I, Kayla, was the last student to enter the classroom of Class 1-C. As I stepped inside, my gaze swept across the room and landed on Eliza. She was already seated—next to a guy she seemed close with.
Whispers spread through the classroom like wildfire.
"Isn't that the IJzerhart daughter?"
"Oh my God, yes! She's even prettier up close!"
"She looks just like Princess Maeve!"
"They must be related!"
"And who's that guy she's sitting with? They walked in holding hands."
"Are they dating?"
"He's so handsome! They're a perfect match!"
Eliza didn't seem fazed by the attention. She was too engrossed in conversation with the guy beside her.
"Isn't it lovely that we ended up in the same class?" he said.
"I wouldn't have it any other way, Hidde," she replied, smiling. "You have no idea how happy I am."
"We're going to be the power couple of the entire school."
"For sure!" She beamed.
Eliza spotted me and waved, but I ignored her, choosing instead to sit near the door.
"What's up with her?" Hidde asked, his voice low.
Eliza sighed. "I've known her since kindergarten, but she's been distant ever since... well, everything that happened to her. Be nice to her, okay? She's like a sister to me."
Of course, Hidde had no idea who—or what—I really was. He didn't know that I was a homunculus. That there were eight of us in this school. And that Kayla was one of them.
And he definitely didn't know about Lilith.
Lilith, who was still out there, trying to destroy us all. She had already convinced herself that she had eliminated Mandane and Haniya, but she had underestimated them. They turned the tables on her.
She had tried to use Sansula Badila—Benesha's younger brother—as a pawn to take down my sisters. He and Mandane had once been close—intimate, even—before Maria had manipulated their relationship into ruin. Maria had also orchestrated Haniya's entanglement with Sansula, ensuring that she engaged in something her family would never approve of.
But Maria's schemes had failed.
Mandane wasn't the type to dwell on heartbreak. She had simply moved on. And as for Haniya? She had exposed herself to her family. She told them about her music career. She admitted what she had done with Sansula. She took control of her own story.
Maria had no leverage over her anymore.
I respected Haniya for that. It took courage.
The sharp sound of a chair scraping against the floor snapped me back to the present.
The teacher had entered.
"Silence, everyone!"
A woman. Our homeroom teacher.
"My name is Viola Zomerland, and I will be your homeroom teacher. Welcome to Utrecht Metropolitan Self-Development School. Before we begin, I'd like each of you to introduce yourselves to the class. Who wants to go first?"
One of the guys smirked. "I must say, you're quite an attractive woman."
Zomerland arched a brow. "Fine. You go first."
"Gladly, teach." He winked before standing up and launching into his introduction.
One by one, the rest of the class followed.
Willem van den Berg (17, Dutch)
Likes: Football (soccer), electronic music, history, hanging out with friends.
Dislikes: Arrogance, long homework assignments, rainy weather.
Omar Abargil (18, Moroccan descent)
Likes: Basketball, volunteering, family time, debating current events.
Dislikes: Laziness, discrimination, loud classroom noises.
Jaden Jansen (17, Surinamese descent)
Likes: Breakdancing, cooking Surinamese food, fantasy novels, nature documentaries.
Dislikes: Tardiness, being underestimated, unfairness.
Ahmet Demir (18, Turkish descent)
Likes: Chess, learning new languages, coding, classic Turkish films.
Dislikes: Cold weather, people who don't listen, tech issues.
Kojo Ansah (17, Ghanaian descent)
Likes: Playing the drums, drawing, exploring cultures, trying new foods.
Dislikes: Boredom, bullies, closed-mindedness.
Koen de Haag (18, Dutch)
Likes: Guitar, poetry, camping, nature.
Dislikes: Dishonesty, noisy class presentations, pollution.
Lucas de Jong (17, Dutch)
Likes: Video games, skateboarding, sci-fi movies, comics.
Dislikes: Slow internet, interruptions, lack of sleep.
Noah Alonso (18, Colombian descent)
Likes: Soccer, salsa dancing, rainforests, working at his family's restaurant.
Dislikes: Rudeness, time constraints, bad coffee.
Xian Li (17, Chinese descent)
Likes: Table tennis, violin, Dutch history, trying new foods.
Dislikes: Stereotypes, being underestimated, wasted time.
Hidde de Ridder (18, Dutch)
Likes: Modeling, fencing, historical documentaries.
Dislikes: Animal cruelty, littering, negativity.
The teacher studied him for a moment before nodding.
"You do give off the impression of a knight," she mused. "But not just any knight. A royal knight. A kingly knight."
Hidde grinned. "Why, thank you."