Prince of Gluttony: Born from Betrayal

The common lounge had to be evacuated by everyone in the end as the smell grew too much. Abel was carried out on a stretcher twitching and dehydrated while his pants were drenched and covered in the awful stench of his own shit.

Cain having recovered from his laughter now faced the two girls who were now looking a little depressed. While it was a good thing that it happened to a scumbag like Abel, it was also the result of their first attempt at cooking for themselves.

"I'm gonna say it." Cain remarked with a cold glint in his eyes. "Unless I tell you otherwise, you two are both not permitted to cook without my direct supervision and direct intervention."

Anna was indignant as she shot back "What the fuck?! That's a bit much, no?"

Cain narrowed his eyes as he pointed over his shoulder in the direction of the common lounge.

"Really? You're really asking if that's a bit much? That asshole almost died from shitting himself. You two gave him instant explosive diarrhea. What you gave him was what you tried to get me to eat! What I am saying is 100% justified!"

Anna crossed her arms with a pout as she grumbled "We'll be more careful next time."

Cain let out a laugh of utter disbelief. "Next time? The next time I see you trying to 'cook', I am going to turn around and walk away. I don't want to make a habit out of going near hopeless situations."

"Rude!"

Jayden raised an eyebrow, clearly less offended than Anna but still unwilling to let Cain have the last word. "So you're saying we're hopeless?"

Cain didn't even hesitate. "When it comes to cooking? Absolutely."

Anna's pout deepened. "We're not that bad."

"You just weaponized breakfast," Cain said flatly. "You're lucky Abel is sleazy piece of shit. Even while he is in danger of shitting himself, he still thinks that there is some hope that he can get into Jayden's pants. "

Jayden looked more than a little nauseated at that thought. "Never going to happen. Not while I draw breath....But we did make him suffer. That makes it a win, right?."

Cain shook his head, though a hint of a grin tugged at his lips. "A win would've been making something edible and still humiliating him. This was just humiliation with collateral damage."

Anna huffed and looked away. "Fine. No cooking without you. Happy?"

Cain pretended to think it over, then nodded once. "Yes. Because I'd rather die to an actual monster than whatever the hell you two put on that plate."

Jayden chuckled under her breath. "You're dramatic."

Without skipping a beat, Cain replied "If being pragmatic is dramatic, then I'll aspire to be the biggest Drama Queen the world has ever seen."

Anna's pout faded as she quickly shifted gears. "Enough about the kitchen disaster. What are you planning to do now, Cain?"

Cain paused, a faint smile playing on his lips. "Actually, I was thinking of heading to the library."

Jayden raised an eyebrow. "The library? That sounds… boringl."

Anna scowled and remarked "You are a student, remember? Are you allergic to books or something?!"

Jayden nodded her head all too seriously to be joking. "Maybe that's why I keep falling asleep whenever I open one!"

Cain chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "No allergies, just priorities." He glanced between the two of them. "I've got some new skills to work on."

Anna's eyes widened. "Really? Since when?"

Cain shrugged, keeping his tone casual. "Recently. It's part of something bigger, but let's not talk about that here."

As he looked at Anna, he used his eyes to motion to Jayden and the former instantly knew what he was trying to say. Jayden didn't know about his Innate skill.

Jayden's eyes lit up with sudden enthusiasm. "I'll come with you," she said, stepping forward eagerly. "It sounds like something I should see. Besides, I could use the distraction from those damn remedial classes."

Anna immediately shook her head, her expression sharp and serious. "No way. You have those classes, Jayden. You can't just skip them because you want to tag along with Cain."

Jayden frowned, trying to muster a sly smile. "Come on. I can handle it. I'm sure I can skip this once. I always do."

Anna's eyes darkened. "No. Not this time."

Jayden's smile faltered, but before she could try to slip away, Anna's hand shot out and grabbed her by the collar of her shirt. With a firm grip, she yanked Jayden back, preventing any chance of escape.

Jayden struggled against the hold, twisting and pulling, trying to break free. "Anna, come on, let me go. I won't get caught. You know I'm good at hiding when I skip. I always find a way."

Anna's gaze was hard as she tightened her grip. "You think you can keep running and hiding? It's only going to get worse. You know what happens if you get caught again. Skipping remedial classes is serious business here. If you add in defying a teacher's orders, you're looking at suspension, or worse, expulsion."

Jayden's bravado began to crumble. Her usual smirk faded, replaced by a flash of panic and frustration. She bit her lip, tears welling up in her eyes. The weight of Anna's words hit her harder than she expected.

She tried to pull free one last time, but Anna's grip was like iron. Jayden's strength was no match for the determined hold on her collar. Slowly, her resistance faded as she realized there was no way out this time.

Silent tears slipped down her cheeks. She looked away, swallowing the lump in her throat. No words came, only the quiet acceptance that this time she would not get away with it.

Anna kept her grip firm but softened her tone just a little. "I'm not trying to make things harder for you. You're smart, and I want you to get through this. But you have to follow the rules. You have to go to those classes. I promise, it's for your own good."

Jayden nodded, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. "I know."

Anna gave a small, almost reluctant sigh. "Good. Now come on. We're going to those classes whether you like it or not."

With that, Anna started dragging Jayden down the hallway. Jayden stumbled as she was pulled along, her feet barely keeping up. She was still silent, tears slowly drying on her cheeks, but Anna's firm hold on her collar made it clear she wasn't going anywhere else.

From his place in the lounge, Cain watched the two girls disappear around the corner. Anna's grip was unwavering, and Jayden's usual attempts to skip or hide were clearly over for now.

The tension between them lingered for a moment before fading into quiet footsteps down the hall.

Cain turned away from the doorway, letting out a slow breath. The chaotic noise of the lounge had finally faded. For the first time all day, there was peace and quiet.