The violet spear of magic slammed into Draven at point-blank range.
**BOOOOM**
The explosion tore through the tunnel like thunder trapped underground.
Stone shattered.
Water erupted from the sewer channel in violent waves.
Dust and fragments of rock filled the corridor, swallowing everything in a cloud of debris.
For a moment—
Nothing could be seen.
Then slowly…
The dust began to settle.
A figure stood at the center of the destruction.
Draven.
His boots were dug into the cracked stone floor.
Both hands gripped the stolen blade, the flat of it raised in front of him like a shield.
The sword trembled violently from the force it had just absorbed.
His cloak hung torn and scorched at the edges.
Across the tunnel, Serethra raised an eyebrow slightly.
"Oh?"
She tilted her head, clearly amused.
"You're still—"
Draven suddenly dropped to one knee.
The sword slipped from his hands.
**CLANG**
It struck the stone.
Then his body collapsed forward onto the sewer floor.
For a brief second—
Silence filled the tunnel.
Several meters behind him, the wolfkin boy froze.
His glowing blue eyes widened.
Serethra blinked once.
Then she slowly laughed.
"Well… that's disappointing."
She stepped forward calmly, her heels echoing softly against the wet stone.
"I thought you might entertain me a little longer than that."
Behind her, the remaining men approached cautiously.
The boy clenched his fists.
His ears flattened.
Draven lay motionless on the ground.
Serethra stopped a few steps away from him.
Her smile returned as she raised one hand, violet mana beginning to gather again.
"Still…"
She glanced toward the wolfkin boy.
"…at least I found my little darling again."
The boy struggled violently as the men grabbed him.
"Let go of me!" he snarled, claws tearing uselessly against the iron grips holding his arms.
One of the men twisted his wrist behind his back, forcing him to his knees.
"Stop struggling, brat."
Serethra watched calmly, her violet eyes gleaming with quiet amusement.
"See?" she said softly.
"I told you running would only make things worse."
The boy glared at her, teeth clenched.
Then—
Draven moved.
Like a corpse suddenly coming back to life.
His hand shot out from the ground, grabbing the broken sword.
In the same motion, he lunged forward.
The blade thrust straight toward Serethra's throat.
Fast.
Silent.
A perfect sneak attack.
But—
**CLANG**
The moment the blade touched her barrier—
It shattered.
Fragments of steel exploded outward as the weakened sword disintegrated against the magical shield.
Serethra's smile widened.
"I expected something like that."
Her hand was already raised.
Violet mana condensed instantly.
Before Draven could retreat—
She fired.
**BOOM**
The blast erupted at point-blank range.
Draven reacted immediately.
He raised what remained of the blade to block.
For a fraction of a second—
The broken metal held.
Then—
**CRACK**
The blade shattered completely.
The spell slammed into him.
Draven's body was thrown backward across the tunnel, crashing hard into the stone wall before dropping to the sewer floor again.
Water splashed across the ground.
Dust and fragments rained down.
The boy's eyes widened.
Serethra lowered her hand slowly, looking at Draven's unmoving body with mild curiosity.
"Hm."
Her voice carried a faint trace of disappointment.
"You're persistent."
She stepped closer again, violet mana still faintly swirling around her fingers.
"But persistence without power…"
Her eyes shifted briefly to the boy being restrained.
"…is just another form of suicide."
Water dripped steadily from the broken ceiling of the tunnel.
Draven's body lay still for a moment where he had fallen.
Then—
His fingers twitched.
Slowly… he pushed himself up from the ground.
His movements were heavy and unsteady, but he still stood.
Across from him, Serethra watched with mild interest.
"Well now," she murmured.
"You really are stubborn."
But before Draven could take even a single step—
One of the men was already beside him.
The man moved fast.
His hand swung toward Draven's neck.
Draven reacted instantly, shifting his body to dodge—
But the man closed the distance completely.
**CLICK**
A metal collar snapped tightly around Draven's throat.
Runes ignited across its surface.
A **mana collar**.
The moment it locked into place—
The mana threads spread throughout Draven's body collapsed instantly.
His control vanished.
Before he could react—
The man's fist surged with mana.
**THUD**
The blow slammed straight into Draven's stomach.
The impact folded his body forward as the power of the strike surged through him.
His eyes lost focus.
Then everything went still.
Draven's body went limp.
The man grabbed him by the cloak, holding the motionless body upright.
"Got him."
Behind them, the wolfkin boy was still struggling wildly.
"Let me go!"
Two of the men forced him down.
One of them pulled out another collar.
**CLICK**
It snapped around the boy's neck.
The glowing runes activated immediately.
The boy froze.
The mana he had been using to strengthen his body disappeared in an instant.
His legs buckled.
One of the men yanked him upright by the arm.
Serethra stepped forward slowly, looking between the two of them.
Her eyes lingered on Draven for a moment.
Then she smiled faintly.
"Well."
Her voice was calm.
"That was easier than I expected."
She turned slightly.
"Take them."
The men nodded.
"Yes, Madam Serethra."
One of them lifted Draven's unconscious body.
Another dragged the restrained wolfkin boy along the tunnel.
The boy's ears flattened as he glared at her.
Serethra only smiled down at him.
"You really should learn, darling."
Her violet eyes gleamed in the dim sewer light.
"Running away from me never ends well."