Drops of frozen water landing on her neck woke Mia up. She shivered as a cold breeze swept under her dress. Her eyes fluttered for a moment to adjust to the dim light of the room she had been transported to.

Transported?!

Panic began to engulf her as she realized she wasn't in her room, comfortably nestled in her bed, but rather being jostled on someone's shoulder, unable to move. Reduced to dead weight, except for her eyes that frantically darted around in their sockets. From her position, flat against her captor's shoulder, she could only catch glimpses of his legs and a dusty stone floor. A few torches illuminated what seemed to be a corridor, but darkness predominated, preventing her from observing the surroundings in detail. She could make out only a few doors, some open, others closed, but no real indication of her location, except for the scattered crates of supplies and provisions she caught sight of from the corners of her eyes in the open rooms. She must have been in some sort of storage area. The kind of place that was perfect for a murder.

Calm down, doomsday imagination! Panicking won't get me out of this! Her mind raced.

A few seconds later, a discreet clicking reached her ears, and she was ushered into a dimly lit room. Torches lit up one after another, revealing another dilapidated storage room with a floor covered in dust and spiderwebs. If she had to guess, she bet it was abandoned or very rarely used, fitting perfectly with her assailant's potentially sinister intent.

Gently, she was placed in a seated position against a chilly wall, and she could finally study the features of the man who had kidnapped her. Her eyes widened in astonishment as she realized he bore the features of someone particularly familiar: Andrei.

"Ah... You're awake," he exclaimed, scratching the back of his neck, embarrassed.

He stepped back a few paces to grab an empty wooden crate, dragging it in front of the blonde to sit on.

"Listen, I'm sorry you find yourself in this position, but it was necessary."

Necessary?! she thought with wide eyes, torn between the fury of being betrayed and the terror of what he had in store for her.

"Something big is brewing for tomorrow's tournament, we've been working on it for months... You must be wondering how it's connected to you, since you've only been here a few weeks, right? Your arrival at the Arena wasn't planned at all, but it certainly worked out well... It hasn't changed our objectives, but it has facilitated our plans."

He paused briefly, uncertain.

"Anyway, you'll see tomorrow. You have a role to play in the tournament's events, revealing everything now would spoil the surprise... In the meantime, you'll stay put. Let's just say you have no way of escaping. I've been working on this immobilization spell for days, extending its duration and testing its limits. If it starts to fade, I'll refresh it immediately. Ah... it would have been easier if I'd received enough funds, I had to use all my money for the invisibility parchment... Those things cost a fortune when you can't make them yourself."

Mia had already closed her eyes, half-listening to the sorcerer's monologue, her brain racing. What exactly did he want from her? And what was planned for the tournament? Knowing that something was planned didn't surprise her, but the scale of the event seemed to exceed their initial expectations.

"Ah, before you start worrying about Ethan, you don't have to. He's immobilized like you, waiting for the tournament. We suspected he wouldn't willingly participate, even after a few threats... But it's all for the best. We need his rage, and what better way than to make him stew for a whole night and morning, not knowing what happened to you?"

They want him to fight... why? And Arry... Did he put her in a coma?

"Just know that our objective isn't to harm you. Your role goes beyond the tournament, the re—," he abruptly cut himself off, coughing. "We have grand plans for both of you. Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new era for Istarea! This false peace has lasted long enough; it's time for them to face their responsibilities!"

So, it wasn't just an impression... Someone really tried to stoke hatred between the species... was her first thought after the sorcerer's explanations. All this for what... for everyone to kill each other during the tournament? Why restart the war? And why involve us?

At the same time, Ethan faced the same revelations as his soulmate, a hundred meters away.

"I'm sorry, Ethan, you'll have to wait a few more hours," Vassili apologized from his office chair, his hands flipping through various parchments. "I would have preferred to wait until tomorrow morning, but it would have complicated things considerably."

Needless to say, Ethan was seething with anger as his body remained completely immobilized. He had followed Vassili through the castle, concerned about the news he had to deliver. Leaving Mia alone in the infirmary, even if she wasn't at much risk, did nothing to ease his anxiety. Barely seated in one of the chairs facing the vampire's desk, Vassili had produced an immobilization parchment and pinned him to his seat. Once the initial surprise of being attacked by someone he considered trustworthy had passed, an explosive fury began gnawing at his mind.

His inner vila, particularly displeased with the betrayal and the constraints on its host, roared ferociously, attempting with brute force to break the spell. It was potent, but not without flaws. The magical aura of the spell resembled a fishing net with some fragile knots. Ethan didn't particularly like relinquishing control to his inner vila, but it seemed he didn't really have a choice in this particular situation. As he stopped fighting against the rush of raw magic flowing into his veins, his eyes darkened, and his nails transformed into claws, digging into the armrests of the chair and tearing through the fragile fabric. After a few tens of minutes, having magically exploited these weak points he had identified, the spell finally gave way.

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Vassili didn't pay him any attention, far too focused on what looked like a map of the castle and its surroundings. Ethan took advantage of this to leap onto the desk and tighten his grip on the vampire's throat, drawing a few drops of blood as his claws sank into the flesh. The impact sent the professor's head a few centimeters back. There was surprise in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure, adopting an inscrutable expression.

"You'd do well to talk before I break your neck," Ethan growled sternly, his jaw clenched.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," he replied calmly. "At least not if you want to find Mia safe and sound."

His grip loosened as his mind was assailed by doubt. Was he bluffing? He still struggled to accept the vampire's betrayal, and even though his logical mind had resigned to it, his heart still doubted his professor's ill intentions. His instincts screamed at him to tighten his grip and crush the vampire's throat without delay, but he couldn't bring himself to choose an outcome that might potentially endanger his soulmate's life.

"What did you do to her?" he whispered venomously.

"For now, she's safe. You'll be able to find her tomorrow by participating in the tournament. If you wait patiently, everything should go smoothly."

"So, it was you, the threats... Why? What do you care if I participate?"

"Sit down, and I'll explain," he ordered, nodding towards one of the chairs in front of the desk.

Ethan tightened his grip for a moment before releasing the vampire. He hadn't entirely ruled out the option of killing Vassili and simply searching for Mia himself. The problem lay in the fact that it was impossible to determine if Vassili was bluffing and what the real consequences of his action would be on Mia. If he compromised her safety by killing him, he would never forgive himself. Worse, he might condemn them both. So, he reluctantly decided to comply and struggled to regain a semblance of calm. After a few exhales, his claws eventually retracted, and his eyes regained their lapis lazuli hue. His inner vila also settled under the pressure of the threats, not wanting to risk his soulmate's life.

"The Arena will cease to exist tomorrow," Vassili began explaining gravely, massaging his throat. "Two attacks will be launched simultaneously during the tournament and at the castle. War will be declared, Ethan. Whether you like it or not, your inner vila's choice has made you an ally to our cause. Don't think I take pleasure in imposing all of this on you, but it was necessary. You would have never participated willingly... and we need you."

"You want to force me to participate in a war I couldn't care less about?" Ethan hissed contemptuously. "Why?"

"Because Impervia must pay for her actions."

"My mother? You want me to oppose my mother? Damn it..." he exclaimed, clenching his fists. "And you think by threatening me, I'll just go settle the score with her? There are enough skilled fighters to kill her, why should I do it? My brother tried to stop her back then, he paid with his life!"

"Think, Ethan. She will never accept Mia, you know that better than anyone. With the war declared, don't you think she'll take advantage of it to get you killed just like she did to Adam? It's in your best interest to join the opposite side, that's what he would have wanted too."

Ethan's anger didn't diminish. Vassili wasn't entirely wrong, he had to admit, but given a choice, he would have preferred to simply escape with Mia. Waging war wasn't his interest. Using the memory of his deceased brother to guilt-trip him was sly. Killing his own mother? Maybe she deserved it, but the idea particularly disgusted him. The more distance he could put between her and himself, the better off he was. Impervia didn't just have a venomous tongue, her claws were sharp, and her combat fury was formidable, a legacy of powerful blood. He wouldn't get out of it without at best a few painful scratches, at worst death like his brother. The vampire was trying to drag him into an affair that repulsed him to the highest degree.

"Whether it's you or someone else who kills her, it doesn't matter. You're a symbol, Ethan. Your blood is powerful, perhaps one of the most powerful that vilas have ever seen... Standing against your own mother, that's a strong message, it legitimizes our cause in the eyes of our enemies. And then there's Mia... What do you think will happen to her, as a human, when the war is declared? A life in hiding, in some remote hole, always on guard, is that the life you intend to offer her? With us, she'll find her place."

"Because a life of war is better? Because joining you might not make her a target? Do you think the war will be resolved in a few months? That everything is that simple? I'll do what you want at the tournament, but leave us alone after that!" Ethan roared, pounding his fist against the armrest.

"Very well," Vassili conceded with a sigh, his face tired. "The plan wasn't originally designed this way, but with Mia's arrival, counting on your help should significantly reduce our losses and facilitate our retreat... We all know the tournament will turn into a massacre. The order is to kill without hesitation anyone who tries to resist. With the current tensions, many will want our heads. The vilas, especially those allied with your mother, will surely be a problem... That's where you come in. The plan is simple: destroy the school, declare war, then retreat. Your role is to unleash your fury, protecting our main division and ensuring our retreat after the announcement. We'll let you go after that. I'm sorry, Ethan, but you don't have a choice."

To say that events were beyond his control was an understatement. It was what he had feared from the moment he realized his soulmate was human: that she would be used to corner him. From that moment on, his choices no longer belonged to him. How much blood would he have to shed, and how many heads would he have to sever to buy their freedom? Killing didn't bother him, but killing because a knife was held to his throat? And Mia... He could already imagine her disgusted and terrified eyes on him with every neck he snapped, with every heart he pierced.

"I'd offer you to go back to your room and wait, but for obvious security reasons... I prefer to keep an eye on you here. Get comfortable," Vassili suggested as if it were the easiest thing to do in these circumstances.

The professor went on to continue studying his parchments, leaving a heavy silence in the room. Ethan, on the other hand, was exhausted. Between his fury, his hours of lost sleep over the weeks, his anxiety, and his apprehension, his mind was struggling to formulate coherent thoughts. Yet not once during the night did he resign himself to close his eyes for a moment.

Between the unbearable wait and his frazzled nerves, a few hours slowly transformed into what felt like an eternity of suffering.