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Streets of Ravetham
Chapter 151: Umbrus Pact: Dominion Reign

Chapter 151: Umbrus Pact: Dominion Reign

Aislin strolled through the chaos of Rave U with a forced coolness, her blond hair catching the neon glow of the flickering streetlights, and her blue eyes scanning the buzz of life around her. The place was alive, pulsing with the gritty rhythm of Ravetham’s underground elite. She wasn’t Xyra—didn’t have that raw, unshakable confidence that made people step back without a word. And with both Xyra and Voira absent, she felt untethered, like a drifting kite in the stormy sky.

Her boots kicked up faint clouds of dust from the cracked pavement as she walked alongside Rhea, the sharp-eyed black-feathered Kenku whose words always carried a venomous undertone. Rhea had been shooting the breeze with Payback, a wiry kid whose smug grin and quick movements screamed trouble. Aislin didn’t trust him, not for a second. The way he leaned in to talk about his time training under Nosferatu at V.A.G.U.E Academy felt like a brag wrapped in a lie, though it was probably true.

“You know,” Payback said, his voice slick with arrogance, “when you’ve sparred against shadows that breathe down your neck, ain’t much left in this world that’ll rattle you. Nos taught me how to make silence my weapon. Ain’t just stealth—it’s presence, or the lack of it. Know what I’m sayin’?”

Rhea cocked her head, her feathers glinting under the dim light. “Big words for a pup,” she muttered, her tone dripping with disdain. “You think that makes you untouchable? You think those lessons gonna keep you alive when Morwen puts you through the wringer?”

Aislin trailed a step behind, tuning in and out of their banter. She felt out of place, the only human in this little clique, a rich girl with powers she didn’t fully understand but was told made her special. She had aura and mana manipulation, could read minds and skip ahead in time like flipping through channels, but here? In the shadow of Celesse and her freaky little basilisk Mortis? Aislin might as well have been a background extra.

The trio moved deeper into the campus, weaving through a mess of students gambling, swapping MonBeasticore talismans, and trading blows in impromptu sparring matches. A kid with a jagged scar on his face was showing off a holographic Chimera talismans while another tried to hustle him out of it with an offer of two rare blue Specter Lynxes. Overhead, professors floated past on drones or strutted with authority, their robes flapping like banners of dominance.

The Umbrus Pact clubhouse loomed ahead, a monolith of blackened steel and arcane sigils etched into its surface. Aislin’s stomach twisted as they stepped through the entrance, the heavy door groaning like it resented their intrusion. The air inside was thick, not with heat but with power—an oppressive weight that made her skin crawl.

Inside, the main room sprawled like a coliseum. Students trained in designated zones, their MonBeasticores clashing in battles that lit the space with bursts of magic and raw energy. Aether and Celesse stood at the center of the chaos, locked in a duel. Aether’s MonBeasticore—a glowing ferret like creature that shimmered like starlight—was struggling against Mortis, the tiny basilisk that moved like lightning, leaving her opponent in the dust.

Mortis hissed triumphantly as it slithered over Aether’s MonBeasticore, striking a blow that sent it reeling. Aislin watched with wide eyes, her heart sinking as she realized just how far out of her depth she was here.

Rhea, though? She wasn’t the type to feel small. With a flair of arrogance, she strutted into the training zone, her feathers puffed up like she owned the place. Her sharp beak tilted up as she pointed at Charm, Frostie, and Ragdoll, her tone cold and sharp. “I’m callin’ you out,” she spat, her voice cutting through the room. “Let’s see if the hype matches the bite.”

Aislin’s stomach churned. She hated this. Hated the pressure, the stakes, the inevitability of a fight. She could stop time, sure, but what then? Her abilities might make her a contender outside the Drakov clique, but here? She was a side character in someone else’s war.

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Before anyone could react, the atmosphere shifted. A crushing weight pressed down on the room as two auras flared behind them, making the air heavy and electric. Aislin turned slowly, her heart thundering as she locked eyes with Selene and Ennuy.

Selene’s presence was suffocating, her aura a storm of raw Draconic dominance. Her white hair glowed faintly under the dim lights, and her crimson eyes burned with restrained fury. Beside her, Ennuy exuded a calm menace, his Incubi Dhampir energy dark and foreboding, like the calm before a deadly storm.

Rhea’s bravado faltered, her feathers fluffing in an unconscious display of submission. Selene’s voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Fall back,” she growled, her tone low and threatening. “Before I crash out on you like Truck-kun.”

The threat wasn’t lost on anyone. Even the room seemed to still, the weight of Selene’s words leaving no room for argument.

Aislin’s shoulders sagged in relief, though her heart still raced. She didn’t want to admit it, but she was grateful for Selene’s intervention. If Rhea had gone through with her challenge, it wouldn’t have ended well—not for them, and definitely not for her.

Aislin swallowed hard, her heart pounding like the bassline of a Ravetham club anthem. The heat of Selene's aura still lingered, heavy and unrelenting, making her knees weak. Around her, the room buzzed with tension. Conversations dropped to whispers, and even the MonBeasticore trainers in the corners of the room paused their battles, wary of the power shift that had just crashed into the Umbrus Pact clubhouse.

Rhea, always one to puff herself up, shrank back under Selene's glare, her feathers slicked close to her body now. Her beak clicked once, a nervous tick she didn’t often show. “A’ight,” she muttered, trying to play it cool but failing miserably. “We was just testin’ the waters, you feel me? Ain’t no need to turn up like that.”

Selene didn’t flinch, her crimson eyes fixed on Rhea like a predator deciding whether or not to strike. “Testing waters?” she repeated, her voice calm but laced with steel. “This ain’t your playground, birdie. You step wrong here, you drown. Simple as that.”

Behind Selene, Ennuy leaned against the doorframe, his posture casual but his gaze sharp. He radiated that lazy, dangerous confidence that came from knowing you could dismantle anyone in the room without breaking a sweat. His eyes flicked to Aislin briefly, and she felt like he saw right through her, down to the parts of herself she tried to hide.

Aislin averted her gaze, focusing instead on the floor. She hated how small she felt here, how outclassed. She thought back to Voira’s words—always calm, always guiding—but without her, Aislin was adrift. She could hear her own heartbeat over the hushed murmurs in the room, a constant reminder of her own vulnerability.

Celesse, meanwhile, stood in the training ring with Mortis coiled at her feet, the little basilisk’s eyes gleaming like molten gold. She watched the scene unfold with a faint smirk, her aura cool and unbothered, as though she knew the outcome before it even began. Her rival, Aether, had already backed off, his glowing MonBeasticore retreating to his side with a low whine.

Mortis let out a sharp hiss, a sound that echoed through the room and sent shivers down Aislin’s spine. It was a reminder of who really ruled here, and it wasn’t the rich girl with time tricks.

“Fall in line, or fall out completely,” Selene said, her tone dismissive as she turned her back on Rhea and the others. It was a calculated move, an insult wrapped in apathy. “And take the little one with you,” she added, her voice colder now, her gaze briefly flicking to Aislin.

Rhea bristled but didn’t dare respond. She grabbed Aislin’s arm, her grip firm as she started to pull her away. “Let’s bounce,” she muttered under her breath, her bravado cracking just enough for Aislin to notice.

Aislin followed without protest, her mind racing. Behind them, the clubhouse seemed to come alive again, students resuming their activities as though nothing had happened. But the weight of Selene’s presence lingered, a shadow that wouldn’t easily be shaken.

As they stepped outside, Aislin let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. The cool night air hit her like a slap, and for a moment, she felt like she could finally breathe. But the relief was short-lived. She glanced at Rhea, who was clearly rattled, her feathers still trembling slightly despite her best efforts to hide it.

“Why’d you even start that?” Aislin asked, her voice quieter than she intended. “You know we’re not ready for that kind of heat.”

Rhea shot her a glare but didn’t respond immediately. After a long moment, she sighed, her shoulders slumping. “Look, you either step up or you get stepped on. Ain’t no in-between here. I ain’t tryna be nobody’s doormat.”

Aislin frowned but didn’t argue. She understood the logic, even if she didn’t agree with it. In a place like Rave U, strength wasn’t just a tool—it was currency, survival, identity. And without Xyra or Voira to lean on, Aislin had to find her own way to stand tall. She just wasn’t sure she could.