Ivory's thirst had barely been quenched when she stumbled back toward the bed, only to bump into the wolf. The beast stirred, blinking awake with a wide yawn. Its eyes glowed faintly green in the darkness, scanning the room with sharp scrutiny. Though the chamber was dim, the wolf saw everything as if it were daylight.
But something was wrong. The familiar forest was gone—no leaves, no tall trees, no endless wind carrying howls and birdsong. Instead, there was silence, walls, and strange scents. The wolf's body tensed, springing into alertness.
It wasn't familiar with all of that. It clearly wasn't where it belonged.
It suddenly felt a light tap, followed by something firm brushing down its fur to the tail. The wolf lifted its gaze and froze. Above it was two large red eyes, belonging to a beast that resembled the one it had fled from before. Yet these eyes were different; beautiful, compelling, and impossible to look away from.
The wolf's breath was suddenly caught.
The tension in the room thickened as the wolf's instincts surged. Whatever calm Ivory's gentle patting tried to offer, the beast wasn't listening. Its fur bristled, rising like a storm breaking through silence.
Ivory whispered softly, "It's okay. You are home now." But the wolf's mind was elsewhere. That compelling force pressing against its will—it had felt it before, and the memory of what followed was bitter.
It wouldn't be deceived again.
The green glow in its eyes deepened, shifting into a darker hue. A low growl built in its throat before erupting into a loud, piercing howl. Its growl shattered the invisible pressure, breaking the force that sought to calm it.
The wolf stood defiant, its cry echoing through the room.
The contract had shattered, and the wolf was completely free. Ivory felt the danger immediately and tried to retreat, but she wasn't fast enough.
This was the danger of rune contracts; though convenient and recognized, it was brittle compared to the slow, enduring strength of true bonding. A thin trail of blood marked her jaw which was the first sign of the broken bond. Her heart sank—she knew what came next.
The beast lunged in an instant; it claws slicing through the air. Ivory, only in the third stage of the Iron Realm, dodged desperately to the side, hoping to evade. But the wolf was faster. Its claw struck her in the stomach, the force lifting her off the ground and slamming her against the wall near the window with a resounding bang.
Her body crumpled, consciousness slowly slipping away. Ivory fell into silence, unconscious, while the wolf stood over the broken contract, its howl echoing with gruesomeness.
___
Blood was on his way to the main building when he suddenly stopped and drew a long sigh.
"Humph. Let's see how it goes."
He opened the main door and walked in casually only to hear a resounding 'bang' soon after. His face changed visibly when he determined where the sound came from.
It better not be...
He rushed through the sitting room and the short corridor before he stormed on his door with a heavy kick.
The wolf who was in the process of attempting another pounce was interrupted by the loud noise. It darted its eyes to the wide-opened door only to see a beast leaping in its direction.
It resembled the beast it had sent flying a moment ago, with only some minor changes.
Looking closely, it does resemble the one from the cave...
The wolf swung its claw in response to meet the fist which was launched in its direction.
Thriiii..
A ringing sound cut through the air when Blood's fist met the wolf's claw. The impact sent Blood tumbling backward across the floor, while the beast only staggered slightly, its strength far greater than he had anticipated.
The beast stood on its hind legs, mimicking the stance of a human, its movements deliberate and unsettling. It had just discovered this new style of motion, and each step forward toward Blood carried an eerie steadiness.
Why is this beast so weak compared to before in the cave? it wondered.
It surely remembered Blood's unusual strength in the cave. How about now?
Blood clenched his bleeding knuckles, forcing himself upright. He had no cultivation arts, no techniques to rely on—only raw instinct and the will to fight, as he had always done against primitive beasts.
His gaze turned to Ivory who was unconscious, blood trickling from her nostrils and mouth. Rage surged through him. It was unforgivable.
His breath was heavy, but his mind was clear; he wouldn't let this beast leave the room alive. Blood's fists tightened, and he charged forward, determined to put the wolf's lifeless body on the floor.
His fist had barely grazed the beast's head before it slipped past him with uncanny speed, leaving a claw mark across his back.
Humm...
The pain forced a silent cry from his lips, but he didn't care, and rushed toward Ivory, dragging her body to the side, shielding her with his own frame.
Blood snatched a knife from the floor and hurled it toward the wolf. The blade cut through the air, but the beast evaded it with ease, its agility unmatched.
It was clear now; no matter how much he tried, he couldn't match the beast's speed. His raw strength and instinct were nothing against its newfound swiftness.
Blood's chest heaved as he stood by the window, his mind was between rage and despair. He opened the window as if commanding the beast to leave, and to his surprise, it had obeyed—though not without scorn. The wolf scowled, huffed in ridicule, and leapt into the night.
Its senses had warned it of a powerful pressure outside, or it wouldn't have gone just like that.
Blood remained frozen in his position. He had thought of using the [Rebound], but it had failed him. The beast had escaped, and Ivory lay unconscious.
Wasn't this the same as letting his sister be oppressed and allowing the oppressor to walk free? The thought gnawed at him.
He clenched his fists, but the truth was undeniable; if the beast had lunged one more time, it would have been the end. He could have evaded, yes—but with Ivory down, in such weakened state, he couldn't move freely. He couldn't risk her life.
Blood felt extremely guilty. It was all my fault. If I hadn't brought the beast home, none of this would have happened. Now Ivory is hurt because of me.
He felt utterly downcast, his mind spiraling.
What kind of brother am I? The question echoed in his head. Thoughts kept rushing in, until it felt like he might slam his head against the wall just to silence them.
Salza Marble and Maria Marble had watched everything unfold with their Spiritual senses. From the moment Blood stormed into the room, they had been aware, but they chose not to intervene—so long as their children's situation weren't deadly. They were prepared to step in if the clash escalated beyond control, but for now, they held back.
They had already assessed Ivory's condition and determined she wasn't critically injured, which allowed them to remain calm. What truly astonished them was their son's defiance. Blood, who was known throughout the family as the child unable to cultivate any of the clan's arts or skills, had stood against the beast with nothing but raw instinct and power.
The Marbles had tried everything—purchasing cultivation arts and techniques from outside sources, hoping one would work with him. But none had worked. Blood could only progress by raising his stage through the clan's cultivation technique.
And yet, here he was, in the 3rd stage of the Iron Realm—the same as his sister—facing down a beast many stages above him.
Salza and Maria Marble's Spiritual sense stayed on their son, scrutinizing every detail.
Techniques are circulated to obtain Heaven and Earth energy, raising one's body energy reserve from stage to stage, realm to realm. The Marble clan's heritage reached only to the 4th realm, meaning their descendants could cultivate within the 1st through 4th realms.
Yet what they saw in Blood perplexed them. If he had been equipped with even the simplest martial techniques, he wouldn't have been so helpless against the wolf. And still, he had stood his ground.
The wolf itself was no ordinary opponent. They had already inspected it and confirmed it was in the Bronze Realm, the second realm. For any cultivator, fighting across realms was nearly impossible. To stand against a beast of higher stage was commendable; to cross realms was unthinkable.
And yet, their son—weak, and unable to cultivate any arts—had done just that. He was only in the third stage of the Iron Realm.
How could one change so much in a single day? When Blood left that afternoon, he wasn't like this. Something had surely changed him.
Salza's grimaced as the memory of the forest returned—the bloody scene was unmistakably his son's blood, though he had kept that from the others. What unsettled him most wasn't the blood itself, but how the earth had absorbed it. Slowly, deliberately, almost savoring it, as if the land itself was enthusiastic. That was something he had never seen before, not in all his years.
The door rattled slightly, and Blood, standing disheartened by the window, turned to see his parents enter. Their eyes swept the room, calm but sharp, taking in every detail.
Yeah, it is here, Blood thought, silently praying.
Maria's voice cut through the silence. "You sure play too much considering your condition. Take your sister to the infirmary and meet us in the sitting room."
No further words were offered. They left immediately.
Blood sighed. It has come to this.
He bent down, lifted Ivory gently, and hurried toward the Sickhouse. His parents' expression had reassured him—she wasn't in critical danger—but the sight of her blood still twisted his heart.
That must have hurt though… His thoughts trailed off