Chapter 81: Earn Her Place
"The gods gave humans fragile bodies and dangerous imaginations."
~ Rebel Beast
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The moment they stepped inside House Ophidian, the first thing the girls noticed were the stares.
Serpents lingered in the corridors and lounged against pillars, their slitted eyes following them wherever they went. Some watched with open curiosity, others with barely concealed disdain. This was the first time many of them would be living this close to humans, and the idea clearly didn’t sit well with them.
The intensity made Olivia and Fatima’s skin crawl. Honestly, they would’ve preferred insults to being glared at like that. Karen, however, seemed to have been cut from a different cloth because her reaction was entirely different.
She ignored every stare as though it didn’t exist and continued marching forward as if she owned the place. That confidence lasted until she suddenly came to an awkward stop after realizing she had absolutely no idea where she was going and had to wait for everyone else to catch up.
"What are you two lingering behind for?" she snapped at Olivia and Fatima the moment they drew closer. "Unlike you, I actually need to shower, eat, and sleep this disastrous day off."
Olivia exchanged a glance with Fatima. Neither of them pointed out that Karen had been the one who’d stormed ahead without waiting for the people leading them.
Besides, if she wanted to yell at someone for slowing her down, it should’ve been the serpent girls. Naturally, Karen chose the easiest targets instead.
Nadia noticed the exchange and deliberately made no effort to increase her pace. She, Nagin, and Linda continued strolling forward with unhurried grace until they reached the humans.
"What are you waiting for?" Nadia asked nonchalantly. "Come."
Karen rolled her eyes and resumed walking. This time, she knew to let Nadia lead the way.
House Ophidian possessed a strange stillness. The corridors curved gently instead of running in straight lines, their smoky olive walls broken only by sconces casting pools of warm amber light. Every archway flowed into the next without the sharp corners, giving the impression the entire building had been designed to guide one’s movement rather than interrupt it.
The farther they walked, the more students they encountered. Each time, the serpents slowed or stopped altogether. Then they simply watched until it felt less like people observing the newcomers and more like predators studying unfamiliar prey that had wandered into their territory.
Karen frowned.
"This place doesn’t even have an elevator?"
"Elevators?" Nadia made a face. "We don’t build boxes to carry us upward. We simply follow the path."
Linda added, "What Nadia is trying to say is that House Ophidian was never built with elevators in mind. While snakes like confined spaces, sudden vertical movement feels unnatural, so we opted for gradual ascents instead."
She gestured ahead where the corridor gently curved upward.
"The upper levels are connected by broad winding ramps. Whether walking or shifting, they’re far more practical for our kind."
"Fortunately, you won’t have to concern yourself with any of that," Nadia told her. "Your quarters are on the ground floor."
"You should’ve asked, though. I live in a high-rise building back in Nova City. I like viewing the world from my place at the top," Karen announced.
Olivia rolled her eyes inwardly. She hoped Karen choked on her arrogance one day.
Nadia ignored the comment entirely, and after another minute of walking, she finally stopped before an elegant wooden door.
"We’re here."
Karen didn’t wait for permission. Certain the room beyond had been prepared exclusively for her, she reached the door first and stepped inside.
She stopped.
The room was undeniably spacious, stretching far wider than the one she’d occupied in the human residence.
Good, she thought, only for her excitement to die just as quickly.
Instead of the private suite she’d demanded, four beds occupied the room, one positioned neatly in each corner.
"What the hell...?"
Her face fell. She slowly turned toward Nadia, outrage blazing across her features.
"What is the meaning of this nonsense?" she demanded. "I specifically asked for a private room!"
Olivia and Fatima stepped inside a moment later, but unlike Karen, they were too distracted by the room itself to answer.
The walls were painted a muted sage green, accented with shiny molding that traced intricate patterns beneath the ceiling.
Unlike the bright, welcoming atmosphere of their previous residence, the colors here were subdued, cool, and strangely soothing. Warm amber lamps glowed from recessed alcoves in the walls, filling the room with gentle light that softened every surface without ever becoming bright.
Each of the four beds was identical, generously sized, and dressed in crisp cream linens layered with deep green throws and matching pillows embroidered with patterns resembling overlapping scales.
Beside every bed stood an ebony nightstand, while a tall wardrobe occupied the space beyond, its silver handles shaped like serpents coiled around the doors.
Large windows dressed in heavy moss-green curtains overlooked the academy grounds, while a circular woven rug covered the center of the floor, its design depicting two serpents intertwined in an endless knot.
Large snake plants occupied the corners of the room, and narrow shelves carved directly into the walls displayed neatly arranged books alongside glass terrariums where moss and woodland plants flourished beneath carefully controlled humidity.
There were no unnecessary decorations or clutter. Everything had been arranged with purpose. The room was elegant, comfortable, and immaculately clean.
It was also, unmistakably, a shared room.
"There isn’t a single room available for you," Nadia said without the slightest hint of apology. "No serpent is willing to surrender more than what has already been offered."
"Fucking bullshit!"
Karen closed the distance between them in a few quick strides until they were nearly face to face.
"I don’t care how you do it," she snapped. "My father is paying your prince for my stay here, and I expect the most comfortable accommodation available."
She jabbed a finger toward Fatima and Olivia.
"So I couldn’t care less whether those two stay with you or sleep in the hallway. I’m having this room all to myself."
For a moment, silence settled over the room.
Then Fatima let out a mirthless laugh.
"So that’s really how you see us? You don’t care what happens to us." Her voice shook, though whether from anger or disappointment, even she wasn’t sure. "As long as you get what you want, we’re expected to follow behind you like servants."
"Fatima," Olivia warned.
"No." Fatima shook her head. "Not this time. What’s the worst she can do? Threaten me?" Her eyes never left Karen’s. "Shut down my father’s business?"
A bitter laugh escaped her.
"There’s only so much even her father can do."
Karen’s expression darkened.
"You’ve got a lot of nerve talking to me like that."
"And you’ve got a lot of nerve expecting us to sacrifice everything just because you’re Karen Donovan."
"Ladies."
Nadia’s calm voice slipped effortlessly between them before either girl could say another word.
"While I would genuinely enjoy watching the three of you settle your differences, there are a few House rules we should establish first."
"Rules?" Karen’s head snapped toward her, the word catching her off guard.
Nobody had mentioned rules.
The confusion quickly gave way to irritation.
What exactly was going on here? Her father was paying for her stay. She was supposed to be served, not managed.
"There are rules every member of House Ophidian follows," Nadia began. "This House didn’t become what it is by chance. Everything you see here exists because every serpent contributes something to it. We don’t have servants waiting on us. No one is too important to work."
"Every resident of House Ophidian earns their place and sacrifices for the House. Of course, you’ll be attending classes alongside everyone else. But outside your lectures, you’ll be assigned duties around the residence."
Karen frowned.
"What kind of duties?"
"Cleaning," Nadia began listing. "The lawns. The corridors. Laundry whenever necessary. Whatever task the House requires."
Karen stared at her in disbelief, then laughed.
"You’re joking."
No one laughed with her.
Karen looked from Nadia to Nagin, then to Linda. Not one of them smiled, and the laughter slowly died on her lips.
"You’re serious."
"We are."
Karen shook her head.
"No. That’s not happening."
Nadia remained silent.
"My father isn’t paying your prince so I can become some glorified cleaner." Karen lifted her chin proudly. "If labor is the problem, I’ll simply pay someone else to do it."
This time, Nagin spoke, her tone colder now.
"There is no buying your way through House Ophidian. Every Ophidian gives something of themselves."
She took a step forward.
"For you, it will be your comfort."
Karen scoffed.
"And if I refuse?"
Nadia looked toward Nagin, then toward Linda. Without exchanging a single word, the three serpent girls nodded almost imperceptibly.
The transformation happened so quickly the humans barely registered it. One moment the girls were standing there. The next, empty clothes collapsed onto the floor, and three enormous serpents occupied the space where they had been only a moment earlier.
A massive cobra rose from the floor, its hood spreading wide as molten amber eyes fixed upon Karen.
Beside it, an enormous python slowly coiled over itself, its thick body moving with terrifying strength.
On the opposite side, a broad-headed viper remained perfectly still, its unblinking gaze somehow the most unsettling of all.
The girls broke into screams.
Karen, Olivia, and Fatima scrambled backward in blind panic before climbing onto the nearest beds, their hearts hammering violently as they instinctively lifted their feet off the floor.
The three serpents watched them patiently.
If not amused. Then, just as suddenly, their bodies shifted once more.
Within seconds, Nadia, Nagin, and Linda stood in their human forms once again, completely naked and utterly unconcerned by it. This time, there was no trace of hospitality left on Nadia’s face, only satisfaction.
"Well?" Her amber eyes held Karen’s trembling gaze. "Am I understood now, Karen Donovan?"
For the first time since arriving at Bestiaris, Karen’s pride deserted her. She nodded so quickly it almost hurt.
"Understood."
A small smile curved Nadia’s lips.
"Good," she said. "I think the two of us will get along just fine."