Glory marched up the stone steps, the Grand Hall doors ajar. Music and chatter wafted out, but neither were remotely enough to pull her in. Stalking by the warmth, Glory headed up the winding tower stairs towards the dorm rooms, her jaw clenched tightly. She refused to look anywhere but at the floor until she reached her door, throwing herself into her room and slamming the door shut behind her. 

She slumped against it hard, rubbing her face vigorously. She should have known. She should have fucking known! Another who wanted her for her fucking magick, for her stupid powers and not her. She was nothing, just a battery pack to be burned through. A curiosity among them all. Fuck this school, the stupid kids, and especially Professor Evermore. Glory’s throat prickled, and she shook her head furiously. No, she would not shed tears. 

She stormed to the vanity, pulling the ornaments from her hair and tossing them aside. She wasn’t a porcelain doll – never had been, never will be. As she was scrubbing her face of makeup, her door flew open and snapped shut. Trying to blink away the water quickly, Glory swung out. 

“You’re not supposed to-”

A hand grabbed her wrist, anger flaring up in her again. Swiping her hand across her face, Glory looked up to see who had come in, only to find Mikaeus staring at her. 

“Glory,” he started, as she yanked her hand out of his grip. Pushing her hair out of her face, she glared at him, her chest tightening.

“What the fuck are you doing here? Who do you think you are-”

“Glory, please, just listen for one minute,” Mikaeus started again, but Glory shook her head.

“No, you listen, Professor Evermore,” she spat his title out, jabbing her finger at him, “I’m sick of being nothing but a lamplight for all you assholes! I don’t want to be studied, I don’t want to be just a stupid energy source! I hate me, I hate everything about me! And you!”

Glory pushed Mikaeus’ chest, face red as a tomato. “You made me think you cared about me! That I was someone, someone worth knowing and l-loving! And you lied! You lied, just like the rest of them. You weren’t supposed to be like them!” Her fists hammered on his chest as her eyes grew blurry.

Mikaeus’ hands shook as he pushed the hair from Glory’s face, sorrowful eyes boring into hers, before he pulled her into his arms. She fought for a moment, squirming and calling him names, before giving up and sobbing into Mikaeus’ chest. He hugged her tightly, burying his face into her hair.

“I’m sorry, Glory. I’m so sorry. You’re right, I’ve been an absolute bastard,” Mikaeus muttered, voice thick. 

They stood like that until Glory’s sobs had faded into the lamplight, and she peeled herself off his wet shirt, rubbing her face as Mikaeus let his arms fall away from her slowly. 

“I…I want to make it right.”

Glory shuffled to the edge of her bed, eyes turned down as she sat. “Why.”