With trembling arms and legs, I push myself back to my feet.

  My chest feels hot—not just from the pain, but something else entirely.

  I clench my fists with all my strength, struggling not to collapse again.

  My glare locks onto the woman in front of me.

  All the respect I had for her earlier, simply because she was Father’s friend, has completely vanished.

  Right now, all I feel is that stupid heat boiling in my chest.

  She never once takes her eyes off me.

  For the first time since we returned, her expression shifts slightly—her gaze narrows.

  “Try again.”

  Her voice is as stern and demanding as before… but something feels different.

  I grit my teeth, frustration bubbling up.

  What gives her the right to treat us like this?

  My mind is racing, too chaotic to form a clear thought. All my instincts scream at me to back down.

  But my body moves anyway.

  I dash forward.

  My body feels strangely light, yet something is off.

  As I reach her, my right hook swings wildly—blindly—toward her.

  It has to hit. It has to.

  But it doesn’t. She steps aside effortlessly.

  Before I can even register my mistake, a sharp pain explodes in my back and I crash to the ground with a heavy thud.

  Too predictable.

  She barely had to move—just an elbow to send me into the dirt.

  I gasp for air, limbs heavy and my head spinning.

  “This is how you stand up for her?”

  The disappointment in her cold voice cuts deeper than the strike.

  “You won’t protect anyone like this. You can’t even protect yourself.”

  She approaches, stopping only a step away.

  I turn my face toward her, still gasping.

  My eyes burn as small tears gather.

  I can’t stop them.

  With the last strength I have, I push myself onto all fours.

  “One more time.”

  Is she trying to kill me?

  Am I going to die like this?

  My mind sharpens as the realization settles—this woman is terrifying.

  “Stop hurting him!”

  Nyra steps between us, arms outstretched to shield me.

  Her voice trembles—I can’t blame her.

  But she can’t do this.

  She has to get away.

  “Step aside.”

  “No! You’re just going to hurt him again!”

  “That is none of your business, girl.”

  “I-I won’t let you!”

  “I’ll only say this once more. Move.”

  The woman’s irritation rises with every second.

  Nyra shakes her head, standing her ground even as the woman towers over her.

  The woman’s expression twists.

  Her eyes narrow, teeth bare, and she raises a flat hand—ready to strike.

  My eyes widen.

  She’s not touching my friend.

  I won’t let her.

  The heat in my chest explodes, hotter than before.

  I grab Nyra by her shirt and yank her aside as I force myself upright.

  My glare locks on the woman.

  Her gaze snaps toward me—

  Too late.

  Using the momentum of pulling Nyra back, I throw myself forward.

  My fist barely grazes the woman’s chin before I hit the ground again, sliding backwards.

  My heart pounds.

  My chest burns.

  My hands tremble.

  But I keep glaring at her.

  She doesn’t react immediately.

  For a moment, she’s perfectly still.

  Then she lowers her hand slowly and turns to face me.

  Her expression is nothing like I expected.

  A faint smile appears.

  “I was wrong. And I’m glad I was. You’ll be fine, I’m sure of it.”

  “W-What…?”

  I don’t understand.

  A second ago, I thought she was going to kill me.

  And now… warmth? Pride?

  Nyra rushes to my side and stands protectively in front of me again, one arm raised.

  My eyes stay fixed on the woman—on this stranger who suddenly looks almost… gentle.

  She turns, retrieves the coat she tossed earlier, then walks back and crouches down to our eye level.

  “I saw everything I needed to. I won’t harm you anymore, I promise. But we can’t wait here for long.”

  “Wait for what?” Nyra snaps, glaring.

  But oddly, I no longer sense danger from the woman.

  “I’m sorry for mistreating you, little one. I didn’t mean to scare you—or him. My name is Scarlet. I’m a close friend of his father.”

  “If you were a real friend of the family, you wouldn’t have hurt him.”

  Nyra still stands up for me.

  More fiercely than she did for herself.

  “You’re right… and I deeply apologize. It wasn’t fair. But I had to see whether he could take care of himself.”

  “Why? For what?” Nyra demands.

  I place my hand on her arm, gently lowering it.

  “Nyra… it’s okay.”

  “No! She hurt you. I don’t trust her.”

  Scarlet touches her chest.

  “I understand. And you’re right not to trust me so easily. But we don’t have time for a long explanation. I want to help Taseo. But I need your trust.”

  Nyra looks at me anxiously.

  I nod.

  Something in Scarlet’s tone makes me believe her.

  “…Fine. But I don’t forgive you.”

  “Thank you. Nyra, right?”

  Nyra nods hesitantly.

  “Listen, I need to speak with Taseo alone for a moment. Is that okay? It won’t take long.”

  Nyra looks unsure, but I nod again.

  “Okay… but I’m watching you.”

  Scarlet’s gentle smile returns as Nyra steps away.

  When she’s out of earshot, Scarlet places a hand on my shoulder.

  “I’m sorry, Taseo. We don’t have much time, so I’ll keep this short. Your father is handling something very important. He’ll meet us as soon as he can, but you and I have to leave.”

  “W-What do you mean?”

  Leave?

  Leave where?

  “Listen… this will be hard to understand. But we must leave your home for a while. And I don’t know if we can come back anytime soon.”

  Her smile fades—replaced by a painful, regretful expression.

  What does she mean by that? Why would we suddenly leave—just like that?

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  Especially when Father hasn’t even come home yet.

  None of this makes sense.

  “But why? What’s going on? And why now, all of a sudden?”

  My head spins—maybe partly from the hits I took.

  “I’ll explain everything once we have time, Taseo. Right now, I’m asking you to trust me.”

  “How can I trust you blindly? You haven’t even told me where my father is!”

  “It has to wait.”

  “But why?! What’s going on?!”

  My voice cracks—desperate for answers.

  Scarlet grabs my shoulders, gently but firmly, her eyes locking onto mine.

  “It doesn’t make sense to you yet. I understand. But I’m here to make sure you’re okay. And I will never forgive myself if I fail something this simple.”

  Her voice is quiet.

  No trace of that overwhelming strength she showed moments ago.

  Just determination… and something else I can’t quite place.

  I take a breath, then finally nod.

  “O-Okay… I’ll trust you. But what about Nyra? Is she coming with us?”

  “I’m afraid we can’t take her. She’ll be fine—none of this involves her. I promise.”

  “But when will I see her again?”

  “I… I don’t know. But I’ll try my best to reunite you as soon as I can. Alright?”

  My heart sinks.

  I just made a friend… and now I have to leave her behind?

  That’s not fair.

  “Can I at least say goodbye to her?”

  “Of course. I’ll grab something from the house while you two finish here.”

  She stands and walks quickly toward the house.

  Nyra’s eyes stay locked on us as Scarlet leaves.

  I slowly walk over, my head lowered.

  “Are you okay?”

  Her voice is soft, full of worry.

  “Yeah… I’m fine.”

  She takes a deep breath, turning me slightly to check for injuries.

  “I was really worried about you. I… I couldn’t stop her. I was too afraid.”

  I look up at her.

  Her eyes dart nervously, replaying everything in her mind.

  I gently pat her head.

  “It’s alright. Anyone would’ve been scared. I was too, you know?”

  Without another word, she hugs me.

  Her breathing gradually calms.

  When she lets go, I avert my eyes.

  “Hey… Nyra… I need to go for a while.”

  She hesitates, visibly confused.

  “Oh… okay. I understand.”

  She fidgets with her clothes.

  “I-Is it okay if I come by tomorrow to play?”

  My heart aches at the hopeful tone.

  “No… I don’t think that will work.”

  Silence settles between us.

  “Then maybe the day after?”

  “No, Nyra. I don’t think I’ll be here.”

  Another moment of silence.

  “Is it because of something I said? Did I do something wrong?”

  My chest tightens painfully.

  “No, of course not! This has nothing to do with you. Something came up, and I don’t know how long it’ll take to fix. I won’t be here for a while.”

  “When will you come back?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “T-Then I’ll come with you—”

  “No, you can’t.”

  “Why not?!”

  Her voice grows more desperate each second.

  But Scarlet said she’d be safe here…

  Which means… she might not be safe if she came with us.

  “You just can’t. You need to stay here.”

  A quiet sniff escapes her.

  “Do you… not want to be my friend anymore?”

  I flinch.

  I look up to see her watery eyes—sad, but also ashamed.

  “N-No! Nyra, that’s not it. I do, but—”

  She cuts me off.

  “It’s okay… I understand. I won’t bother you in the future.”

  She turns and runs.

  This isn’t what I meant.

  This isn’t what I want.

  “Nyra, wait!”

  I try to run, but a firm grip clamps onto my shoulder, stopping me cold.

  “Taseo. Leave her. It’s safer for her this way.”

  Scarlet kneels behind me, holding me in place.

  Every part of me wants to chase after Nyra, to explain—but I don’t even understand myself.

  All I know is that I want her to be safe.

  My fists tremble.

  “…Right.”

  Scarlet releases me once I stop struggling.

  She stands, tucking a small box into her pocket.

  “Come now. We have to—”

  She doesn’t finish.

  Her eyes lock onto the horizon—the same direction she and Father went earlier.

  The sky there…

  The sky is wrong.

  Already dark before, it has turned almost pitch black.

  Red flashes—like lightning—tear across it.

  Suddenly, Scarlet grabs my wrist and yanks me hard.

  “We have to go. We’ve wasted too much time already.”

  I look between her and the sky.

  There’s something close to panic in her expression.

  Why does that sky terrify her?

  We move quickly.

  Scarlet doesn’t stop—not even for a second.

  She keeps her eyes fixed on the opposite direction of the dark sky, only glancing back occasionally.

  It feels like we’ve been rushing forever.

  I pant heavily, struggling to keep up.

  After several exhausting minutes, my legs start to give out.

  But I don’t fall—Scarlet’s grip is too strong.

  Even if I collapsed, she’d probably drag me along.

  “Scarlet… can we take a break?”

  She doesn’t answer.

  “Scarlet?”

  Still no response.

  Her focus remains locked on the bright sky ahead, as though the darkness behind us is chasing her.

  A quick glance back makes it clear—the storm is getting worse.

  The red lightning grows more frequent and violent.

  The rumbling echoes so loudly it shakes my chest.

  Scarlet presses onward, restless and tense.

  A small, glistening bead of sweat runs down her cheek.

  If someone as strong as her is getting nervous… something must be seriously wrong.

  My thoughts are cut short when I bump into the back of her leg—she stops so suddenly that I stumble.

  I rub my forehead with my free hand.

  “Why’d you stop, Miss Scarlet…?”

  She doesn’t answer.

  I look up—and a chill runs down my spine.

  Her eyes are wide open, pupils trembling.

  Even her nose twitches slightly, as if picking up a scent.

  “…Fuck.”

  She yanks my arm hard and whirls around, pulling me behind her.

  The sudden force makes me wince.

  When I steady myself, Scarlet is already standing in front of me—legs apart, coat flowing—blocking my view of whatever is ahead.

  “Stay behind me. Do NOT come out.”

  Her voice is sharper—more commanding—than when she made me attack her earlier.

  Something happened.

  Something that put her violently on edge.

  “Scarlet, Scarlet, Scarlet.”

  No… someone happened.

  I lean the slightest bit to peek around her.

  A slender blond man stands a few meters away.

  He wears a coat similar to Scarlet’s.

  His short hair glows faintly whenever the distant red lightning flashes behind him.

  Is he the reason Scarlet is this tense?

  He doesn’t look intimidating.

  He’s a whole head shorter than Scarlet.

  Her red eyes look far more threatening than his golden ones.

  But his stare—

  When his gaze slides toward me, my blood runs cold.

  The next flash of red lightning reveals his face—and I suddenly feel nauseous.

  His eyes are piercing.

  Predatory.

  “And you must be the one I was hoping to find back at Alistair’s house.”

  His voice is calm. Cheerful, even.

  And yet the threat beneath it is unmistakable.

  He turns his attention back to Scarlet.

  “To think I’d find you of all people with him… dear Scarlet.”

  He begins pacing slowly left and right, one hand raised to his chin as if lost in thought—

  though his eyes never leave Scarlet.

  “And yet, I don’t see you making any effort to fulfill your duty. How shocking.”

  Sarcasm drips from every word.

  I glance up at Scarlet.

  Her expression darkens—anger tightening her jaw.

  Her duty…?

  “What do you want, Ajax? How I go about it is my business. It doesn’t concern you.”

  Her fear is gone.

  Replaced by authority.

  By challenge.

  Ajax laughs softly.

  “Yes, you see, I thought so too. But then I took a moment to think.”

  “How very unlike you.”

  “Well, yes. Thinking isn’t usually needed when I’m hunting. Especially not when it comes to my prey.”

  Prey?

  Did he just—?

  My heart pounds violently in my chest.

  “But I should have expected this. Since you and Alistair are so close, of course you’d try something.”

  Ajax smiles brightly, wagging a finger at her as if scolding a mischievous child.

  His voice rises in playful excitement.

  “You sly devil. You almost made it in time too! I must say—I’m impressed by how quickly you reacted.”

  “I asked you what you want.”

  Scarlet’s voice remains steady.

  But as I cling to her leg for support, I can feel it—

  the faintest tremble running through her muscles.

  It’s barely noticeable.

  But it’s there.

  “Oh come now, dear. You know exactly what I want. Unless… you’d prefer to do the honors?”

  Another red lightning bolt tears through the sky, freezing the world for a heartbeat.

  A sickening silence hangs before the thunder follows.

  Even after that, Scarlet doesn’t answer.

  Her fist tightens.

  I can hear her knuckles creak.

  “That’s what I thought. But I’m a reasonable guy.”

  Ajax spreads his arms casually.

  “So if you hand him over right now, I won’t even tell the others about this little stunt you tried to pull.”

  My breath catches.

  Hand who over?

  Me?

  Why? What did I do?

  “You know full well I can’t do that, Ajax.”

  “Dearest… you don’t think you can fight me and protect him at the same time, do you?”

  His smile widens.

  “We both know that’s impossible for you.”

  Scarlet slowly grasps her coat at the shoulder—

  the same gesture she made before she fought me.

  “Taseo,”

  she whispers—so quietly I barely hear her over the wind.

  “I have to revise my earlier command. If he moves—

  you run.

  Run, and don’t stop.

  Don’t look back.

  Just run.”

  My legs start trembling.

  My heart pounds furiously—like it’s trying to escape my chest.

  “Hey now, no whispering,” Ajax calls out cheerfully.

  “Come on, Scarlet.”

  His tone is light, casual—

  as if he’s talking about the weather.

  “I see no reason to kill both of you. Just let me bash his head in real quick, and we can stay friends. I really don’t want your blood on my hands. You might still be useful~”

  He flashes Scarlet a wide, satisfied smile.

  Kill.

  He said kill.

  He doesn’t just want to take me.

  He wants to bash my head in.

  Like it’s nothing.

  My heart races even faster—beating so violently I barely hear the thunder that shakes the sky.

  Scarlet scoffs.

  “You may be a few ranks above me, but do you really think you can kill another Lord so effortlessly?”

  Ajax bursts into laughter—loud, genuine, almost joyful.

  There isn’t a hint of hesitation in his voice.

  “Oh, Scarlet… I don’t have to kill you, honestly.”

  He flashes another smile, this one darker—twisted.

  “I just have to cripple you enough so you won’t get in my way. After that, I can take my time making sure he is dealt with.”

  He leans forward slightly—

  like a predator lowering itself before the pounce.

  “Taseo, get ready.”

  I tremble violently.

  My legs feel like stone.

  My breaths come out sharp and thin.

  The fear coursing through me numbs everything else.

  “I-I-I…!”

  I can’t speak.

  I can’t think.

  My eyes lock onto Ajax’s silhouette—

  my vision blurring in rhythm with every pounding heartbeat.

  “Taseo! Get it together! You need to get ready!”

  Ajax’s eyes return to me.

  The same wide smile sits on his face—

  as if this is all one big joke to him.

  My eyes sting.

  Tears blur the world.

  I try to step back—

  but my leg buckles.

  I fall onto my back.

  That’s it.

  I’m dead.

  For a split second—

  everything falls silent.

  No thunder.

  No wind.

  No sound.

  Only the two figures standing before me—

  and the certainty of death.

  “SHIT!”

  Scarlet’s shout snaps the world back into motion.

  She whips her coat aside.

  Ajax throws his off as well—almost mirroring her—

  and launches forward.

  He closes the distance in less than a blink.

  Scarlet barely raises her arms in time before Ajax’s high kick slams against them.

  A burst of air explodes outward.

  Dust and dirt swirl wildly around us.

  When it clears, both of them remain frozen in their impact stances.

  A moment of stillness.

  A soft drop hits the ground.

  I look down.

  A tiny red splatter lands at Scarlet’s feet.

  My nose twitches.

  Blood?

  But how?

  I look back up—

  Scarlet is trembling slightly as she holds Ajax’s leg at bay.

  “Oh my~,” Ajax says, voice lively and sincere.

  “I didn’t know you could move that fast, Scarlet. I always thought you were just a brute with nothing else to show for it. But to stop my leg even after it already made contact with your face? Impressive.”

  He isn’t even trying to pull his leg back.

  He’s still pressing against her guard playfully.

  This really is a game to him.

  Scarlet snarls.

  “Yeah? Well, I thought you were faster. It’s gonna take more than that to stop me from beating your ass.”