In the middle of the Night...
Frost Family Main Building…
Knock! Kock!
The sudden sound broke the calm inside Lily Frost's chamber. She frowned slightly as she opened her eyes with a displeased look.
When she opened it… she found her sister Julie. She stood outside with a tense look, her breathing uneven as if she had been holding something back for far too long.
"What is it? Why are you here in the middle of the night?" Lily asked with suspicion.
Julie hesitated for only a second before speaking quickly, "Sister… something's wrong. That Tony… he's in danger."
Lily's expression changed instantly. "What do you mean?!" she asked, her voice dropping. "What exactly did you do?"
Julie looked away briefly, clearly uncomfortable. "I only wanted to scare him a little," she said defensively. "I took him to the Wild Herb Garden training grounds. I thought the illusions and beasts would frighten him enough to run back on his own."
Lily's face darkened.
"You took him there?" she repeated slowly, disbelief creeping into her voice. "Are you out of your mind?"
Julie's lips tightened. "I went back later," she added quickly. "I searched the area, but he was gone. I thought he had already escaped, but he never returned. Hours have passed, and he's still missing."
Lily's patience snapped. "Only Frost family members can navigate that place safely. The formations, the illusions, the beast zones—everything there is designed to trap outsiders. Even trained disciples would struggle. And you left him there?!"
Julie's face paled slightly under the weight of her words. "I didn't think it would go this far… When Tony's father asked, I said Tony is with you. Please do something…!"
Lily didn't wait to hear more. She stepped past her, already moving. "If something happens to him… you won't be able to bear the consequences." She said coldly.
Without another word, she activated her movement technique… her figure disappearing into the night like a streak of pale light.
Julie swallowed hard and followed behind with her heart pounding.
***
Within minutes, Lily reached the Wild Herb Garden.
The moment she stepped inside, her senses expanded, a faint glow forming around her as she released a controlled wave of perception. The illusion formations flickered subtly in response, but she ignored them, focusing instead on the ground ahead.
Her eyes widened slightly.
Bodies… Dozens of them. Hyenas, wolves, wild dogs… scattered across the area in unnatural stillness. Some had clean, punctured wounds. Others looked as though they had been crushed by overwhelming force. Blood stained the ground, the air thick with the scent of death.
Lily stepped forward slowly, examining one of the corpses. The wound was precise.
"A firearm…" she murmured, her brows furrowing. "He used a gun?"
She moved further in, her expression growing more serious with each step. The deeper she went, the more bodies she found. The scale of it didn't match what she knew of Tony.
Something wasn't adding up.
Julie finally caught up, slightly out of breath. "Did you find him?" she asked anxiously.
Lily didn't respond immediately. Instead, she pointed toward the ground. Torn fabric lay scattered among the blood-stained soil.
"His clothes," she said quietly.
Julie's face drained of color.
For a brief moment, silence fell between them.
"Did… did the pack leader get him?" Julie whispered, her voice trembling.
Lily's expression hardened. She didn't answer, but her thoughts had already gone there.
If that had happened—
There wouldn't be much left.
Without another word, she walked toward the ancient well, her steps slower now, heavier. She stopped at the edge and looked down.
Darkness… Still water… No movement… No sign of life.
A cold feeling crept into her chest.
Behind her, Julie shifted uneasily. "He… he couldn't have survived that, right?" she muttered weakly.
Lily clenched her fist slightly.
This was her mistake. She should have stopped it earlier.
Even if she didn't care about Tony himself, the consequences of his death here… Were unimaginable.
"I'll go deeper," she said, turning away from the well.
Julie's eyes widened. "Are you serious? Even for us, going deeper at night…"
She didn't finish. Because at that exact moment… A voice interrupted them.
"Looking for someone?"
Both sisters froze.
They looked up… And there he was.
Tony sat casually on a tree branch above them, one leg dangling lazily while the other rested against the trunk. In his hand, a cluster of grapes, which he popped into his mouth with complete ease.
His expression was relaxed, almost amused, as if he had been watching a performance rather than fighting for his life hours ago.
Lily exhaled first, a subtle release of tension she hadn't even realized she was holding. Relief flickered across her eyes before she masked it instantly.
Julie, on the other hand, stared in disbelief.
"How…?!!" she whispered.
Tony tilted his head slightly before dropping down from the tree. He landed smoothly, without the slightest imbalance, his posture relaxed as he looked at them.
Lily stepped forward, her gaze scanning him quickly. "You're uninjured," she said, her tone sharp with disbelief. "How did you manage to survive here?"
Tony casually twirled his pistol in his hand before catching it. "I shot whatever came at me."
Lily didn't respond immediately… Her eyes lingered on him, analyzing.
His clothes were different… His earlier ones were clearly torn, scattered across the ground.
Yet… There wasn't a single visible wound on him.
That wasn't normal.
"Even if you used a weapon," she said slowly, "you shouldn't have come out unscathed. This place isn't that forgiving."
Tony shrugged slightly. "Maybe I'm just lucky."
The answer was too simple… Lily didn't believe it. But she didn't press further.
Tony stretched his arms slightly before speaking again, his tone turning casual. "Anyway, I've had enough excitement for one night. Let's head back."
Without waiting for permission, he stepped forward and casually draped his arm over Julie's shoulder.
She stiffened instantly… Her entire body tensed.
Tony glanced at her sideways, a faint smirk forming. "You're still upset?" he asked lightly. "Or should I explain to your father how I ended up here?"
Julie's expression darkened, but she said nothing.
She swallowed her anger… And let his arm remain.
Lily watched the interaction quietly from behind, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Something had changed.. This wasn't the same Tony who had entered the garden earlier.
As they walked back together under the dim light of the night, Lily's thoughts remained fixed on one question.
'Just how he survived?'