Help! My Moms Are Overpowered Tyrants, and I'm Stuck as Their Baby!-Chapter 88: Midnight Mischief and Misadventures

It was astonishing how quickly Aria managed to integrate herself into my life or rather, how rapidly she dragged my carefully planned existence into glorious chaos.

Barely three days into our academy life, and already she'd succeeded in charming every professor, accidentally setting fire to our potion lab twice, and nearly inciting a minor rebellion among the kitchen staff when they refused to provide additional pastries after hours. If I hadn't seen it myself, I might've been impressed. But as it was, I spent more time cleaning up her disasters than plotting my future reign of terror.

Riven, of course, was suffering immensely.

"I knew this would end badly," he muttered, rubbing his temples as we watched Aria enthusiastically attempting to negotiate with the head chef a burly woman who looked more than willing to toss the small blonde into a pot herself.

"Don't be dramatic," I said lightly, secretly hoping Aria wouldn't push things far enough to require my intervention. "This is entertaining, at least."

"For you, maybe," Riven replied miserably. "I'm the one who always gets dragged along when things inevitably spiral out of control."

I raised an eyebrow, smirking faintly. "You're welcome."

His glare lacked any real heat, and I took that as proof I was rubbing off on him. Mara, standing nearby, sighed deeply, though I suspected she was hiding a smile.

"I've never seen someone so confidently self-destructive," Elira commented dryly, eyeing Aria as she attempted bribery by offering a suspiciously glittery charm bracelet.

Mara nodded sagely. "It's almost inspiring. In an alarming way."

Eventually, the chef conceded—likely due to sheer exhaustion—and Aria returned triumphant, holding a plate piled dangerously high with pastries.

"See?" Aria beamed. "Diplomacy."

"You call that diplomacy?" Riven asked incredulously.

"It worked, didn't it?" Aria replied, unconcerned.

I couldn't help myself; I laughed quietly, shaking my head. Perhaps Aria was reckless, but she made life interesting. For someone raised amidst caution and meticulous control, her unpredictability was refreshing.

Unfortunately, her spontaneity was contagious.

Which was exactly how I found myself sneaking through the academy halls at midnight, accompanied by Riven (grumbling), Aria (ecstatic), and Mara and Elira (dutifully amused but silently judging). It had started innocently enough, with Aria claiming she'd heard strange rumors about hidden chambers beneath the academy's library something about forbidden spellbooks or cursed artifacts or whatever ridiculous story bored students invented to entertain themselves.

Normally, I wouldn't dignify such tales. But the thought of an adventure however silly appealed to some irrational part of me, the same part that found itself restless after weeks of being carefully watched by my family and guards. Besides, sneaking out under the cover of darkness to investigate secret chambers seemed exactly the sort of thing a proper tyrant would do in training.

[Or a foolish protagonist looking for trouble.]

I scowled inwardly at the system's dry commentary. Not that it was entirely wrong, but admitting it felt uncomfortably close to defeat.

"You sure about this, Aria?" Riven whispered nervously, glancing over his shoulder as though the headmistress might burst through the doors at any moment. "This feels like a spectacularly terrible idea."

"Most of Aria's ideas do," Elira agreed calmly, folding her arms across her chest. "It's practically her defining trait."

Aria waved a hand dismissively, eyes glittering with excitement. "Where's your sense of adventure? There might be hidden magic or ancient treasures down here!"

Mara sighed quietly, her lips twitching into a reluctant smile. "Or spiders. Lots and lots of spiders."

Riven visibly paled. "I change my mind; I'll wait upstairs."

Aria caught his sleeve before he could retreat, pulling him firmly back into place. "Oh, no you don't. We're in this together."

Riven shot me a pleading glance, but I merely offered a faint smile. "If I suffer, you suffer."

He groaned dramatically. "Why did I choose you as my friend?"

"You didn't," I replied smoothly. "Friendship chose you. Against your will, apparently."

[Truer words have never been spoken.]

Ignoring the system's sarcastic remark, I focused my attention on the shadowed stairway. "Alright," I said softly, squaring my shoulders and summoning every ounce of false confidence I possessed. "Let's see what we can find."

We descended into darkness, the narrow staircase illuminated only by the flickering glow of a small magical orb Elira had thoughtfully summoned. Our footsteps echoed softly, each sound amplified by the close, suffocating walls around us. The further we ventured, the cooler the air became, tinged with a faint scent of ancient parchment and something earthy and damp.

Aria's excitement was practically tangible, her wide eyes scanning every inch of the passage as if expecting the walls themselves to start whispering secrets. Riven shuffled reluctantly behind her, clearly regretting every life choice he'd ever made. Mara and Elira flanked me closely, their expressions carefully neutral, though I caught the occasional amused glance shared between them.

The staircase finally gave way to a dimly lit chamber, its walls lined with heavy shelves filled with dusty, leather-bound books and oddly-shaped artifacts that glinted ominously in the shadows. At the chamber's center stood a stone pedestal, suspiciously empty and surrounded by faded magical circles carved directly into the floor.

"Well," Aria breathed, voice filled with awe. "This is definitely secret-chamber material."

"Or ritual-sacrifice material," Riven muttered uneasily, edging slightly behind me. "I've read stories. This never ends well."

"Relax," Aria said cheerfully, examining a nearby shelf. "I doubt anyone's been sacrificed here lately."

Mara tilted her head thoughtfully. "Define 'lately.'"

Riven whimpered softly.

I walked slowly around the pedestal, careful not to step into the faded circles. The symbols were unfamiliar but felt old, their magic long dormant and harmless. Still, something about the atmosphere set my nerves on edge, each shadow seeming just a bit too deep, every noise just a bit too loud.

[Afraid of the dark now?]

"Hardly," I responded silently, refusing to admit my pulse had quickened. "But this place feels wrong."

[I sense nothing dangerous.]

"Just because you don't sense anything doesn't mean it isn't here."

[Or you're letting Aria's theatrics influence you.]

I scowled at the invisible voice in my mind. It was bad enough dealing with my overly dramatic friends; I didn't need sass from my own internal companion.

Behind me, Aria suddenly gasped sharply. "Did you hear that?"

We all froze instantly. Even Riven's breathing seemed to stop, eyes wide in panic.

"Hear what?" Mara asked carefully.

"That scratching sound," Aria whispered, eyes huge in the dim light. "From behind the wall."

Riven's voice cracked slightly. "Scratching?"

Elira lifted her glowing orb, illuminating the wall Aria indicated. It appeared solid, though age had cracked and crumbled the stone in places. We waited silently, tension thickening the air around us until even I felt a prickle of unease crawl down my spine.

A faint scratching noise, distinctly audible.

"There it is again!" Aria's voice was triumphant, as though she'd proven a grand theory.

"Probably rats," Mara offered helpfully.

"Definitely rats," Riven agreed hurriedly. "Rats are harmless. Right?"

"Some rats have magical mutations," Elira mused thoughtfully. "Especially in older buildings."

Riven paled further. "Please stop helping."

Aria ignored them both, stepping forward bravely or foolishly and placing her hand against the wall. "Maybe there's another secret passage here."

"I don't think—" I began, but stopped when Aria's hand pressed something, causing a low rumbling sound to echo ominously throughout the chamber.

A chill swept through the room as the wall slowly shifted, revealing :

Absolutely nothing.

We all stared in confused silence at the blank wall revealed behind the first.

Aria blinked, visibly deflated. "Seriously?"

"Not every wall hides adventure," I said dryly. "Sometimes a wall is just a wall."

"But the scratching?" Riven squeaked nervously.

"Rats," Mara repeated calmly.

"Magic rats?" he asked faintly.

"Regular rats, probably," Elira said reassuringly.

Read 𝓁atest chapters at fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm Only.

Riven sagged with relief, muttering something unintelligible beneath his breath.

We explored further, inspecting shelves and examining artifacts—most of which turned out to be ancient and broken items clearly forgotten by the academy's previous inhabitants. Despite the initial adrenaline, the exploration revealed nothing truly remarkable, and the ominous atmosphere eventually became nothing more than a shadowy old room filled with harmless debris.

Yet, strangely, disappointment didn't follow. Instead, I found myself quietly enjoying the simple adventure the shared whispers, the ridiculous fears, and even Riven's melodramatic complaints. I'd spent most of my life surrounded by grandeur, magic, and impossible expectations. But here, with my friends, exploring a forgotten room beneath our school, none of that mattered.

For once, I felt genuinely free just another child sneaking out after curfew, laughing quietly at jokes whispered in the dark.

By the time we finally ascended back toward the main library, it was well past midnight. Aria looked both triumphant and exhausted, Riven relieved and slightly traumatized, and Mara and Elira appeared quietly amused.

"That was fun," Aria announced proudly, dusting herself off dramatically. "Next time, we'll find something even better."

"There's going to be a next time?" Riven asked weakly.

"Obviously," she replied cheerfully.

He whimpered again.

I shook my head lightly, hiding a faint smile.