The Valefar hideout thrummed with tension, the air charged with that gritty energy only Aether could pull out of thin air. Rave U was on fire with word of the new Monbeasticores, spreading through campus like wildfire. Aether’s pact was the hottest ticket around, and each talisman he handed out was like a fast pass to power.

“Step light, got it? These ain't for rookies,” Aether called out, grinning as he slapped talismans into hands. They weren't just amulets—they were loaded. Each Monbeasticore inside pulsed like a live wire, and the kids knew it. Aether’s prices weren't for the faint-hearted either; the price tags alone were enough to make even the wealthiest students think twice.

Behemoth Blue: Built like a tank, all defense and solid bulk. Price: $8,000.

Razor Red: Quick as a blade, claws like knives. Price: $6,500.

Phantom Black: Stealthy and evasive, with shadow phasing. Price: $7,200.

Storm White: Lightning strikes, deadly speed. Price: $9,500.

Aurora Glow: Healer and shield caster, a team player. Price: $10,000.

Each Monbeasticore had a distinct reputation. Owning one was serious business; lose a fight, and you risked more than just a bruised ego. Aether set the prices with a smirk—this was his hustle, and he knew how to play it.

Then, there was Bree Thar’undar, lurking in the background, playing his own game. He wasn’t interested in dropping cash on Monbeasticores; he had a unique advantage. Every Monbeasticore Bree fought, he didn’t just battle—he absorbed, taking their essence into his core. With each victory, he grew more formidable, crafting a power nobody else could touch. Bree could summon his true form straight out of his homunculus vessel, feeding off any Monbeasticore unlucky enough to face him.

Meanwhile, Adrian was running his own side hustle. He’d found a way to help students unlock their auras by meditating and absorbing their aura into their mana channels. That bit of info was free—shared like a hint—but he had a premium option too. Adrian’s special formula, priced at $2,500 per dose, made the aura-sync process smoother, more refined. Just a dash of his blood in the mix did wonders, binding students to him through a subtle bloodline connection. They thought it was just a med boost, but in reality, they were in Adrian’s orbit, caught by the very cure they craved.

Bree didn’t touch Adrian’s stuff. He thrived on the raw thrill, the unfiltered risk. And his rivalry with Nyxara was only stoking his fire. She was sharp, and she seemed to know what he was up to, never missing a beat. Every time Bree summoned his true body from the homunculus vessel to face her Monbeasticores, he could feel her eyes on him, studying every move, catching every edge.

“You know it ain’t cheating, right?” Nyxara would tease, her gaze both daring and amused. Bree could only grin, loving the adrenaline and the danger. Her acceptance of his style, his way of winning, was a high in itself.

But Bree knew, deep down, that if Nyxara ever decided to join the fight and went full dragon and fought him for real, all the powers he’d siphoned wouldn’t be enough. He couldn’t touch her true form—not yet. And he liked that edge, the thrill of skating just close enough to danger without falling off the edge. For Bree, the rivalry was the real prize, the challenge that kept him coming back, every day, pushing his limits.

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Rave U had turned into a battlefield, like an underground fight club everyone knew about but didn’t dare talk about to the wrong ears. The Monbeasticore wars were blowing up every block on campus, and everyone—from students to the teachers—was caught up in the crossfire. Talismans were selling for more than professors made in a year, and the ones who couldn’t afford a Monbeasticore were feeling the burn. Teachers and staff looked on, powerless to stop the chaos, feeling every bit of that cold sting of being left out.

The faculty tried to stay cool about it, acting like they didn’t care, but behind closed doors, it was a different story. Mr. Corvain, the History prof, was especially salty. "Kids these days got creatures that could make my salary scream," he muttered in the lounge, eyeing the students flashing their talismans. And Mrs. Dubrowski? She was furious. "Back in my day, you earned power, not bought it from some punk on a corner," she fumed. They had no say in the game, no cards to play—and if they tried to intervene, they knew the students would shut them down with nothing but a glare.

Meanwhile, war was brewing on campus, the kind that made the walls tremble. The Umbrus Pact had been at odds with Drakonis for weeks, and today they were going all in. Morwen, Charm, Frostie, Selene, and Ennuy rolled out first, their Monbeasticores dark, mysterious, each one snarling with an unspoken threat. They wore their talismans like badges, walking through campus like they owned every step of it.

On the other side, Drakonis was waiting. Xyra, Bree, Voira, Payback, Ragdoll, Aislin, and Rhea stood tall, talismans glowing, ready to throw down. Xyra’s Monbeasticore, a beast with spikes like jagged metal, snarled at Ennuy’s crew. Bree’s shadowy figure merged with his Monbeasticore, both his homunculus form and the creature around him pulsing with energy. He flashed a smirk in Morwen’s direction, making it clear he was ready to tear her and her crew apart.

“You come in here like you got it on lock, but this turf’s ours, got that?” Bree growled, his voice like steel grinding. Morwen chuckled, her eyes narrowing. "Better check yourself. Drakonis ain’t got the muscle you think you do."

Behind them, the Seraphi and Valefar Pacts were locking horns too. Mason, Adrian, More, and Nyxara stepped up, representing Seraphi with an intensity that cut through the noise. Celesse and Aether, the ones holding down Valefar, looked unbothered. Aether tilted his head, his Monbeasticore, Storm White, crackling with electric energy. Mason’s Monbeasticore—a hulking tank of a beast—stomped the ground, sending vibrations through the turf.

"Y’all think y’all can roll up on Valefar? You’re clownin'," Aether sneered, tossing a smirk Adrian’s way. "You think you can handle this kind of heat?" But Adrian just looked at him, calm and calculating, his aura flaring as he reached into his mana core, feeding his own Monbeasticore’s energy. "You don’t know who you’re dealing with, kid."

Meanwhile, up in his office, Dean Ciril Vaelfhaer was stewing. He knew exactly what was going on, and it drove him up the wall. Papers were piling up on his desk, all complaints from faculty and admin about the chaos. But he was stuck. He couldn’t stop it; these students had too much fire, and the Monbeasticores? They’d tear up his office if he dared step out of line. He was a dean in name, but in reality? Just another bystander in the battle for campus.

And Sister Georgina? She was scheming in the shadows, eyes locked on one target: Ennuy. She’d seen enough, watched him pull his power play too many times. And she wasn’t about to let an Incubi Dhampir run wild on campus. She had a plan in place, something darker than what the students were used to, something that would keep her hidden while the Monbeasticore chaos raged on. Eliminating Ennuy wasn’t just a thought; it was a mission, and she was going to do it right under everyone’s nose.

So, the Monbeasticore wars raged on, each pact giving it all they had, the students throwing down with creatures that could level a city block. And in the background, the teachers looked on, tight-lipped, outpriced, and overshadowed. Rave U was burning up from the inside, and there wasn’t a soul who could stop it.