Caw… caw…
Greybone Academy, nestled deep within the eerie Greybone Forest, always seemed shrouded in an ominous gloom by night. Yet tonight, Carrie walked through its dark pathways without a trace of fear. Her face occasionally lit up with a smile.
"Mentor Lucian is so kind to me…" she muttered, grinning to herself.
But her smile faded as she approached a corner and spotted three figures. One of them was all too familiar—Yellen, the other student who had initially chosen Lucian as his mentor. He trailed slightly behind his two companions, looking eager to please, but visibly out of place in their midst.
Carrie halted, pressing herself against the wall to avoid any interaction. She understood why Yellen had defected to another mentor, but her loyalty to Lucian left her with no goodwill toward him. She longed for the day she could prove her worth and vindicate Lucian's reputation, but that day would have to wait. For now, she was only just starting her journey as a wizard, barely a novice.
As Yellen passed by, his shoulders drooped and he wore a dejected expression. His companions had split off, leaving him alone, and he walked directly toward Carrie.
"Oh, it's you, Carrie," Yellen said, straightening his back the moment he spotted her, trying to regain some semblance of confidence.
"Hello," Carrie replied flatly, ready to head to her dorm without further conversation. She felt there was nothing more to say. Yellen had insulted Lucian with his defection, and she didn't need a friend like him.
Yellen, however, didn't seem bothered by her tone. He continued to look at her with a polite, almost indulgent smile, like a lord addressing a peasant. For a moment, her nerves wavered under his gaze, but then she remembered that she now had a new identity. She represented Mentor Lucian. She stood her ground and met Yellen's gaze.
"Is there something you need?" she asked.
Yellen's eyes glinted with something cold and resentful beneath his courteous facade. He had paid a steep price to leave Lucian. Without offering something substantial, Yellen knew Norian wouldn't have helped him break ties, as it risked inciting Lucian's anger. Despite Lucian's injuries, he was still a Level Three wizard apprentice capable of dealing serious damage if provoked.
Yellen had paid with the last of his magic stones and had also signed an exploitative "assistant" contract with Norian, committing to assist in experiments—no questions asked.
He lifted his new left hand—a metal prosthetic—and flexed it as if in subtle defiance, then looked back at Carrie, a twisted smile creeping across his face. Having suffered rejection and injury, he needed a target for his frustrations. And right now, Carrie was the perfect outlet.
"You can't even stop to chat?" Yellen sneered. "We all came here as new wizard blood. A little exchange might do you some good."
"Move aside," Carrie said, her voice steely.
Yellen smirked, basking in her growing irritation. "What's the rush? Why not discuss what happens to a student when her mentor dies?" He looked at her, savouring her mounting anger.
Carrie clenched her fists, her chest heaving with fury. It was obvious that Yellen was talking about Lucian, her mentor.
"Get out of my way!" she said, louder this time.
Yellen's smirk widened as he raised his left arm, displaying the cold metal of his prosthetic. "You should face reality, Carrie. You'd better find a Level Three wizard apprentice who'll take you in. And the sooner the better—waiting will only make the price go up."
Before he could finish, Carrie's fist shot up and landed squarely on his jaw.
"Ha… ha…" Carrie's chest heaved as she glared up at him, her small fists clenched tight like a furious young lion.
Yellen, stunned by the sudden blow, could only sputter in shock. "You…!"
Before he could say more, Carrie's fists were flying again, striking at him relentlessly. No skill, no technique—just raw, angry punches aimed at his head.