She hadn't thought about this until now, but there was a certain feeling she had about this Junior of hers.
As she continued to drink, her thoughts began to wander. Junior's skin was pale, even paler than hers, almost like porcelain. His blood, though different from most people, had a strange, almost enchanting taste that she couldn't quite place. It was sohow richer, more potent, and it made her feel stronger, more alive.
It was rich with mana. Though she hated to admit that she was like a beast, she knew the reason why his blood tasted this good was its potent mana quality that no other human possessed. That was the reason why its sll was a lot better compared to others as well.
His body was also tender, not overly muscular, but his muscles held a strange, almost ethereal quality stemming from its mana absorption, most likely.
And his mana was also different. Being the person who had taught him how to move his mana by pushing her own mana into his body, she inwardly knew that sothing about his mana and body was inherently different.
For a while, she had been thinking about it, trying to understand what made him so different. There was a possibility, a growing suspicion in her mind, that her Junior was not a normal human and might be sothing different.
'Why is his blood so unique?' she pondered as she fed, her mind racing with questions. 'Why does he always seem so calm, so understanding, even in the face of danger?'
She rembered the countless tis he had been there for her, his steady presence a constant source of comfort. She thought about his uncanny ability to remain unflustered, his knowledge that seed to surpass that of his peers.
It was as if he had seen and experienced things far beyond the scope of a typical student.
Her mind flashed back to monts when he had demonstrated abilities that defied explanation, monts when he had seed almost supernatural. The way he moved, the way he sensed things before they happened, it all pointed to sothing more than human.
There was more to Junior than t the eye. Maya recalled subtle hints about the way he would sotis hold back in training, hiding his true strength. The way he would deflect questions about his past or his origins.
'What is he hiding?' she wondered, her thoughts drifting as she continued to drink his blood. 'Is he scared of sothing? Trying to hide from soone? What is his goal?'
Junior had always been a mystery, and the more she thought about it, the more questions surfaced. Was he like her, soone who had been changed into sothing more than human? Or was he sothing entirely different, sothing ancient and powerful, hiding in plain sight?
'Why does he hide his strength?' she mused. 'What is he afraid of?'
Is it because of his very being? Is he an existence that would be an enemy of humans? Why?
'Is it because of the demons? Why do you reek the blood of demons on your body even now? Have you been hunting them? If that is the case, why? Why are you risking yourself? The answer relied on demons. That was what she could be sure about. After all, she still vividly rembered how he brutally killed that vampire. Even though her mories were filled with blanks, she knew the hatred-filled intent oozing from him.
It was not sothing a normal human could possess.
'What are you, Junior?' she wondered, her fangs still embedded in his flesh, drawing the lifeblood that sustained her. 'Are you like ? Or are you sothing entirely different?'
It was not sothing a normal human could possess.
'What are you, Junior?' she wondered, her fangs still embedded in his flesh, drawing the lifeblood that sustained her. 'Are you like ? Or are you sothing entirely different?'
She felt his cold hand gently stroking her back, his touch both soothing and grounding. Despite the questions and doubts swirling in her mind, his presence was a comfort, a reminder that she was not alone in this struggle.
Slowly, she pulled back, her lips stained with his blood. Her crimson eyes t his pale gaze, and for a mont, the world seed to stand still. She saw the understanding in his eyes, the acceptance, and it filled her with a sense of peace she had not known in a long ti.
"I'm sorry," she whispered again, this ti more clearly, her voice tinged with sorrow and gratitude.
"It's okay, Senior," he replied softly, his voice steady and reassuring. "You did well."
As she looked into his eyes, she realized that whatever he was, whatever secrets he held, he was still her Junior. The one who had always been there for her, the one who had never judged her, and the one who had given her hope when she had none.
And that was enough for now. She would find out the truth in ti, but for now, she would trust him, as he had always trusted her.
RUSTLE!
Suddenly, she sensed a movent from their side. Maya flinched, turning her head sharply to the side. There, she saw the two girls they had forgotten about starting to wake up.
'Did they see it?' Her eyes widened in surprise, and her face turned crimson. In the intensity of the mont with Junior, she had completely forgotten their surroundings, lost in their emotional and physical bond.
She turned to look at him only to see his calm eyes.
'Right. He is not that clumsy. There is no way he would overlook such a thing.'
She thought after seeing that.
Not wanting to show any weakness or any signs of her vampiric form, Maya focused on controlling her bestial instincts. With her urges cald, she managed to suppress her vampiric features and return to her normal appearance. She gave Junior one final look, then quickly backed away like a startled rabbit.
In his eyes, she saw the silent communication, the unspoken understanding. He was trying to hide his identity, and she knew what she had to do.
'This is at least what I am supposed to do.'
She nodded her head, signaling that she understood.
Junior moved swiftly, disappearing into the forest, his movents graceful and silent among the branches. In no ti, he was lost in sight.
"Hmm...?"
At that exact mont, the first girl woke up. It was the silver-haired girl, soone even Maya recognized as a sophomore.
Seraphina Frostborne.
The girl whose reputation exceeded the other students of the academy with her strength and her notes. To be perfectly honest, she wanted to watch the fight between Irina and Seraphina, but she was a bit late, and the seats were already taken to the full, even at the start of the morning.
But that wasn't what was important right now.
Before Seraphina could ask any questions, Maya reached for a potion in her spatial ring. Covered in blood, her clothes slightly ripped, she looked as if she had just erged from a fierce battle. She intended to use this appearance to cover the truth—that she had been the one to deal with the demonic human who tried to kidnap Seraphina and Irina.
As Seraphina woke up, she instantly turned vigilant. In a second, her mana started oozing out from her body, even though she wasn't in her best shape. As she saw Maya, she quickly raised her body to attack her, but Maya only raised her hand. The ice particles that ford around Seraphina and flew toward her instantly hit sothing like an air barrier and crashed down.
After that, Maya looked at Seraphina with a smile and said, "No need to be vigilant. You're safe now."
Seraphina's eyes narrowed as she took in Maya's appearance. She noticed the uniform on Maya's body, identifying her as an Arcadia Hunter Academy student and a senior on top of that. Taking a clearer look, she recognized Maya and her guard lowered.
"I... I rember you," Seraphina said slowly, her voice still tinged with suspicion but easing out of its initial hostility. "You're Maya Evergreen, right? The upperclassman who..."
"Yes, that's ," Maya interjected gently, not wanting Seraphina to strain herself trying to rember. "I was here when those... attackers ca. I managed to fend them off."
Seraphina looked around, her gaze falling on Irina, who was still unconscious but now stirring slightly. She turned back to Maya, her cold expression softening a little.
"Thank you, Senior," she murmured, her previous readiness to fight to subside as she reassessed the situation. "It seems we owe you our thanks."
Maya nodded, offering Seraphina a reassuring smile. "Just rest now. You both need to recover," she advised, her tone kind yet firm. "Everything's under control."
Relieved but still visibly shaken, Seraphina nodded and settled back down, her energy slowly receding as she took the potion that Maya had given to her.
SWIRL! At that mont, suddenly, the two noticed movent. Unlike Seraphina, Irina had woken up silently, awakening unnoticed until a swirl of fire erupted from her side, directed straight at Maya, who was standing before Seraphina.
Reacting instinctively, Maya waved her hand. Water flowed around her body, forming a protective shield, and clashed with the incoming fire. The resulting interaction created a burst of hot steam, but Maya deftly manipulated the wind to lift and disperse the steam away from them, preventing any harm.
As the steam cleared, Irina's eyes were fixed on Maya, filled with confusion and the remnants of defensive aggression. Recognizing the need to reassure Irina just as she had Seraphina, Maya repeated the calming words she had used before.
"Irina, you're safe now," Maya said gently, keeping her tone soothing and her posture non-threatening. "There's no need to fight. I'm here to help."
However, sothing was different this ti.
The eyes were locked on Maya. They were supposed to be cald after sensing her presence, just like Seraphina's.
After all, even though she didn't like to brag about it, Maya was well aware of her reputation, and she knew that people knew about her in the academy.
Thus, there was no way Irina wouldn't have recognized her by now.
Maya expected Irina to calm down as Seraphina had, recognizing her as a senior and a protector within the academy. Her reputation generally preceded her, and she was accustod to a certain level of respect and recognition from the student body. Thus, she anticipated that Irina, once aware of who was aiding them, would relax.
However, the expected calm did not co. Instead, Irina's eyes remained locked on Maya, glaring daggers at her as if sothing was deeply wrong.
'What now? Why is she looking at like that?'
This feeling wasn't foreign, and neither was this glare. She had gotten such types of glares from other girls before. But right now, she was not sharp enough to make the connection.
'Urghk….'
This reaction created an awkward and tense atmosphere, contrary to the usual responses Maya received.
"Is there sothing wrong?" Maya asked, her voice tinged with concern and a hint of confusion. She took a tentative step forward, trying to bridge the gap between them, hoping to soothe any fears or misunderstandings.
Irina, however, did not respond with words. Her glare intensified, and her body language remained defensive. As Maya approached to see if Irina was injured or needed further assistance, Irina abruptly waved her hand, signaling for Maya to stop.
"Don't approach," Irina said sharply, her tone leaving no room for argunt. "I can handle myself." Her words were firm, and her expression unyielding.
Taken aback by the cold dismissal, Maya halted, her hand mid-air and her face a mask of puzzled concern. Irina then turned to leave, casting one last glare over her shoulder at Maya, leaving the older student bewildered and unsure of what had just transpired.
"That bastard…..He was entangling himself with another woman?"
And Irina was feeling furious.
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