The morning sun slowly peeled back the curtain of night.
Light filtered through the gaps in the curtains, spilling gently onto the floor.
A familiar ceiling.
Waking up, Avrora gazed lazily at the ceiling above and thought exactly that.
A faint, lingering fragrance in the air made her turn over. What met her eyes was the adorable sleeping face of Nagisa Akatsuki.
Not just Nagisa—Himeragi Yukina and Kanase Kanon were also sprawled haphazardly beside her. Scattered across the floor were eleven blonde girls—the price paid for last night's slumber party.
Puzzled, Avrora rubbed her chest. An unfamiliar sensation, different from usual, crept into her mind.
What's this feeling...
She bounced the soft flesh of her chest again, as if to confirm, growing even more confused.
"...They got bigger?"
Could it be because of the food Aiba made yesterday?
And it wasn't just that they felt bigger. Her body felt unexpectedly light, as if some vampire inside her had gone missing.
Baffled, Avrora lay still, her mind racing.
Only when sunlight fell upon her pale, delicate face did she slowly sit up.
'Don't get it. What's done is done. Food first.'
Avrora deftly untangled the intertwined long hair of the girls on the bed. For some reason, she didn't spot her own signature golden locks.
Giving up on thinking entirely, she sighed inwardly about how troublesome it was for girls to wake up, then bounced her way to the living room.
A soft golden glow covered the sofa. A gentle breeze drifted in through the open window.
Arcueid was lounging lazily in front of the TV, click-clacking away on a controller.
Cozy. Peaceful.
"What problem could there be? It's just a peaceful morning," Avrora muttered as she walked over to Arcueid. The familiar scene made her already-abandoned train of thought grind to a complete halt.
"You're up," Arcueid greeted without looking up, focused on mashing the controller buttons.
"Mhm, mhm, mhm." Avrora peered left and right like a puppy searching for food. "What's for breakfast?"
Her eyes lit up at the sight of Trimmau standing in the far corner of the living room, but the empty hands of the maid instantly dimmed that bright sparkle.
Trimmau hadn't gone out to buy breakfast...
The deduced answer made her hide behind Arcueid, curling into a ball.
Don't tell me it's fried rice again?!
"Don't worry, someone went out to get breakfast." As if sensing her fear, Arcueid set down the controller and stretched languidly before the 'VICTORY' splashed across the screen.
She leaned back gently, the soft sofa making her narrow her eyes in comfort.
"Timing-wise, they should be back soon."
"Hooray!"
Imitating Arcueid's motion, Avrora sank into the plush sofa.
But that strange sensation in her body made her frown again.
"So weird."
Avrora mumbled and looked down.
Slender fingers came into view. A chest that blocked her line of sight when she looked down. Skin on her long legs as smooth and delicate as a baby's.
She finally realized something was off.
The unexpectedly larger chest, the suddenly longer legs, and the missing golden hair by her ears—all signs pointed to one thing. She had changed.
Something had changed!
"Arcueid, Arcueid." She frantically called the name of the person beside her. The unfamiliar sound of her own voice sent her into a deeper panic. "I... I..."
"Hungry?" Arcueid patted her head with practiced ease, her gaze shifting toward the entrance. "They'll be here any minute."
The desire for food made Avrora look too, but she instantly glanced back.
"But Natsuki-chan doesn't use the door when she comes or goes from home."
"Who said it was Natsuki-chan who went?"
"Huh? Then who else?"
Trimmau hadn't left, and everyone else was still asleep in the rooms.
Click.
The crisp sound of the door lock turning drew her attention.
Avrora whipped her head around. A flash of short black hair caught the corner of her eye.
But she didn't pursue that black strand. She just stared blankly at the person entering the room.
Bathed in the sunlight streaming through the window, the newcomer walked silently toward her.
It was a young girl with an ethereal, fairy-like beauty.
Her slender limbs appeared somewhat delicate. Her eyes sparkled with a glacial, pale blue. Her light golden hair shimmered with a rainbow-like brilliance in the sun.
Avrora's eyes widened in shock, her mouth hanging agape.
It wasn't because of the girl's stunning face. It was because... the girl's face—she saw it every day in the mirror.
But all her sisters were asleep! And since when would any of them proactively go out to buy breakfast?
Avrora quickly turned back to look at Arcueid beside her.
Reflected in the latter's eyes was a girl with neatly proportioned features and a short bob hairstyle messed up from sleep.
Eyes wide with fright, long eyelashes, a refined nose—it was the face of Tokoyogi Yuuma.
"..."
Avrora seemed to choke on something. Her open mouth didn't emit a single syllable. She just kept swiveling her head back and forth between the girl who had entered and Arcueid.
If the person who came in is Avrora, then who am I?
Pinching her own cheek until it turned red, Avrora confirmed this wasn't a dream. Fighting back the tears welling in her eyes, she puffed out her cheeks and glared intensely at the 'Avrora' before her.
It had to be a prank by her sisters.
Just as she was comforting herself and preparing to test the waters with this girl before her, the final straw that broke the camel's back appeared.
"Yo, we're back."
The small figure of 'Root' materialized from behind 'Avrora,' waving at them while munching on a steamed bun.
The cat ears atop her head swiveled like radar dishes. She obediently held out her hands for Trimmau to wipe clean, then floated over to settle beside Arcueid.
"My turn to play yet?"
"Start a new save file. Don't mess up mine."
The appearance of 'Root' explained everything. This cat sealed within Avrora's body revealed the girl's true identity.
She was the real Avrora.
"Then... then who am I?" Avrora murmured, squatting on the sofa, her expression on the verge of tears.
"Silly, you're Avrora, of course."
Arcueid gave Avrora a light knock on the head and rose gracefully, walking over to stand beside 'Avrora.'
Her cat-like eyes, brimming with amusement, fixed on the girl now wearing an awkward smile. She said softly, "Did you have fun on Itogami Island?"
"Y-yes... fun." Tokoyogi Yuuma, using Avrora's body, bowed her head slightly, her fingers twisting anxiously in front of her. "C-can I go out to play a little longer?"
"Sure."
Watching the girl's surprised look as she lifted her head, Arcueid narrowed her eyes slightly. "But only after you're back in your own body."
"Using spatial distortion to swap senses, thereby using Avrora's body. Impressive spatial manipulation technique." She placed her hand lightly on Tokoyogi Yuuma's shoulder, giving it an approving squeeze.
Unfortunately, there was more than one person inside Avrora's body. It seemed Tokoyogi Yuuma hadn't fully adapted before Root brought her back.
Not that she could have escaped anyway, of course.
Arcueid's light, airy motion made Tokoyogi Yuuma shiver involuntarily.
"I'm not really an expert on spatial magic, you know." Arcueid wagged a finger. "But there's someone right here who's very familiar with it. You know who I mean, don't you, Tokoyogi Yuuma?"
"Tokoyogi..."
Suddenly, a voice that didn't belong to anyone present rang out in the living room.
It was a steady, composed voice.
The unfamiliar female tone struck Tokoyogi Yuuma like a lightning bolt, freezing her in place.
She slowly turned to see a black-haired girl in an extravagant dress, who had appeared behind her at some unknown time.
Natsuki Minamiya watched with keen interest, lightly tapping a folded fan against her palm.
"What is your relationship to Tokoyogi Aya?"
--+--
T/N: I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 2 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.