Sera practically ran out of that hallway.
Her heart hammered against her ribs like a trapped bird.
She felt furious, utterly drained, and empty inside.
Those four had finally laid out their true motives.
There was no point in lying to herself anymore.
Her power mattered to them first.
She came second.
She knew they would come looking for her soon.
So she picked up her pace without looking back.
She cut through the overgrown path behind the academy.
It led straight toward the dark treeline of the woods.
Almost no student ever came out to this side.
The shadows were heavy and thick beneath the trees.
The cold wind blew hard through the dense leaves.
Sera stopped near the clearing, taking a shaky breath.
She just needed a single minute to herself.
A minute to breathe and calm her racing mind.
Then came the sound.
A low, heavy growl vibrated from behind the bushes.
Sera froze dead in her tracks.
She turned around slowly, her muscles locking up.
Out from between the trunks crept a massive beast.
Wild creatures sometimes wandered near the outer borders.
But this thing was completely different.
Its eyes burned with a sickening red light.
Its muscles were bunched tight, saliva dripping on dirt.
It wasn’t hunting because it was hungry.
It was driven by pure, unhinged aggression.
Sera took a cautious step backward.
Deep inside her chest, that golden heat flared up.
Then came the sudden burst of bright silver energy.
It was the same light that filled the corridor earlier.
The gold was the entity’s sheer, burning rage.
The silver was ancient dragon magic reacting to danger.
The power was surfacing on its own to defend her.
Yet, she still couldn’t control the flow properly.
She didn’t want to destroy the entire forest.
She just wanted to survive.
The creature lunged forward without warning.
The heavy ground vibrated beneath its weight.
Sera spun to run, but someone grabbed her fast.
A heavy, warm hand locked firmly around her waist.
He yanked her back as a blade slashed the air.
The steel glowed with a faint, dark aura.
”Stay still,” a low, blunt voice muttered nearby.
Sera looked up, her breathing ragged.
Rough, dark brown hair.
Striking, fierce golden eyes.
Broad shoulders wrapped in simple dark gear.
A sharp jawline set in a rigid line.
Theron Vale.
He shoved Sera behind his back without a word.
He stepped right between her and the monster.
There were no fancy speeches or dramatic poses.
He just gripped the handle of his blade tightly.
A brownish aura pure Beast Magic surged on his skin.
His muscles visibly flexed and hardened.
His reaction speed spiked in a split second.
The beast snapped its jaws toward his chest.
Theron dodged with a simple, brutal side-step.
He brought his heavy sword down hard on its flank.
Claws hit steel with a deafening crash.
Every move he made was direct and merciless.
His Beast Magic gave him wild, predatory instincts.
It let him read muscle twitches before a strike.
Sera watched from behind, her palms tingling.
Gold and silver energy danced across her skin.
For the first time, the entity wasn’t just reacting.
It was watching Theron carefully and judging him.
She clenched her trembling fist tight.
The ancient power tightened inside her chest too.
Theron landed a heavy kick, knocking the beast back.
Before it could recover, he stepped into its space.
He drove the blade deep into its shoulder.
The beast let out a harsh, agonizing screech.
It thrashed against the dirt, then went completely limp.
Theron stood over the corpse, breathing steadily.
He wiped dark blood off the steel onto his pants.
He sheathed the heavy weapon with a metallic click.
The brownish aura around his arms faded away.
Then, he turned around to face her.
”You alright?” he asked bluntly.
There was no panic in his deep voice.
No grand concern, just pure, practical focus.
Sera caught her breath, trying to steady her heart.
”Yeah…
thanks.” Theron gave a short, single nod.
”It’s dangerous out here alone,” he said flatly.
”The beasts near the border are getting wild.” ”I just needed to get away,” Sera murmured.
She pulled her hand back, covering the faint glow.
The bright light died down into gentle warmth.
Theron looked down at her fingers for a beat.
He had seen the strange power flare up clearly.
Yet, he didn’t ask a single question about it.
”I saw you earlier,” he said, tone neutral.
”In the hallway when your hands lit up.” ”And I saw you walk out today too.” ”You always run off alone when you’re angry.” ”It’s a bad habit.” Sera stared up at him, her brow furrowing.
”Were you…
tracking me?” ”Yeah,” Theron admitted plainly, unbothered.
”To make sure you don’t end up dead.” ”The other four like to play political games.” ”I just watch and handle business.” His raw honesty left her completely blank.
Footsteps CRACKED loudly through dry branches nearby.
Lucien’s frantic shouting carried over first.
”Sera!
Where the hell are you?” Theron didn’t even flinch at the noise.
”They’re here,” he noted calmly.
Sera let out a long sigh, closing her eyes.
”Yeah.
They always find me.” Theron held her gaze with clear, golden eyes.
”I’ll be sticking around from now on too.” ”If you have a problem, tell me right now.” Sera searched his face for any sign of game.
There was no hidden trick or calculated sweetness.
Just straight, unyielding protection from a warrior.
”It’s fine,” she murmured softly.
“I don’t mind.” ”Good.” Lucien, Kairos, Caelum, and Riven broke through the brush.
Lucien looked at Sera, Theron, and the dead beast.
”Right,” Lucien said, throwing his hands up.
”What did I miss?” ”A beast attacked her,” Theron said simply.
“Dead now.” Lucien pushed past him to check on Sera.
”Are you hurt?” ”I’m fine,” she said, taking a step backward.
She tried to hide her right hand behind her.
Riven’s sharp, dark eyes caught the motion instantly.
His cold gaze lingered heavily on her fingers.
He knew her power had spiked again.
Caelum stepped forward, scanning Theron coolly.
”Theron Vale.
From the Beastman squad.” ”Yeah,” Theron replied, staring right back.
”I’m involved in this situation now too.” ”Just so all of you are clear on that.” Riven narrowed his eyes, measuring the new presence.
Kairos stepped beside Sera, keeping his voice gentle.
”Let’s get you back inside.
It’s not safe.” Sera glanced at Theron one last time before leaving.
He met her gaze and gave a short, solid nod.
As they walked back, her internal energy settled down.
The lingering heat in her palm vanished completely.
But as the magic receded, she didn’t feel alone.
The entity within her seemed quietly satisfied.
Pleased that someone had stepped up to protect her.
Someone who asked for nothing in return.
Now, five of them walked behind her.
Four with hidden agendas…
And one blunt warrior who simply handled business.