A woman in a crisp white suit stepped into the dical tent. Two beastn flanked her—tall, muscular figures with sharp claws and fur rippling over their skin.
Fin had never seen anything like them before.
Her voice was soft, almost gentle, but sothing about her made his spine tingle with unease.
She nodded at them. "Greetings."
Fin noticed Sam and Jolly stiffen, bowing their heads slightly. It was weird—too respectful for Guildmasters who ran their own guilds.
Who was this woman?
She walked toward him, her eyes sharp and curious. "So, this is the rising rookie? Interesting." Her gaze felt like it pierced right through him, like she could see the dual cores humming inside his chest.
Then her eyes shifted to Juliana’s body on the stretcher. A faint smile curved her lips, as if she sensed sothing from it. She stepped closer, but Fin moved in front of her, planting himself between her and Juliana.
"Don’t," he said, voice low.
The beastn growled, shifting forward, but she raised a hand to stop them. "Calm down," she said, then turned back to Fin. "You don’t seem to know who I am, do you?"
He glanced at Jolly. "What’s she talking about? Isn’t the Hunter Guild the top dog around here?"
Jolly hesitated, then spoke. "In Arclight, yeah. But we answer to soone higher. An organization above all the guilds in the country—the Association."
He frowned. "The Association?"
The woman tilted her head, studying him. "I’m from the Association. We oversee everything—guilds, Hunters, even the sses you stumble into. And you, Fin Carver, are quite interesting one."
He didn’t budge. "I don’t care who you are. You’re not touching her."
Sam and Jolly stayed quiet. They liked Fin, he could tell, but they weren’t about to step in. Helping him could tank their guilds, and he got that.
Still stung, though.
She sighed, like he was a kid throwing a tantrum. "You’re stubborn. Fine." Then, quick as a flash, she smacked him aside. He stumbled, catching himself on a table, as she approached Juliana’s body.
"Don’t you dare touch her!" he shouted, lunging forward.
Too late. Her hand brushed Juliana’s arm—and the air exploded with energy. A silver aura flared around Fin, wild and bright. Juliana’s body glowed too, reacting to the woman’s touch.
A pulse of power shot out, slamming the woman back. She crashed into the tent wall, her hand smoking, though she didn’t even flinch at the burn.
Fin stood there, breathing hard, the silver light wrapping around him. A connection pulsed between him and Juliana’s body, strong and alive. It hit him then—only he could decide who touched her now.
His new core had woken up, tying them together.
The woman straightened, brushing off her suit. Her beastn growled louder, but she waved them off again. She looked at Fin, eyes narrowing. "Well, that’s new."
"Stay away from her," he said, stepping closer to Juliana. The silver aura flickered, ready to lash out again.
She smirked, flexing her burned hand. "You’ve got spirit, I’ll give you that. And power I didn’t expect. Those dual cores..." Her gaze flicked to Juliana. "A human from a dungeon, very interesting indeed."
Fin clenched his fists. "She’s not your experint."
"Oh, I don’t want to experint," she said, her soft voice turning cold. "I want to understand. The Association doesn’t let anomalies like you—or her—slip through the cracks."
"Then understand from over there," he snapped.
She chuckled, low and sharp. "You’re bold for an F-rank. But boldness won’t protect you forever." She turned to Sam and Jolly. "Keep an eye on him. The Association will be watching."
With that, she walked out, her beastn trailing behind. The tent felt quieter without her, but the tension didn’t leave.
Jolly stepped up beside him. "You okay?"
"Yeah," he muttered, still staring at Juliana’s body. The silver aura faded, but he could still feel that connection humming inside him.
Sam crossed his arms. "You just pissed off soone way above our pay grade, kid."
"She started it."
Jolly shook her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "You’re trouble, Carver. But I’m starting to think that’s a good thing."
He didn’t answer, just looked down at Juliana. Whatever she’d been—dungeon-born or sothing else—she saved him. And now, sohow, she was still protecting him.
He wouldn’t let anyone take that away. Not the Guild, not the Association, not anyone.
A few days later, Fin shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The sll of burnt toast and eggs hit him first. g was at the stove, flipping sothing in a pan that looked more black than edible.
"Morning, hero," she said without turning around. "You gonna eat this or just stare at it?"
He smirked, sliding into a chair. "Depends. Is it food or charcoal?"
"Ha, funny." She dumped a plate in front of him—eggs, slightly crispy, and toast that was definitely a lost cause. "Eat it anyway. You look like you haven’t slept in days."
He poked at the eggs with a fork. "Yeah, well, been busy."
She sat across from him, munching on her own slightly less burnt toast. "Busy with what? Staring at that girl in the basent?"
He paused mid-bite, glancing at her. "Juliana?"
"Yeah, her." She leaned forward, resting her chin on her hand. "She’s still down there, right? Just... lying there?"
He nodded. "Guild let keep her. Not like anyone else can touch her anyway. That aura thing I told you about—it’s still active."
g raised an eyebrow. "Weird. She doesn’t rot or anything? Just stays... perfect?"
"Pretty much." He shrugged, taking a bite of the eggs. They weren’t bad, just crunchy. "It’s like she’s frozen or sothing. No sll, no decay. Just... there."
She chewed her toast, watching him. "Okay, but why keep her? I get she saved you, but it’s kinda creepy having a body in the basent. What’s the deal?"
He set his fork down, leaning back. "I don’t know. She gave up everything for . I can’t just... toss her out like trash. Feels wrong."
g’s eyes narrowed, a little spark of sothing flashing in them. "You’re real attached to her, huh? Like, ’attached’ attached?"
He caught the edge in her voice and shook his head fast. "No, no, it’s not like that. Don’t get jealous over a dead girl, g. That’s not what this is."
She crossed her arms, smirking. "Jealous? ? Please. I just don’t get why you’re so hung up on her. You barely knew her."
"I know." He sighed, running a hand through his ssy hair. "But she didn’t have to do what she did. She didn’t even hesitate. I owe her sothing, you know? Keeping her here... it’s the least I can do."
g softened a bit, uncrossing her arms. "Yeah, I get that. Still weird, though. You’re turning our dump into a crypt."
He chuckled. "Better than a couch with springs poking my butt."
"True," she said, grinning. "But seriously, Fin, you okay? You’ve been different since you got back. Quieter."
He stared at his plate for a second. "I’m fine. Just... figuring stuff out. The cores, Juliana, that Association lady. It’s a lot."
She nodded, popping the last of her toast in her mouth. "Well, you’ve got , weirdo. Don’t go brooding too hard down there with your basent buddy."
"Promise," he said, smiling a little. "And hey, thanks for breakfast. Even if it’s half ash."
She flicked a crumb at him. "Ungrateful jerk. Next ti, you cook."
"Deal." He laughed, dodging the crumb.
For a mont, the weight of everything—Juliana, the Guild, the Association—felt lighter. g had that effect on him, always had. But as he finished his eggs, his mind drifted back to the basent.
There was sothing about her that he wanted to find out, he knew deep down that her body was important sohow.
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