The scout Rafe had dropped into the pit limped forward, fury twisting his face. A second man walked beside him — taller, cleaner, and far more dangerous.
His black coat wasn't torn.His boots weren't muddy.His posture was controlled.
A higher-ranking hunter.
The moment he saw the ruins, saw Selene standing there—
His expression changed.
From confidence…to recognition…to something close to fear.
Selene tilted her head, staff resting loosely against her shoulder.
"So the Outer Circle sends you," she said, voice calm. "Did they run out of competent scouts?"
The limping one snarled, pointing at her.
"She interfered with our capture! She's hiding the child!"
The higher-ranking hunter didn't look at him.
He looked only at Selene.
"You," he said slowly. "They told us Arkwright bloodlines were extinct."
Selene smirked.
"They told you wrong."
The limping hunter growled.
"You killed three of us last year!"
Selene shrugged.
"You started it."
Rafe felt chills crawl down his spine.
Selene's power wasn't showy.It wasn't loud.
It simply was.
A presence like a storm before it breaks.
Rafe whispered to Mara:
"Stay behind me. Keep Lyn between us."
Mara nodded.
Lyn clung to both of them, trembling.
The higher-ranking hunter stepped forward.
"She's worth more than you know," he said, pointing at Lyn. "The girl's awakening is unique. If you hand her over, we may let the other two live."
Selene's expression didn't change.
"No."
The hunter smiled.
"You have no right to say 'no' to the Outer Circle."
Selene lifted her staff.
"I just did."
The hunter's smile disappeared.
"…Kill her."
The limping scout lunged.
The world erupted.
Selene moved like liquid lightning.
No wasted motion.No flourish.No mercy.
Her staff cut through the air—A silent, elegant arc—
CRACK.
The limping scout flew backward, slamming into a tree with enough force to snap bark. He collapsed, unconscious.
Rafe blinked.
He hadn't even seen Selene step forward.
Mara gasped softly.
Lyn stared with wide, terrified awe.
The higher-ranking hunter didn't flinch.Instead, he slipped into a combat stance, hands glowing with dark mana.
"You Arkwrights," he hissed. "Always in the way."
Selene tapped her staff once against the ground.
Light flared.Soft at first, then violently bright.
Rafe covered Lyn's eyes.Mara shielded her with her body.
The hunter leapt forward—
Selene whispered something.
A word that made the air crack.
"Bend."
The light shifted.The hunter's strike warped sideways mid-movement.His entire body twisted with it, smashing him into the stone wall of the ruin.
The impact shook the ground.
He groaned, blood on his lips, staggering.
Selene lowered her staff calmly.
"Your mana manipulation is sloppy," she said. "And your stance is flawed."
The hunter trembled with rage.
"You—"
Selene cut him off.
"You're outmatched. Leave."
But the hunter shook his head.
"No. We have orders."He pointed at Lyn."Bring the awakened child. And the boy."
Rafe stiffened.
The boy?
Mara grabbed his arm, eyes wide.
"Why you?" she whispered.
Rafe's pulse quickened.
He didn't know.But the Outer Circle wanting him too meant something was deeply wrong.
Selene's grip on her staff tightened.
"You're not getting either of them."
The hunter spat blood and charged again.
This time, Selene didn't dodge.
She raised her staff—
And the air itself hummed.
Rafe felt it before he saw it.
A wave of pressure.Like heat without warmth.Like force without sound.
It struck the hunter squarely.
He flew backward — not into a tree, not into a stone, but straight across the ground, sliding until his body slumped against a mound of leaves.
He didn't move again.
The forest fell silent.
Even the wind seemed afraid to speak.
Selene lowered her staff, breathing steady and controlled.
Rafe stared.
Mara whispered:
"…She's a monster."
Selene tilted her head.
"I prefer 'experienced.'"
Lyn's voice was tiny.
"…You saved us."
Selene looked at her — really looked at her.
"No," she said softly. "You saved yourself. I only made sure you had the chance."
Rafe stepped forward cautiously.
"Are more coming?"
Selene shook her head.
"Not today. They won't risk a third wave without reporting back."
Rafe nodded slowly.
"So we're safe for now."
"No," Selene said. "You're not safe anywhere near the orphanage."
Mara tensed.
"What do we do then?"
Selene looked at the three of them — bruised, exhausted, terrified, and stubborn.
And her expression changed.
Softer.Less cold.Almost warm.
"You come with me," she said. "All three of you."
Silence.
Mara blinked rapidly.
"W-What?"
Rafe frowned.
"Why us?"
Selene sighed.
"Because I don't abandon children hunted by monsters. Because Light Mana must be trained. And because…"Her eyes fell on Rafe."…you are not normal. And I want to know why."
Rafe's heart skipped.
So Lyn wasn't the only variable.The Outer Circle wanted him too.
Mara stepped between Rafe and Selene instantly.
"You're not taking him," she snapped.
Selene lifted a brow.
"I said all three. I don't separate children."
Rafe exhaled.
He thought carefully, weighing the risks.
Stay here?Death.
Return to the orphanage?Death.
Go with Selene?Danger… but protection.Answers.Training.A path forward.
Rafe looked at Lyn.
She nodded a tiny, trembling nod.
He looked at Mara.
She clenched his hand.
"I'll go wherever you go," she whispered.
Rafe swallowed.
Then turned to Selene.
"…Alright."
Selene smiled — the first true smile they'd seen from her.
"Good. Then our journey begins."
And just like that—
The trio was no longer alone.
They had a protector.A mentor.And a new destiny waiting beyond the forest.