The carriage rocked gently as silence pressed in from all sides. Edel's cold voice still lingered like frost in the air. Coral, Finn, and Mira shrank back under her sharp gaze, their earlier bravado dissolving. Only Azure, calm but unreadable, seemed unaffected. Mila and Eva exchanged quiet glances, knowing well enough not to interfere. They had seen Edel's merciless edge before, her words were never wasted, and her warnings were never idle.
"Yes," Edel repeated, her tone clipped, as if she were cutting through the weight of their fear. "To the west. If you don't wish to follow, leave now. The arena isn't far behind us."
Her meaning was clear: she didn't need them. Their presence was a burden, one she would discard without hesitation.
Mira's voice broke the tense silence. "We are here with Grandfather's permission. So, please don't try to intimidate anyone." She leaned closer to Coral protectively, though her own voice trembled slightly.
Edel's eyes narrowed. "I see you've learned nothing. One defeat wasn't enough for you?" Her words were quiet, but the venom in them cut deep.
"You—!" Mira started to rise in anger, but a new voice cut across hers, steady and commanding.
"Enough."
Azure's tone was calm, yet it carried weight. Even Edel paused. His gaze swept across them, sharp and cool. "We are not here to bicker. This journey is for learning and survival, not pride." He turned deliberately toward Mira, Coral, and Finn. "You lost. Accept it. Move on."
Then his eyes found Edel's. For the first time since they entered the carriage, there was something steady, almost grounding, in his voice. "Edel, we will try not to hold you back."
She didn't respond immediately. Instead, she studied him, her sharp exterior softening for just a heartbeat. The awkward warmth that passed through her unsettled her more than she cared to admit. Finally, she gave a small nod and turned her face toward the passing scenery outside the window.
The tension eased, if only slightly. A collective breath was released, though unease still hung heavy in the carriage.
That calm shattered in the next instant.
A deafening crack rang out, followed by a violent jolt that nearly threw them from their seats. The carriage screeched to a halt. Shouts rose, but before anyone could speak, the world shook again. The wheels rattled violently as if something immense had seized the carriage itself.
"Wh-what's happening?!" Coral cried, clutching Finn's sleeve.
Edel snapped the curtain aside to check on the driver, only to freeze. The driver's body slumped against the reins, his head severed, blood painting the wooden boards. His face was gone.
The air in the carriage dropped several degrees. Coral's scream caught in her throat, Finn's lips turned pale, and Mira stiffened, fighting back the urge to vomit. Even Azure's face hardened, his sword already in his hand as he prepared to leap out.
"Don't!"
Mila and Eva's voices cracked like whips, halting him mid-motion. Their eyes were grim, their hands raised in warning.
Azure's grip tightened. "Then what? Sit here and wait for death?"
"Silence." Mila's tone was low but sharp. She pressed her hand against the wooden frame of the carriage, muttering a warding incantation. "If you value your lives, stay still. Don't make a sound."
The carriage shuddered again, harder this time. Wood splintered. The air thickened with something primal, heavy, and suffocating. Edel forced herself to remain steady, though her knuckles whitened on the hilt of her sword. She had heard of such attacks, but to face one now, with the others so fragile, it stirred an ache of frustration in her chest.
The shaking stopped. For a heartbeat, silence swallowed them whole.
Then a roar ripped through the dusk.
It wasn't the cry of any ordinary beast. It was a sound that clawed at bone and soul alike, freezing them in place. Instinct screamed predator.
The carriage splintered as Mila, Eva, and Edel leapt out with weapons drawn. Azure followed, sword in hand, sparing only a nod toward the terrified trio inside.
What met them outside was no nightmare, it was reality.
Towering nearly twenty feet tall, a monstrous black bear loomed before them. Its massive body cast a shadow that swallowed the carriage whole. The sun's dying light reflected in its eyes, burning orbs of deep brown, glinting with murderous fury. Its jaws dripped with saliva, sharp teeth glistening.
Eva sprinted to flank it, while Mila began chanting a paralyzing spell, her hands glowing with pale runes. Edel moved swiftly to the opposite side, her sword gleaming faintly with enchantment.
Azure, however, froze. His breath caught. The beast's sheer size was overwhelming, its presence alone made him doubt if his blade could even scratch it.
The bear roared and lunged. Its gaze locked on Azure, the stillest target.
"Azure!" Mira screamed from inside the carriage, but he stood rooted. At the last second, reflex took over. He slashed blindly at the massive claw descending upon him.
The blow barely slowed it. The bear's massive paw seized him, claws curling around his body like a cage. With another roar, it raised him high, ready to devour him whole.
Azure struggled uselessly against its grip, until a streak of steel cut across the air.
A silver slash, catching the glow of sunset.
The bear roared in agony as its massive hand fell, severed cleanly at the wrist. Azure tumbled free, landing hard on the dirt. He blinked up in shock, at the stump, at the beast's bellowing rage, and finally at Edel, standing before him. Her sword gleamed crimson, dripping with blood.
The beast reeled, but its pain only fueled its fury. With its remaining arm, it swept through the air, snatching Edel, Mila, and Eva in one crushing grip. Their weapons clattered uselessly as their bodies froze under the weight of its paralyzing aura.
Edel's chest tightened. For the first time in years, she felt helpless. If only I had used the dagger Grandfather gave me… Regret seared her thoughts. She closed her eyes, begging for even one more chance.
A sudden impact rocked her body. She opened her eyes in shock,she was falling. She, Mila, and Eva tumbled to the ground, cushioned by thick fur. The bear convulsed, its massive body collapsing.
Between its brows, a sword jutted deep, glowing faintly with enchantment.
A calm voice broke through the chaos.
"Are you hurt?"
Edel looked up. A man stood near, handsome and composed. His green-blue eyes shone beneath strands of black hair, and his expression was polite, almost earnest. For a moment, something about his presence stirred déjà vu within her.
Mila and Eva quickly rose to their feet, bowing. "Thank you, Nolan."
But Nolan barely acknowledged them. His gaze lingered only on Edel, waiting for her words. His face was boyishly expectant, as if craving approval.
Edel hesitated, then inclined her head slightly. "Thank you, sir."
Relief bloomed across his features. "Oh no, no, that was nothing, my lady." He gave a sheepish smile, though his hand still rested confidently on his blade,the very weapon that had just saved them all.