The boy stared at him.
No fear.
But something else crept in.
Pressure.
Reality.
His claws clenched tighter.
His ears slowly lifted again.
Then—
"…She's not here."
His voice was low.
But this time—
There was no hesitation.
"I didn't see her here."
He stepped forward slightly, urgency bleeding into his tone.
"I know where they keep the—"
"Shut the hell up."
Draven cut him off instantly.
His voice dropped.
Cold.
Sharp.
"Don't start making things up now."
His eyes narrowed.
"You didn't look."
Another step.
"Then you look again."
The boy froze.
Draven stopped in front of the cell bars.
For a brief moment—
Nothing happened.
Then his hand rose.
He grabbed the iron bars.
The faint glow of mana reinforcement pulsed across them.
Strong.
Layered.
Unyielding.
And yet—
Draven pulled.
**CREAK**
The sound echoed through the corridor.
Slow.
Heavy.
The bars began to bend.
Metal groaned under impossible pressure.
**CRRRAAAK**
They warped outward, the reinforced structure deforming as if it were nothing more than soft steel.
The boy's eyes widened.
Shock flashed across his face.
*That's impossible…*
His thoughts spiraled.
*Those bars are reinforced with mana—*
*And he's wearing a mana collar—*
Draven didn't stop.
With one final pull—
**SNAP**
The bars gave way.
A gap opened wide enough to pass through.
Draven stepped out as if nothing had happened.
The broken metal hung twisted behind him.
He didn't even glance back.
The boy just stared.
Ears stiff.
Mind reeling.
*What… is he?*
Draven rolled his shoulder once, then looked down the corridor.
"Move."
His voice was calm again.
Casual.
As if bending reinforced prison bars while wearing a mana-suppressing collar meant nothing at all.
He glanced over his shoulder.
"…Why the hell are you just standing there?"
The words snapped the boy out of it.
His ears twitched sharply.
"—Right."
No hesitation this time.
He slipped through the bent bars and dropped low, moving on all fours as he darted down the corridor.
Fast.
Focused.
His glowing blue eyes scanned each cell as he passed.
One after another.
Faces turned toward him.
Prisoners who had long since abandoned hope—
Now watching.
Confused.
Shocked.
*He's out…?*
Some pressed closer to the bars.
Others simply stared.
Silent.
Disbelieving.
The boy didn't stop.
Didn't slow.
*Find her.*
His breathing steadied.
*Focus.*
Cell after cell blurred past—
Until—
He paused for half a second.
No.
Not her.
He moved again.
Behind him—
Draven stepped fully into the corridor, his pace far slower.
Measured.
Deliberate.
His eyes moved across everything.
The layout.
The spacing between cells.
Possible guard routes.
Structural weaknesses.
Every detail etched into memory.
Then—
A voice called out from one of the cells.
"…Hey—!"
Weak.
Desperate.
"Get me out too—!"
Another voice followed.
"Please—!"
Then more.
Voices rising.
Hope spreading like wildfire through dry grass.
Draven didn't even look at them.
He kept walking.
Cold.
Unmoved.
Because right now—
Only one target mattered.
Ahead—
The boy suddenly stopped.
His entire body froze.
His ears shot upright.
His claws pressed against the stone floor.
"…Found you."
His voice dropped to a whisper.
Inside the cell—
A figure sat chained to the wall.
Head lowered.
Still.
Barely breathing.
Draven saw him stop.
"You found who you're looking for?"
The boy turned quickly to answer—
But the words never came out.
Draven was already beside him.
The boy's eyes widened.
*How—*
He hadn't even seen him move.
No sound. No warning. Just there.
Draven didn't wait.
He grabbed the bars.
**CREAK**
They bent instantly under his grip.
**CRACK**
He forced them apart and stepped into the cell.
"Then let's get this done—"
"No—wait!"
The boy's voice shot out, urgent, panicked.
"That's not—!"
Draven paused briefly.
The boy stepped forward, shaking his head.
"I thought it was her—"
His ears lowered.
"…because of the hair."
Inside the cell—
A small figure sat chained to the wall.
A little girl.
Her pink hair fell messily across her dirt-streaked, tangled face.
She couldn't have been more than seven.
Her body was thin. Too thin.
Bruises marked her arms.
She didn't react at first.
Just sat there, head lowered. Still. Silent.
Draven's gaze lingered on her for a moment.
The boy clenched his fists.
"…She's not the one."
His voice was quieter now.
But there was something heavier in it.
Because even if she wasn't—
She was still here. Still chained. Still… like the others.
Draven stared at him.
Long. Silent.
Then—
His hand snapped forward.
He grabbed the boy by the throat and lifted him slightly off the ground.
The grip tightened.
The boy's eyes widened in shock. His hands shot up, scrabbling to pry Draven's fingers off.
He struggled. But it didn't matter.
Under the shadow of the cloak—
Those red eyes stared straight into his. Cold. Empty.
"Brat…"
Draven's voice dropped.
"You're starting to piss me off."
The grip tightened just a fraction more.
"If you do that one more time…"
A pause.
"…I'll just kill you outright."
The words landed heavy. Final. Absolute.
Then—
Draven let go.
The boy dropped to the ground, coughing, gasping for air.
Draven didn't look at him again.
He turned and walked out of the cell.
One hand went to the bent bars—
And forced them back into place.
**CREAK**
**CLANG**
Like nothing had happened.
Behind him—
The pink-haired girl slowly raised her head.
Her dull eyes met Draven's for a brief second.
But he had already turned away.
"Let's go."
The boy stayed on the ground for a moment, breathing hard.
*…I was going to die.*
The thought was sharp. Real.
But he pushed himself up.
And followed.
They moved down the corridor again.
Faster. Sharper. More focused.
Draven broke the silence.
"So."
He didn't look at him.
"The one we're looking for isn't here."
The boy swallowed.
"…Yes."
A pause.
"I didn't find her."
Draven continued.
"And you have no idea where she might be."
Silence.
The boy hesitated. Then admitted, "…No."
They reached the cell where they had been placed.
Draven stepped inside through the bent bars without slowing.
Then he turned.
"Get in."
The boy hesitated. His ears twitched.
"…Shouldn't we keep searching?"
Draven didn't answer. He just stared.
Cold. Unmoving.
The boy looked away first.
"…Right."
He stepped inside.
Reluctantly.
The moment he did—
Draven grabbed the bars again.
Bending them back into place.
**CREAK**
The metal settled. Restored. As if untouched.
The cell closed once more.
Silence returned.
Like they had never left.