XVII
"Are you for real? Divorce?" I stared at the phone, my mind spinning. "You do know I'm the best thing that's ever happened to you, don't you?"
"I'm sorry…" Leora's voice was small, almost timid. "But it's not like you've been on your best behavior recently."
"And you have? You started it! Running off like that with your hunter powers…"
"Well, I didn't know you were a hunter too!" she shot back.
I froze, the silence stretching between us.
Technically, she wasn't wrong. I hadn't been a hunter back when everything started. Even now, I wasn't officially one. Leora probably thought I'd kept it from her on purpose, but the truth was far messier than I could explain. The assassination attempt on our lives had set everything into motion, and I'd been improvising ever since.
I sighed, feeling the weight of my lie pressing down on me. I couldn't tell her the full truth—not yet.
"There's no point arguing about this," I said, shifting gears. "Can I have Stefan's contact number?"
"Huh? Sure…"
That was surprisingly easy. I blinked, suspicious. "No questions?"
"Of course not. I trust you because you're my husband," she said sweetly. Then her tone turned sharp. "But I don't trust your lower half as much—because, in the end, you're just a man. Instinct is instinct. Food is food. Consider this your warning: if I catch you cheating, I will cut it off."
I gulped, my hand reflexively dropping lower in self-preservation.
Leora's voice turned curious. "By the way, how in the hell does our son have aura?"
My stomach dropped. I must've slipped up somewhere. "Uuh… it showed up when he was two months old, the day of the attack."
"You forgot to tell me?" Her tone turned icy.
"And you didn't think to mention that to me," she continued, "when you basically dropped him on me and declared you'd handle the hunting instead. What's your progress, anyway?"
Her anger practically crackled through the phone. I could picture her seething, her aura flaring in frustration. Memories of her story in the novel surfaced—how she had single-handedly wiped out the mercenaries sent after us. Oval, a corporate-style group of hunters and heavily armed mundanes, hadn't stood a chance. Her warning to the hunter world had been brutal and effective, buying me time to strategize.
I cleared my throat, stalling for time. "Well, I at least have the name of their group. I've also identified a key target. Once they're out of the equation, things will be so much easier for us."
"That's better than nothing," she said, her tone softening slightly. "And it's only been barely over a month…"
The truth was, my progress felt like a drop in the ocean. The Prophet—the leader of the Elsewhere Cult—was my ultimate target, but taking him down was no small feat. He was a Reader with unparalleled clairvoyance, had danger sense, and a small army of elite guards. If I could've dropped a nuke on him, I would have.
Even with every favor owed to me and every ally at my back, I'd still fall short. To take him down, I needed the backing of the Hunter Association. My plan was simple: get my Hunter's license, climb the ranks, and eventually issue a Hunt Order.
"It'll take me over three years to start hunting those after our son," I explained. "My declaration of war a few days ago should make me a target. If they send more after me, it means the Prophet's foreseen I'll succeed. If they back off, I'll regroup with you, and we'll come up with another plan."
"Three years is a long time," Leora said, her voice heavy. "I've only been gone for two years, and look how much he's grown… And look at how far apart we've been torn… I feel like… I don't even know you anymore. And I know how much of a hypocrite this made me sound, but please… no secrets, okay?"
Her words twisted a knife in my chest. I knew my future—I had less than eight years left to live if the canon event played out. But screw canon. I'd fight fate tooth and nail, and I'd win.
"How's Leon?" I asked, changing the subject.
"You won't believe it. I'm teaching him the aura methods… and it's insane. This kid's a genius. He's already grasped four out of the seven methods, and he hasn't even learned to walk yet. And get this—he's a Caster, right? He made a giant fireball the size of a basketball and completely incinerated my bike," she said, her voice a mix of pride and frustration.
I couldn't help but smile. "I hope no one was hurt."
Before she could respond, Selena's tiny voice interrupted. "Hey, don't ignore me!"
She was still stuck in her diminutive form, punching my knees with her tiny fists. Her aura had always been weak, but now, with her shrunken body, she couldn't even use her techniques properly.
"Don't ignore me! Give me back my beautiful body!" she whined, glaring up at me.
I sighed, glancing between my phone and the tiny trickster at my feet.
Eventually, Selena gave up.
"Leora, what am I supposed to do with Selena? Honestly, I'd rather not have her around…" I asked, frustration lacing my tone as I stared at Selena, who was currently lounging on my couch, flipping through a magazine like she owned the place.
Leora's voice crackled through the phone, calm but firm. "She might be a bit of a vixen, but we'll need as many allies as we can get. I sent Selena to be your bodyguard. She's a trusted friend, though she's a bit… off in the head. But her skills are real."
Thought so.
"I don't trust that Jacob guy to watch your back," Leora continued, "nor any of those mercenaries who might owe you favors. But I trust her… well, as long as she's not trying to get you in bed."
I let out a tired sigh. "Don't worry, no one's getting me in bed."
I knew Selena's type all too well. She was obsessed with the idea of finding her soulmate—a fixation so intense it bordered on insanity. Her flirty, frivolous antics often made her seem unreliable, but deep down, she was a woman of her word. Her dreams of romance drove her every move, even when those moves made her seem like a walking disaster.
Leora's voice softened. "If you have her by your side, I'll feel a lot better about you doing the hunting. Selena's like a sister to me."
Like a sister? That was news to me.
Leora must've sensed my surprise because she quickly added, "I'll give you Stefan's contact info."
"Thanks," I replied, genuinely grateful. Despite everything Selena had stirred up, Leora was still backing me up.
"Stay safe," she said, a hint of worry slipping through her usually composed tone.
"Same goes for you. Give Leon extra kisses from me," I said, thinking of our son and how much I missed him.
There was a brief pause on the line. "I love you."
"I love you too," I replied, meaning every word.
"Bye."
"Yeah, until then."
The line clicked off, leaving me in the quiet hum of the room.
As the effect of my suppression technique finally wore off, Selena snapped back into her original form with a faint puff of smoke. She scowled, brushing imaginary dust off her clothes. "Damn it! Finally! What kind of freaky ability is that?" Her glare turned playful as she stuck out her tongue. "All that 'I love this, I love you that,' ugh! Couples are overrated!"
"You're such a riot," I said dryly, grabbing my briefcase, already packed and ready. "Pack up; we're moving."
She raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms. "Where to?"
"The Hunter's Examination venue."
Selena groaned dramatically but followed me out of the hotel.
…
I stood outside, trying to hail a cab, but no luck. The Capital City was as chaotic as ever, with every cab either occupied or zooming past without a glance. Selena had vanished at some point, which wasn't unusual for her.
Then, out of nowhere, a bright yellow sports car screeched to a stop in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing Selena behind the wheel, a smug grin plastered across her face.
"Hop in, handsome," she called out, winking.
I raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "It's ugly," I deadpanned, gesturing to the car. "I hate yellow."
Her face twisted in mock outrage. "It is a damn stylish sports car—take it back!"
I smirked. "I mean, it's just a little bit better than a taxi."
"Damn it! Just get in!" she snapped, glaring at me.
I chuckled and opened the door. "Alright, fine. But only because you insisted."
The drive was quiet at first, the city's noise fading into the background. Selena, surprisingly focused on the road, didn't say much until we hit the outskirts. Then, without warning, she broke the silence.
"So, you're an unofficial hunter," she said, her tone unexpectedly serious.
I glanced at her, studying her expression. She was hard to read—playful one moment, dead serious the next. Her unpredictability made her dangerous, but also intriguing.
Selena Fair was a wildcard. In the original story, she'd joined countless organizations in her endless search for her soulmate, only to betray them when her interests shifted. She'd even ended up in the infamous Undead Troupe, though she eventually turned on them too.
I couldn't help but wonder—would she eventually betray me?
But then I remembered her unfinished backstory from the novel. She had a sister she cared about deeply, though I'd never fleshed out who that sister was. Maybe, in this world, fate had corrected my oversight.
Maybe that sister was Leora.
Well, not by blood. But still.
"Yeah," I said finally, leaning back in the passenger seat. "I'm unofficial. But then, so are you."
Selena snorted, keeping her eyes on the road. "Touché."
The hunter community had always been loosely structured. Being unlicensed didn't come with significant disadvantages if you knew how to play the game. The Hunter Association's resources were accessible with the right clout and connections, regardless of whether you held an official title. For me, the licensure exam was a means to an end—a way to infiltrate the Association and bend its influence to my advantage.
Leora's words echoed in my mind: Three years is a long time. She wasn't wrong. Our enemies wouldn't idle in that span. They'd grow stronger, more organized, and more dangerous. My phone buzzed, pulling me from my thoughts. I glanced at the screen.
Leora had sent me Stefan's number, along with a brief note: I've let him know you'll be in touch.
I quickly typed back, Okay, got it.
"Earth to Reynard," Selena's voice cut in, sharp and playful. "You look like you're plotting something big over there."
"Just thinking," I said, pocketing my phone.
She gave me a side-eye glance. "I don't trust the Association," she said bluntly. "I hate the idea of affiliating with them—or their whole 'sharing aura knowledge with whoever wants it' thing. The mundane and hunter worlds should stay separate. What's next—militarizing hunters?"
I shrugged. "The government already tried that and failed. That's why the Association exists: to manage relations between hunters and mundanes. Like it or not, the lines are already blurred." I paused, then added, "If you're so against it, you don't have to come along."
Selena grinned, a glint of mischief in her eyes. "Nah, your wife's orders. She wants me to babysit you. Not that I doubt you can handle yourself, but the exam lasts a week—long enough for something to go wrong. You could get killed in that time."
She wasn't wrong. The Elsewhere Cult wouldn't miss a chance to take me out, and the exam venue would be the perfect place for assassins to slip in unnoticed. Having backup wouldn't hurt.
I'd spent three months on intense aura training and barely a month applying it in real combat scenarios. Despite all the theory I'd mastered, it wasn't enough. This licensure exam wasn't just a way into the Association—it was a trial by fire, a chance to sharpen my skills and prove I belonged in this world.
Strength in this world wasn't measured by neat, linear power levels. I had no way of gauging how strong I was compared to the other candidates. That uncertainty gnawed at me.
"Hey, Selena," I said, breaking the silence. "Any chance you can train me in combat during downtime?"
Her lips curled into a teasing smirk. "Oh, I can do so much more than that~!"
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "Just… don't."
She laughed, but then her tone shifted, becoming more serious. "So, you're not much on the practical combat side, huh? Makes sense if you're usually behind the scenes. You look like the type who gives orders. Maybe a Reader? No… your technique's different. Trickster, maybe… or Dealer? Hmmm… Maker?"
She was way off, but I let it slide when she almost got it right. Explaining my abilities wasn't something I was eager to do, especially to someone as unpredictable as Selena.
"Does it matter?" I asked, deflecting.
Selena shrugged, her smirk returning. "Not really. But if you want me to train you, I need to know what I'm working with. Otherwise, I might accidentally kill you."
"Good to know," I muttered, though I wasn't sure if she was joking.
We drove in silence for a while after that, the city gradually giving way to open highways. My thoughts wandered back to Leora and Leon. Three years felt impossibly far away, but I had no choice.
Failure wasn't an option.
We arrived at the exam venue just as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The massive structure loomed ahead, its sleek, modern design contrasting sharply with the wilderness that surrounded it.
Selena parked the car and hopped out, stretching like she'd just run a marathon. "Alright, boss. Ready to prove you're not a total fraud?"
"Let's find out," I replied, stepping out of the car and shutting the door behind me.
The Hunter's Examination was about to begin.
~017