Sera and Lukas had been inseparable since childhood. From the moment they learned to walk and speak, they had leaned on each other. They were two souls growing side by side in a world ruled by claws, instincts, and tribal law.
For Sera, reborn from a modern world, the beast world was bewildering. She was clumsy, naive to its customs, and often wandered too close to danger. Lukas had always been her shield, pulling her back from the jungle's edge, guiding her through the tribe's unspoken rules.
In return, Sera taught him things no beast man had ever known. How to read, write, and do math. Lukas never saw the point, not at first. But he listened. And those lessons became the foundation of his rise.
Only nobles were taught to read. So when Devon discovered Lukas could decipher scrolls and records, he declared Lukas fit to be the next chieftain. The council couldn't disagree.
Sera had thought it a blessing. With Lukas as successor, she could quietly guide him, offering ideas, solutions, strategies. He would speak them aloud, and the tribe would listen. It was their silent partnership, built on trust and shared purpose.
Lukas had always been fair. Just. Thoughtful. Sera would never have helped him rise if she believed him corrupt.
So when he sabotaged Aiden, she couldn't understand it.
There must be a reason, she thought.
She made her way to his home, heart heavy with questions. At the door, she knocked three times.
Lukas's voice rang out from inside. "Who is it?"
"It's me. Sera," she said softly—using the name only he knew. The name from her past life.
A pause. Then a sigh.
"Come in."
As soon as Sera opened the door, she saw Lukas behind a desk busy reading reports sent by the council. Sera remembered the time when he couldn't read, he would complain how pointless it was and now he's sitting behind a pile of reports.
"Those seeds, they were the seeds I gave you, weren't they?" Sera asked, she was hoping he'd say 'no, they're not.'
Lukas looked up from reading. he set down the leather papers and sighed deeply.
"They were," Lukas said.
Sera stood in silence, disappointment settling heavy in her chest.
"You gave him seeds that were dead," she said, her voice trembling. "Why?"
Lukas didn't flinch. "I gave him the seeds that were given to me."
Sera nearly scoffed. The deflection stung more than the truth.
This wasn't the Lukas she remembered—the boy who used to shield her from danger, who spoke with honesty even when it hurt. That boy had vanished.
"You wanted him to fail," she said, eyes narrowing. "You didn't need to do all this. Not in front of a hundred people. You could've just said, 'No, we can't accept you.'"
Lukas's jaw tightened. He looked away, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing against his silence.
She doesn't understand, he thought. Even if I wanted to reject him, I couldn't. Not with the tribe watching. Not when they see him as a savior.
"It's not that simple," he said finally. "Everyone sees him as the answer. No one asks why."
"Setting him up wasn't the answer." Sera said.
"Don't overthink it," Lukas said, his tone clipped. "This is simply a test—to see if that Tiger beast man is honest and trustworthy."
Sera's frown deepened. The explanation felt hollow.
"A test?" she echoed. "You gave him dead seeds and called it a test. You should hear the irony in that."
Lukas didn't respond, but the silence between them thickened.
"You're judging his honesty by deceiving him," she continued. "If that's your measure of trust, maybe it's not him we should be worried about."
Lukas looked at Sera for a long moment, then sighed—quiet, bitter.
He knew Sera could be oblivious sometimes. Clumsy, yes, but sharp when it mattered. That's what made it worse. She saw through council politics, through layered lies—but when it came to him, she missed every sign he gave. Every warning.
He hated Aiden. Not just because he was a Tiger beast-man, not just because the tribe whispered about his strength and promise.
He hated him because even now Sera is defending him. He hated overthinking but knowing Sera can be naive, he might actually make advances towards her.
"Sera," he said quietly, "a Tiger and a Leopard can never coexist."
The words hung in the air, heavier than they should've been.
Sera hesitated, her thoughts tangled. Maybe her words wouldn't reach him—not now, not like this.
It might be better to leave and find a way to help Aiden. There was no hidden agenda. She simply wanted to fix her mistake.
Aiden deserved a fair trial, even if Lukas despised him. Personal feelings had no place in tribal matters.
She turned to Lukas, her voice steady but soft.
"You are the chief. Our future rests in your hands."
She wanted to say more—so much more—but those words would have to carry the weight.
They meant everything.
With quiet grace, she bowed and turned to leave.
Lukas watched her, knowing exactly what she would do.
That was Sera. Upright, stubborn, and painfully sincere.
Before she could step outside, his voice stopped her.
"I'm doing this for you."
'No,' Sera thought, 'not for me. For yourself.'
She didn't turn around.
She walked away as if she hadn't heard a thing.