Principal Felan and the teachers were speechless at the sight that greeted them when they arrived at the scene via teleportation. Kael was lying on the ground, covered in blood, and Anul's body lay right in front of him. The monster had been split in two as if struck by a massive claw, its body lying on the ground in two separate pieces.
Marlon approached the black, glowing runes on the creature's neck. "T-this is Anul... What is a creature like this doing in the Mist-Shrouded Valley? And these seals..."
Felan ran over to Kael without paying attention to her surroundings and knelt down beside him.
"Kael! Kael! Can you hear me?"
When Kael barely managed to open his eyes, he saw Ms. Felan waiting anxiously by his side. He tried to speak, but his lips were trembling: "M-Ms. Felan..."
"Alright... Don't strain yourself talking. Marlon, I'm teleporting Kael and myself to the healers. You two examine the area and the creature!"
"Understood, Ms. Felan!"
Felan beamed Kael—whom she had cradled in her arms—to the healers' area at the entrance of the valley. When she shouted, "Healer, come here immediately!" Lyra heard her and ran over. Upon seeing Kael's blood-stained clothes and motionless body, the young girl's world came crashing down.
"Kael!! No... please..."
Felan: "Lyra, calm down! Kael is alive."
With those words, the heavy burden of worry on Lyra's shoulders eased for a moment, but as her knees gave way, she collapsed to the ground.
When the healers cast their spells on Kael, they saw just how badly he'd been beaten.
"Cracked ribs, a broken arm bone... He'll need plenty of rest.
Felan: "Do whatever it takes—as long as he's okay, nothing else matters!"
The Academy administration immediately called off the event at Felan's command. When the students were brought to the assembly area, Rota overheard whispers:
"Did you hear? A creature from Class C attacked Class A's group... Two students are seriously injured."
When Rota heard the rumors, her heart felt as if it were being squeezed. Panicking, she found Lyra:
"Lyra! What happened? Are you okay?"
Wiping away her tears, Lyra said, "I'm okay... but Anul appeared right in front of us during the exam. We didn't know what to do. If it weren't for Kael, we'd all be dead."
"Anul?!" Rota's face went pale. "That's impossible!"
The area buzzed with the students' shocked whispers.
"Did they say Anul? What's a Class C creature doing here?"
Rota scanned the room for Kael but couldn't see him.
"What about Kael? Where is Kael?"
"Kael held Anul off by himself so we could escape... Principal Felan brought him in wounded, and they later took him to the academy infirmary."
Rota was in shock; she silently prayed, "I hope he's okay." Just then, Thalendir's mocking voice rang out from behind:
"Ha! Look at them... Can't even handle F-class creatures and they're crying?"
Gil, unable to take it anymore, grabbed Thalendir by the throat:
Look at me, you arrogant elf! If we're alive here right now, it's all thanks to Kael, who kept Anul occupied! Take those words back immediately!"
Thalendir was stunned: "Anul? What are you babbling about? There were only F-level creatures in the event area!" Gil flung Thalendir, whom he was still holding by the throat, to the ground.
"You have no idea what's going on, do you!?"
Just then, Marlon and the other teachers returned to Felan's side.
"Ms. Felan, we searched the entire area. We didn't find anyone besides the students. Those runes on the creature's neck... I've seen them before. This is definitely the work of a summoner."
"Where is Ms. Brian?"
"That's the biggest problem," said Marlon. "Ms. Brian is nowhere to be found."
"So you're saying..." Felan said, her voice turning icy,
"someone deliberately sent Anul to Kael's group, and the one responsible, Brian, has vanished."
"Unfortunately, that's right. As for who killed Anul... It doesn't look like a human-made attack. It was split in two by a massive claw mark. And in the forest, we didn't find any traces of another C-level creature either."
When Felan relayed the news to Zephyros, the calm expression on Zephyros's face gave way to sheer horror.
"Kael... Is Kael okay?! Felan, tell me the truth!"
"Calm down, Kael is alive. He's resting in the infirmary." Zephyros paused for a moment, then listened to what Felan had to say.
"Did you say Anul? How could a C-class creature... Is this Brian's betrayal?"
"Calm down, Zephyros. Believe me, I can't forgive myself for failing to control my teachers," Felan said, bowing his head.
Zephyros took a deep breath. "It's okay, Felan. I know you've been through a lot... Especially with Revia's family coming to the school..."
"Oh, don't even ask! The whole family stormed the school. They even considered taking their daughter out of school. After all, the Cave family's youngest fourth-circle mage is a priceless gem to them."
Far from the Academy, in the underground organization's secret headquarters, Brian and Rete were in the presence of their leader, Grace.
"Go on, Brian, I'm listening."
"Ma'am, we carried out the plan as you instructed... but..."
"But what? Did you find any evidence that the boy used dark magic?
"Also, what happened to Rete? His face has been as white as chalk, and he hasn't said a word since he came back."
Rete: "The E-Dragon summoned a dragon, you damn brat!"
Grace: "What is this guy talking about? What dragon?"
Brian: "Sir, we don't know how Kael did it, but he summoned a dragon to the area and split the Anul—which Rete was controlling—in two within seconds."
Rete: "Ahh, Anul, my beautiful Anul..."
Brian silenced Rete: "Shut up, Rete, that's enough!"
Grace was in shock: "Could you have seen it wrong? Could he have summoned a bird-like creature instead of a dragon?"
Brian: "No, sir, I saw it with my own eyes. The thing that emerged from the summoning circle was a black dragon."
Grace was surprised to hear about the black dragon; black dragons were the most dangerous, and it had never been seen before for a human to control a dragon.
"Alright, Brian, you can go."
Rete: "Ahh, Anul, you cursed brat—how dare you kill my masterpiece? If I get my hands on him—" Brian: "Rete, that's enough! Come on."Grace sighed and leaned back in her chair. There was a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"I didn't expect a 15-year-old to give us this much trouble. I might have underestimated him. His powers are like a complete mystery... If he can really summon a dragon, then we're in for a much tougher time."
The academy infirmary, far from the chaos outside, was filled with the heavy scent of medicine and herbs. Kael sat on the edge of the bed, watching out the window. Just then, the door creaked open. Zephyros entered, holding a package of pastries and wearing a look of worry he couldn't hide.
When Zephyros arrived at the infirmary, Kael was watching out the window.
"Son, you seem distracted. Are you okay?"
Kael turned his head, looking sad. "I don't remember how the creature died. My memory is still fuzzy. When I felt I was going to die, my hand went to the seal ring... Even though you told me never to take it off, I was going to break the seal."
Zephyros slowed his steps when he saw the pallor on Kael's face and the bandages on his hand. As he set the package on the table, his voice was softer than usual.
"I brought you some of your favorite pastries."
Zephyros sat down at the edge of the bed, his gaze fixed on Kael's weary eyes.Zephyros: "Kael, no matter what species it is, a living creature's instinct for survival trumps everything else. Don't feel guilty for taking a step to protect your own existence. If your demon form is what keeps you alive, never hesitate to shatter that ring and release the power within. Don't shoulder the entire burden alone, son."
Kael looked into his uncle's eyes. "But what if I'd lost control and harmed those around me? Lyra, Gil... I couldn't have done that while they were there."
Zephyros shook his head. "You're not a warrior, Kael; you're just a 15-year-old boy. If that power ever reaches a point where it takes hold of you, I'll always be there to make sure you don't harm yourself or your friends."
Kael took a deep breath at his uncle's sincere and protective demeanor. He felt the heavy weight on his shoulders lift just a little.
"Thank you for always being by my side..."
Zephyros smiled slightly and pushed the package toward Kael.
"Come on, eat one of these pastries now."
Kael broke off a piece of the pastry. His mind, however, was still in the misty valley.