Dom sighed as he moved through the forest just outside of town, sneakers crunching softly against fallen leaves and loose gravel. He kept kicking the same stone along the dirt path, sending it skittering ahead of him again and again, as if bruising it might somehow ease the irritation simmering in his chest.
"I really, really hate that guy," He muttered, finally abandoning the stone to hop over a fallen tree trunk slick with moss.
His brows furrowed as a thought surfaced, unwelcome but persistent.
Even though they were closer, they couldn't sense that guy's magic. Why?
The memory replayed itself—how no one else had noticed anything off, how alone he'd felt in that moment.
A smirk tugged at his lips despite himself.
Maybe sensing other people's magic is my special ability.
He slowed when he spotted it: an apple tree heavy with fruit, its branches slightly damp, apples red and full, gleaming invitingly through the leaves. His annoyance softened, replaced by reluctant resolve.
"Well, since I can't prove they cheated," He said under his breath, "I just have to suck it up."
He rolled up his sleeves and began to climb, fingers digging into rough bark.
"Besides," He added, hauling himself up, "… proudly facing villains like Matt is what a Great Magic Knight would do."
Perched on a sturdy branch, he began plucking apples, dropping them carefully to the ground below.
"Maybe I'll bring everyone two or three each," He chuckled, reaching for another. "Just to show how awesome I am—"
He froze.
A sense of dread suddenly washed over him.
Birds exploded from the trees around him, their sudden cries sharp and frantic as they suddenly scattered into the sky. Dom's body stiffened, every muscle locking as his heart skipped a beat.
He scanned the forest, eyes darting nervously.
Just seconds ago, everything had felt fine—peaceful, even—but now a dangerous chill crawled up his spine. The air felt heavier, thicker, as though the forest itself were holding its breath.
The quiet that followed the birds' escape was wrong, oppressive, and Dom couldn't shake the sensation of being watched.
His eyes widened once he remembered something.
Wait. Didn't Pops and those men say something about a wild animal?
Another burst of wings erupted deeper in the woods, fleeing from something unseen.
That was enough.
Dom let the apples fall and started climbing down in a hurry, his movements clumsy with rising panic. "I don't care what they say," He muttered, breath quickening. "I'm not dying because of some stupid bet."
He was halfway down when his senses screamed.
A gust of wind slammed into him.
He shouted as he was ripped from the tree, crashing onto his back with a bone-jarring thud that knocked the air from his lungs.
"Ow… ow… ow," He groaned, slowly sitting up and rubbing his already aching back.
Then he heard it—a familiar, grating laugh.
Anger flooded his expression as he looked up.
"Come on, Snow White," Matt said, stopping in front of him, hands tucked casually into his pockets. "I thought apple picking was your specialty."
His lackeys snickered behind him.
Dom shot to his feet, fists clenched. "Seriously?! What the hell's your problem? You pick on me, you cheat, and now you won't even let me work in peace? What did I ever do to you?"
Matt's mocking smile twisted into something uglier. He stepped closer, literally looking down on Dom due to the height difference.
"I can't stand you." He said, his voice sharpened. "You have no affinity, you're poor, you're a nobody—and yet everyone likes you. I have everything you don't, and nobody wants to be my friend."
Dom blinked, the fire in his glare dimming into disbelief. "Seriously? That's what this is about?" He laughed, shaking his head. "You really are a royal dumbass."
Matt clicked his tongue. "That's it. I'm tired of you running that dirty mouth." He grumbled as wind coiled around his raised hands, rustling leaves and grass. "I'll show you what magic really is."
Dom instinctively stepped back, noticing the lackeys also preparing their spells. He drew a steadying breath, bracing himself— for the four mages now focused on him.
He then froze.
Wait. Four?
Dom's eyes widened as he noticed the tall, cloaked figure now standing behind Matt and his two lackeys.
"Sounds like fun," The stranger said pleasantly, his voice startling the three boys as they spun around. "Can I join in?"
Matt glared at the stranger. "And who the hell are you?" He demanded.
The man smiled beneath his hood, disfigured teeth catching the light. "Just an observer." He answered.
As the boys exchanged uneasy looks, Dom backed away shakily, eyes locked on the stranger.
What… what is that?
Green mana poured off the man's body, filling all of Dom's senses—it was thick, heavy, and terrifying.
Dom was the only one who seemed to feel it.
"Whatever, weirdo," Matt scoffed, puffing up with false confidence. "Stay away from me, or I'll tell my dad. He's the town Chief."
The lackeys nodded, completely oblivious to the dark stains soaking the man's cloak.
"I'd love to," The man said, placing a hand on his stomach as it growled audibly. "But I haven't eaten since last night. And I've always wondered what young mages taste like." He licked his lips.
A gesture that finally unsettled their nerves.
"Matt, this guy's giving me the creeps," The first lackey muttered.
The second lackey nodded, hiding behind the first.
As the man stepped closer, Matt raised an arm, irritation flashing across his face. "Back off, weirdo!" He shouted, his voice now shaky.
The man took another step, and Matt's mana flared as he swung his arm.
"Matt, Stop!" Dom shouted.
But his spell had already fired.
A blast of wind slammed into the man, the force causing the trees around them to shudder with dust and leaves scattering in different directions.
"I said… go away," Matt declared, raising his arm again—then froze as the man remained still, his appearance completely unharmed.
He stepped forward.
Matt snarled and fired again, this time stronger, the bushes behind them shaking violently, cuts digging into the tree bark. Still, the man remained untouched, his already damaged cloak, however, shredded, revealing his scarred, tattooed skin streaked with dried blood.
The sight made the boys tremble in horror.
"Wind magic," The man murmured. "Just like me." His emerald eyes glowed as he tore off the remains of his cloak. "My turn."
He swung his arm the way Matt did.
A whistle suddenly ripped past Dom, the tree behind him immediately fell, its hard, thick trunk sliced in two.
But Dom didn't notice it. His focus remained on Matt, who stared in disbelief at the space where his left arm had been. A heartbeat later, the severed limb hit the ground with a dull thud.
Matt collapsed, clutching the bleeding stump. "My hand! My hand!" He screamed in agony.
Either driven by fear or loyalty, the second lackey screamed and hurled a conjured rock—but the man instantly smacked the stone aside like a harmless pebble and sent another wave.
Wind screamed through the gap, slicing the boy's attacking arm and head clean off, with the force continuing through the trees behind him.
As his bleeding body fell, the last lackey ran.
"Mummy! Help me!" He screamed in horror, tears and snot dripping down his face as he ran as fast as he could.
The man suddenly threw a sharp upward gesture, and the wind obeyed.
Slicing through the boy vertically, blood spraying as both halves crumpled to the forest floor.
As blood soaked the ground, the man sighed contentedly. "It's always nice to watch prey run." He said, then turned back to Matt.
"Daddy! Daddy!" Matt screamed, his voice slightly weakened by the blood loss.
The man chuckled in amusement, then frowned once he realized something. He turned to the side and noticed blue mana residue shimmering faintly in the bushes.
One of them escaped.
His smile widened devilishly. "A sneaky one," He chuckled. "At least one of you knows how to give a good chase."
With a sudden dismissive wave, Matt's body tore apart, his screams ending abruptly.
Several meters away, Dom ran.
Branches tore at his arms as he forced his way through the forest, lungs burning as he found it harder to breathe, heart hammering so hard it drowned out everything else.
He didn't look back.
He didn't need to.
The air itself trembled behind him, heavy with something vast and hungry.
He killed them. He killed them!
He tripped and fell into a puddle. Despite the mud stain on his clothes and the taste of dirt in his mouth, Dom got back up and continued running.
He's not human. He's a monster… Monster?
His eyes widened, remembering what Pops and those restaurant patrons said earlier about a monster in the forest.
It's him. He's the monster.
A crushing pressure suddenly slammed into his senses.
Dom twisted on instinct just as a massive blade of wind tore past him, cleaving straight through a thick tree ahead. The trunk slid apart and crashed down with a deafening crack.
Dom rolled to the side, panting frantically as he sensed a presence approaching. He was so focused on it that he failed to notice the sting in his left cheek or the warm blood trickling down his face.
"I knew you were special."
Dom whimpered as the man stepped out from between the trees, blood coating his hands and mouth, emerald eyes glowing with excitement.
"You sensed it," The man said calmly, stopping some distance away. "And dodged."
He licked the blood on his lips.
"I only had time to taste them. Their mana was awful—like poorly cooked fish."
His gaze locked onto Dom's flickering blue aura.
"But yours…" The man smiled, saliva dripping from his lips, mixing with the blood on his chin. "…yours will be different. I can smell it."
Dom staggered back, legs trembling, head shaking. "I—I don't want to die." He mumbled.
The man chuckled. "Neither do the pigs or cows…, but you still eat them, right? Cut their throat so they'll stop screaming."
Dom backed away, pleading for mercy, but the man's grin only widened.
"That's nature, my beautiful prey." He added, his voice softening. "The predator hunts for food. The prey has no choice but to run, only to get caught and die."
He then crouched, mana flaring out of his body.
"That's the wondrous circle of life!"
The forest exploded as a violent gust slammed into Dom, forcing him to guard with his arms as the wind threatened to sweep him off his feet.
"You can't escape."
Dom's blood ran cold as those eerie words now fell behind him. He could already sense a hand reaching for his back.
I don't wanna die… Pops… help…
The man's fingers brushed Dom's skin just as a jet of flames tore through the woods.
The fire carved a blazing path between Dom and the reaching hand, swallowing the space where the cannibal stood and forcing him to recoil with a sharp, irritated groan.
Heat rushed past Dom's face, searing the air itself, and for a split second, his world became nothing but roaring flame and blinding light.
The man leapt backward, landing several meters away as smoke curled from his right arm. The flesh there was blackened, cracked, and still faintly glowing; the smell of burnt meat cut through the blood-soaked air.
"Who's there?!" The man snarled, emerald eyes flashing as he glared down the scorched trail.
The flames slowly dispersed.
Dom blinked, his eyes widening once he realized he wasn't on the ground anymore.
Strong arms held Dom effortlessly, lifting him as though he weighed nothing. His breath hitched as his vision steadied, settling on the face of the man who had intervened.
He was old—older than Dom had expected—but not weak. Deep lines marked his face, carved there by time, heat, and battle. His hair was ash-gray, pulled back loosely, and his beard was trimmed short, singed at the ends as if flames were never far from him. Most striking of all were his eyes.
They glowed.
A deep rose-red, steady and calm, like embers buried beneath a mountain of ash.
"You good?" The savior asked, his voice low and grounded, cutting through the ringing in Dom's ears.
Dom tried to speak, but nothing came out. His throat worked uselessly before he managed a stiff nod.
The savior's grip adjusted slightly, careful—gentle, even. "Alright," He said quietly, then stiffened briefly once he noticed Dom's white hair. Recognition crossed his eyes at the child's physical features, but he quickly put it aside as he looked at the child's scared face.
"I've got you." He added as he Dom down behind him, positioning himself between the boy and the carnage without even looking back.
The act was effortless, practiced.
Protective.
Across the clearing, the man flexed his burned hand, teeth bared in irritation as flakes of charred flesh fell away.
"You've got some nerve," The man growled, voice sharp with rage, "… interrupting my hunt. You'll pay for that!"
The savior straightened slowly.
Only then did Dom notice the uniform.
Black, reinforced, and battle-worn, lined with faint blue seams that almost pulsed softly with mana. A long white coat hung from the man's shoulders, its edges patterned with red-yellow flames that seemed to flicker even while still. On the center of his back was a symbol every citizen of the South knew by heart—
A black beast, fangs bared, with the number 3 etched boldly beneath it.
"Elon Kruger," The savior said, voice steady as stone. "The Mage Cannibal."
The name landed like a death sentence.
"You were being transported to the Capital for execution," The savior continued, turning fully now, his back broad and unmoving for Dom to see. "Your suppressor cuffs failed. You killed your escorts and escaped."
Elon's glowing green eyes dragged over the bow and arrow insignia on the savior's chest, then up to the elderly face.
"A Magic Knight," He said slowly, savoring the words. "Did they really send someone like you after me?" His gaze sharpened. "So who the hell are you supposed to be?"
The Knight didn't answer immediately.
Instead, he took a single step forward. "An old timer," He said at last, "who happened to be nearby."
Dom shuddered as heat began pouring off the Knight—thick, oppressive, pressing against Dom's skin. Red mana leaked from the man's body like smoke from a forge, warping the air around him.
Elon chuckled softly. "Doesn't matter who you are. You interrupted my hunt."
He licked his lips, eyes flicking briefly toward Dom before returning to the Knight.
"And for that, you'll die. At least…" His smile widened. "…you look like someone with a strong taste."
The Knight tilted his head back, eyes closing.
For a moment, he looked almost tired.
"I heard about what you did," He said quietly. "The people you slaughtered before you were captured. The bodies they found yesterday in Quirkville. The two hunters you killed last night."
His hands suddenly clenched at his sides, and Dom flinched as the Knight's aura surged, heat washing over him in one suffocating wave.
"And I just found those three boys."
The silence that followed was heavy—absolute.
"Judging by their size," the Knight continued, his voice tightening, "they were about this one's age. They probably hadn't even gotten their first girl."
Blood dripped from his clenched fists, sizzling as it hit the scorched ground, adding the smell of iron into the air.
"And yet, they were slaughtered like animals."
Elon tilted his head, genuinely puzzled. "We are animals," He replied calmly, raising his remaining hand, palm up. "I got hungry and found prey. So I hunted and ate. It was simple survival. Nothing more. Nothing less."
The Knight turned slowly, red eyes burning as they locked onto Elon's.
"Is that how much value a human life holds to you?" He asked.
Elon looked down at his blood-stained hand, studying it like a chef examining his work. "Human life is the greatest gift of nature," he said reverently. "Their meat tastes divine."
His grin stretched wider.
"And their mana—each flavor unique. It's an experience beyond compare."
A vein pulsed violently on the Knight's forehead. "The Capital ordered me to capture you, so that you'll get the painful execution you deserve…" He said, voice trembling now—not with fear, but fury.
"But after hearing that crap…" He raised a fist, his knuckles igniting with scorching flames. "…I'll send you to hell myself."
Crimson light exploded outward as the Knight's aura flared, heat crashing into the forest like a living thing.
Trees groaned. The ground cracked. Leaves burst into flame midair.
Elon's grin widened impossibly as he spread his arms, welcoming it.