Talia walked behind the group, her sharp eyes scanning the surroundings. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Her thoughts wandered as she watched the others.
Freya led the way, her usual confidence shining through as she dealt with any obstacles in their path. Right behind her was Ryan, trying too hard to impress her, his desperate attempts almost painful to watch. And then there was Lukas, the odd one. He was cold, grumpy, and unpredictable, yet somehow familiar, giving her an odd sense of déjà vu.
Talia didn’t know how to fit in with any of them.
Freya was too proud, Ryan was annoying, and Lukas... he was just too distant. But one thing was clear to her.That was Lukas was the glue holding the team together. Despite his sarcastic remarks and occasional arguments with Freya, he kept things from falling apart.
Without him, Talia was sure Freya would have abandoned them by now, venturing off on her own.
Sighing, Talia kept her focus sharp. She stayed at the back, ready to deal with any hidden dangers. Her thoughts broke when Lukas suddenly appeared beside her.
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"Hey," he whispered, his tone serious.
Talia jumped slightly, startled. "Yeah?" she stammered, stepping back.
Lukas leaned closer, his expression intense. "Listen. Something dangerous might happen when we exit the gate. I want you to stay at the very back, a bit farther away."
"What? Why?" Talia asked, confused.
"You have good instincts," Lukas replied. "Unlike these two, who act like they’re in a circus. Remember what that shadow panther did? We can’t let something like that happen again."
Talia hesitated, while she was surprised inwardly and took a moment wondering if she should do that. But she nodded, trusting his judgment.
The group continued toward the gate. Lukas stayed close to Freya and Ryan, while Talia followed a few meters behind, just as he’d instructed. The air grew heavier with each step, and Talia felt her nerves tightening.
That’s when she noticed Lukas’s change. His usual calm demeanor was replaced with urgency. In a flash, he shoved Ryan aside and lunged forward, grabbing Freya and pulling her back.
Talia’s instincts screamed danger. Without thinking, she turned around and run.
She felt goosebumps from behind and jumped back just as the explosion erupted.
A deafening roar filled the air, and a wave of heat and pressure knocked Talia off her feet.
Dust and debris rained down around her. Her heart pounded as she struggled to sit up, coughing through the choking smoke.
In the chaos, her eyes darted toward Lukas and Freya. They were on the ground, Lukas shielding Freya with his body. His back was covered in dirt and cuts, but his grip on her remained firm.
The danger had passed, but the tension lingered. Talia knew one thing for sure.
Lukas had just saved their lives.
....
Freya barely had time to process what was happening as Lukas grabbed her. The shockwave hit like a freight train, launching them backward. She instinctively summoned her winds, trying to cushion the impact, but the force was overwhelming.
As they tumbled through the air, she caught sight of something glowing in Lukas’s pocket. A moment later, a blue shield flickered into existence around them. It absorbed some of the brunt, but it wasn’t enough. Flames surged around them, roaring like a beast. Freya’s vision blurred, her ears rang, and then there was nothing but darkness.
When her senses returned, she felt rough dirt beneath her palms. Her head throbbed, and her body ached. Slowly, she forced herself to sit up, but her heart nearly stopped.
Lukas... he was holding me. What happened to him?
She was flustered and embarrassed the moment her face became red in shape.
’Did this pest just touch me?’She was about to erupt but stopped seeing him bleeding.
Her anger was replaced by worry and unease as she remembered that it was Lukas who saved her who now wasn’t around.
"Lukas?" she called weakly, her voice trembling.
She looked around frantically, and her breath hitched when she spotted him lying a few feet away. His body was charred, his clothes in tatters, and his normally sharp features were smeared with blood and soot.
"AHHHH!" Freya screamed, scrambling toward him. Her pride, her composure, her cold demeanor,all of it shattered in an instant.
"Lukas! Wake up!" she cried, shaking him with trembling hands. Her voice cracked, and tears threatened to spill over her usually calm eyes.
"You can’t... you can’t die like this!"
Her heart raced, and her breaths came in short gasps. Her mind reeled at the sight before her. This wasn’t like the animals she’d hunted. This wasn’t a distant kill she could brush off with indifference. This was a life, a human life.
Particularly, the life of the man who had just saved her.
If her old self could see her now, she’d laugh. She’d mock this broken, panicked girl on her knees, clutching someone who looked like they were at death’s door. But that didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except Lukas.
"Come on, you idiot, don’t you dare leave me!" she whispered, her voice breaking as she leaned closer, desperate for any sign he was still breathing.
Then, a chilling force swept through the air, making her freeze. It was heavy, oppressive, like the weight of death itself. Slowly, Freya looked up.
A man emerged from the shadows of the vortex of the dungeon.
TAP!
HIS cane clickED against the ground with each step. He wore a smug expression, his lips curling into a cruel smile. His amused laugh echoed through the silence.
Freya’s drowning eyes lit up with hope. Seizing her trembling body, she stared at the man while controlling her inner turmoil.
Standing up, she walked towards and spoke slowly yet her voice sounded louder and amplified mana and shouted, "Professor Linden, help this guy. The dungeon gate exploded out of nowhere and he was injured trying to save me"
She decided to repeat again but as she left she failed to notice a twitch on the body lying on the ground along with the closed lips sluggishly curled upwards.