Zarek stood, sweeping Priya up into his arms. The young woman hadn't expected the sudden jolt and was taken aback before she rolled her eyes.
"I can walk, you know."
Zarek smiled, but Priya grew serious when she felt that it was more somber than normal. It didn't carry his usual arrogant, jokester flare.
She fell into silence and just let Zarek strap her to his back.
It was only after Priya was secured that Zarek seemed to relax slightly. But Priya herself could feel the heaviness of her mood. She couldn't help but wonder… in all of these retries that Zarek had experienced… what happened to her in them?
She felt a shudder through her heart that was only calmed by a squeeze to her wrist by Zarek.
"Nothing will happen to you…"
'… Not while I'm alive…' he finished in his own thoughts.
Zarek exhaled a breath and adjusted himself.
As much experience as he had, the fact that this was truly his last chance hit him in ways he wasn't expecting. He didn't worry about his life, he worried about Priya's. He had lived for more than long enough, experienced more than enough, but what about her?
'Not this time.'
Zarek shot off. "Keep up, kid."
…
"Is everything ready?" Victor asked, his gaze solemn.
By his side, Nick looked incredibly nervous as well. Recalling the monstrosity they had seen earlier, he still couldn't stop his hands from shaking. It felt like they were staring down the barrel of death.
This was their life now.
How many of those monsters were waiting for them outside? How many times would they have to sleep with one eye open? When would they have that one slip up that ended their lives for good?
The more he thought about it, the chillier Nick's heart felt. It was only Victor's voice that snapped him awake.
"Y-yes… everyone should already be in position."
Originally, they were just supposed to wait it out, sit back and gather more information. But after his interaction with Zarek, Victor seemed to have changed his stance on things entirely.
Others couldn't feel it because Victor had manipulated things so perfectly, but Nick knew that things had pivoted away from the original intended direction.
Now, there was no going back.
Victor nodded, but he seemed lost in his own thoughts. Reflections of a person's face danced in his eyes… but that person was nowhere to be seen.
In that case, he would just have to take advantage of the situation himself.
…
The location was a maze of mirrored darkness. The moon hung high in the skies, and it felt like the silvery light was being refracted in all directions. A single wrong move could send you smashing into a mirror wall.
At the center of this maze, a red wolf lay in silent slumber. It was at least three meters from the tip of its nose to the start of its tail, and there was a mysterious power emitting from it.
Every time its tail swayed, it seemed to double, then triple, before reverting back to one.
Then, from time to time, the tail would accidentally swipe through the mirrors that surrounded the creature, causing a weakened version of itself to dash out into the outside world.
The bloody aura of the wolf pervaded the air and seemed to only multiply across the mirrors.
It was in the darkness of this night that several figures appeared at various entrances of this central core of the maze. They gripped onto whatever makeshift weapons they had made while the archers among them strung up their recently forged bows.
They pulled back with all their might and loosed their arrows.
The Blood Wolf's eyes snapped open.
In one moment, it was still in a deep sleep, but in the next, it stood to its full height, unleashing a roar.
The roar sounded like it was several beasts layered into one, carrying a waving, shaking consistency to it that sent out rippling waves.
A barrier of blood-red light formed and repelled the oncoming arrows.
The students and teachers in the surroundings froze.
This wasn't how things were supposed to go.
Unfortunately, there was no backtracking. There was no pulling back a shot that had already been fired.
The Blood Wolf suddenly vanished, appearing before one of the teachers and lashing out with a paw. The man only had time for a small light of despair to trickle out from his tears before he was torn apart at the waist.
Blood flew and splattered about, shredded inner organs and flesh falling in bits and pieces.
The man fell to the ground, gasping for breath but choking on his own blood.
His lips parted, seemingly in a bid to ask for help, only for the wolf's paw to drill down and into the ground, shattering his skull.
Mournful cries filled the arena of mirrors, and a young woman cowered with her bow shaking in her palms. This woman was none other than the very teacher that had been with Temeron when Zarek found him.
She didn't know why… but for some reason, she felt like she had made a mistake.
Her pupils trembled as she gazed up toward the wolf looming over her. Its breath made her sick to her stomach, but she was in too much fear to even vomit the contents of her lunch.
She knew that this was the end of the road. And like many others, she didn't even know how to face it.
At some unknown time, her vision went black, and her head collapsed several yards from her body.
The wolf raised its head to the skies, unleashing a furious roar.
…
"Vi… Vi… Victor… shouldn't we… we go…" Nick was practically vibrating by this point, but he didn't dare to look over at Victor, scared of what he would see.
If Victor was trembling in fear as well, then that was it… his last pillar of support was nothing but a paper tiger just like he was.
But what he feared the most was if Victor was calm… that Victor…
He had no idea how he should face.
Nick's neck slowly creaked over, turning to the side. He could practically feel every ligament straining against themselves before he finally laid eyes on Victor's side profile…
The side profile of a man indifferent to even the air he breathed.