Help! My Moms Are Overpowered Tyrants, and I’m Stuck as Their Baby!

I stepped into Magical Theory with the vague hope that today's disasters would remain confined to theory. Riven was already there, drumming his fingers on the desk like a caged imp, while Aria arranged her notebooks with the precision of a jeweler setting diamonds. Velka hovered near the back wall, arms crossed, as far from me as the room would allow without requiring an inter-school transit permit.

I swallowed. This "sudden weirdness" from Velka had me curious more curious than I cared to admit. Our project for the term was announced: Group collaboration in advanced magical resonance theory. We were to demonstrate a containment spell, an elemental adjustment, and a structural enchantment model. Professor Thalen would judge. Names were drawn. My heart sank when he said, "Thorne, Nightthorn, Aria, and Riven."

I forced a smile. Velka offered none in return.

We clustered around a battered oak table. Velka shifted her stool three inches farther away, carving an invisible moat between us.

"Let's start with fire," Riven announced cheerfully, as if we were at a barbecue rather than under the stern gaze of a professor who believed only in controlled chaos. He raised his hand and summoned a small azure flame over his palm, the heat humming against his skin.

"Impressive," I said, sounding far more encouraging than I felt. Riven turned to face me and promptly singed one of his parchment scrolls. It ignited in a bright whoosh and curled into ash before he could snatch it away.

"Riven!" Aria shrieked, launching into action. She uttered a string of sparkling sigils the Sparklehold Containment, her own invention sending a cascade of glittering motes that coalesced into a translucent dome around the errant flame. It sputtered, hissed, and collapsed like a deflated balloon.

The class erupted in applause. Velka merely watched, arms still crossed, a faint smirk tugging at her lips.

Riven bowed theatrically, hair singed in one patch. "My apologies, master and classmates."

Professor Thalen pinched the bridge of his nose. "Next time, Riven, aim for demonstration fire, not wildcat fire."

Riven flashed him a sheepish grin. "Noted."

Aria beamed at me. "Did you see that? I actually contained real fire!"

I nodded, leaning toward Velka. "That was brilliant."

She inclined her head briefly. "Functional. Excess glitter is wasteful."

I stifled a laugh. Excess glitter? Only Aria would see glitter as a resource.

Professor Thalen cleared his throat. "Now, magic structural integrity. Thorne?"

I took a deep breath. The assignment: Dissolve and reconstruct an inert magical barrier. We'd practiced on practice wards, but nothing prepared me for the sight of the real enchanted wall set up at the far end of the chamber ancient runes glowing faintly in a soft amber.

I stepped forward, feeling every eye on me Velka's too, though she pretended not to be watching. Riven and Aria both whispered encouragements, which only made my palms sweat.

"Focus," I murmured, closing my eyes. The system's voice slipped into my mind: [Channel gently. You're safe.]

I pressed my hand to the rune-carved stone. My magic flowed as smoothly as water, warm and obedient. The runes flickered. The stone shivered. Within seconds, the barrier rippled like wax under a blowtorch and melted into a puddle of glimmering dust.

I blinked. Opened my eyes. Took a step back.

No effort. No sweat. No tremor.

Just… a melting wall.

Silence slammed the room. Professor Thalen's jaw hung slack. Aria's mouth formed a perfect "O." Riven looked like he'd swallowed a frog.

Velka's eyes were… wide. Shocked. Almost… proud.

"Miss Thorne!" Professor Thalen finally spluttered, his voice thick with horror. "Do you have any idea what you've done?"

I swallowed hard. "I… melted the barrier, as requested?"

He stared at me like I'd animated a golem with forbidden soul-snatching magics. "That was not the assignment. You used nearly no focus. It dissolved in under three seconds. You barely channeled."

I peered at the puddle of rune-dust on the floor. "Isn't faster better?"

He shook his head, looking like he'd aged twenty years in the span of a heartbeat. "Faster is reckless. You must control your magic before it controls the world."

I blinked. "Yes, professor."

The class erupted into nervous whispers. Aria slipped into my side, voice low: "That was incredible."

Riven clapped me on the shoulder so hard I staggered. "Notable. Did you see her face?"

I glanced at Velka. Her expression had softened. She was nodding, just a fraction.

The system piped in, cheerful despite the professor's meltdown: [You just used 0.0003% of your full capacity. We may need to talk.]

My heart thudded. "We do?"

[Very soon,] it teased. [I have snacks.]

Professor Thalen regained his color an ashen beige and turned to Velka. "Your turn. Please demonstrate the structural reinforcement."

Velka rose, brows still knit in concentration. She walked smoothly to the edge of the puddle, tapped her fingers along the rune-etched floor, and murmured a phrase so low I could hardly catch it. A slender lattice of shadow-silver light knit itself from the edges of the melted runes, weaving upward until it formed a perfect restoration of the barrier stone and rune complete.

She stepped back exactly one pace. The barrier hummed and glowed.

Professor Thalen's eyes were moist. "Remarkable."

Velka inclined her head once, extremely formally. "Functional."

Aria burst into applause, Riven sounded a low wolf-whistle, and I simply stared at her in awe.

All around us, classmates gawked or scurried to scribble frantic notes.

Professor Thalen cleared his throat again. "Group one excellent work, though with room for… moderation. Next group."

Velka returned to our table. She passed me so close I nearly caught the faint scent of her lavender soap and something else something inexplicably mine.

I opened my mouth to ask her what she thought. She didn't look my way.

My heart sank.

Aria reached out and squeezed my hand. "You were brilliant."

I nodded, unsure what to say.

Riven smirked. "Control can be overrated."

Aria gave him a look that could melt iron.

And Velka? She slid into her seat, eyes downcast, posture perfect—yet something in her expression spoke of a war waging deep beneath her calm veneer.

I exhaled quietly.

The bell rang.

Professor Thalen lectured about responsible channeling.

I gathered my things, feeling the weight of what had just happened. I had unleashed power I barely understood. But I also saw in Velka's face something I hadn't before: not fear, nor disdain, but something like pride and worry.

As we filed out, I fell into step beside Velka, determination jangling in my chest.

"Hey," I said softly. "That was amazing."

She glanced at me, the tiniest flicker of warmth in her eyes, then looked away.

I squeezed her hand briefly our first real touch since that shouted "hi" and whispered, "We'll talk soon."

She didn't pull away.