~Aurora~

　　The state of the palace…it broke my heart. The looming clouds over it gave it a more gloomy look as it was almost the time when it would start raining. As if the clouds were crying for the state of this Kingdom.

　　"Odin, you take the left wing. I'll find Torin as he is my nemesis. Emeric will fight Leif. You may provide him assistance. I'll see you after winning,"

　　"You be careful out there, Aurora. Fight against the odds. I know you will win against that betraying bastard,"

　　"Thank you, Odin." Then I turned to look at Emeric. I couldn't even imagine the heartbreak of the prince whose kingdom was destroyed by an external force.

　　"We will get your kingdom back, Emeric. I promise. I'll come running to help you after I win against Torin. You stay safe out there. I need you to come back alive," I caressed the man's cheek as I said so.

　　"You too…I can never forgive myself if you don't return to me, Aurora. You must come back to me…" I could tell that he was fearing for the worst. But I couldn't predict the future either…

　　Odin watched with pain in his eyes when Emeric and I leaned into each other. He tried to look away…but his heart was already wounded.

　　"Alright…I'll go first." Saying, I turned my back to the men and walked up to the building, exiting the basement. I was using my stealth and being cautious as to not be seen by anyone in the streets. Any enemy who might catch me sneaking myself towards the palace, which was so close as well, will alert Leif for sure now.

　　Successfully, I sneaked into the palace and sensed that no one was around. I figured that everyone was either at the stronghold, or in their houses around the Citadel because the palace has turned into such a nightmare!

　　All except…one.

　　There was just one presence in the palace, their scent looming in the corridors. I realized that I have aimlessly walked into the courtroom. Following the scent that was lingering in the air, the concentration had kept rising as I walked close to this huge room.

　　It was dark, only the moonlight lighting up the space. Even with that, the courtroom looked incredibly dark. That was until…

　　I flinched when the lights were turning on by themselves. The chandeliers above me were illuminating the big hall as I lifted my gaze to meet it with the nemesis. My nemesis.

　　"Torin…" I took his name as if he was curse,

　　"Took you long enough to find me, Fangborn…" His very sound was making me grind my teeth together. It was hard to control my anger.

　　"You unfaithful, backstabbing monster…" I cursed at him in a low voice. I reached out for the daggers and was pulling them out to fight him with them,

　　But…something stopped me.

　　'Maia…is there a possibility that Torin must have taken the drug as well?'

　　'I'm not sure, Aurora. But his rank is way lower than ours at the moment. If he would take the herb even, he would struggle to keep up with our strength. But beware of his words, Aurora. He has a tongue like no other…he is much more vicious than a basilisk.' Of course…

　　This is a man who sweet talked me into gaining trust of mine and backstabbed me so well, that I was left with a deep wound in the heart. He traumatized me, making me think I could never trust another soul ever again.

　　"I knew you would come looking for me, Aurora. You wouldn't want to fight Leif in the state that he is. He's much, much more powerful than he used to be. I wonder why…?" His laugh that followed his attempt to rile me up was irritating me. I grit my teeth and took a step forward,

　　"You betrayed our pack, Torin. You're unforgivable."

　　"Oh, don't talk about forgiving me, Aurora. You're so naive that it was easy to sway you by my words! I know you're hating yourself for that, but did you know…? I'm hating myself for letting you live! I should have killed you right there, when you were in the middle of getting a prophecy from the artifact. It would have been much easier for Leif and I to take over this falling kingdom."

　　"You have no idea how angry I am at you for not killing me that day either, Torin.

　　I wouldn't have to witness all of this if you killed me that day. You're a monster…"

　　Suddenly, the room had become spine chilling. The lights on the chandelier were dancing with the rise in our aura, the clash between our glares.

　　"...Then allow me to kill you today,"

　　"Like hell I would—!"

　　Torin jumped from the throne that sat above twenty diagonal stairs. He took a leap into the air, the lights behind him almost making him appear distorted to my vision,

　　'Maia! Help me!'

　　'I got you, Aurora!'

　　With her improved vision, I could fight much better at the moment!

　　I ducked under his punch that came flying with him!

　　"Argh! Why don't you just die already!? Looking at you makes me feel sick!" Torin suddenly spoke as I grunted and dodged a kick with a backflip.

　　"Aren't you tempted enough to kill me!? Do it, then! Kill me!" I was riling him up even more! With a kick that could break bones, I landed my kick against his chest. It barely grazed him, but the friction and the rupture made him stumble tangently by the impact.

　　"Fucking hell…you've gotten powerful, eh?"

　　"I was always powerful. I am the daughter of Den Fangborn for a reason,"

　　"Oh…don't take that man's name ever again…in front of me." He engaged me in a conversation while he healed at his own pace. Beta ranks heal slower than Alpha ranks.

　　I on the other hand kept my stance steady and didn't let his words affect me. I knew he was trying to play mind games with me. Suddenly, he shifted into his wolf as I was taken aback by his sudden shift.

　　"Ah—!" His wolf's paw almost tore my chest off, if it wasn't for Maia who took over me. We were in a half hybrid shift, a transformation where I was still human, but a few characteristics of my wolf were shown. I had claws, fangs, the vitality of a wolf and also, her voice taking over along with mine. I would speak with two voices now, deeper than ever.

　　My legs have grown much more powerful, and I launched myself in the air to land on the wolf's back. Torin's wolf struggled to get rid of me on its back, but I gripped onto its fur and flesh with my claws!

　　"You're not getting away from me this time—"

　　Just then, he wriggled his body and kicked me hard in the stomach, midair.