The reaction was immediate.
"You-!"
Calix’s expression darkened, and whatever flicker of uncertainty that had briefly softened his gaze vanished completely as irritation surged to the surface.
Beside him, Soren’s jaw tightened and a low growl rumbled in his chest as his eyes narrowed dangerously at her. It was as if he could not decide whether to lash out with words or action first.
Aurora didn’t flinch.
If anything, her posture straightened slightly and her presence sharpened as though their hostility only reinforced her resolve. "You attacked me first without any reason," she continued evenly, her gaze unwavering as it met theirs head-on. "Obviously, you need to apologize."
The audacity of her words stunned them.
For a moment, neither man spoke.
It wasn’t just what she said... it was how she said it. She sounded so calm and controlled, as if she truly believed she stood on higher ground than them, as if she no longer cared about their status, their strength, or their opinions.
Before either of them could respond, Mira’s voice cut in again and it sounded colder than before.
"You heard her."
Both men stiffened.
They turned toward her almost in unison with disbelief flickering across their faces at the harsh edge in her tone. Mira rarely spoke like that, rarely directed such firmness toward them, and certainly never in defense of someone like Aurora.
That only made it worse.
Aurora noticed the shift but didn’t rely on it. She didn’t need Mira to shield her, not when she had already taken control of the situation. The original owner may have hidden behind noise and aggression, but Aurora knew exactly when to speak and when to strike.
Calix was the first to recover.
Unlike his brother, his anger wasn’t explosive. It simmered, controlled but no less intense. He reached out and pulled Mira a step back, placing a subtle distance between her and Aurora as his gaze hardened.
"Don’t fall for her tricks," he said in a low but firm voice, his eyes never leaving Aurora. "You don’t know what kind of games she plays."
Then he looked directly at Aurora and his expression sharpened with clear distaste. "Stay away from my wife."
Soren immediately stepped forward, his presence far less restrained as his hostility flared openly. "If you even think about crossing her again," he added in a voice that was clearly edged with threat, "I’ll make sure you regret it."
The warning hung heavy in the air.
Mira looked like she was seconds away from snapping at them, but Aurora beat her to it.
A quiet, humorless chuckle slipped past her lips. The sound was soft yet carried enough bite to make both men falter slightly.
"Do you two even have eyes that work?"
The question landed harder than any insult.
Both men stiffened, clearly caught off guard. Offense flashed across their faces.
Aurora didn’t give them time to react. Her gaze sharpened and her voice turned colder as she continued, "Or are you just imagining things at this point?"
Calix’s expression darkened further while Soren took another step forward. But Aurora raised her chin slightly, her voice cutting through before either could speak.
"From which angle," she asked calmly, her eyes flicking between them with deliberate precision, "did you see me harming your wife?"
The question hung in the air, simple and direct. And it was impossible to answer without exposing the flaw in their assumptions.
For a brief moment, they said nothing. And that silence was louder than any argument.
But just as the tension reached its peak, a new voice broke in. It sounded high-pitched, urgent, and filled with exaggerated fear.
"She was going to hurt Mira!"
All heads turned to the young woman who stepped forward from the group of spectators lingering at the distance. Her movements were hurried yet calculated, and her expression was carefully arranged into one of distress.
She pointed toward the flickering flames with trembling fingers, her eyes wide as if she had just witnessed something terrifying.
"That thing-she was going to use that thing on her!"
Aurora blinked.
"...What?"
The absurdity of the statement hit her harder than any insult thrown earlier.
The woman’s performance was almost impressive... almost... if not for how painfully obvious it was to Aurora. The fear in her eyes didn’t quite reach her core, her tone just slightly too rehearsed, and her timing far too convenient.
But the others, they didn’t see it that way.
Since none of them had seen fire before, they completely failed to recognize the flickering flames.
To them, it was an unknown entity radiating heat and danger, something their instincts screamed to avoid. And now, with that accusation planted so neatly in their minds, the narrative twisted effortlessly into something far more dangerous.
Aurora standing near it and Mira close to it. Of course the conclusion was simple and easy.
Soren’s expression darkened instantly and a deep growl tore from his throat as his body tensed like a predator ready to strike.
Aurora stared at him. Then at the woman. Then back at him as she spoke, "You can’t be serious." Her voice was flat, heavy with disbelief.
But Soren had already moved, his hostility reignited and burning brighter than before.
Aurora let out a slow breath, dragging a hand down her face as if physically trying to process the level of stupidity she was witnessing.
Then she looked at Mira... and said, with complete sincerity - "I almost feel sorry for you."
Mira blinked.
Aurora’s gaze shifted briefly toward the two men before returning to her. "... for having such dumb men as your beast husbands."
Gasps filled the otherwise heavy silence, and then came the explosion as the last thread of Soren’s patience snapped.
A furious growl tore from his chest as he lunged forward, his restraint finally giving way under the constant barrage of her words.
"Aurora-!"
But before he could reach her, Mira stepped directly into his path and grabbed his arm to stop him mid-motion with surprising strength.
"Enough, Soren!"
Her voice rang out, sharp and commanding.
It froze him. Froze everyone.
Mira’s gaze swept across the scene, her expression no longer gentle but firm, resolute, carrying a weight that demanded attention.
Then, she spoke.
"That," she said, pointing toward the flickering flames, "is fire."
A ripple of shock spread instantly through the onlookers.
"And Aurora-" she continued in a steady voice despite the intensity of the moment, "has been blessed with the power of fire by the Beast God."