Skill Forge: Broken Extra Character

Mystra shied away behind Jett, her silver eyes peeking out cautiously from behind his head, clearly unsure of the unfamiliar face in front of her. Her small frame pressed against Jett's neck as if she were hiding from the world.

"Freya, this is Mystra," Jett introduced, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "One of the many secrets I'm keeping from you."

But Freya wasn't paying any attention to his words; her eyes were locked on Mystra, lighting up with pure excitement. She barely processed Jett's sarcasm as she took a step closer, completely enamored with the tiny Dream Hound.

"You actually had a pet? Why didn't you say anything?" Freya's face beamed with excitement as she reached out toward Mystra.

Without waiting for a reply, she snatched Mystra off Jett's shoulder, trying to cuddle her. Mystra let out a tiny yelp but didn't resist, looking between Jett and Freya with wide, confused eyes.

"Well, technically she's mine, but umm… she's not mine," Jett tried to explain, scratching the back of his head.

Freya stopped mid-cuddle, her brow furrowing. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, clearly puzzled.

"It means, I just… stole her from the school," Jett admitted, avoiding eye contact as he looked off to the side.

"You wha…?" Freya's eyes widened, and her mouth opened to shout at him, but before she could get a word out, Jett quickly clamped a hand over her mouth, silencing her.

"Yeah, we should probably take this somewhere else," Jett said firmly, his voice hushed as he glanced around the library, not wanting to draw any unwanted attention.

Jett dragged Freya out of the library, his grip firm but not harsh. Freya struggled, pulling against his hold. "Get off me," she muttered, wrestling herself free once they stepped outside.

Jett finally let go and sighed. "You really don't have to be so dramatic," he said, brushing off her complaints as he began walking away. Freya, still cradling Mystra, followed closely behind, her arms wrapped protectively around the tiny Dream Hound.

"What if..." Freya paused, her eyes darting around to make sure no one was within earshot. She leaned in, whispering urgently, "What if someone finds out? If she belongs to the academy, why take her away without their consent?"

Jett smirked, his confidence unwavering. "Trust me, it's for their own good."

Freya sighed in exasperation. "I sure hope you know what you're doing," she muttered, pulling Mystra closer, shielding her from any prying eyes as they walked.

Jett glanced back, noticing Freya's overly protective stance. "You really don't need to do that, though," he chuckled.

"Why not?" Freya shot him a confused look. "What if someone spots her?"

"She's a Dream Hound," Jett explained. "No one would recognize her. Plus, she's using my Mana to cast an illusion on herself."

Freya's curiosity piqued. "Why your Mana?"

"We signed a soul contract," Jett replied, casually as though it was no big deal. "We're basically bound together, kinda like with Ella, but it's a bit different."

Freya blinked in surprise. "A soul contract? You really didn't think to mention that before?"

Jett shrugged. "It just never came up."

"Yeah, right," Freya scoffed, but her curiosity got the best of her as she poked Mystra's soft cheek. "So, like, this isn't what she really looks like?"

"That's what she looks like," Jett replied, barely skipping a beat. "The illusion just makes sure no one I don't trust sees her true form. Right now, she looks like a harmless little slime to everyone else."

Freya raised a brow, giving Jett a sideways glance. "You really planned all of this, didn't you? What's the real purpose behind this?"

Before Jett could respond, his eyes locked onto something in the distance. Gwendolyn. She was walking into a building across the courtyard, and for a brief moment, Jett hesitated. He wondered what she was up to as although he had a rough idea, so he turned back to Freya.

"We've got some really bad people looking for Mystra," Jett finally said, his voice lowering. "If they find her, the academy is finished."

Freya's eyes widened. "Then we have to inform the teachers, Valetta, Clarence, anyone."

Jett shook his head, his tone grim. "Nope. We can't. They've already infiltrated the academy's ranks."

Freya's hands shot to his shoulder, shaking him slightly as panic flickered across her face. "Then we have to tell Clarence or Valetta! Or are they... you know?"

"Of course not, dummy," Jett sighed, exasperated. "But I can't tell them anything right now. I need this part to play out naturally. Just trust me and wait a bit."

Freya stopped shaking him but narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "You're not planning on doing something incredibly stupid, are you? Because if you are, it won't just be you. It'll be all of us."

Jett gave a small, reassuring smile, though it didn't reach his eyes. "I know what I'm doing, Freya. For now, all you have to do is trust me." He glanced at Mystra, who nestled closer to Freya, sensing the tension between them.

Freya sighed heavily, still unsure but too tired to press further. "Fine, but I'll hold you to that. If you drag us all into something insane, you're paying for it."

Jett chuckled. "Deal."

"Almost everything I do is incredibly stupid," Jett smirked, taking pride in his recklessness.

Freya shook her head, clearly unimpressed. "The fact that you smiled while saying that…" she sighed, letting go of Mystra.

As soon as she released her, Mystra dashed back to Jett's shoulder, snuggling into him with ease. Freya pouted, folding her arms in slight frustration.

*****

Later, everyone gathered in the dining hall, the usual chatter filling the room. Freya had just finished explaining the earlier events when Elora raised an eyebrow, pointing her spoon at Freya and Mystra. "So you're telling me you followed him to steal something that the academy kept hidden?"

Jett, in the middle of feeding Mystra a piece of meat from his plate, barely looked up. He seemed completely unbothered by the whole ordeal, more focused on Mystra happily nibbling on the food.

"Well technically, I didn't know, and he doesn't even look worried," Freya complained, her frustration growing as she turned to Jett. "Just look at him."

"Isn't that, you know… illegal?" Cedric asked, though the excitement in his expression betrayed his curiosity. His eyes were fixated on Mystra, clearly impressed by the rare creature.

"A dream hound huh? She could sell for a lot, though. Just saying," Finn chimed in casually. "Too bad it's under these kinds of circumstances."

"And we'll all be accomplices if we don't turn him in," Asher said with little emotion, glancing at Jett from the corner of his eye. "You better start talking."

Meanwhile, Mystra, with her innocent charm, had made her way over to Seraphina and Marcella, who were both petting her with awe. Freya couldn't help but feel a little jealous, her pout deepening as Mystra seemed to enjoy their attention, still avoiding her.

"Alright, here's the deal..." Jett started, ready to explain, but before he could finish, he was interrupted by a sudden unfamiliar voice from across the hall.

"Umm... Excuse me but can I speak with you all?"

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A storm is coming.