Chapter 3

“Ares, what are you doing?” A sharp laugh cut through the quieted field. “Did you really rush over to cradle a defective little bunny over a tiny hit of mana?”

“Look at him,” another batchmate chimed in, smirking clearly audibly. “The great Ares, panicking because his servant got a little bruised. Molly’s blast wasn’t even full strength! If your bonded beast is that weak, maybe you’re just wasting your academic credits on a glass doll.”

The snickers rippled through the crowd like wildfire. Ares’s body went rigid. The warmth of his hands holding me up abruptly turned cold. The guilt in his eyes evaporated, instantly replaced by a wave of burning embarrassment as he looked up at his peers’ mocking faces.

He shoved me away.

Without his support, I hit the dusty ground, coughing up another crimson streak across the dirt.

“Tsk. Pathetic,” Ares snapped, his voice elevated so the whole crowd could hear him. He wiped his hands on his trousers as if touching me had dirtied him. “Getting knocked out by a stray wave of mana. You really are useless, Adria. Stop exaggerating and get up.”

Molly hurried to his side, sliding her hand into his arm with an apologetic, innocent pout. “I’m so sorry, Ares... I didn’t mean to expose how fragile she is in front of everyone.”

“It’s fine,” Ares said coldly, turning his back on me entirely. “She’s just weak. Let’s go, Molly.”

He walked away without looking back once.

My vision blurred into absolute darkness as the

cold ground swallowed my remaining strength.

When my eyes slowly fluttered open, the crisp, chemical smell of antiseptic filled my senses. White ceiling tiles. A soft, rhythmic pulse of a recovery charm nearby.

I was in the Academy’s Beast Hospital.

“Ah, you’re awake,” a nurse murmured, checking my spiritual veins. “You’ve been unconscious for three full days. That mana strike disrupted your internal core, but thankfully, you survived.”

Three days.

A quiet relief washed over me. Three days had passed. The contract time was up. Today was the day I was finally leaving.

I didn't wait. Despite the lingering ache in my chest, I pulled off the monitoring charms, gathered my few personal belongings, and signed my own discharge papers. I needed to pick up my two little kittens, pack our tiny bags, and vanish before the sun set.

As I walked down the white marble corridor toward the exit, heavy footsteps echoed from the opposite end.

Ares.

He was walking fast, his brow furrowed in a tight scowl, hand pressed firmly against his own chest. The moment his eyes landed on me, he stopped.

Through our fading bond, I could sense the faint phantom throb he felt—the spiritual link alerting him that his beast had suffered a severe physical shock. Because we were bonded, my organ damage had finally reverberated to him once the initial surge settled.

“Adria?” He took a step forward, his voice tense, eyes searching my pale face. “My chest... I felt a sharp pain just now. What happened to you? Are you alright?”

For a second, I saw a flicker of the boy I thought I knew. But it was far too late.

I kept my distance, my expression completely blank. I didn't glance at his eyes, nor did I let any weakness show in my posture.

“I’m fine,” I replied calmly, my voice steady and devoid of any emotion. “I just stumbled and twisted my leg on the way out. It’s nothing for you to worry about.”

Ares frowned, looking down at my feet, then back up at my face. “A twisted leg? But the pain felt—”

“It’s fine,” I interrupted softly.

I walked right past him, the distance between us widening with every step. I didn't look back to see his reaction, nor did I care if he felt the final, faint thread of our ten-year bond snap quietly into nothingness.

I picked up my kittens, took my small bundle of clothes, and walked out of the Academy gates—leaving Ares, his credits, and his precious master title far behind me.