Reality overload

Riley and I stepped out of our second classes, Reia trailing behind us like a tiny, ominous shadow. She wasn’t even walking wrong this time. Mostly.

We were halfway down the path toward the medical wing when two familiar figures drifted into view, Nate and Lucas, backpacks slung over one shoulder, mid‑argument about something stupid. They always argued about something stupid.

Nate spotted us first.

He leaned toward Riley, whispering way too loudly to count as whispering.

”Okay, who’s the munchkin.”

Reia stopped.

Didn’t turn. Didn’t flinch.

Just stopped, like a horror movie NPC whose trigger condition had been met.

”I am not a munchkin,” she said calmly.

Nate jolted. ”WAIT...you heard that.”

Reia blinked at him. ”Yes.”

I watched Nate’s brain finally connect the dots. You could practically see the loading bar finish.

His eyes widened. ”No. Nonono. Riley. Riley, tell me that’s not—”

Riley grinned like she’d been waiting all morning for this.

”Oh, it is.” She grabbed Reia by the shoulders and spun her toward the boys like she was presenting a cursed Funko Pop. ”Nate, Lucas... this is Reia. Reia Veyra.”

Lucas froze.

Nate froze harder.

Both stared at her like she’d just crawled out of a grave.

Nate’s voice cracked. ”Reia. As in... the necromancer. The one that attacked us.”

Reia nodded politely. ”Yes.”

Lucas blinked. ”You’re just... admitting it.”

Reia nodded again. ”Yes.”

Nate pointed at her, horrified. ”You threw a corpse at us!”

Reia brightened. ”I did. It was a good throw.”

Riley snorted.

I covered my mouth to hide a laugh.

Lucas rubbed his face. ”Oh my god.”

Reia tilted her head at Nate, eyes narrowing in a way that was somehow adorable and deeply threatening.

”And if you call me a munchkin again,” she said sweetly, ”I will send a corpse after you.”

Everyone stared.

Nate’s voice went up an octave. ”You can DO that?!”

Reia shrugged. ”It’s new. I only started being able to do that recently.”

Lucas choked. ”Recently. Like... this week recently.”

Reia nodded. ”Yes.”

Nate looked at Riley like she’d brought home a feral raccoon. ”Why are you so calm about this.”

Riley patted Reia’s head. ”Because she’s our necromancer now.”

Reia beamed. ”Yes. I am your necromancer.”

Nate whispered to Lucas, ”She’s terrifying.”

Reia heard him.

She smiled. ”Thank you.”

Lucas groaned. ”No, she thinks that’s a compliment.”

Reia nodded. ”It is.”

My ears twitched as I tried not to laugh. ”She’s... creepy in a cute way.”

Reia glowed. ”Thank you.”

Nate sighed dramatically. ”I’m going to die.”

Reia patted his arm. ”Not today.”

Nate froze. ”Why did you say it like that.”

Reia blinked innocently. ”Like what.”

Lucas dragged a hand down his face. ”This semester is going to kill me.”

Riley slung her backpack over her shoulder. ”Alright. Medical building. Transformation evaluation. C’mon Zora, Reia—”

Lucas nodded. ”We will walk with you.”

Riley stopped walking.

She turned around slowly.

”No...Boys are not allowed.”

Nate frowned. ”Why not.”

Riley pointed at him. ”Because it is a medical exam, you can’t go where the girls are going you dunce!”

Lucas shrugged. ”We can wait outside.”

Riley shook her head. ”Nope. Out. Go do boy things.”

Nate blinked. ”What boy things.”

Riley waved her hand. ”I do not know. Throw rocks. Eat grass. Whatever.”

Riley opened her mouth to tell them to scram.

Nate beat her to it.

”Then why does Zora get to go?”

I froze.

Riley froze.

Lucas froze.

Reia blinked. ”Umm…Because she is a girl...?”

Nate’s soul left his body. ”I mean. Yes. Obviously. I just meant. I was not saying. I did not say anything.”

Riley smacked the back of his head. ”Shut up or die, dummy.”

Nate yelped. ”Ow. I didn’t  say anything.”

My ears twitched violently. Frost shimmered across my cheeks.

Reia looked between us, confused. ”Why would you ask that. Zora is clearly a girl.”

Nate panicked. ”I know. I know. I was not saying she was not. I was just asking. A question. A normal question.”

Riley smacked him again. ”Stop talking.”

Nate rubbed his head. ”I am trying.”

Reia leaned toward me. ”Do you want me to put a corpse in his backpack.”

Overwhelmed and frosty, I whispered, ”Yes.”

Nate made a sound like a dying animal. ”Zora. Why.”

Reia brightened instantly. ”Okay.”

Riley grabbed Reia’s wrist. ”No. No corpse. Not today.”

Reia pouted. ”But she said yes.”

Lucas rubbed his face. ”Zora did not mean it.”

I gave Nate a look. ”I did mean it.”

Reia looked at Riley disappointed. ”I already picked one out.”

Nate choked. ”Picked one out. What does that mean.”

Reia smiled sweetly. ”He was very enthusiastic.”

Nate backed up. ”Please no.”

Riley pointed at him. ”This is why you two are not coming. You will ask questions. You will be weird. You will make Zora frost so hard she turns into a snowman.”

I squeaked. ”Please stop saying it like that.”

Lucas stepped closer, voice gentle. ”We can walk you to the building at least.”

I sighed. ”No it’s fine, thanks Lucas.”

Nate nodded quickly. ”Okay... okay, c’mon Lucas we’re leaving.”

Reia patted his arm. ”Good. You are safer that way.”

Nate swallowed. ”I believe you.”

Lucas looked at me. ”You sure you are okay.”

I nodded, cheeks shimmering faintly. ”Yes. I will be fine.”

Reia grabbed my hand. ”We will protect her.”

Riley nodded. ”Girl squad.”

Nate pointed at us. ”I want a squad.”

Riley shoved him backward. ”Go away!”

Lucas gave me one last soft look. ”Text me if you need anything.”

I nodded. ”I will.”

The boys finally walked off, Nate rubbing the back of his head and muttering about unfair treatment.

Reia watched them go. ”Nate is very loud.”

Riley nodded. ”Yes. And very dumb.”

I giggled softly. ”He means well.”

Reia smiled, cheeks slightly flushed. ”I like him. He screams easily.”

Riley snorted. ”Of course you do.”

We headed toward the medical building together.

Me between them.

Reia humming.

Riley ready to ward off any boy who got too close.

Reia kept glancing at me.

Then at Riley.

Then back at me.

Finally she stopped walking, spun around dramatically, and pointed at me like she’d just uncovered a scandal.

”Zora.”

I flinched. ”Yes.”

Reia narrowed her eyes. ”Why was Lucas being so nice to you earlier.”

Riley immediately rubbed her forehead. ”Reia...”

”What?” Reia said. ”I am asking a question.”

I blinked. ”He was just being Lucas.”

Reia stared at me like that answer was illegal. ”What does that mean.”

Riley snorted. ”It means that’s just how he is... with her.”

Reia shook her head. ”No. No. I do not believe that. He asked if you were okay. Twice.”

My frost puffed out in a tiny cloud. ”He’s just like that...”

Reia froze. ”Always.”

”Yes,” I said. ”We have known each other for ten years.”

Reia’s eyes widened. ”Ten years.”

Riley nodded. ”Yeah. We’re all childhood friends.”

Reia turned back to me, scandalized. ”Then why does he look at you like that.”

I blinked. ”Like what.”

”Like you are a fragile baby bird,” Reia said. ”He slowed down his walking pace. He hovered. He kept glancing at you. That is crush behavior.”

I shook my head quickly. ”No. That is just Lucas.”

Reia stared at me. ”How can you say that so confidently.”

”Because,” I said, ”he has always been like that.”

Riley coughed into her fist. ”Yeah... always.”

Reia pointed at Riley. ”You agree.”

Riley froze. ”I didn’t say that.”

”You did,” Reia insisted. ”With your face.”

Riley groaned. ”Reia, please.”

I covered my forehead. ”He was just being polite...”

Reia leaned in, whispering like she was revealing forbidden knowledge:

”Zora. He told you to text him if anything felt weird.”

”He’s  just like that,” I said, trying to get her to understand.

Reia gasped. ”Always.”

”Yes,” I said. ”Since middle school.”

Reia stared at me like I’d just confessed to a crime. ”Then he has liked you since middle school?”

I sighed. ”No he has not.”

Riley looked away, lips pressed together, absolutely not helping.

Reia smiled like a cat who had solved a mystery.

”You keep saying that. But I think Lucas likes you.”

I rolled my eyes in exasperation. ”He does not.”

Reia whispered

”Suspicious.”

Riley muttered under her breath, ”Oh boy...”

And we kept walking.

The walk to the medical wing felt longer than it should have.

Riley stayed on my right, Reia on my left, like two guards escorting a very nervous snowflake.

My frost kept drifting off my shoulders no matter how hard I tried to stop it.

When we reached the med wing, the doors slid open with a soft chime.

Inside was... chaos.

Girls everywhere.

Girls with tails.

Girls with glowing eyes.

Girls comparing horns like they were accessories.

A big chibi mascot pointed toward a sign

TRANSFORMATION REGISTRY & PHYSICAL EXAMS, LINE FORMS LEFT

My stomach twisted.

Riley nudged me gently. ”It’s okay. Just a checkup.”

Reia nodded. ”Yes. They poke you a little. Maybe scan you. Maybe take your blood.”

I squeaked. ”Reia.”

Reia giggled. ”I was only teasing you guys.”

We joined the line.

It moved slowly, each girl stepping into a curtained booth where a tired‑looking nurse performed the exams.

A fox‑eared girl in front of us turned around. ”First time?”

I nodded quickly.

She grinned. ”Don’t worry. She’s nice. Just strict. If you’re good, she gives you a sticker.”

Reia gasped. ”I did not get that sticker.”

Riley patted her shoulder. ”Because you weren’t good apparently.”

Reia looked disappointed.

The line moved.

Five girls ahead.

Three.

Two.

One.

The curtain opened.

”Next…Riley Daniels.”

Riley straightened. ”Alright. I got this.”

Reia saluted. ”If you die, I get your hoodie.”

”No you don’t,” Riley said, stepping inside.

The curtain closed.

I swallowed hard.

Reia patted my head. ”If you faint, I will catch you.”

”That is not comforting.”

”I will also carry you out like a princess.”

”That is worse.”

The curtain opened again.

”Next….Zora Hart.”

My heart jumped.

I stepped inside nervously.

The curtain closed behind me.

The booth was small, warm, and too quiet.

My frost drifted in nervous little flakes.

The nurse looked up from her tablet. She had a calm, practiced smile, the kind that said she’d seen everything today and nothing would surprised her anymore.

”Alright, Miss Hart,” she said. ”Let’s register your transformation data.”

I nodded, hands clasped tightly.

She tapped the screen.

Then frowned.

”...that’s strange.”

My stomach dropped. ”Strange.”

”Yes,” she said, tapping again. ”Your file is missing your body measurements. Height and weight are here, but chest, waist, and hip measurements are blank.”

Blank.

Blank like I wasn’t finished.

My frost puffed out in a tiny cloud. ”I... I did not know.”

”That’s okay,” she said warmly. ”We can just get it while you’re here.”

She picked up a soft measuring tape.

”To get accurate readings, I’ll need you to remove your shirt. You can keep your undergarment on.”

I froze.

Completely.

”M…My... shirt.”

Her voice softened immediately. ”It’s alright. We’re both girls. I do this all day. I promise I’ll be quick.”

My cheeks sparkled with frost. ”Okay...”

”That’s normal,” she said. ”You’re doing just fine.”

My fingers trembled as I reached for the buttons of my blouse.

I missed the first one.

Then the second.

I apologized to the button.

The nurse waited patiently, not rushing me.

When I finally slipped the blouse off, I held it against my chest for a moment before placing it neatly on the table. My shoulders curled inward.

”I am sorry,” I whispered.

”You don’t need to apologize,” she said gently. ”You’re being very brave.”

Brave.

I didn’t feel brave.

But I nodded anyway.

”Arms up, please.”

I lifted them slowly, elbows shaking.

The nurse wrapped the tape around my chest.

I squeaked. “Cold..”

”It’s okay,” she said. ”Just breathe normally.”

I tried.

My breath came out in a tiny puff of cold.

She smiled. ”Good. You’re doing great.”

She moved to my waist next.

The tape touched my skin and I flinched.

”S‑sorry.”

”No need to be sorry,” she said. ”Transformations often make you more sensitive, Now the hip..”

I nodded quickly, cheeks shimmering harder.

Finally, she stepped back and tapped the tablet.

”Alright. Your measurements are—”

I braced myself like I was about to be graded.

”Chest: 82 cm

Waist: 58 cm

Hips: 84 cm”

My ears twitched. ”Oh.”

”You are extremely well‑balanced,” she said. ”Although you are a little on the small side, you’re perfectly proportioned .”

My frost glittered in the air like shy snow.

”I... I am normal.”

”More than normal,” the nurse said. ”You’re excellent.”

I felt my shoulders loosen just a little.

”You can put your shirt back on now.”

I scrambled for my blouse, nearly dropping it, and buttoned it wrong the first time.

The nurse pretended not to notice.

When I finally finished, the nurse explained the next part.

———————————————————-

Far away from the med wing, in a quiet place no mortal could reach, a soft golden window shimmered into existence. Hestia stood before it, hands folded, watching her daughter sit nervously on the exam table as the nurse wrapped the measuring tape around her.

Zora’s frost drifted in tiny, embarrassed sparkles.

Hestia’s expression softened.

”My sweet girl,” she whispered, voice warm and aching. ”I am sorry. I can only do so much.”

Her fingers brushed the edge of the glowing window, but she didn’t touch it she rarely touched it. She only watched.

”I can shape your soul. I can protect your heart. I can guide your path.”

Her voice trembled.

”But I cannot rewrite every file. I cannot spare you every moment of discomfort.”

Zora squeaked softly as the nurse measured her waist.

Hestia smiled, pride blooming in her chest.

”You are doing so well,” she murmured. ”Look at you. Standing there. Brave. Shy. Trying so hard.”

The nurse stepped back, reading the numbers aloud.

Perfectly proportioned.

Hestia’s eyes warmed.

”Yes,” she said a little smugly. ”Of course you are. My daughter would be nothing less.”

Zora hurried to button her blouse, flustered and pink‑cheeked.

Hestia’s smile turned tender.

”I am proud of you, little one. More than you know.”

The golden window dimmed, then faded, leaving only the goddess’s quiet pride behind.

——————————————————

”Alright, Zora,” she said gently. ”Before I finalize your transformation registry entry, I need you to explain your changes in your own words. Everything you’ve noticed. Anything that feels different. And anything you might be leaving out.”

My frost puffed out in a tiny cloud. ”L‑leaving out.”

”Yes,” she said, smiling softly. ”Not because you’re in trouble. Because we need accurate information to keep you safe.”

I nodded, hands clasped in my lap. ”I... changed shape. My body is different. My voice. My... everything.”

My cheeks sparkled with frost. ”And I make ice.”

The nurse raised a brow. ”Ice? Can you show me?”

I swallowed. ”A little. I don’t  want to damage anything.”

”That’s fine,” she said. ”Just a small demonstration.”

I lifted my hand, palm up.

A soft shimmer of cold gathered in the air, forming a tiny, delicate snowflake that drifted down onto my fingers before melting instantly.

The nurse blinked. ”That’s... very good.”

I shook my head quickly. ”I can do more. Much more. But not here. It would be... bad.”

The nurse chuckled. ”Then this is perfect. Just enough to confirm your ability type.”

She typed something into the tablet.

”Thank you, Zora. That’s all I needed.”

My frost drifted in shy little sparkles. ”O‑okay.”

“Looks like we’re all done here  miss Hart. You are free to go now.”

I nodded my thanks and beat a hasty retreat. Wanting to be done with this place.