Heartslabyul-Diasomnia Members Time Travel to the Future

The air in the courtyard of Celestial Gate Academy was thick with the scent of blooming jasmine and the faint, underlying hum of ancient magic. It was a picturesque scene, one that looked like a postcard from the Shaftlands, until the silence was shattered by the sound of a heavy textbook hitting the stone floor and the shrill cry of a frustrated teenager.

"I told you, Acelynn! No phones during the transition between periods! It’s in the handbook, page fourteen, section four!" Rosie Rosehearts stood with her arms crossed, her heels clicking rhythmically against the pavement. Her red-and-white uniform was pristine, not a single wrinkle out of place. She looked every bit the Housewarden of Rebel Serpentina—and every bit the daughter of Riddle Rosehearts, much to her own chagrin.

Acelynn Trappola groaned, reaching for her device, but Rosie was faster. She snatched the phone up, tucking it into her blazer pocket with a sharp glare. "You can have it back after the Student Council meeting. And don't give me that look. Rules are rules."

"You’re literally worse than your dad, Rosie," Acelynn muttered, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "At least he has the excuse of being a Housewarden at a boy's school. You’re just doing this to be a pain in my ass."

Rosie flinched at the mention of her father. "Do not compare me to him. He’s obsessed with perfection for the sake of a crown. I’m obsessed with order because without it, this school would burn down in five minutes. Now, get to class before I report you for truancy."

As Acelynn stomped off toward the basketball courts, Rosie let out a long, weary sigh. She felt a presence behind her—a familiar, comforting scent of expensive perfume and hairspray.

"Now, now, Starfish, don't let your face get stuck like that. You’ll get premature wrinkles, and we simply can't have the Student Council President looking haggard," a smooth, melodic voice teased.

Rosie turned, her expression softening instantly. Viviana Schoenheit, the Housewarden of Enchanted Venom, stood there, leaning against a marble pillar. She was breathtakingly tall, her golden-blonde hair caught in the sunlight. She adjusted her hand mirror, checking her reflection before winking at Rosie.

"Vivi," Rosie breathed, her cheeks flushing a faint pink. "I’m just trying to keep things running. Someone has to."

"And you do it so well, darling," Viviana said, stepping closer. She reached out, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Rosie’s ear. "But you’re so tense. Why don't you come by the Drama Club later? We’re rehearsing the new tragedy, and I could use a muse."

Rosie opened her mouth to agree, but a sudden commotion from the direction of the Viperella dorms cut her off. There was a loud *bang*, followed by the smell of something spicy—and something burning.

"Kalie!" a voice screamed. "What did I tell you about using the enchanted spices in the common room kitchen?!"

In the kitchen of the Viperella dorm, smoke was billowing from a copper pot. Kalie Al-Asim, her hair tied back with a gold silk ribbon, was frantically waving a spatula. Her eyes were wide, and she looked more than a little guilty.

"It was an accident, Jaira! I just wanted to see if the genie magic would make the curry cook faster!" Kalie shouted back, dodging a flying wooden spoon thrown by Jaira Viper.

Jaira was fuming. Her eyes were narrowed, her posture predatory. As the daughter of Jamil Viper, she had inherited his competence—and his incredibly short fuse when it came to the Al-Asim family. "You’re a hazard to yourself and everyone around you! You literally drank poison last week because you thought it was a 'glowing blue health potion' from the alchemy lab!"

"It looked refreshing!" Kalie defended herself, her hands glowing with a faint, blue genie-mist. "And I’m fine! My unique magic protected me."

"Your unique magic is a nuisance!" Jaira growled, stepping into Kalie’s personal space. "You spend all day making jewelry and playing the flute while I have to make sure you don't accidentally turn the hallway into a giant sandcastle!"

"At least I'm not a grumpy servant to a father who only cares about wishes!" Kalie snapped, her voice cracking.

The two girls glared at each other, the air between them crackling with tension. They were always at each other's throats, a cycle of bickering that had lasted since their first year. But beneath the anger was something else—a strange, magnetic pull that neither of them wanted to admit.

Just then, the kitchen door swung open. Flayr Leech, one of the "weird eel cousins," skipped in, her long hair extensions swaying behind her like tentacles. She wasn't looking where she was going, her eyes glued to a ledger of "favors" she was tracking for Azure Ashengrotto.

"Oopsie!" Flayr chirped as her foot caught on a loose floor tile.

She lunged forward, losing her balance and slamming directly into Jaira’s back. The force was enough to send Jaira flying forward.

Time seemed to slow down. Jaira reached out to grab something to stabilize herself, but her hands found Kalie’s shoulders. Their faces collided. It wasn't a romantic moment; it was a clashing of teeth and a sudden, shocked realization.

Jaira’s lips pressed firmly against Kalie’s in a messy, accidental kiss.

Flayr stopped, blinking her mismatched eyes. "Oh my. That wasn't on the schedule."

Jaira recoiled as if she’d been electrocuted, her face turning a shade of red that rivaled a Rosehearts' temper. Kalie just stood there, her mouth hanging open, her blue genie-glow flickering erratically.

"I... you... she..." Jaira stammered, pointing a shaking finger at Kalie. "This is your fault! You and your... your stupid Al-Asim luck!"

"My fault?!" Kalie squeaked, her voice going up three octaves. "You’re the one who tackled me!"

"I was pushed!" Jaira screamed, turning to glare at Flayr, who had already vanished back into the hallway, her giggling echoing off the stone walls.

While the Viperella dorm was descending into chaos, the atmosphere in the Mystic Dragonwing wing was much colder. Mallory Draconia sat on a velvet chaise lounge, a camera dangling from her neck. She was staring at the wall, her expression unreadable.

"You're doing it again," a voice whispered.

Mallory looked up to see Idabelle Shroud sitting on the floor, surrounded by glowing holographic screens and half-disassembled robotic parts. Idabelle looked tired, her blue hair flickering like a dying flame.

"Doing what?" Mallory asked, her voice deep and regal, a perfect echo of Malleus.

"Brooding. You look like your dad when he doesn't get invited to a party," Idabelle said, her fingers flying across a virtual keyboard.

Mallory sighed, leaning back. "I’m not brooding. I’m just... thinking. Moonlight is being difficult again. She acts like she’s the only one who matters because her 'Grandpa Lilia' gave her that name. She’s so loud, Idabelle. And she’s always hanging around Senorina."

"She’s just Moonlight," Idabelle said, though she winced as she mentioned the name. "She’s mean to me, too. Calls my inventions 'clunky' and 'ugly.' But you shouldn't let it get to you. You’re a princess. She’s just a girl with a baseball bat and a silver hair-dye habit."

Mallory stood up, her 6'5" frame casting a long shadow over the room. She walked over to Idabelle and placed a hand on her shoulder. "If she bothers you again, tell me. I’ll turn her into a garden gnome."

Idabelle giggled, a rare, genuine sound. "Thanks, Mal. But I think I can handle her with a few well-placed EMPs."

Suddenly, the room felt colder. A presence moved through the shadows of the corner, and Dianne Ravenwood stepped out. She was holding a tray of something that looked like grey, pulsating gelatin.

"I made snacks," Dianne said, her voice monotone.

Mallory and Idabelle both froze. They had seen Dianne’s cooking before. It was a weapon of mass destruction.

"Oh, Dianne," Mallory said, stepping back. "We... we just ate. Huge feast. Huge."

"Yeah," Idabelle added, her hair turning a frantic shade of pink. "I think I’m actually allergic to... whatever that is. Is that a toe?"

Dianne looked down at the tray, then back at them. "It is a nutritious blend of swamp moss and fermented nightmare spores. You should eat. You are both looking thin."

"We have to go!" Mallory grabbed Idabelle’s hand, pulling her toward the door. "Student Council meeting! Very important! Sorry, Dianne!"

They sprinted out of the room, leaving Dianne standing alone in the dark. She looked at the tray, shrugged, and took a bite herself. "More for the crows, then."

In the main hall, Rosie was trying to regain her composure after her encounter with Viviana. She was joined by Aline Madora Hightopp, her Vice Housewarden and closest friend. Aline was adjusting her hat, which was decorated with various tea-party trinkets.

"You look like you've seen a ghost, Rosie," Aline said, checking her pocket watch. "Or perhaps a very handsome queen?"

"Shut up, Aline," Rosie snapped, though there was no heat in it. "Is everyone gathered for the meeting?"

"Mostly. The Leech cousins are causing a scene in the cafeteria—Azure is trying to charge people for 'oxygen tax' again. And I think I saw Jaira chasing Kalie through the rose garden with a scimitar."

Rosie rubbed her temples. "Why is this school like this? Why am I the only one who cares about the rules?"

"Because you're a Rebel Serpentina," Aline said, linking her arm with Rosie’s. "We’re smart, we’re sharp, and we don't take crap from anyone—not even our parents. Especially not them."

Rosie looked at the portrait of the Queen of Hearts hanging on the wall. She hated how much she looked like the woman in the painting, and how much she felt the shadow of her father, Riddle, looming over her every decision. He wanted her to be the perfect heir, the perfect student, the perfect lady.

She just wanted to be Rosie.

"Let’s go," Rosie said, her voice firming up. "We have a school to run, and if I have to put a collar on every single one of them to get them to listen, I will."

As they walked toward the council chamber, they passed the looking glass that served as the portal to the dorms. For a split second, the glass shimmered with a strange, distorted light.

On the other side, in a different time and a different place, a group of boys from Night Raven College were experimenting with a forbidden spell. They had no idea that their accidental meddling with time was about to bring them face-to-face with the daughters they didn't even know they had.

But for now, in the halls of Celestial Gate Academy, the girls were busy dealing with their own chaos.

"Rosie! Wait!"

Rosie stopped and turned to see Halena, her younger sister, running toward her. Halena was the "White Queen" of the family—gentle, airy, and obsessed with baking. She was currently covered in flour.

"Rosie, the Equestrian Club needs more funding for the sugar cubes! And Traci accidentally baked a file into a cake for a dare!"

Rosie closed her eyes and counted to ten. "Aline, take Halena to the kitchens and find out which 'dare' involved a metal file. I’m going to go find Viviana. If I’m going to deal with this, I need to look at something beautiful for five minutes."

"Understood!" Aline saluted, led a babbling Halena away.

Rosie turned a corner and found herself in the quiet of the West Wing. She leaned against a window, looking out over the Shaftlands. She thought about her father, about the pressure of the Rosehearts name, and about the secret crush she had on a girl who loved mirrors almost as much as she loved herself.

"I'm breaking in," Rosie whispered to the empty hallway, quoting her own unique magic's incantation. "Call the guards. Raise the alarm."

She wasn't just a daughter. She wasn't just a student. She was the Princess of Hearts, and heaven help anyone—father or otherwise—who tried to stand in her way.

The school bell rang, a deep, resonant chime that echoed through the valley. It was the sound of order, the sound of tradition, and the sound of a storm brewing. Somewhere, the fabric of time was thinning, and the collision of two worlds was only a heartbeat away.

But as Jaira Viper finally caught up to Kalie Al-Asim in the garden, and as Mallory Draconia shielded Idabelle from a stray spell, and as Viviana Schoenheit practiced her most devastating smile in the mirror, one thing was certain:

Night Raven College wasn't ready for the girls of Celestial Gate. Not even a little bit.