Dominic finally moved. He stepped forward and the faint smile never left his face.
His palm hurt as he tightened his grip on the sword. The skin there was raw and torn from repeated swings.
He was not used to this kind of weapon. A bow and knife fit his hands better. This sword was heavy, meant for soldiers who had trained for years.
But it did not matter.
His body was still steady. His breathing was controlled. He could swing again.
As he advanced, his eyes lingered on the chaos ahead.
Alaric and Lucen were bleeding. Corvin was already dead, his screams replaced by wet tearing sounds.
Dominic watched it all with that same faint smile.
He hated them.
After everything they had said. After the looks, the insults, and laughter. And the worse part, after Alaric had shoved him toward a monster without hesitation.
Hatred sat cold and patient in his chest.
So he waited for a chance.
They were nobles. If Dominic openly attacked them, he would be the one punished. A commoner killing a noble was a crime that never ended well.
But this was different.
This was chaos. There were a lot of corrupted wolves. Death everywhere.
The guards were fighting for their lives. Riven, Mara, and Kel were already buried in battle. The caravan folk were hiding inside their wagons with windows and doors sealed tight, too terrified to even peek through the cracks.
No one was watching.
And Dominic was just a kid who tried his best and failed.
That was all anyone would see.
He broke into a run.
The moment a wolf turned toward him, Dominic vanished into a blur.
"Blitz."
His form blurred forward and the sword flashed. The wolf's head came apart. Another wolf lunged and Dominic dodge then his sword cutting low and clean, severing legs before finishing the body with a second strike.
Blood sprayed across the ground.
He moved without hesitation with an amateurish move but effective. Wolves died one after another, bodies collapsing before they could even snarl.
Within seconds, the space around Alaric and Lucen was cleared.
Dominic slowed and straightened.
Corvin was a few meters away, or what remained of him was. Wolves were still tearing into his flesh.
Dominic did not look for long.
He turned instead to the two.
Alaric was on his knees now.
His right arm was gone, torn off at the elbow. Blood poured from the stump despite his frantic attempt to press against it.
His red glow was gone, ether completely spent. His face was pale and his eyes wide and unfocused.
Lucen lay on his side nearby, unmoving. His chest rose only faintly. Blood pooled beneath him, soaking into the dirt as his ether flickered weakly.
Dominic looked at them and felt nothing but satisfaction.
Alaric lifted his head slowly.
Their eyes met.
Horror flooded the noble's face.
Dominic's smile widened just a little.
"How's it feel?" Dominic asked evenly.
His voice was calm. Almost gentle.
But that smile made Alaric's blood turn cold.
"You… y-you dare…" Alaric stammered. His teeth chattered. "Do this… to me…"
Dominic scoffed.
Even now, broken and bleeding out, the boy still spoke like someone important.
"I—I will give you money," Alaric said desperately with tears and snot filled his face. "As much as you want. Anything… Please... Save me."
Dominic did not answer.
There was nothing Alaric could offer that mattered.
From the beginning, Dominic had wanted to see them die.
He turned away.
Another wolf charged in from the side and Dominic cut it down in a single motion. Then another. And another. He moved just far enough to keep the pack's attention.
Carefully and deliberately, he left gaps.
Wolves slipped past him.
They went straight for Alaric.
"AAAAA!!!"
The noble screamed as fangs sank into his leg, then his shoulder. He clawed at the dirt, dragging himself backward, crying and begging, his voice breaking into incoherent sobs.
Dominic did not look back.
He continued killing wolves with wide and strong swings.
A few meters from him, Alaric's screams rose higher, then broke apart into choking gasps.
Then they stopped.
When the noise finally ended, Dominic stood alone amid corpses.
Blood dripped from his blade.
Lucen lay still with glassy eyes.
Corvin was nothing more than torn flesh and rags.
Then Dominic thinks of something. With quick, efficient movements, he closed the distance and finished the remaining wolves circling the corpses.
The last wolf fell twitching at his feet.
Dominic exhaled. The sword felt heavy in his hand.
He stepped toward the bodies.
Corvin first and he grimaced seeing Corvin's condition. He was the worst.
There was nothing left worth taking. The wolves had ruined everything, flesh and belongings alike.
Dominic turned away without expression.
Lucen was next. His fingers were already stiffening. Dominic knelt briefly and stripped a thin silver bracelet from his wrist. A small charm necklace followed, the chain slick with blood. He didn't bother to wipe them clean.
Then Alaric.
The noble's body was torn open, face frozen in terror. He chose not to look at his face.
Dominic crouched and searched him. A signet ring was twisted free from a blood-slick finger, then a gold-trimmed bracelet snapped loose with a sharp tug.
He found a coin pouch at the boy's waist. It felt heavy despite the blood soaking through the leather.
He took everything.
Every piece he could salvage vanished into his pockets one by one.
When he stood again, Dominic rolled his shoulders and let his posture sag just slightly. His grip on the sword loosened. His head dipped. The faint smile was gone, replaced by a grim and tight expression like a survivor's face.
A boy who had tried and failed.
Blood still dripped from the blade of his sword as he turned back toward the charging wolves. Fortunately, the amount of corrupted wolves was thinning. In the front line, Kel, Riven, Mara, and what remains of the guards were killing the last wave of the wolves.
—