Seria stumbled through the corridor, one hand pressed against the cold stone wall, the other clutching her bruised shoulder.
Every breath felt like swallowing glass. Her ribs screamed with each step, and the metallic taste of blood coated her tongue.
"That... fucking... cat bitch," she hissed between gasps, spitting a glob of red saliva onto the floor. It splattered against the pristine academy tiles like an insult.
Her vision swam. The wall became her lifeline as she dragged herself forward, legs shaking. That last kick—Yuna's heel connecting with her face—kept replaying in her mind. The crowd's roar. The impact. The humiliation of sliding down that barrier wall like discarded trash.
"I'll wipe that smug look off her face," Seria muttered, spitting more blood. A strand of blonde hair stuck to her sweaty forehead. "Break every one of those stupid cat bones. Rip out that tail and make her—"
"Pfft~!"
Seria's spine went rigid.
