Deborah's POV
Ever since Mike had experienced his first transformation, he hadn't stopped pestering me with the same strange question, repeatedly: "Debbie, who do you think is more attractive, me or Matthew?"
I kept dodging the question, not wanting to engage with his odd inquiry.
But he persisted, even getting a bit smug as he went on, "I mean, I may not be as built as Matthew, but I'm definitely more charming. Really, what do you think he looks like… you know, without anything on?"
Speechless, I shot him a pointed glare, hoping he would take the hint and drop the topic.
"Oh, come on," he said with a mischievous grin. "Don't tell me you've never seen him like that?"
Truthfully, I hadn't. But was I really about to confirm that to him?
Apparently, my reaction was answer enough, and he raised an eyebrow with exaggerated excitement, his grin widening. "So I was right? You've never even—"
I cut him off, clapping a hand over his mouth to stop him from going any further.
If Matthew, who was walking just ahead of us, overheard any of this, the situation would become even more embarrassing.
In that tense moment, John, who had been following behind, interjected with a cold remark. "Kid, you're getting way ahead of yourself."
Mike turned, a defiant glint in his eye as he retorted, "I'm just as much of an Alpha as Matthew. What makes you think I'm not worthy of it?"
John scoffed, his tone dripping with disdain. "So what if you're an Alpha? Your pack's dead and gone. What good is that?"
Mike's face fell, the smugness draining away, replaced by a shadow of sadness.
His lips tightened, and he fell silent, clearly wounded.
John's blunt words had struck a deep nerve, hitting him exactly where it hurt most.
Seeing Mike's dejected expression, I couldn't help but stop, turning back to look at John, my tone a mix of pleading and command. "Enough. That's the end of this discussion."
John's expression shifted uncomfortably. He nodded stiffly, his movements almost mechanical, as he muttered, "Understood."
He then fell back, taking up the rear of the group, keeping a distance.
For a while, Mike remained silent, lost in thought as we continued.
After some time, he suddenly stopped, turning to face me with a rare look of resolve in his eyes. "Debbie, I want you to know… even if my pack is gone, even if I can't be an Alpha like Matthew, I'll still protect you from now on."
I met his gaze, feeling a warmth settle in my heart as I offered him a gentle smile, patting his shoulder without a word.
We continued on.
Gradually, the surrounding landscape began to shift, and once again, we found ourselves entering a desert.
This barren expanse was eerily reminiscent of the deserts surrounding Murias and Falias—empty, lifeless, and devoid of any signs of mutated creatures.
We speculated that there might be another underground city hidden somewhere beneath this wasteland.
As we searched, we eventually came upon an entrance.
Sure enough, the design was almost identical to that of the entrances to Murias and Falias.
Since Matthew and I had navigated the FDB checkpoint before, we were assigned to lead the way this time.
We split into pairs as planned: Matthew and I, John and Alex, Jac and Jim.
Mike, uninvited but undeterred, squeezed in with Matthew and me, sticking close and, in his own way, lightening the tension that hung in the air.
However, as we stepped into the corridor beyond the entrance, the size of our group must have attracted attention.
One of the guards quickly locked onto Jac and Jim's direction, eyes narrowing suspiciously as he moved toward them.
Seeing the guard approach, my heart pounded.
I knew that in these underground cities, many of my spells would be useless.
But since we were still near the entrance, I took a chance and whispered, "Chrono Freeze!"
Instantly, time froze around us, and the guard halted mid-step, frozen just a few feet away.
I quickly ducked behind a nearby pillar.
But I immediately realized a flaw—only I could move, while everyone else was still immobilized.
The spell was of no help to the others and had inadvertently separated me from my group, leaving us in an awkward predicament.
As time resumed, the guard resumed his approach, his attention still fixed on Jac and Jim.
Thinking fast, I whispered, "Terra Firma!"
A jagged rock suddenly jutted up from the sandy ground, catching the guard off guard.
He stumbled, his boot catching on the uneven surface, and he pitched forward, arms flailing for balance, nearly tumbling headfirst onto the stone floor.
Unfortunately, he managed to catch himself with one hand just in time, fingers splaying wide to steady his weight.
With a quick, irritated huff, he pushed himself upright, glancing around as if trying to figure out what had tripped him.
He shook his head, clearly irritated but unharmed.
Desperation prickled through me.
I reached into my pouch, fingers finding the hilt of a small knife, its edge just sharp enough to break skin.
Without hesitation, I made a swift, shallow cut across my palm, feeling the sting and warmth of blood as it began to pool.
Matthew and Mike, a few feet away, froze, their gazes snapping at my hand with a mixture of confusion and alarm.
Their expressions, wide-eyed and uncertain, silently asked the question they didn't dare voice—what was I doing?
Taking a deep breath, I whispered under my breath, "Vulnera Transigo."
In an instant, the wound on my palm vanished, leaving my skin smooth and whole.
At the same time, the guard hissed sharply, clutching his own hand as a cut identical to mine blossomed across his palm, blood seeping through his fingers in dark rivulets.
He stared down at his injured hand, eyes wide with shock.
"What the hell?" he spat, pain and confusion twisting his expression as he clutched his bleeding hand.
He muttered a string of curses, his gaze darting suspiciously around the dim hallway, as though he could sense something unnatural at play but couldn't pinpoint its source.
"Damn it all," he snarled, pressing his good hand over the wound as if to stem the blood.
After a moment, he let out a low, defeated growl, turning on his heel, deciding perhaps it wasn't worth investigating further.
Muttering under his breath, he stalked off down the corridor, each step echoing as he left us with a wary glance over his shoulder.
The tension eased with every footstep that carried him farther away, until his form disappeared around the bend. I exhaled, relief washing over me as I watched him go.
Once he was out of sight, we all exhaled in relief.
From a distance, Mike gave me a thumbs-up, admiration shining in his eyes.
Matthew, meanwhile, shot Mike a disgruntled look, rolling his eyes before motioning us to stay quiet and move forward while the path was clear.
Sticking to our pairs, we moved in coordinated silence, advancing cautiously.
Our silent teamwork grew as we progressed, each of us growing more attuned to one another's movements and unspoken cues.
Step by step, we navigated each checkpoint with careful precision, weaving through shadows and finding cover behind every pillar.
Gradually, I felt my spells weakening.
Relying on patience and luck, we inched closer to our goal and toward the exit.
Finally, we reached the last checkpoint.
Hiding behind a pillar, we held our breath and waited in silence.
Suddenly, a faint tremor shook the ground, dislodging a few small rocks that tumbled to the floor with a soft clatter.
At that moment, a jagged stone fell directly onto my back.
I bit back a cry of pain as I felt the sharp sting, warm blood trickling from the wound and soaking into my shirt.
I tried murmuring a healing incantation to close the wound, but it was useless; none of my spells worked here.
Blood continued to drip from my back, each drop echoing in the quiet air with an unnerving clarity.
I did my best to remain still and silent, but anxiety gnawed at me as I noticed a nearby guard beginning to move toward the sound, his footsteps growing closer with every second.
I could feel Matthew's tension, a readiness in his stance to spring into action.
But if he attacked, it would blow our cover and place us all in even greater danger.
The guard finally rounded the pillar, his gaze zeroing in on me, a look of surprise flashing across his face as he opened his mouth to shout.
Frozen, I raised a finger to my lips, instinctively signaling him to stay quiet. "Shhh," I murmured softly, a plea in my voice.
To my amazement, his face went blank, his once-alert eyes turning vacant as if my request had stripped him of his will.
Silently, he turned and resumed his patrol, telling the other guards, "Nothing unusual."
I stood motionless, leaning against the pillar, unable to believe what had just happened.
My current state—injured and disheveled—was certainly not enough to charm or sway him. This was… something else. It felt like a kind of control.
Domination—was this the power to influence behavior with a mere command?
The name of the spell echoed in my mind, a spell I had only seen once, in a dream.
Fragments of memory surfaced. Since meeting Mike, I had noticed that he often obeyed my requests without question, and even John followed my command to keep quiet without resistance.
Could it be that, in addition to Telepathy, I'd somehow gained the power of Domination?
I steadied myself, signaling to everyone to remain calm and avoid any sudden movements.
Unfortunately, the guard, now back at his post, heard the distinct drip of blood falling from my wound onto the floor once more. Curious, he turned around and began walking back toward me, surprise and suspicion rekindling in his gaze.
His eyes fixed on mine as though seeing me for the first time, and his lips parted, poised to call for backup.
I clenched my teeth and gave him a quick command: "You feel dizzy and nauseous. Go back and report to the checkpoint guard. Take them with you to rest in the office, and disable the alarm."