I finally caught up to the park. Those two better be there, Williamson thought to himself.
At the edge of the park, under the shade of a tree, two guys were duking it out. Winter's entrance interrupted their scuffle, prompting both of them to break apart and come over to greet their friend.
Eddy and Kyle—already skipping class—wore matching expressions: mischief in their eyes, bruised egos on their faces.
Kyle had a square face with a chubby frame. He stood pretty tall for his age.Eddy, on the other hand, had a smaller frame and was always sniffling, carrying a tissue box like it was part of his body.
"Are you trying to avoid us?" Kyle said, arms crossed.
"And I know why," Eddy added, narrowing his eyes. "It's that new beetle of yours. Rumor has it there's a red beetle in town—and the description of its owner sounds an awful lot like you."
I shrugged. "Didn't know you had detective skills."
"Books are a big help. You should try one sometime," Eddy replied, smugly.Eddy and Kyle's eyes were glued to the beetle inside the box I held.
I couldn't help but smile, amused at my friends' curiosity. "Wanna test it?"They leapt at the offer. Less than five minutes later, I'd wiped the floor with them.
"What the hell, man?" Eddy said, stunned.
"Where'd you get that thing?" Kyle asked, leaning in and rubbing his jaw."
I hesitated before answering. "Remember that exhibit at the Auraline Experimental Lab a few weeks ago? I kind of… snuck into the off-limits zone. They were showcasing this red beetle, and I think they said it helped them with demon hunting or something. I wasn't really listening—I had my eyes set on catching this beast."
"You stole it?" Kyle gaped.
"Borrowed," I corrected. "Permanently."
That's when Eddy's expression turned serious. "Then you have to help us. There's this guy—Zake. He's taken all our beetles. Not just ours. A bunch of other students, too. Word is, he's holed up at Yuaaw University now."
"We're talking about a senior," Kyle added. "Like, third-year level. Monster-tier."
It was the first time someone had asked me for help. Not for a chore. Not for a favor. But because they believed I could win—because they believed I mattered.
"Say less," I said, already walking.
The university walls were pretty high, as if it was built specifically with us commoners in mind—those who couldn't afford the tuition fee—from catching even a glimpse inside.
Kyle and Eddy crouched in a way to form a makeshift ladder. I climbed up and pulled them in when I reached the top. My school outfit made me stick out like a sore thumb. The campus of Yuaaw was enormous—sleek buildings infused with mana-tech, trees in certain courtyards, and huge walkways beneath our feet. Everything was precisely placed. We kept to the side paths, heads low, hearts pounding.
We spotted a senior near the east wing stairwell.
"Where's Zake at?" Kyle asked.
The guy gave a slight nod toward the rooftop.
We moved quickly up the steps, and there he was.
Zake. Kyle and Eddy were sweating at the sight of the guy.
Six feet five. All muscle. The kind of guy whose shadow looked like it had biceps. He was just about to pull a cigarette from its box, ready to light it, when his eyes met ours.
"I'm here to challenge you for a beetle battle, you are in university and still bullying guys younger than you, have some shame and focus on getting a decent job, rather than playing kids' games".
Eddy and Kyle stare at Winter for the obvious irony in his statement.
He didn't even glance at me properly. "Not interested," he muttered, as if the cigarette was the only thing worth his attention.
But then, he saw the beetle strapped to my wrist. His eyes sharpened.
"Where'd you get that from?"
Disregarding his question, I have only one thing in mind, "Let's make it official," I said, raising my palm. "Through a vow."
His lips curled into a slow grin. "Fine. If you beat the beetle of my choosing, I'll release all sixty-three I've taken. But if you lose…" He didn't finish the sentence. He didn't have to.
The vow shimmered into existence between us, glowing with binding mana. It was irrevocable and irreversible—a legal agreement written under the king's design.
The rooftop buzzed with raw mana as Zake summoned his monstrous black beetle. Its red core pulsed like a warning siren.
"Ignis. Time for your next victim."
I raised my hand. Red beetle—Tank—emerged in a flash of light, sleek and focused. The duel would take place on an unfinished pillar, specially designed to conduct such battles.
Zake smirked. "Overdrive Fang."
His beetle charged.
"Right, then kick!" I shouted.
Tank dodged and drove a glowing heel into the enemy beetle's back. Sparks erupted. The crowd of students watching from nearby rooftops gasped."Core Burn!" Zake barked.
Zake's beetle rolled onto its stomach, core exposed. Vulnerable. But Ignis was skilled. It spun through the red wave of energy with its shield raised, unharmed, and quickly balanced itself.
Tank held firm, then drove its blade deep into the black beetle's leg, and the enemy collapsed.
One final strike to the core, and Zake's beetle gave up.
I stood in silence.
My beetle had won.
Zake didn't smile anymore.
I had actually done it. I'd won. A bubbling thrill surged inside me, though I kept my composure. These beetle battles might be childish—but they were still damn fun.
"You know the deal," I said, catching my breath. "Release them."Zake stared at me for a moment. Then, without warning, he stepped forward, his frame so huge compared to mine, and his hand transformed into a fist, then he punched me in the gut.
collapsing to my knees, gasping like a fish on the ground. "I'm not good with fighting. What now? Eddy and Kyle can't help, they are too much of a chicken".
"I am keeping the deal," he said, smirking. "I told you to beat the one I chose. You did. But the condition was vague—because what I meant was, you'd have to beat all sixty-three of them. You only beat one."
He opened a small leather pouch, no bigger than his palm. Inside, the mana twisted violently, like a storm waiting to escape. With a flick of his hand, he pointed it at my wrist.
My beetle—my stolen miracle—was sucked inside. Gone in an instant."You didn't uphold your end of the vow," Zake said. "So I get to keep your beetle."
Then he turned and walked away, leaving me kneeling on the rooftop. My heart ached as I became just another name on the list of guys Zake defeated. Oh, he didn't even ask for my name.
Disappointed.
Not in Zake.
Not even in the trick he pulled.
In myself.
Because for one shining moment, I thought I was different. Thought I could rise above the life I hated.
Throughout my seventeen years of existence, I believed the most painful feeling was knowing you're weak. But there's something crueler than being weak.
It's realizing that even at your best, someone else is still better.