around Yuu's throat, knocking the wind out of her, leaving her gasping for air as a wave of nausea came rolling over her once more.
"No! Not the collar again!" She heard Grim, unable to see the cat through swirling vision.
"Gah! I can't get it off!" She heard Deuce.
Her thoughts flashed to her unborn child and jumbled with horrible nightmares. No! Nononono! She closed her eyes, trembling.
"Trey! Cater! Eject them from the premises!" Riddle ordered as the edges of her vision began to turn dark and spotted her vision.
She swallowed, trying not to humiliate herself in front of the others.
"Y-you're supposed to be our 'mentors'!" She heard Deuce wail, determining that he was in front of her.
"Sorry, but we can't disobey our housewarden!" Cater responded.
"Sorry, man..." Trey called from where he appeared to be beside Cater.
"Oh, that's how it's gonna be? Then bring it on!"Ace snarled.
"...nchman? Hey! Henchman? Are you okay?" Yuu turned her spotty vision to see the familiar blue glow of Grim's ears.
She gave him a shaky thumbs up as she lay herself onto the grass. I don't feel very well...
She began to close her eyes. Tired... She thought to herself, allowing herself to succumb to the dizzy sensation as the last thing she was able to hear rang out in the darkness.
"Yuu!" Grim cried.
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