Jake screamed, but the boys quickly covered his mouth, muffling his cries as Brad grinned wider. “I’d say it’s too late to back out now.”

In an instant, Jake was slammed to the ground, bloodied and gasping for air. His vision blurred as he coughed, splattering the ground with crimson. His hand trembled as it scraped across the pavement, trying to find something to hold onto, but the pain was too much. He could barely think straight as Brad casually inspected Elowen’s black card, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“Well, well… a thousand knight coins on here. Guess it’s mine now,” Brad mused with a chuckle, the sound of his laughter echoing around the alley. The two other boys joined in, their mocking chuckles filling the air as they turned and walked away, leaving Jake crumpled on the cold ground.

Jake lay there for a moment, the weight of his failure crashing over him. His body ached, and his vision swam in and out of focus, but his mind was clear enough to realize just how foolish he’d been.

“I got ahead of myself,” Jake whispered between sniffles, his breath shaky as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Blood dripped from his lip, and he spat it onto the ground, his hand shaking as it wiped at his swollen eye. The bitterness in his throat matched the overwhelming shame that flooded his chest.

“Did I really think I was tough just because Elowen gave me her black card?” he muttered, his voice low and filled with self-loathing. He staggered to his feet, clutching his injured arm, the pain sharp and unforgiving. His steps were unsteady as he limped, each movement reminding him of how far he had fallen.

“I’m an idiot.” The words stung, even as they left his mouth. The truth was undeniable, and the weight of his failure felt heavier than any physical pain he’d endured.

Back in Solstice City, Jake stood in front of Elowen and Arid, his clothes torn and his face bruised. They stared at him, disbelief and anger flickering in their eyes.

“You got beat up and they stole my black card?!” Elowen’s voice was sharp, her hands clenched at her sides. Arid stepped forward, his brow furrowing as he wiped the blood from Jake’s face with a napkin, his expression grim.

“This isn’t good. Nobody beats up Jake. Not even me… anymore,” Arid growled, his voice low and dangerous. His words hung in the air, the intensity of his protective fury clear. Jake looked up at him, wide-eyed and shocked.

“A-Arid?” he whispered in disbelief, his mind still reeling from the brutal encounter.

Arid shot him a hard look, but before he could say more, Mel’s voice cut through the tension.

“You said the guy was about this height, right?” Mel called out from the distance, his eyes focused on the towering silken enforcer he had created—a massive, imposing figure that matched Brad’s height exactly.

Jake turned to Mel, who was casually inspecting the figure. “Yeah, why?” Jake asked, his voice hesitant.

Without a second’s warning, Mel sprang into action. His body moved with lightning speed, a blur of motion as he leaped into the air. He delivered a devastating cloud kick to the silken enforcer’s head. The force of the blow was immense, and the head was instantly blown off, crumbling into a pile of threads and webbing. The body collapsed, disintegrating into nothing more than delicate strands of silk.

Jake flinched, the sound of the impact ringing in his ears. He watched in stunned silence as Mel landed gracefully, a satisfied grin spreading across his face. He turned to Jake, his expression darker now, a predatory glint in his eyes.

“Let’s go get them,” Mel growled, his smile turning into something far more sinister. The promise of retribution hung in the air as he beckoned Jake to follow, his resolve clear. This wasn’t just about the black card anymore—it was personal.

“Get them?” Elowen scoffed, swinging back and forth on her swing, her brow furrowing. “We don’t even know where they are. Vrada’s a massive city.”

Jake hesitated, shifting uneasily. “Yeah, but…” He trailed off, looking at Elowen with a glimmer of hope.

“Wait,” she said, eyes widening as a thought clicked in her mind. “Jake, do you still have the website? The one you were looking at?”

Jake nodded, a slight relief washing over him. “It’s in my dorm. I saved it.” He fumbled with his phone, feeling a sense of urgency rising in his chest.

In Jake’s dorm, the trio crowded around him as he scrolled through the computer screen, the tension palpable. “I’ll need a name for the account,” Jake muttered, glancing at them expectantly.

Without missing a beat, Elowen and Mel simultaneously pointed at Arid.

“Why me?!” Arid’s voice was a mix of disbelief and annoyance, his eyes darting between them.

Mel shrugged nonchalantly, crossing his arms. “I’m a known king. You’re the king of… well, whatever you’re king of.”

Elowen smirked. “And I’m the daughter of King Arthur. You’ve got it covered.”

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Arid groaned, rolling his eyes. “Fine, whatever,” he muttered, already starting to create the account. “This better not backfire on me.”

Jake stared at the screen, eyeing the same shoes Elowen had shown him earlier, still listed at the same price. “Whoever’s behind this is really stupid,” Elowen muttered under her breath.

Jake, however, was already tapping away on the keyboard. As he did, Arid peeked over his shoulder, grumbling when he saw the messages on screen.

Arid (Jake): hey

Seller: Arid is a beautiful name, you must be a beautiful girl.

Arid frowned at the screen, while Elowen let out a teasing chuckle. “Guess they’ve got some imagination, huh?” she teased.

Jake’s eyes lit up as he snapped his fingers. “Wait—this is perfect! If they think Arid’s a girl, they’ll definitely act differently!”

Arid (Jake): I’m a really beautiful girl who wants some shoes for my birthday.

The seller quickly responded.

Seller: I bet you’re really hot! I’ll give you a discount.

Arid (Jake): Thank you! Can you meet me?

Seller: Sure, we’ll be at the Singing Toucan in Vrada. You in Auroria Dominion?

Arid (Jake): Yeah, I’m in Vrada too. I’ll be there.

Seller: See ya, beautiful.

Arid groaned. “I can’t believe you got me into this.”

The door slammed open, causing everyone to jump. “Princess Rue?!” Jake exclaimed, his eyes widening. Mel let out a groan and rubbed his head. “I forgot we were supposed to hang today.”

Rue shot them a disinterested glance, letting out a sigh. “What’s all this?” she asked, her gaze shifting to the computer screen.

Elowen pointed at Jake’s screen. “Someone scammed Jake and beat him up. Now we’re trying to get my black card back,” she explained matter-of-factly.

Rue’s eyes narrowed as she grabbed Mel’s arm and tugged him toward the door. “Come on, we’re going to Vrada. I’ve already made an appointment.”

“Wait, Vrada? That’s where the scammer is!” Jake blurted, his eyes lighting up with sudden realization.

Mel gave a determined grin. “That’s right! We’ll take care of this and still hang with Rue!” he declared, but Rue tugged on his arm, stopping him.

“Not today, Mel. No fighting,” Rue warned, her tone firm. Mel looked at her, a little surprised, but nodded in defeat.

Elowen stepped forward, offering a reassuring smile. “It’s fine. This is my fight, anyway.”

With that, they all made their way out of Jake’s dorm, ready to face whatever awaited them in Vrada.

In a quiet restaurant in Vrada, Mel sat across from Rue, his gaze drifting as she spoke. “Yeah, my mom’s got me on this intense training regimen. She’s making me study dragons and their history. I never thought I’d end up one of them, though. Everything’s just… so complicated,” Rue explained, her voice tinged with frustration.

Mel’s attention flickered from her to the window, his thoughts clearly elsewhere. Still, he nodded in agreement. “You could say that again.”

Suddenly, Rue let out an exasperated groan as she spotted her so-called “cousins” approaching — Dean Campbell, flanked by his brothers. “You could say that again, blah blah!” he mocked, causing Rue to roll her eyes. Mel, distracted by their approach, muttered, “Oh, it’s the funny-looking fella.” Dean strutted up, casually swiping some of Rue’s fries.

“Melanthius, what are you doing here?” Dean asked, avoiding Mel’s gaze, clearly intimidated.

“We’re hanging out, Rue and I. Be a good man and don’t bother us,” Mel replied coolly, passing his fries to Rue. Rue raised an eyebrow at the sudden intrusion. “What are you three doing here?” she asked, her tone pointed.

Dean fluffed out his jacket, attempting to appear confident. “We go to Sierra now. We’re on Thanksgiving break, just wandering Vrada for fun.”

“Sierra? I met a few people from there. How’s it going?” Mel inquired, genuinely curious.

Dean scratched the back of his head. “It’s fine, except for one guy — Brad. That guy’s insane and a total scammer.”

Mel’s eyes widened in shock. “Brad?! A scammer?!” he repeated, his voice low with disbelief.

Meanwhile, in the alley next to the Singing Toucan, Elowen faced off with two short boys. “Black card? Oh, you must be looking for it, huh?” one of them taunted. “Well, we don’t have it.”

Elowen’s eyes narrowed as she cracked her neck, her voice steely. “Then who does?”

The boys pointed behind her, their grins widening. Elowen turned just in time to see Brad swing a bat, striking her sharply on the head. She staggered back, blood blooming from the gash on her temple as she collapsed to the ground. Brad sneered. “These dumbasses from Solstice City…”

A few moments after the boys had disappeared into the shadows, Jake and Arid approached the Singing Toucan, tension crackling between them.

“Why did she have to go alone?!” Arid growled, his frustration spilling out as they rounded the corner.

Jake’s eyes widened in horror as he spotted Elowen’s crumpled form on the ground. He sprinted to her side, dropping to his knees. “Elowen?!” he shouted, panic lacing his voice.

Arid stood frozen for a moment, his expression dark and grim as he braced himself for the worst.

Suddenly, Elowen stirred, her body trembling as she pushed herself upright. She winced, rubbing the fresh wound on her temple, blood streaking her fingers. “Fucking bastards,” she muttered through gritted teeth, her voice heavy with anger.

Arid let out a breath of relief, though his clenched fists betrayed his simmering rage. “You scared the hell out of us!” he snapped, but there was an edge of concern in his tone.

Elowen steadied herself, ignoring the pain as she stood up, her eyes blazing. “Let’s finish this.”

Moments later, Mel sprinted toward the building, his heart pounding in his chest. As he approached the alley, his breath caught at the sight of blood staining the ground. His gaze fell on a single golden thread glinting in the dim light. He knelt down, picking it up with trembling fingers.

“Elowen…” he whispered, his voice cracking. The thread was unmistakable—it was hers. He clutched it tightly, his jaw tightening as his emotions churned. Pulling out his black card, he pressed it to his ear, his voice low and strained.

“Bring the Blunts,” he commanded, his words laced with quiet fury. His hand trembled slightly as he pocketed the card, his eyes glistening with unshed tears. The thought of what might have happened to Elowen was almost too much to bear.

But his resolve hardened, and the faint tremor in his voice gave way to a steely determination. “I’ll find you,” he vowed under his breath, rising to his feet, fists clenched.