EPISODE 8 : THE HUNT BEGINS
913 Words
The courtyard fell into a deathly silence.
Rain drummed steadily against the stone pavement as the cloaked figures advanced through the broken academy gates. Their footsteps were slow, deliberate, and filled with confidence. They were not here to attack the students. They were hunting one person.
Asher.
The leader stepped forward, lowering the hood that concealed his face. A long scar ran from his left temple to his jaw, giving him a fearsome appearance. His cold gray eyes settled on Asher with unmistakable recognition.
"So," he said, his voice carrying through the rain, "the rumors were true."
Lucas moved until he stood directly in front of Asher.
"You've come farther than you should have."
The stranger smiled.
"You know why we're here."
"I do."
"Then hand him over."
Lucas's expression did not change.
"No."
The man's smile faded.
"I was hoping you'd say that."
Without another word, he raised his hand.
The cloaked warriors rushed forward.
Students screamed as they scattered in every direction. Some hid inside nearby buildings while others ran blindly across the campus, desperate to escape the chaos.
Noah grabbed Asher's arm.
"We have to get out of here!"
Asher didn't move.
His eyes remained fixed on the approaching figures.
Something about them felt strangely familiar.
As though he had seen them before.
Lucas drew the sword hanging at his side.
The silver blade reflected the flashes of lightning above.
The first attacker reached him within seconds.
Steel clashed against steel.
The force of the collision sent water spraying across the courtyard.
Lucas twisted his wrist and disarmed the man with a single movement before striking him hard enough to send him crashing into a marble pillar.
Another attacker appeared behind him.
Lucas turned just in time, blocking the strike before driving his elbow into the man's chest.
He fought with calm precision, every movement effortless.
Noah stared in disbelief.
"He's... incredible."
Asher barely heard him.
The wooden wolf inside his pocket had become unbearably warm.
He pulled it out.
Thin silver lines began spreading across the carving, glowing brighter with each passing second.
His breathing grew uneven.
Another memory surfaced.
He was no longer standing in the academy courtyard.
He was standing inside a magnificent palace.
Moonlight poured through enormous windows.
A young boy ran laughing through the grand hall, chased by a woman whose gentle smile filled the room with warmth.
"Asher," she called softly. "Slow down."
The boy laughed again before throwing himself into her embrace.
The woman kissed his forehead.
"My little wolf."
The memory shifted.
The palace shook violently.
A loud explosion echoed through the corridors.
Soldiers shouted.
Someone screamed.
The woman's smile disappeared.
She knelt before the young prince, placing the same wooden wolf into his tiny hands.
"Listen to me carefully."
Tears streamed down her face.
"No matter what happens, never lose this."
The palace doors burst open.
Dark figures flooded inside.
The memory shattered.
"Asher!"
Noah's voice pulled him back.
"Asher, look out!"
An attacker had slipped past Lucas.
His sword was already descending.
Everything happened instinctively.
Asher stepped forward.
He caught the man's wrist before the blade could reach him.
The attacker froze.
His eyes widened beneath his mask.
"Impossible..."
Asher didn't understand what had happened.
He hadn't planned to move.
His body had reacted on its own.
The silver mark on his wrist suddenly appeared, glowing beneath his skin.
A powerful shockwave erupted from his hand.
The attacker was thrown backward several meters, crashing into the academy fountain.
Silence spread across the courtyard.
Even the rain seemed to pause.
Every pair of eyes turned toward Asher.
The cloaked warriors stared at the glowing mark on his wrist.
One of them slowly lowered his weapon.
"It really is him."
"The heir has awakened."
Lucas's expression darkened.
He had hoped to keep Asher's identity hidden a little longer.
That hope was gone.
The leader looked at Asher with undisguised satisfaction.
"So the last prince still lives."
He reached into his cloak and removed a small black crystal.
Lucas's eyes widened.
"Stop him!"
But it was already too late.
The man crushed the crystal in his hand.
Dark energy shot into the stormy sky before disappearing among the clouds.
"What was that?" Asher asked.
Lucas never took his eyes off the fading light.
"A signal."
His voice was quiet.
"Every Beast Clan will know by sunrise."
The leader laughed.
"Our mission is complete."
He slowly stepped backward.
"We'll leave you alive today."
His gaze remained fixed on Asher.
"Because our king wants to meet you himself."
With a sharp wave of his hand, the cloaked warriors retreated into the darkness beyond the academy gates.
Within moments, they had vanished.
Only the sound of rain remained.
Noah looked at Asher, his face pale.
"Asher..."
He struggled to find the words.
"Who are you?"
Asher lowered his eyes to the glowing mark on his wrist.
For twenty years, he had searched for answers.
Now they were finding him.
Lucas sheathed his sword and walked toward him.
"We can't stay here anymore."
Asher looked up.
"Why?"
Lucas's gaze shifted toward the dark horizon.
"Because this was never the real attack."
A bolt of lightning split the heavens.
Far beyond Noctis Crown Academy, hidden within the ruins of the Silver Moon Kingdom, an ancient bell rang for the first time in twenty years.
Someone had heard the signal.
Someone who had been waiting for the return of the lost prince.
And the hunt had only just begun.
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