Please note: This chapter contains scenes of fighting and violence, so please read with care.
Rayna carefully lowered Yunxi against the base of a tree, her hands trembling. His breath was shallow—but she couldn't linger. Not now.
She stood. That wildfire inside her had not quieted—it howled, clawed, demanded release. But four of them stood ahead. Four against one. If they struck together, it would become troublesome.
Her eyes narrowed. No. I have to end them before they attack me.
Rayna stretched out her arm, recalling that burst from before. She shut out everything—the crackle of fire, the wails, the thundering of her own heart. She focused. I have to finish them.
The mark on her skin seared, and the surge came again. Red energy coiled into her palm, pulsing, swelling into a blazing sphere. She hurled it forward towards them.
The impact exploded through the clearing. The Scorpions were blasted back, crashing against the earth in a spray of dirt and splintered wood. Groans spilled from them, bloodied and broken.
One clawed weakly at the ground, rasping, "This female... she's a monster. Run!"
Rayna's chest heaved as she realized—her strike had not killed them. It only crippled.
And one of them was already scrambling away.
She didn't hesitate. She bolted after him, feet pounding the earth. He weaved through the burning paths, heading toward the center of the village.
She ran. Faster. Closer. Until—
Her breath caught and she halted abruptly.
Soren.
He lay sprawled across the ground, blood streaking his arm. His jaw clenched, eyes blazing with defiance, but his strength was failing. Above him loomed the Spider, its thick insect legs pressing down, forcing him into the dirt. Soren struggled, pushing back with everything he had, but Rayna could see it—he was breaking.
The fleeing Scorpion stumbled to the Spider's side, gasping out words in a hushed, frantic rush.
The Spider's many eyes narrowed. It turned, its mandibles clicking in irritation. "You lost to a female? Useless filth." Its voice was a hiss of fury. With a swift, merciless grip, it seized the scorpion by the throat and squeezed. A strangled hiss escaped before the creature went limp, discarded like nothing.
The spider sneered, its gaze snapping back to Soren—cold, cruel, and mocking.
"Let me finish you first," it growled, its legs grinding harder against Soren's chest, "and then I'll deal with her. One slap, that's all it will take to break her."
As a final strike, the spider raised one jagged leg, aiming straight for Soren's chest.
"No!" Rayna's voice tore through the air, raw and instinctive.
The spider faltered. Its many eyes narrowed in confusion. "Why... why can't I move?" it hissed.
Rayna's energy flared again, hotter, sharper. She couldn't let it happen. Not to Soren. Not her mate.
The force she summoned lashed out, striking the creature with a surge that rattled the air. The spider staggered, a screech ripping from its throat, before its form shuddered and scattered into nothingness.
Silence followed.
Soren, battered and limping, forced himself up. His gaze locked on Rayna, wide with shock... and something deeper.
Soren staggered forward, his steps uneven, every movement lined with pain. Yet his eyes—widened, shimmering with disbelief—were fixed only on her. For a moment, words failed him. His lips trembled before he finally breathed out, rough and aching, "My love..."
Rayna froze. Her chest rose and fell too quickly, her hands still tingling with the remnants of the power that had poured out of her. Wide-eyed, she stared at the space where the spider's fragments lay, hardly believing it herself. She had killed another beast. Again.
But Soren did not question her. It wasn't the right time. His hand, trembling, reached for hers. His voice, strained but steady, cut through the haze.
"Rayna? Are you alright? Where is that female? I told you to go to Yunxi's hut..."
Rayna blinked, shaking free of her daze. Her expression hardened, fire flaring in her eyes. "Where is Ezra?" she demanded, her voice firm, unwavering. "I want to go to him. Right now."
Soren gave a faint nod, wincing as he shifted his weight onto his injured leg. " Let's go in the direction of the chief's hut it's not far away. This way."
Rayna helped Soren by taking one of his arms around her neck supporting his weight with hers.
It was not far. In the background, the fire still crackled, the screams now fainter. As they reached the chief's hut, Soren saw the village chief leaning heavily on Ezra's arm. Even the chief had been attacked—these despicable beasts showed no restraint.
Around them, the male beasts lay sprawled across the ground, injured but still alive, their wounds searing against the dirt. The females clung desperately to their fallen mates, their wide eyes glistening with both fear and despair as they watched the standoff unfold. Yet amidst the pain and chaos, the other half-beast men only grinned, their twisted mouths curling in cruel delight, reveling in the spectacle of Ezra squaring off against the creature, in front of him.
But Ezra stood firm, his voice raised, arguing with a towering figure before the hut. He had a spider half- beastman by his side.
The creature was unlike the others—greenish hair, its body glinting as though carved from polished jade. Long, jointed legs bent at sharp angles beneath its frame, his face was narrow, elongated, its jawline edged too sharply. From its brow jutted two short antennae that twitched with restless precision, and its glossy emerald green eyes— flickered with sharp calculation. Its forelimbs were raised, folded like blades of a guillotine—the unmistakable stance of a mantis, magnified into something terrible.
The Mantis tilted its head, listening with eerie patience, then let out a sound—a rasping click, like steel scraping stone. Ezra's voice grew sharper, defiant, but even from where they stood, Rayna could sense the power radiating off the creature. This was no common beast.
Soren's jaw clenched. "So he is now commanding them." He muttered under his breath, hatred burning in his eyes.
Rayna whispered, "A mantis..."
The Mantis' gaze shifted. Its compound eyes caught the faintest movement, and with a slow, deliberate turn of its head, it fixed on them. It was just for a moment.
Ezra's voice broke through, sharp with defiance. "We cannot accept this!"
The creature turned back to him, movements measured. Its antennae twitched before it spoke, voice low and edged with a growl.
"Then give me the females of this village. Refuse, and we will take them anyway—by fire and plunder. You will lose not only your grain, but your females as well. That will be the end of this place."
"You—" Ezra glared.
It seemed like a negotiation talk. An unfair one.
The Spider lurched forward, shoving Ezra and the wounded chief hard to the ground. Its mandibles clicked in irritation.
"The Leader is far too generous with you," it sneered. "A few females, the food stock—that's all we ask. Hardly a price, don't you think? New females will come to your village soon anyways." It leaned closer, its eyes glinting. "Better to offer them freely and settle this here... than watch us tear your village apart piece by piece."
Then, almost lazily, it struck Ezra across the face with a sharp, chitinous limb. The sound cracked in the tense air. Ezra didn't strike back—he only moved to shield the chief with his body, jaw clenched, swallowing his anger.
This piece of shit—!" Rayna's voice was filled with ire.
"Wait Rayna." Soren's hand caught her arm, his voice low but urgent. His limp slowed him, but his eyes burned steady. "We're at a disadvantage. They've come in swarms—it's not literally possible to face them head-on right now."
Rayna's chest heaved, fury blazing in her eyes. "Then what? You're considering what they said—to hand them over?"
Soren's expression hardened, his voice a sharp refusal. "No. Absolutely not. That will never happen." He stepped forward, shoulders squared despite his injury, his tone like iron. "The males here can die protecting our village, but we will never surrender the females. Not now. Not ever."
The mantis spoke his voice low and edged with impatience.
"We don't have the leisure of time. Snap some sense into him—he must make his decision quickly."
The spider stepped forward, its shadow stretching long across the ground as it raised one jagged limb to strike again. Ezra did not protest. His arms shielded the village chief, bracing himself for another blow.
That was when Rayna's final thread of sanity snapped.
A soundless shiver passed through her chest, and the world seemed to still for a breath. Her vision began to blur. Then—
A voice whispered in her head. Low, guttural, insistent.
"Kill them all, my dear. Protect your loved ones. Don't hesitate. Use what you were given."
Her breath hitched. Something hot and violent surged inside her veins, louder than her thoughts.
Soren felt it first. A murderous aura coiled into the air like smoke, wrapping itself around his throat. His body stiffened, a chill cutting down his spine. Slowly, his eyes darted to his side.
It was coming from Rayna. Her pupils had turned scarlet.
"Rayna...?" Soren called.
The ground trembled beneath her feet. The breeze that had rustled the trees only moments ago now roared in a circle around her, as if the earth itself recoiled.
The sky shifted, once a gentle blue, now darkening into an unnatural crimson hue.
The half-beasts paused mid-step, unsettled. But it was already too late.
Rayna walked towards the mantis, lifting her hand, fingers trembling with a power that was no longer entirely her own. The air thickened, bending. The spider who was hitting Ezra, some of the half-beasts who were enjoying the show, one by one, screeched as their bodies were wrenched upward, dragged by unseen chains of force. They clawed at the earth, shrieking, yet the pull was merciless.
Above them, the sky bled red, condensing into a pulsating sphere of raw energy. The half-beasts were crushed together inside it, their twisted forms writhing, their screams of agony piercing through the air.
The villagers froze. The village chief's eyes widened. Mouths open. Not a soul moved. Even Ezra stared. Shocked. It was his first time seeing Rayna's dragon wings and tail...and this immense rage and power of hers.
The half-beasts who weren't pulled in, and were outside the sphere had frozen altogether, staring at the crimson horror with trembling limbs.
The mantis was not drawn into the red sphere. He remained on the ground, but he felt Rayna's murderous aura coiling around him. Choking him. The calm in his compound eyes faltered. His calculating eyes were flickering restlessly as if searching for reason in the madness unfolding before him.
His expression, once carved in stone-cold authority, cracked—fear seeping through. The predator's composure was gone; in its place was the look of prey realizing too late that it stood before something far greater, far deadlier than itself.
And Soren—he could only watch. His heart pounded with both awe and terror. The Rayna he knew was slipping from him.
"Rayna... stop... come back," he whispered, almost pleading.
But she didn't hear him. The voice was louder now, consuming, commanding.
Destroy them, Rayna. All of them. Protect what's yours.
Her lips curled back, baring her teeth. The air itself seemed to vibrate when she screamed,
"How dare you lay a hand on my beloved ones!? My mates, this village—" her voice cracked into a feral snarl, "I'll kill you all! Every last one of you wretched creatures!"
The words weren't merely shouted; they were drenched in venom, echoing with fury.
Ezra's wide eyes darted to the village chief, seeking some impossible answer. The chief's voice came low but firm, cutting through the chaos.
"Stop her, Ezra. If she doesn't calm down, this will spiral. Something terrible might happen. You and Soren are the only ones she might listen to. Go calm her down."
Ezra's heart thudded painfully in his chest. Can he really calm her down? When her very presence at the moment was suffocating, when the air itself felt like it might ignite around her? Can he really be able to do it? He had never seen or even imagined Rayna like this. Her sweet, beaming smile, his mate—his sunshine...like this. Burning in rage. And this immense power. This murderous aura.
Still, he had no room left for hesitation. He clenched his fists, forcing his trembling legs to move. Step by step, he walked toward the storm wearing Rayna's face.
Ezra's gaze flicked toward Soren, a silent plea in his eyes. Soren gave a small, steady nod. Taking a breath, Ezra stepped closer, his voice trembling yet firm.
"Rayna, calm down. I know all of this has taken its toll on you—but come back. This isn't you. Come back to us."
Soren joined in too, his voice carrying command and urgency.
But their words seemed to vanish into the roaring storm of energy swirling around her. The person standing before them was not the Rayna they knew—it was as if something else had seized her, something ancient and merciless, pouring through her veins and staring at the world through her crimson eyes.
Her body trembled with power, her breath ragged, her gaze unfocused. The voice inside her—dark, insistent—was drowning out all reason.
The red ball of energy swelled above her head, pulsing like a living heart.
The half-beastmen's cries echoed across the village, clawing into the ears of everyone present.
Fear rooted the villagers to the ground. This was no battle tactic, no magic they had ever witnessed—it was destruction incarnate.
Ezra's heart pounded. He lunged forward, desperation raw in his voice. "Rayna! Stop this! If you continue you'll destroy everything—yourself included!"
But Rayna didn't hear him. Or if she did, the voice inside her was louder. Her crimson gaze burned with a madness that wasn't her own. The power she held was spiraling beyond control.
Soren couldn't take it anymore. He rushed forward, limping, and wrapped his arms around her from behind, holding her as if she might vanish. His voice trembled, but his words were steady, firm, soft enough to reach past the roaring storm in her mind.
"My love... I know. I know how you might have felt as all of this unfolded before you. And yes, they deserve every ounce of the pain you want to give them. But this—this isn't you. You're letting the fury drag you into something darker. You are so much more than this wrath, Rayna. Please... come back to me. To us. Think of who you are, of who we are. Don't let them take that from you too. Please. Come back, my love."
Rayna's body trembled in Soren's arms, the furious pulse of the red sphere swelling above them as if it would devour the world. The chaos roared in her head—rage drumming like war drums, storm winds howling in her mind, drowning out reason, drowning out herself.
And then—through that deafening storm—his voice broke through.
"My love."
The words echoed inside her, soft yet unyielding, cutting through the frenzy like a silver thread in the dark. The sound reverberated, anchoring her, pulling her back.
Her energy faltered. The massive ball of crimson light flickered. The red haze blanketing the sky began to dim, bleeding away.
Rayna gasped, her chest heaving as if she were waking from a nightmare. The crimson sphere shrank, curling inward until nothing but a faint ember shimmered—before winking out entirely. With it, the half-beast forms. that were there within that red ball of energy, dissolved like smoke scattered by wind, leaving behind a hollow silence.
Slowly, her eyes shifted—the violent glow retreating, until brown returned. Warm, alive, the same eyes that once twinkled when sunlight kissed them. She blinked, dazed, the fury draining from her as if the storm had finally passed.
Rayna's breath hitched as she suddenly became aware of Soren's arms wrapped around her, holding her steady against the storm inside. A shiver ran through her, and with a broken sob she turned, burying her face in his chest. His warmth grounded her, calmed her down.
Ezra stepped closer, his presence as steady as ever, and slipped his arms around her too, enclosing her in a shield of comfort. Without thinking, she reached out, wrapping one hand around him as well, clinging desperately to both of them.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling, guilt lacing every syllable. "It just... came over me. Something whispered—telling me to kill them all. I lost control. I felt this sudden surge of power... and the pain they caused us, it was all I could see. I wanted them to suffer too."
Ezra gently patted her back, leaning close enough for only her to hear. "Shhh... it's alright," he murmured, his voice soft, soothing, as though calming a frightened child.
Soren tilted her chin up, his gaze steady, unwavering. "Look at me, my love. Let me see your face."
Through blurred tears, Rayna looked up at him, her eyes swollen and red. Soren's heart clenched, and with tenderness, he brushed his lips against her damp cheeks, kissing her tears away.
"It's alright," he said firmly, yet with a gentleness that sank deep into her bones. "You did nothing wrong. Those creatures deserve nothing less. But you were slipping away, Rayna—we could feel it. We feared... what if you lost yourself in it completely?"
Soren's words wrapped around her, not a rebuke but just a reminder that she was still here, still herself, still theirs.
From the corner of his eye, Ezra noticed the mantis twitching—trying to seize the moment and escape. His lips curved into a cold smile.
"Oh no, no... I won't let you slip away again," he muttered.
In a flash, Ezra sprinted forward, his speed a blur. He struck the creature with a sharp kick, sending it crashing to the ground.
Before the mantis could recover, his dagger flashed once, plunging into the soft joint where the armored plates met at its leg. A shrill screech tore through the air as the mantis collapsed, its powerful limbs suddenly useless.
Ezra stood back, chest heaving, blood spattering his cheek. He twirled the dagger once before sliding it back into its sheath, his smirk razor-sharp.
"Strong, yes," he muttered, watching the half-beast writhe helplessly on the ground, "but strength means nothing if you can't move."
He turned his gaze back to Rayna and Soren, his eyes gleaming with triumph.
Both of them gave a small smile.
The rest of the half-beasts faltered, eyes widening at the sight of their leader sprawled helpless on the ground. One by one, they turned and bolted into the forest, fleeing the village in a frenzy of fear.
The village chief, wincing in pain, slowly rose to her feet. Her voice, though strained, carried across the scarred clearing:
"Everyone—the half-beasts have left. The danger is gone."
A wave of relief rippled through the villagers. But there was no cheer, no triumphant cry. The fires still smoldered, homes lay broken, and the air was heavy with loss. Many of the males were grievously wounded, some lay still as their females clutched them in trembling arms. Too many females wept for mates who would not rise again.
And above it all lingered the memory of the red ball of energy that had torn the sky apart—the sight of Rayna's transformation burned into their minds. Fear clung to their faces, even as they looked upon their savior.
The chief winced as she hobbled forward, her eyes never leaving Rayna.
"Rayna..." she said, voice low, weighted with meaning.
"We need to talk."