Classy, Controlled Chaos - The STEAM Team Adventures

🪄 Foresight [5/7] 🪄

Tia's POV:

Now that that idiot was taken care of, I took my win and headed back inside, holding my trident and using it as a sort of walking stick.

Addison greeted me at the door, almost spitting out her boba tea. "In Heaven's name, what happened to you?!"

She wrapped me in a tight hug, which I couldn't respond to.

"Who the heck hurt you, tell me!" She demanded, looking me up and down. "You're covered in blood, Tia, and a lot of it. Why is it blue and red?"

"I saw the whole thing." Sophii padded up beside us, nonchalantly grooming herself. "Sir Blackthorne paid her a visit. You know Thorne, right?"

"I don't, but when I see him, I'm going to send his —- down into the active volcano in Pyronica!"
Addison snarled, pulling away from me. "And is that a slash across your chest?"

I realized I was dripping with blood from the wound; I didn't feel it because of all the adrenaline rushing into my brain. "Oops, sorry. I'll get myself cleaned up."

Sophii let out a quiet meow, prodding at one of my bloodstained sailor boots. "She really beat his butt out there. Let me tell ya, blood went splattering everywhere! Like, all over the place!"

"Yeah, but," Addison paused, hesitating for a moment as she contemplated her words. "Tia, you need medical attention. You could die from blood loss."

Marshall came swooping down from the sky, landing neatly the marble stairs. "Blood loss? I didn't think she got- Oh my stars."

The phoenix swiftly swapped forms, morphing from a bird to a human in a matter of seconds. "He actually managed to get a decent cut on you, that's concerning."

"I let my guard down..." I mumbled, tracing a finger along the gash in my chest. "It's fine. I just need some gauze, and..."

My vision started to blur, cutting off my next sentence.

Addison grabbed me by whatever remained of my shirt collar, saying something urgent that I couldn't make out.

Darkness clouded around the corners of my vision, and I realized I was falling unconscious.

Before I blacked out, I came up with one last thought to say to them.

"If I die, bury my trident with me."

☁️⭐️☁️⭐️☁️⭐️☁️⭐️☁️⭐️☁️⭐️☁️⭐️☁️⭐️

Hours later, I woke up to the pungent scent of smoke wafting in the air.

I was in Marshall's forge, propped up against one of his fire pits.

He was busy chatting with Addison a few feet away from me, probably about some important matter.

I was shirtless, but my upper body was wrapped up in bandages to imitate a crop top.

I had to admit, it was kinda fashionable.

Once I had fully woken up both on the inside and the outside, I stood up, inhaling the smoky air of the active forge.

Marshall noticed I was awake first, eyeing me up and down. "Good, the bandages are holding up pretty well. Nice work, Addison."

The librarian turned to face me. "Tia, it's been hours! You're awake!"

I gave her a weak smile, examining myself. "Thanks for patching me up, Addi... Even though I'm a pain in the butt to deal with."

I was still wearing my shorts, but my sailor shirt had been ripped off- Probably because it tore too much during the duel.

My captain's coat sat in a pile beside me, completely unscathed.

Even though it wasn't enchanted with anything, it didn't take any hits... Weird.

My trident was also in decent condition, laid on top of my coat.

"You're not a pain in the butt," Marshall snorted, crossing his arms. "That Blackthorne was giving you quite the hassle, though. He is, for sure."

Addison took a few steps toward me, offering to help me up. "How are you feeling, Tia?"

I let her help me, pulling me up by my wrist to get me back on my feet. "A little numb, but it's fine... I'm surprised you actually managed to save me."

She gave me a lighthearted smile. "Oh, it was nothing, really. I used a teeny bit of my magic and cast a spell on you- Any mortal wounds were lessened into harmless scratches or temporary bruises. The only side effect is that I can't heal scars, which is kinda annoying."

"Hey, scars make people look cool." Marshall butted in, approaching me. "Like the little x on your face, Tia. Makes you look intimidating and cutthroat, kinda like your personality."

I crossed my arms, feeling pride well up in my chest. "Mhm. I'm kinda proud of it, actually."

"What's going on here?" We heard Edward call from the entrance to the forge, seeing his hazy figure through the smoke. "I'm back from my meeting in Northwynd!"

"How'd it go?" Addison piped up, walking over to greet the former prince.

"Awesomely!" He cheered, adjusting the tiny gold crown on his head. "I've been redeclared the official heir to Northwynd's throne, King Arthur is my father after all!"

"BORING." Marshall yawned, walking past the prince and nearly shoving him into an active fire pit. "C'mon guys, let's go do something that's actually exciting."

Addison followed him, giving Edward an apologetic glance as she left.

I was left alone in the forge, staring at the prince through the flames. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask the same thing." He sighed, leaning against the stone wall behind him. "Also, why are you shirtless?"

"You're blind even with your glasses," I picked up my trident and coat, walking toward him while gesturing to the dried blood on the gauze. "Addison patched me up; I got in a fight with an intruder."

He seemed to blush at the sight of me standing in front of him. "Oh, I, uh... That's cool."

I noticed him keeping eye contact with me, his gaze wavering. "What? You've probably seen tons of women before, and it's just a scar. You look like a terrified mouse."

"I'm just trying to be respectful." He said firmly, turning away from me.

"Whatever," I snorted, picking up my coat and sliding it back onto me. "Have fun burning up in here I guess, I'm leaving."

"Wait," To my surprise, he stopped me. "I need to tell you something."

"What?" I snapped, lashing my whale tail across the sooty ground. "If it's something stupid, I won't hesitate to push you into the nearest active fire."

"I- Jeez, calm down!" Edward threw his silk-gloved hands up in surrender. "I promise it's not dumb. It involves you, okay?"

"Spill the beans." I snorted, crossing my bandages arms. "It better be good."

"Well, uhh..." He began, rubbing the back of his neck. "You see, well..."

"My mother wants you to be the next queen."