Rebirth: Childhood friend of the heroine

"Again, I cannot express how thankful I am that you are accompanying me, Headmaster " Inside the carriage, only two people could be seen. One of them was the speaker who just thanked the older man across from her.

The headmaster of the Soulforge Academy, Hector, was currently accompanying the same silver-haired lady who came to ask about Alex.

The reason he decided to tag along was because the lady belonged to a foreign land, and despite the reason, if she caused chaos, the responsibility would fall upon Hector. And also, he was curious to know the whole thing about Alex so he decided to go on a little trip.

They boarded the carriage and were now moving toward the Steelhound's territory.

"It's not such a big favor, Lady Beatrice. And it has been quite a long time since I traveled to a different land other than the Capital." The Headmaster assured her.

Beatrice offered a soft smile before her eyes turned towards the outside scenery. There was a strange tension in her eyes that made Hector curious; urging him to ask,

"Are you okay? You haven't rested the whole day...is there something concerning?"

Beatrice, without moving her eyes, told him, "I...have a bad premonition. I am not aware of the seal and the curse...however, I know for sure a way to weaken the seal."

Hector frowned, "Is there a way to weaken the seal without the spell caster getting involved?" Earlier he heard from her that only the spell caster can break the seal on Alex.

However...now...

Beatrice looked at the man, before telling him, "The reason why I was so hurried to reach him, and was against the thought of letting him get this internship is because of the same reason"

Hector removed his glasses and while wiping them with a dry fabric, he asked, "Please be more clear, lady."

His tone shifted a little, and it was justifiable for him to be stressed. The being they are concerned about here can easily destroy an entity without having the intention to.

Beatrice explained, "Alex's curse would overpower the seal if Alex is pushed to the brink of helplessness. When he accepts defeat....his curse would try to break the seal."

Hector shook his head, "But he never showed such signs of...having inhumane traits when he was facing the Soulless and was on the verge of death. Has the curse disappeared with time?" The last bit was nothing but hope.

However, Beatrice gave him a reason which burned his hopes.

"At that time, Alex might not have accepted defeat. The curse wouldn't come into play until Alex doesn't surrender...and loses his will to fight. Until there is a spark of hope that he could defeat the foe with his own strength, the curse won't show its effect."

The carriage was engulfed in silence after that, and now Hector realized the reason behind her apprehension.

Currently, Alex probably is in the most dangerous territory of Grimland. And facing dangers that could push him to surrender is not impossible.

'I hope you don't end up committing something regretful, Alex....' Read exclusive content at empire

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Eric, for a long time, couldn't hear the loud explosions from the outside. Inside the room, only his mother and Eric were present, and they were getting treated by the servants so they could rejoin the battle.

His mother has overused her abilities, and because of that, her eyes were currently wrapped with bandages, and an artifact was covering her ears to block her senses.

Eric frowned, and after he told the servant to move away, the man got up from the bed.

Limply he strolled towards the window from where he could gaze at the battlefield.

And the scene that greeted his eyes made every strand of his body stand erect, and his eyes widened to their farthest reach.

'The...fuck....'

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Amanda was weeping constantly as she applied a thin layer to the ice of Edric's burnt body while David fed him a recovery potion and applied healing gel on his burning skin.

If not for David providing a boost, Edric might not have been able to make it. Edric received the blast head on and despite his berserk state, he wasn't able to completely absorb the effect.

"...I-I...am s-still...h-handsome...right?" Holding her hand weakly, Edric asked in a shaky voice.

Amanda sobbed before scoffing, "You look like a burnt rooster."

Edric's lips stretched ever so slightly as he asked, "Y-You a-ain't gonna dump...me...right?"

"If you don't recover then I might. So just get better already!" She couldn't stop herself from shedding more tears as she covered her face and continued to wipe her tears.

Edric felt his heart wrenching in pain, seeing his lover in such a state.

However, before he could have tried to console her, suddenly David got up from his seat, garnering the other two's attention.

"Brother?" Amanda asked as she saw her brother advancing toward the window.

"...why did everything turn silent?" His question made the other two terrified, as the only conclusion they could land upon was quite disturbing.

David slowly made his way towards the window, and upon looking at the forest, his body shook.

"Brother? What is happening outside?" Amanda asked in anxiety, as she also got up and approached her brother.

David was too shocked to say anything, so Amanda looked at the scene, which made her brother so petrified.

However, once she gazed at the scene awaiting, her eyes parted wide and lips parted in shock as well.

....the hunter has turned into prey.

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Rebecca couldn't believe her eyes, and with an ecstatic smile, she sat on a boulder and looked at the wolf who was running around—crying for its life.

She didn't know how and why, but her beloved went through some kind of changes—his teeth grew sharper and longer, his nails and hair grew longer, shining brighter than the moon. His whole demeanor made her shiver all over, and somewhere in her lower half, something began to salivate.

Currently, Alex was lunging high in the air, chasing the wolf like a ferocious beast who had been starved for months and now was allowed to hunt whatever came in its path.

The wolf howled in pain and fear as it continued to launch destructive spells at Alex. However, none of those attacks stopped Alex, nor did any of those injuries remain on him for long.

Is he a human? This was the question most likely anyone would have thought upon seeing such traits. However, Rebecca wasn't concerned about it. All she knew was that her Darling was hungry and watching him catch his prey was fun~~~~~

"*AWOOOOOO*"

Rebecca grinned; she knew this howl was for help. However, there was nothing in the vicinity that could help the big pup now.

Alex descended like a predator, his body twisted mid-air, his glowing eyes locked on the grimoire. His fingers clawed into the wolf's thick fur as he landed on its back, his weight driving the beast to its knees.

The wolf bucked violently, its roar deafening, but Alex didn't falter. With unnatural strength, he tore into its flesh, his nails ripping through the hide as if it were paper. Blood sprayed, thick and steaming, drenching Alex's face and clothes.

His movements were frantic, feral. He dug deeper, his fingers sinking into the beast's muscle, his teeth bared in a manic snarl. The grimoire pulsed beneath its skin, glowing faintly as if resisting him. But Alex wouldn't stop—he couldn't.

Rebecca watched in horrified fascination, her grin faltering.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

From her view, Alex wasn't targeting the grimoire—he was consuming the beast itself.

The true beast is finally claiming its prey.

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A/N:- Thanks for reading.