Chapter 4
1294 Words
The courtyard felt smaller with every second.
Stone walls rose high on all sides. The metal gates slid closer together, slow and loud, like they wanted everyone to hear there would be no escape. Students formed a wide circle around Elara, their faces sharp with interest. Some whispered. Some smiled. A few looked uneasy, but none stepped forward.
Elara stood in the center, breathing hard, the practice baton clenched in her hand.
Romeo moved first.
He walked toward her with easy steps, his hands open, his smile calm and cruel. Cassian stayed a few paces behind him, silent, watching, his eyes sharp like blades.
“Elara,” Romeo said, his voice smooth. “You’re making this harder than it’s supposed to be.”
Elara lifted the baton. “You started this.”
Romeo chuckled. “No. You did. You walked into our world and thought you could stand tall.”
Elara’s jaw tightened. “I was born into it.”
Romeo’s eyes flashed. “And then thrown out. Just like trash.”
A few students laughed softly.
Elara felt the words hit, but she did not bend. She shifted her weight to her other foot, remembering what little she knew. Keep moving. Never freeze.
Cassian spoke then, his voice low. “You should surrender. Dante won’t stop this.”
Elara glanced up. Dante Volkov leaned against the rail, on the balcony, arms crossed. His face was calm. His eyes were fixed on her like he was seeing something others weren’t.
He did not signal.
He simply watched.
Elara understood something then.
This was not about Romeo.
This was not about Cassian.
This was about her.
Romeo lunged without warning.
Elara swung the baton hard, catching his arm. The impact hurt her as well, but it was enough to make Romeo hiss and step back.
The crowd gasped, everyone staring with wide eyes.
Cassian moved at the same time.
He came from the side, fast and quiet.
Elara barely saw him before he reached for her wrist. She twisted away from his grip, but his fingers brushed her skin, sending a chill down her spine.
She backed up, heart racing, eyes moving between them.
Romeo laughed again. “See? She can fight. That’s what makes this fun.”
Elara’s grip tightened. “You enjoy this.”
Romeo shrugged nonchalantly. “Let’s just say, I enjoy winning.”
Cassian closed in again, slower now, circling. Elara turned with him, refusing to let either get behind her.
Her arm burned with ache. Her legs trembled. Fear built up in her chest.
She pushed it down.
Fear made you sloppy, and she couldn’t afford that, not at this moment.
Romeo rushed her again. Elara swung low, aiming for his leg. He jumped back, but she followed, striking his shoulder. He groaned, surprise flashing across his face.
Cassian took the opening.
He grabbed her from behind, one arm locking around her chest, the other reaching for the baton.
Elara gasped as air left her lungs.
The baton slipped from her fingers and hit the ground.
Romeo stepped close, eyes bright.
“Now,” he said softly.
Elara struggled, but Cassian’s hold tightened. His breath was steady against her ear.
“You’re strong,” Cassian murmured. “But you’re tired.”
Elara’s vision blurred at the edges.
She remembered the night in the ballroom.
The smiles.
Her father’s silence.
Something hard and hot stirred in her chest, and a surge of energy flowed through her.
She slammed her heel down, driving it into Cassian’s foot with all her strength.
Cassian cursed under his breath and loosened his grip for half a second.
It was enough.
Elara dropped low, twisting free, and elbowed him hard in the stomach. Cassian staggered back, surprised.
Romeo reached for her hair.
Elara spun and punched him in the throat.
Not clean. Not perfect.
But effective.
Romeo choked and stumbled.
The courtyard exploded with noise.
Some students shouted. Some laughed. Some stepped closer to see better.
Elara stood shaking, fists clenched, chest heaving.
She had no weapon now.
Only will.
Cassian straightened slowly, wiping his mouth. His eyes were darker now. Angry. Focused.
“That was a mistake,” he said.
Elara lifted her chin. “So was underestimating me.”
Cassian moved again.
This time, he did not rush. He blocked her strikes with ease, his movements smooth and controlled. He caught her wrist, twisted, and forced her to the ground.
Elara hit the stone hard.
Pain shot through her back.
Before she could move, Cassian knelt beside her, one knee pinning her leg. His hand pressed her shoulder down.
Romeo recovered enough to stand beside them, breathing rough.
“End it,” Romeo said.
Cassian hesitated.
Elara looked up at him.
For the first time, she saw something in his eyes that was not cruelty.
Conflict.
Above them, Dante shifted.
Elara felt his gaze like weight.
Cassian’s jaw tightened. He looked up at the balcony.
“Dante,” Cassian called. “This is enough.”
The courtyard went quiet.
Dante did not answer right away.
He pushed off the rail and walked forward, his steps slow, measured. He stopped at the edge of the balcony, looking down at the scene.
“Elara Vale,” Dante said calmly.
Elara forced herself to meet his eyes. Her chest hurt. Her back burned. But she did not look away.
“Stand,” Dante said.
Cassian released her at once and stepped back.
Elara pushed herself up, hands shaking.
Romeo stared at Dante, disbelief flickering across his face. “She lost.”
Dante’s eyes cut to Romeo. “Did she beg?”
Romeo hesitated.
“No.”
Dante looked back at Elara. “Did she kneel?”
Elara’s voice was hoarse, but steady. “No.”
Dante nodded once.
“Then she did not lose.”
Murmurs rippled through the crowd.
Romeo’s face twisted. “This is not fair.”
Dante’s gaze hardened. “Fair is not a rule here.”
He stepped closer, his boots echoing against stone. He stopped in front of Elara, close enough that she could see the faint scar near his jaw.
“You survived the Hunt,” Dante said.
Elara swallowed. “For now.”
Dante’s mouth curved slightly. “That’s the only kind of survival that matters.”
He turned to the crowd. “Remember what you saw today.”
The circle broke slowly. Students backed away, whispering louder now, eyes fixed on Elara with something new.
Respect.
Fear.
Romeo stared at her like he was seeing her for the first time.
Cassian said nothing, but his gaze followed her as she moved.
Dante leaned closer to Elara, his voice low enough that only she could hear.
“This place will try to break you again,” he said. “Harder next time.”
Elara looked up at him. “You won’t stop it.”
Dante’s eyes darkened. “No.”
“Why?” she asked.
He studied her for a long moment.
“Because I want to see what you become,” Dante said.
He stepped back and raised his voice. “Elara Vale moves to the inner quarters.”
Gasps broke out.
Romeo spun toward Dante. “You can’t.”
Dante did not look at him. “I already did.”
Guards moved in.
Elara’s heart slammed as two men approached her, not roughly, but firm.
“Follow us,” one said.
Elara took one last look at the courtyard.
At the place she had almost fallen.
At the men who wanted to own her.
At Dante Volkov, who watched her like a storm waiting to break.
As she was led away, a thought settled deep inside her.
The Hunt was over.
But the real game had just begun.
- Writer
