This power…
The moment Riona felt number one's power, it was like a jolt of recognition coursing through Riona's veins—utterly familiar, yet utterly terrifying.
Then, like a bolt from the blue, it struck her. Number one's power bore an eerie resemblance to that of King Valentin.
The memory hit her like a thunderclap. How could she forget? It was the same power that had haunted her nightmares. It was King Valentin's infamous telekinetic ability that made him feared by all.
Every fiber of her being recoiled at the realization. This wasn't just any power—it was a reminder of her darkest hour, a chilling reminder of the trauma she had endured at the hands of the notorious king.
Riona battled against the relentless grip of her memories–or more like her trauma–clouding her senses. She needed to regain strength to escape this suppressing power, otherwise she would lose breath soon.
But the image of that blood-thirsty king was difficult to dismiss. His eyes were like daggers piercing through the darkest of nights, haunting her every move. It was as if she couldn't escape him no matter what.
Just as she felt herself giving into King Valentin's miniature imitation, her eyes locked with Thorin's, who was standing stoically near the abandoned tent.
Because, of course, who needs safety when you can stand dramatically in the face of danger?
Riona couldn't help but roll her eyes.
This was the same Thorin who, during her last explosive encounter using level two in the palace garden, didn't budge an inch despite Sir Orlo's frantic warnings.
Riona couldn't tell if that was his display of valor or perhaps it was just a severe case of selective hearing. Who could tell? All she knew was that his presence was very much the silver lining to her doomed situation.
That infuriatingly smug expression served as the perfect distraction from King Valentin's miniature terror show. It was almost funny how your annoyance and hatred toward someone could actually save your life.
She made a mental note to continue hating Thorin because it might come in handy in the future too.
Finally regaining her composure, Riona mustered enough energy to rise and swiftly vanished from sight.
The pup was baffled, clearly confused when she couldn't see Riona anywhere. She blinked several times as if Riona's disappearance was just her hallucination.
"Let's stop playing and end this game before somebody gets hurt," Riona called out.
She jumped from one place to another in a flash to avoid being located because once that pup knew where Riona was, Riona would be transported to the Debilitating Town again, and she was not fond of that place.
She skidded to the little girl's back and delivered a swift smack to the back of her neck. Cue the dramatic scream and the inevitable collapse.
Wait, hold up! How in the shadows did she snag first place in speed, strength, and stealth tests when she couldn't even dodge a simple attack? Was she using her telekinetic mojo to cheat her way to victory?
There was definitely something fishier than a seafood market on a hot day.
That pup needed to ace the previous tests to rank first.
Take a look at number two, the pompous noble scion with the most balanced skillset. With his silver spoon-fed preparation, it was about as surprising as sunrise that he landed second place.
The contestants were split into several different groups, each group competing in their own little bubble of chaos. Then, the Nightwatchs swooped in to evaluate their performance and decide who was weaker than whom.
Riona could bet her last cookie that number two must have excelled in every test imaginable to secure that cozy second spot in the finals.
With that in mind, Riona couldn't help but wonder how this baby vampire waltzed her way into the finals. Was it a case of vampire nepotism?
Because if so, she needed to be careful not to dent that smooth, delicate baby skin. After all, the last thing she wanted was to spend eternity in a coffin that smelled like expired garlic bread.
Keeping her promise, Riona soared high and unleashed her level zero point five for maximum dramatic effect. Don't worry, she didn't spell that code name out loud–she knew better than to embarrass herself in front of that overbearing Alpha.
But, hey, don't judge her naming skills; it's hard to keep track of powers without a catchy title!
Anyway, level zero-point-five packed just the right punch to knock that baby bat. She was slower than a snail to avoid the attack. Number one dropped to the ground face-first.
Riona didn't want the pup's cute chubby face to have scars, so she quickly dove down to prevent an impact.
With victory secured, Riona felt like she had just snatched her ticket out of the palace and a lifetime supply of Crimson Vitae's blood. Nothing else mattered at that moment, or so she thought.
Handing off the passed-out number one like a reluctant babysitter passing the torch to a less-than-enthusiastic parent, she gave Sir Kai a firm instruction: "Keep her alive, would you? I've got enough on my plate now that I'm about to join the Nightwarden. Woo-hoo!"
***
Curiosity wasn't exactly Riona's middle name. In fact, it wasn't even in her vocabulary. She had a knack for being as indifferent as a rock in a pond, and her motto was simple: if it ain't broke, don't fix it, and if she didn't need to know, she didn't want to know.
After all, knowledge had this annoying habit of coming with strings attached. And responsibility? Riona treated it like a basket of burned garlic, always eager to pass it off to someone else before it burned her thin, vampiric fingers.
But, then again, who was she kidding? Was life ever on her side? If life had a face, it would probably smirk at her misfortune, just waiting for the next opportunity to trip her up.
So, when Riona stumbled upon a juicy piece of gossip, she wasn't surprised.
"Princess Lisbeth put that girl into the number one position? Before you say more, let me remind you, that this is a serious accusation. And there will be a serious repercussion if you're found to be lying about this."
It was Sir Kai's voice, talking with a scared whistleblower.