The Darkclaws approached slowly, one calculated step at a time.

We stood at the top of a hill, yet it felt as if there was no escape. They both advanced from the same direction, but I still felt cornered, trapped, with nowhere to run.

My heart skipped a beat, and I froze as their massive forms emerged from the treeline, darkening out the vibrant green of the scenery.

Why were so many Darkclaws here? They weren’t the type to move in packs. They didn’t need to. If they wanted something, they could get it on their own. So why…?

The answer was terrifyingly obvious sticking me with a cold gust of wind.

My eyes widened, and the fear that had kept me rooted in place a moment ago melted away into something greater.

If a creature as powerful as a Darkclaw was forced to band together with its kin, it could only mean one thing—something even worse was lurking.

My thoughts flashed to the dreadful brown beast, glancing over my shoulder and scanning the area in case it was somewhere around here. After all, the math checked out.

One Darkclaw alone wouldn’t stand a chance against that thing. But two? Maybe three? There was still the one we’d left behind in the cave. Even then, I’d bet on the brown creature if it came to a fight. But I wouldn’t be surprised if I turned out to be wrong. After all, there was power in numbers.

I shook my head, forcing myself to focus. No, even if these Darkclaws could match the beast, they wouldn’t risk it. Why fight it when they could gather more of their own and overwhelm it? Which meant they weren’t here to hunt. They were running away from it.

In the beginning, that is.

At least, we wouldn’t need to worry about that beast, but that didn’t really change our situation. We were still face to face with two Darkclaws, and a third was on the way.

I stepped forward, ready to act.

Based on our brief encounter earlier, I thought I might stand a fighting chance—though I wasn’t confident. The beast hadn’t been prepared then, and it never really tried to fight back. I could be completely wrong. But none of that mattered now. I wasn’t about to let them hurt Mira. Today was supposed to be perfect, and I was going to keep it that way.

Before I could make a move, though, Mira tightened her grip on my hand, pulling me back.

“Listen to me, Lyon,” she whispered, her voice tense. “I’ve found a way for us to escape, but...” She trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.

“But what?” I asked instantly, already bracing myself for the worst.

Her brows knitted together, and she bit her lip, clearly hesitant. “I need a little time to prepare the spell. And…” she trailed off again, never finishing the sentence, starting a new one. “I’ve already called for help, but it’ll take a while for them to arrive.”

I blinked, glancing from her to the Darkclaws and then back. “What’s the problem, then? I’ll stall them until help arrives.”

To me, it seemed obvious what needed to be done. I just had to hold out long enough. I could do that. I think.

“That’s the problem,” she said softly, emotion straining her voice. “Lyon, dear, sweetheart, I don’t want you to get hurt. What sort of... guardian would I be if I were to be constantly putting you in danger?”

“W-what?” I stammered, taken aback.

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It was the first time I’d seen this side of Mira. She was always protective, sure—constantly reminding me to come home before nightfall, to watch out for wild beasts and even for a few poisonous flowers. She’d even had Horny follow me around as a shield, I had realized as such for a long time now. But this… this was different. It wasn’t just her usual concern. It was something deeper, something warm and fierce. Something I didn’t understand but somehow felt in my chest.

Under any other circumstance, I would’ve embraced this feeling, let it wrap around me and make me feel safe.

But not today.

Today, it was my turn to protect her. My turn to make her feel safe.

I held a hand of hers in both of my own.

“It’s fine, I won’t be in danger, I’ll be careful, I promise.” I said trying to smile the way she did to me every time.

For a moment, her grip tightened, but then it softened. Taking advantage of it, I gently pulled free and turned to face the Darkclaws that were nearly upon us.

With no time to come up with a proper strategy, I had no idea what I was doing. All I knew was that I had to keep them away from Mira. But how?

Then it hit me.

It didn’t have to be a two-on-one fight.

I raced down the hill toward the beasts, hoping to split them up. They paused, startled by my sudden approach. But as soon as they realized what I was doing, they charged forward with a feral intensity.

Closing in on the nearest Darkclaw, I watched as it rose onto its hind legs. The white tips of its claws gleamed in the sunlight, slicing through the air until—

Whoosh!

I skidded to a halt pushing the earth beneath me to help me jump back just in time, narrowly avoid the strike that would’ve torn me into pieces.

All of a sudden, the name Darkclaw didn’t sound so weird.

As Its claws descended, the light vanished from them, blending seamlessly with its black fur.

It was almost as if they had disappeared completely. If I hadn’t caught the faint shimmer of quint at the last moment, I wouldn’t be having the luxury to be angry right about now.

‘Seriously? Being big and strong wasn’t enough? They had to be sneaky too?’

At least now I knew to watch for that shift.

Before I could adjust, the second Darkclaw took its chance, swiping at me with a low, horizontal slash. Simple, but if it hit, it would’ve taken half of me with it.

There was no room to jump, and ducking wouldn’t get me out of its reach. With no other option, I threw myself backward, dropping flat on the ground.

I squeezed my eyes shut as the claws whistled past, missing my head by less than five centimeters. The air pressure alone stung my skin.

Still alive and mostly unharmed, I opened my eyes only to came face to face with another paw coming down, massive claws aimed right at me.

Rolling desperately to the side, I felt the tremors of the impact as it slammed into the ground where I’d just been. Another swipe followed. And then another. Each time, I dodged by the barest margin, my body screaming at me to move faster.

Finally, during one of its missed slams, I saw my chance. I pushed off the ground with a gust of wind, launching myself high into the air.

My fingers caught the coarse fur of the the nearest beast’s back, gripping tightly as I hauled myself onto its massive frame.

The Darkclaw roared, twisting violently to shake me off.

“Not happening!” I shouted, clinging onto it with all my strength.

My heart pounded in excitement, hesitation and fear long gone.

As I stared down into the hungry eyes of the second beast, I felt almost like I was the predator. Outmaneuvering them filled me with a euphoria that made me believe that even if no help came, even if Mira couldn’t finish her spell, I would still be able to defeat them.

But that feeling only lasted for a moment.

Just because I’d climbed onto the Darkclaw’s back didn’t mean the fight was over. It simply meant that, for now, I only had one opponent to focus on. And this opponent was still thrashing, trying to throw me off.

This had become a battle of endurance, where I would either lose my grip and fall—or Mira would complete her spell, and we’d escape.

But… if I was honest, it didn’t have to be.

There was a way to defeat the Darkclaw beneath me. Not with wind, not with water, and not with earth. There was another way. But—

My thoughts distracted me for a split second, and my grip nearly slipped.

That wasn’t even the worst part.

The second Darkclaw seemed to lose interest in me, turning its gaze toward Mira.

“No!” I shouted instinctively, and that one mistake almost cost me everything.

The beast I was clinging to needed just a single moment—one instant where my grip faltered—and it seized it. It didn’t try to shake me off like before. No, it did something I never expected: it rolled, attempting to crush me under its immense weight.

Ironically, it was my loosened grip that saved me.

Because I wasn’t holding on tightly, I had just enough room to thrust my palm forward, sending a powerful burst of wind that propelled me backward, out of reach.

I landed a safe distance away, gasping for breath, just in time to see the second Darkclaw halt in its tracks.

Its eyes weren’t on me, or even on its fellow beast.

They were focused on something behind me.

A low growl reverberated through the air—a sound I knew very well.

Help had arrived.