The private jet landed without ceremony. No news crews. No paparazzi. The government wanted this quiet, for now.
Ashley stepped onto the glowing white steps in a new uniform—sleek black boots, white-gold jacket, and her long dark hair falling past her shoulders like a storm waiting to break. The fire inside her never left. It simmered behind her eyes, beneath her skin, in every breath.
She looked around.
Eden State Hero University.
A sleek, modern campus carved into the hills, guarded like a fortress but disguised like a dream. Too many smiling faces. Too much sunlight.
Too fake.
At the gates stood two women.
No.
One body. Two heads.
Older. Identical features but vastly different expressions. One head was warm, smiling like a kind grandmother. The other was cold, stiff, and judgmental.
The Conjoined Principal Sisters.
Vice Chancellor Faith and Chancellor Mercy.
Ashley stopped in front of them, unimpressed.
"Oh, great," she muttered, arms crossed. "Let me guess. They gave you a file. Full of notes about my 'issues.'"
The warm twin—Faith—beamed. "Ashley, dear. We don't see you as a problem."
The cold one—Mercy—cut in, voice like ice. "We see you as a liability wrapped in power."
Ashley rolled her eyes. "Tactful."
"We were told you respond to mature authority figures," Faith said sweetly, tilting her head. "And, well, you're not wrong. We were briefed on your… needs."
Ashley's jaw tightened.
"Don't patronize me."
"Wouldn't dream of it," Mercy said flatly. "But let's be clear—step out of line here, and this school will not survive your flames. Nor will you."
Ashley gave a slow, dangerous smile. "You think I care?"
Faith stepped forward, voice like honey. "We think you want to. And that's enough."
For a moment, something behind Ashley's fierce gaze twitched. She hated how that voice pulled on something inside her. Like a string around her ribs.
"Come," Mercy said. "We'll show you your dorm. You're in the East Tower—alone. No roommate. By special request."
Ashley followed without a word.
---
Inside Eden
The halls were bright, too bright. Students in flashy uniforms milled about with hopeful faces, admiring their gear, talking about rankings and Quirk-scores and elemental theory.
Whispers followed her.
"Is that her?"
"The Rainbow Flame Hero?"
"She killed a whole villain gang solo…"
"She's gorgeous in person."
"Didn't she kill her parents?"
Ashley ignored them all.
She didn't care about their awe. Their stares. Their envy. She wasn't here to make friends. She was here because the world didn't know what else to do with her.
A walking time bomb.
But deep, deep down—beneath the scorn, the boredom, the pride—something inside her ached.
Something lonely.
---
As they reached her dorm door, Faith placed a gentle hand on Ashley's arm. Ashley didn't burn it off. Yet.
"Just try," the kind twin whispered. "You might be more than your fire."
Ashley turned slowly to look at her.
And for a moment… she didn't speak.
She simply nodded once, stiffly. Then went inside.
Ashley stepped into the East Tower dorm.
It was a top-floor suite—modern, spacious, and clearly reinforced for "special students." The walls were lined with heat-resistant materials. A fire suppression system blinked silently from the ceiling.
Of course, she thought. Cage dressed up as a penthouse.
She dropped her bag on the floor with a dull thud—then paused.
Voices.
Her eyes narrowed.
There were already people inside.
Before she could say anything, the door to the shared kitchen slid open.
Out walked a tall girl with deep brown skin, short platinum hair shaved on the sides, and a sharp expression that radiated "don't mess with me." She wore a sleeveless hoodie over combat-fit pants and had two glowing rings on each arm, sparking faintly with energy.
She looked at Ashley once, nodded, and said simply,
"Sera. I'm not afraid of you."
Ashley raised an eyebrow. "You should be."
Sera gave a dry smile. "Yeah, probably."
Then—
"OH MY GOD IT'S REALLY YOU!"
A blur of movement. A girl with glasses and pigtails darted into view like an excited raccoon. She wore a hoodie with Ashley's face on it—fan merch, complete with flaming rainbow hair stylized into a logo.
Ashley's eye twitched.
"I'm Cleo!" the girl squeaked. "I'm your biggest fan! I have your limited edition figure, your autographed photo, your arrest record laminated—oh my god your hair is longer in person I LOVE THAT—"
Ashley blinked slowly.
"...Are you on drugs?"
"Nope! Just obsessed!"
Sera groaned. "She's like this with everyone. She watched every known public fight you've had. Three times."
"Seven," Cleo corrected, beaming.
Ashley stepped back, eyes glowing faintly. "Why are you in my dorm?"
Faith's voice echoed faintly from the hallway intercom:
"Surprise. We thought giving you a team might… ground you."
Ashley's hands ignited briefly in red fire. The floor beneath her feet cracked from the heat. Sera didn't flinch. Cleo screamed—and took a picture with her phone.
Ashley glared.
"Get that out of my face before I melt your camera into your lungs."
Cleo nodded, still grinning. "You're even scarier in person! I love that for you."
Ashley sighed deeply.
Her flame dimmed.
This is going to be hell.