Cassian stepped in front of me, as if to shield me.
“Miss! Please stay behind me!”
Startled, I hurriedly got up and retreated behind Cassian. With his sword drawn, he faced the wyvern, which was poised to leap at us.
“Get behind that tree!”
He shouted urgently. Trembling, I looked around. Not far away stood an old tree, thicker than the others.
After a quick glance at Cassian, I bolted toward it.
Right now, the best way I could help him was by getting to safety.
But then it happened.
Perhaps triggered by my sudden movement, the wyvern abruptly changed direction and flew straight toward me.
With a violent flap of its wings, the dagger lodged in its shoulder fell out and clattered uselessly to the ground.
As the creature rapidly closed the distance, our eyes met, and I let out a scream.
But whether from terror or shock, no sound came out properly.
Clang—!!
A flash of light burst before my eyes, and the wyvern was flung far away as if it had crashed into something.
Cassian had moved like lightning and was once again standing protectively in front of me.
“Th-the sword…”
I mumbled in disbelief, my lips trembling. His blade was radiating a faint blue aura.
“Miss! Quickly!”
Snapping back to my senses at his shout, I turned and ran toward the tree again. I hid behind it as fast as I could.
‘That’s Cassian’s ability…’
But I didn’t have time to dwell on it. When I glanced back, I saw the wyvern, though staggering, starting to rise again.
Even seeing it with my own eyes, its regenerative power was unbelievable.
But something was wrong.
There was another presence—one not coming from the wyvern’s direction but from the complete opposite side.
“C-Cassian… behind you…”
At the tremble in my voice, he turned toward me, and his expression hardened.
“…Ha. Miss, I think you’ll need to come back to this side.”
My eyes darted toward the dark brush.
Something was moving in the shadows.
As clouds shifted to reveal more moonlight, my mouth slowly fell open.
I couldn’t deny what I saw—several pairs of gleaming eyes were staring at us from the darkness.
“Those are the nephahs I mentioned earlier. Come back to me—slowly, and don’t provoke them.”
Cassian whispered calmly, and I began to take one step at a time. Cold sweat ran down my hands.
“Grrrrr…”
A chilling growl rose from the bushes. At last, I felt my back press against Cassian’s.
But something was dripping from his left arm.
“C-Cassian…”
That’s when I saw it—the deep, clearly visible wound on his arm.
Blood was pouring steadily from the gash.
“Y-You’re bleeding…”
I muttered shakily.
It must have happened when he stopped the wyvern from attacking me earlier.
“I’m fine. Please don’t worry.”
I shut my eyes tight, like someone trying to wake from a bad dream, and opened them again.
Terror was making my limbs cold and rigid. Each breath I took brought the terrible feeling that I might truly die here.
But what scared me more…
“Cassian… this morning, you remember what I said, right?”
He kept his attention fixed on the wyvern, but glanced briefly my way.
“Yes?”
“I said… if it looks like we’re both going to die… you should save yourself first.”
From the other side, the nephahs’ shadows were drawing nearer.
We were completely surrounded. I spoke again, my voice trembling violently.
“This isn’t going to work. Cassian, y-you need to run.”
“…”
“You’re the youngest elite knight, aren’t you? You… you can outrun them if you try.”
I forced a smile, trying hard to keep my voice steady. This was the best I could do now.
This entire situation was my fault.
And I couldn’t let an innocent, promising young knight die because of it.
If one of us had to die… better it be me.
‘It’s not like I didn’t already get this life for free.’
Tears welled in my eyes, but I kept trying to smile.
The sound of leaves and branches crunching underfoot grew louder. The nephahs were closing in.
“P-Please… obey my order. Hurry.”
I whispered desperately. But Cassian didn’t budge.
Just as I was about to speak again, he finally responded.
“Even if I run, I’ll be executed by His Grace anyway.”
I stared at him in shock. My lips parted slightly, and tears slipped through.
“I’ve heard rumors in the castle that the young lady was incredibly brave. I guess… not quite true.”
He chuckled lightly, clearly trying to calm me.
“That’s not… what I meant…”
I began to protest, face twisting—but then Cassian suddenly pushed me down by the shoulder.
Before I could react, he drove his sword into the mouth of the nephah that had lunged at us.
Blood splashed violently over me.
Soaked in the monster’s hot, metallic-smelling blood, I froze in place.
Clang!
His sword flashed again.
Cassian, having pulled his blade from one monster, turned and deflected the claws of another charging from the opposite side.
The nephah let out a short scream and flew into a tree, then slid to the ground.
I shuddered at the sight of the limp creature.
Its dark red skin was covered in grotesque bumps, and its head looked like a horrifying insect.
As I stumbled back, I looked down to see what I had tripped on.
It was another dead nephah, lying right at my feet, Cassian’s sword still embedded in its mouth.
As I pulled my foot back, I saw my shoe soaked in blood. The stench made me recoil.
“Kiiiiieeekk!!”
A screech like tearing metal rang out from behind.
The wyvern was charging Cassian again—this time with one wing torn nearly in half.
Cassian twisted and sprang at it.
Under the moonlight, I watched the brutal fight in a daze. My vision was smeared red—probably from the monster’s blood.
Cassian fought tirelessly, parrying the wyvern’s every attack with just his sword.
Each time the beast swung its claws, light burst from Cassian’s blade.
Human and monster shadows clashed violently, both emitting an overwhelming aura. My head rang with alarm bells.
“C-Cassian…”
He was getting slower. Even I could see it.
But the wyvern, despite its wounded wing, wasn’t letting up at all.
Its mouth opened, revealing a forest of razor-sharp teeth.
Wind howled around us, stirred up by the clash. Even the nephahs hesitated to approach.
Then—
“Urgh—!!”
Cassian stumbled. He drove his sword into the ground to steady himself.
But it was too late—the wyvern’s claw pierced his right thigh.
I gasped, covering my mouth in horror. The beast slowly pulled back, withdrawing its claw, and blood poured from Cassian’s wound.
He struggled to keep his balance, but his leg gave out.
And then the wyvern lunged again, jaws wide.
Its fangs gleamed like knives.
“No—!!”
My scream echoed through the forest.
Everything seemed to slow down.
The blood-soaked ground. The wyvern’s teeth aimed straight at Cassian’s neck.
Nephahs, smelling blood, charged at us from all directions.
I dropped my head, tears streaming down my face.
I knew, instinctively—within seconds, they would tear Cassian apart.
And I… I didn’t have the courage to watch that happen.
Guilt, sorrow, rage, and terror twisted inside me. I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms, letting out a pained cry.
But then—something was wrong.
There was no scream from Cassian. No roar from the wyvern.
Seconds passed in complete silence.
My panic slowly ebbed, and the forest’s sounds returned to me.
No more fighting. Just the wind through the trees.
I lifted my tear-streaked face.
Under the pale moonlight, Cassian lay collapsed on the ground.
Frozen in place, I scrambled forward on all fours to reach him.
“C-Cassian! Please wake up!”
He was a mess—his face twisted in pain, drenched in cold sweat. Blood continued to seep from the hole in his thigh.
I shook him harder.
“Cassian…!! Cassian!!”
“Leave him be.”
A stranger’s voice rang out above me.
I flinched and looked up.
A man stood over us, silhouetted in the moonlight… his hand resting casually on the wyvern’s head.
The same wyvern that had been so vicious moments ago now nuzzled into his hand, purring like a cat with a blanket.
I could only stare, mouth slowly falling open.
“You are…”
