"Don't tell me you're already drunk," Alex asked, raising a brow as he watched Marc's inhibition vanish at visible speed.
"What? I barely started, idiot!" Marc shot back, clutching his drink defensively.
"Okay then," Alex said with a smirk, taking another sip. "Tell me about this 'promise' of yours."
Marc leaned in, eyes gleaming mischievously. "Promise me that for the end-of-year test, you'll actually try your best and not half-ass it. In exchange, I'll do the same. Think of it as a challenge—to see which of us is the strongest."
"Count me in!" Tessa interjected before Alex could respond. As a lover of competition, she looked positively thrilled. "I've always wanted to see how strong you really are, Alex."
"You know what?" Alex said, the corner of his lip twitching. "Fine. You want to play? Let's play."Marc had successfully triggered his competitive streak—something few could do. There was nothing Alex hated more than losing to him, and now that Tessa was joining in, he felt an extra spark of determination.
"Ha! Now we're talking!" Marc laughed heartily, raising his mug.
"Hehe." Tessa giggled, raising hers as well.
Their laughter mingled with the chatter and clinking glasses around them, the evening growing livelier as the alcohol flowed.
Then, suddenly, a commotion near the bar caught their attention.
"Come on, girl! Come with me. You'll have a great time—do you know how many girls would kill to spend a night with me?" A richly dressed man slurred, blocking the way of a young woman.
"I already said no! How can you not take a hint?" the girl snapped, trying to push past him. "Go bother one of those girls lining up for you!"
The trio turned their heads at once. Alex's gaze sharpened immediately.
The man, instead of backing off, stumbled forward and tried to grab the girl's wrist. His expensive rings gleamed under the dim lantern light. He was clearly drunk—but that was no excuse.
Marc stood abruptly, his chair scraping the floor. "Let me handle this douchebag," he said, cracking his knuckles. "You two keep flirting."
Alex gave a half-laugh, assuming Marc just wanted to scare the guy off. Tessa rolled her eyes and leaned back, taking another sip of her drink.
Marc stormed over, grabbed the noble's hand, and twisted it away from the girl.
"Didn't she say no?" Marc growled. "How about you take the hint and piss off?"
The man turned red with fury. "Do you have any idea who I am, you filthy mongrel?!"
Marc smirked darkly. "How about you come tell me outside, huh?"
Before the man could reply, Marc dragged him toward the back door. The crowd murmured, but no one interfered. Outside, in the shadowed alley behind the tavern, Marc shoved him against the wall.
"I said no means no," Marc hissed—and punctuated the lesson with a few rough blows before walking away, leaving the man groaning against the cobblestones.
Back inside, the noise had swallowed the brief disturbance. Tessa and Alex continued chatting quietly, unaware of what had just unfolded beyond the walls.
"Hey," Tessa said after a while, glancing around. "Do you see Marc? He's been gone for a bit."
Alex frowned, scanning the bar. "Hmm. Maybe he went to the bathroom?"
"Should we look for him?" Tessa asked, setting her drink down.
"Yeah, good idea."
They split up. Alex checked the bathroom—empty. His worry began to creep in.
Tessa headed toward the front, scanning faces. The tavern was loud and crowded, the air thick with the smell of ale and roasted meat.
Alex, thinking fast, decided to look for the girl Marc had helped earlier. He spotted her near a corner table, clutching a cup of water nervously.
"Hey," he called gently as he approached. "Did you happen to see where the guy who helped you went?"
The girl nodded quickly. "Yes. After he pulled that creep off me, he dragged him outside—through the back door. I… I hope he's okay."
Alex froze. "Why?" he asked sharply, his tone dropping.
The girl hesitated. "Because the man who was harassing me was Lord Bren Alderfell, youngest son of the Alderfells—one of the noble houses from the capital. He's… not someone you want to cross. He has a reputation."
'Fuck!' Alex swore internally. His blood ran cold.
Without another word, he turned and started pushing through the crowd, moving fast.
'Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!' His mind screamed as he shoved open the back door. Of all the nobles in the city, Marc had to rough up one from the capital.
And not just any noble—a spoiled, dangerous one.
Alex burst into the cool night air. The muffled sounds of laughter and music faded behind him as he scanned the dark alley.
That's when he saw it.
Drops of blood—small at first, barely visible against the dirt—but fresh.
He crouched down, heart pounding, tracing the trail with his eyes. It led deeper into the maze of alleyways.
"Please," he muttered under his breath, "please don't be yours."
His breathing quickened as he followed the drops. Each step made his gut twist tighter.
Meanwhile, inside, Tessa finally reached the door—only to be stopped by the same girl.
"Hey—wait!" the girl said. "Is your friend alright?"
Tessa blinked. "Why? What happened?"
"He ran after your other friend a while ago and hasn't come back. I'm… worried."
Tessa's stomach dropped. "Th-they haven't returned yet…"
"Oh no," the girl whispered. "They went out the back—there."
Tessa nodded quickly, pushing through the doorway and into the night.
Outside, Alex's footsteps echoed softly against the stones. He had to pause now and then to find the next spot of blood—the moonlight barely enough to see by. His pulse thundered in his ears.
The trail grew thicker. Smears replaced droplets.
He began to run.
The metallic scent of blood grew stronger as he turned the corner into another alley.
And then he stopped—frozen.
His eyes widened, his breath caught.
A few seconds later, Tessa reached the alley. She had seen the blood trail too, and like Alex, she crouched to look closer.
Before she could call out, a scream tore through the night.
A sound of pure anguish—raw, gut-wrenching, and unmistakably human.
'That's Alex's voice!' she realized, heart hammering. She sprinted toward the sound, her boots splashing through puddles as she turned the final corner.
When she entered the alley, she froze just as Alex had.
Her heart dropped like a stone.
And what she saw made her knees tremble.