Similar scenes were unfolding across the hunting grounds.
Night had fallen, blanketing the island in eerie silence, broken only by occasional screams and the crackle of dying fires. Exhausted and battered, most students had retreated into the designated safe zones scattered across the island—barriers infused with defensive mechanisms that were supposed to keep beasts out. Supposed to.
In one such zone, Kaela stood at the edge of a stone bench, her silver hair fluttering in the gentle night breeze. The moonlight shimmered on her strands, giving her an almost ethereal presence.
Cedric, who had just arrived, found himself momentarily entranced.
"Just how long are you gonna stare?" Kaela's calm voice cut through his daze.
"Cough… cough…" Cedric faked a cough, quickly trying to mask his embarrassment as he walked closer.
"If you knew, then why didn't you react?"
Kaela's lips twitched slightly. "Because I knew it was you."
"Khmm… I see." He scratched his cheek awkwardly.
