Sedex stared at the defiant hunter, his lips twisting into an unnerving smile.
"Then how about this; if anyone here can defend you, can say without a shred of doubt that you're not a danger to the DHA or your fellow hunters, you will be free to go. However, they will face the [ Gaze of Truth]"
( A/N: The [Gaze Of Truth] is an application of the petrifying gaze all gorgons shared, used especially for interrogation.Victims will stare at the ugliest version of their lies coming to life as they eventually succumb to the truth.)
Draco nodded , before turning round, eager to see who would step up first. But no one did. A few seconds passed, then a minute, and after a while Draco realised this wasn't a prank; they weren't standing up for him, not even one of them. Draco stared in shock, he knew them! He had saved that guy on the right from the fangs of a dire wolf when he was surrounded and outmatched. And that girl at the center, staring at him warily? He had carried her across the battlefield once when she was gravely injured. He had fought with them side by side over their few months together, laying his life down without question time and time again. So why wouldn't one of them just stand up... and save him?
Slowly the truth began to seep through, leaving him cold and empty. It wasn't that they couldn't ; they chose not to, because deep down, they believed that Draco was a threat to other hunters.The boy who fought with them, who fought for them, was nothing more than a dangerous ally, an abomination. There was no point in suffering for the obvious.
Draco looked at Zoe, eyes filled with hope. Their eyes locked, and in that brief, heartbreaking moment, Zoe closed her eyes... and looked away.
Draco's world shattered. He thought they were friends; that he could trust her. Slowly, a horrifying thought surfaced; one that seemed terribly true. " It was you wasn't it?" Draco asked, his eyes locked on Zoe. "The Master that shot me down, he didn't just happen to pass by, did he? You called for backup, that a bloodhound was killing Hector, was out of control. You...you sold me out as an abomination!" Draco roared,his eyes full of betrayal as he stared at his closest friend. She wavered, her lips quivered, but she kept her face hidden. "I'm sorry Draco, but I didn't have any other choice." "How could you?" he snarled,silent tears blurring his vision. Sedex's voice snapped him back, cold as a blade. "See? No one here is willing to take your side. The reason is simple. You're a freak of nature, a dangerous accident, always have been. Hector was right; your mom was being pretty stupid when she died for you. By my verdict, you are oficially exiled. Now get out."
Silence. Slowly, the hunters who had watched the trial began to stand up, and the four Masters turned, ready to escort him out of the DHA, but Draco remained still.
"Apologise".
His voice was quiet, barely above a whisper, but it carried a weight that turned everyone's head back. "What did you just say?" "Apologise," he growled, his fist clenched so tight blood dripped freely on the ground. "Why should I?" Sedex asked, his tone slightly amused. "Because if you don't,"Draco smiled, his teeth curling into a dangerous grin,"... you may not leave this hall alive." Sedex's smile dropped. He was an Elite, and one of the strongest at that. Killing Draco would be child's play; so why did he feel a hint of fear? The Elites eyed Draco, their gazes turning darker with each second; an ancient power had begun to stare within him, one that had shaken the DHA a long time ago. The guards turned in shock, and oneof them charged, ready to subdue him. Suddenly, the power within Draco erupted, forcing his guards back. Draco's presence had become suffocating, rivalling those of the Elites, and his eyes blazed with a cold, eerie glow, but his gaze was distant, as though stuck in a powerful trance. Behind him, a ghostly wolf appeared, its form fading like an illusion, but its power clearly felt. The four Masters unsheated their weapons, flanking Draco from all sides, but the wolf's gaze never strayed from the Elites; only the strongest were worth its time. "Draco... is under my protection," the wolf whispered, his voice radiating power that overwhelmed even the Elites'. " Do not touch what is mine." With those few words, the wolf faded, dread lingering in its wake. " This... changes things," Sedex muttered as he stared at the brat recover from the trance, and the power he had to reshape the world.