~Emeric~

　　"Ha...ha...ha..." I watched her breathe deeply. Her body was still far too weak to stand up by herself. The tears which she blinked upon rolled down her face like crystals. I didn't know I had this type of anger in me until I saw the tears on her face. She looked like she didn't wish to talk about her trauma so quickly. What was she hallucinating about?

　　"I- I'm fine, Prince Emeric." She gathered some energy to say. It was as if she was calibrating back to the reality of this world. Having been trapped in such a world where realty is far too close with imagination, I empathize with her.

　　I could feel my fist clenching behind my back, which I've been hiding from her. My posture was crouched in front of her. I didn't care if my knee was seated on the mushy, murky soil beneath. Her whole back was drenched with dirt and toxins.

　　I've brought her to the other side of the forest, it was not an easy task. Even for a lycan of my rank, it proved quite challenging for me to bring her all the way here while my head was spinning. I hadn't breathed for over eleven minutes, it would obviously take a heavy toll on my body. However, I am very glad that I've used my power to escape the protocol and come to rescue her.

　　This area is filled with mysterious creatures which aren't found anywhere else in the world. The pure anger I had felt while dealing with the authority who dared to question me, almost stopping me from rescuing my mate...it was on another level tonight.

　　I was almost ready to rip apart anyone who stopped me from getting here, to her.

　　'Calm down, Emeric. Look. You're scaring her. Get her back to safety first.'

　　'Before that, I have something else to do, Marrok.'

　　'...No way.'

　　Breathing deeply, I bring my gaze back down to Aurora. She was ardently struggling to get up and take a good deep breath in. Her back which was muddy was now covered with dried leaves as she crawled a little away from me. I didn't notice her doing that, for I was so lost in my thoughts.

　　"Aurora..."

　　"Prince Emeric. I- I appreciate you coming here to rescue me. But please, leave me alone. I've wasted a lot of time here away from my team. They must be waiting for me to...to get firewood."

　　My eyes drooped with sadness upon reading the meaning between her words. What she meant was, 'I'm in a lot of pain in my body, and my heart at the moment, Prince Emeric. Please leave me in this pit of darkness. I have the strength to get back to my normal self. This trial is more important to me.'

　　But...is she really having the kind of strength needed to retaliate back to normalcy after what she's experienced? This is a high grade drug equivalent of a hallucinogen we are talking about.

　　Although, I spectate it wasn't just the mushrooms which affected her psychological state of mind. It's something else. Something...external.

　　"Aurora Fangborn. I am going nowhere. Nor are you." She crushed her eyebrows together, her adorable face calming me down a little. It made me think rationally after calming down. But aggression was the one affected, not the decision I've made after seeing her in this position.

　　"Prince Emeric...I am in the middle of my trial." She tried to remind me humbly. But I stood up, towering over her as she craned her neck to look at me. Her lips were slightly apart. Confusion was painted all over her beautiful features.

　　The way she was looking at me demanded an explanation out of me, where she wanted to understand the roots for my frowning expression. There were plenty of wordless exchanges of conversations between us for the next few seconds. She must have gotten the crux of it, as her eyes widened.

　　Her soiled hand covered her mouth in disbelief,

　　"...Prince Emeric...don't tell me you're about to..."

　　I didn't let her finish her words, nor did I reply to her with anything else. My hand touched a spot between my temple and earlobe. My middle and index fingers pressing on the point as I looked away from Aurora to concentrate.

　　I was far away from the one I wanted to give instructions. To make up for the distance for our mind link to connect with each other, I had to concentrate my energy.

　　On the other side, the older male was disoriented as he was answerable to other filthy, entertainment deprived lycan rulers of the world.

　　"King Augustin, please sit down. He didn't mean to-"

　　'Your majesty!? Holy fuck, Prince Emeric! What the hell was that!? The ruckus you've made here left the spectating kings of other kingdoms threaten me to never fund our trials ever again! You know what kind of backlash that we shall face if that ever happened- okay, aside from that, is she safe?'

　　'She is, Roman. But I need you to do me a favor.'

　　Beta Roman was concentrating as well. While he held many files at once under his armpit, he was trying to settle the ministers, kings and other officials having a quarrel against me. I might as well say, he was defending my actions against a room full of stronger and wiser people. That is the exact reason why I entrust him with the further instruction.

　　'I need you to suspend this trial, Roman. I'm dead serious. We need an investigation.'

　　"WHAT!?" The room went silent.

　　Beta Roman blinked, his own scream of disbelief silenced him, and the others in the room.

　　'I'm afraid you screamed that out loud, Roman.'

　　'Are you out of your mind, Emeric!? Suspend the Trial of Victors!? You've gone ballistic. Batshit.'

　　'No, I haven't. Yet. Someone is taking a bad route to victory by bringing her down, Roman. I swear that if it was any other contestant put in this situation, I'd act the same way. You know me, Roman. Come on.'

　　I was proud of myself with the way I've calmly expressed how I'd act the same way in the same situation. The person doesn't matter so much. As a Prince, it's my duty to investigate if something had ever gone wrong under my rule. And this...is something I'll investigate by myself, on field.

　　'Say something, Roman.' I urged him.

　　'I'll... I'll have the adjudicator decide. He might-'

　　'No. Not this one. He seems corrupted. Just let them know this is what had happened.'

　　'Fine. But is there any more evidence apart from footage?'

　　'I'm afraid the powder of the drug must have vanished into thin air by this time.'

　　'Don't be ridiculous, Emeric. The soil must have absorbed it. Just pray there isn't a downpour in that area until investigation team arrives.'

　　That's my best man, Roman.

　　'You always have my back, don't you?'

　　'You've selected me as your beta for a reason, haven't you?'

　　And so, I caught Aurora looking at me having the strange smile planted on my face like this.

　　This thing is about to take a huge, ugly turn now.

　　Especially after I'm convinced of who must have done this to her.