"Get him!" Ren's voice thundered through the cleaning store like a war drum.
Bren stepped forward, cracking his knuckles one by one, the sound sharp and deliberate. His shadow fell over Cassian, who was still slumped against the wall, bleeding and bruised. Bren's face twisted into something that looked like pity, though everyone knew it was just arrogance wearing a mask.
"Don't think of us as evil," Bren said, rolling his shoulders as he moved closer. "You angered the wrong person, that's all. We're just doing our jobs here."
Cassian lifted his head slowly, his eyes meeting Bren's without flinching. His lip was split, his shirt was torn, and he looked like he'd fall over at any moment. Still, he smiled.
"Oh?" he said quietly, pushing himself off the wall.
The boys tensed, thinking he was about to run for it again. They shifted positions, closing off any escape. But instead of bolting like a coward, Cassian stood there… and chuckled.
Then he laughed.
It started low and shaky, but quickly turned into a full-blown cackle that echoed across the room.
"Ahahahahahahahaha!" He laughed so hard it made the four boys exchange uneasy glances.
"You pathetic losers," Cassian said between breaths. "Don't think of us as evil, you angered the wrong person, we're just doing our jobs… blah blah blah." He mimicked Bren's voice with exaggerated hand gestures. "You people actually hear yourselves when you talk?"
His tone sharpened. "Have you idiots no shame? Why the hell am I even calling you dudes idiots? Dogs. Yeah… dogs fits better."
The air went quiet. Even the sound of the dripping faucet in the corner stopped feeling normal.
Cassian took a shaky step forward, his grin wild and taunting. "That's what you are. Filthy dogs. You lick the boots of anyone stronger than you, and you bark at the weak like it makes you powerful. Pathetic."
Luca clenched his jaw, but it was Bren whose expression shifted first. His brows twitched, his fists tightening.
Cassian didn't stop. He was too far gone now. The pain, the anger, the humiliation, it was all boiling together into something sharp. "You think bullying me makes you strong? You think Damon's gonna reward you for this? Please. You're just his pets, wagging your tails hoping for scraps. You idiots need a reality check, because news flash" He jabbed a finger toward them, "…you fuckers are losers. Sore losers."
The words hit harder than any punch he could've thrown.
The four of them froze for a second. Even Ren, who usually wore that smug, confident grin, was glaring now, jaw tight. Bren, however, looked the most affected. His usually empty expression twitched as a vein pulsed in his forehead.
"You called us dogs?" His voice was dangerously calm, almost too calm.
Cassian smirked, blood staining his teeth. "Oh, sorry. Did that offend you?"
Bren's face twisted, his calm breaking like glass. "I'll show you how dangerous a dog can be."
Before anyone could react, his foot slammed against the ground, and heat exploded from his body. His eyes flickered crimson as his pupils vanished into flame.
"Bren, don't!" Ren shouted, his voice panicked now.
But it was too late.
Bren's fists ignited, bright orange flames coiling up his arms like living serpents. The floor beneath him cracked slightly from the heat, and the smell of burning air filled the room.
Cassian blinked, momentarily taken aback. He didn't even realize Bren had reached that level of control. Fire affinity? Just great. As if getting beaten up wasn't bad enough, now he was about to get roasted alive.
He sighed quietly to himself. "This day just keeps getting better."
The other three backed away slightly, fear flashing in their eyes. None of them expected Bren to go that far. Using magic inside academy grounds was a punishable offense, even for outer disciples.
But Bren didn't care. His rage drowned out reason. "You think you can insult us and get away with it?!"
Cassian could feel the heat searing his skin from meters away. Sweat dripped down his temple, mixing with the blood already on his face. His body was trembling, but his grin didn't fade.
He raised his head and met Bren's fiery gaze with his usual defiance. "If you're gonna hit me," he said, voice rough but steady, "then do it properly. Don't keep talking like a cheap villain."
That one line made Bren snap completely.
In an instant, the fire around him flared brighter, and the air shimmered between them. The cleaning store that once smelled like soap and damp rags now reeked of smoke and burning wood.
Ren reached out in panic. "Bren, stop! You'll kill him!"
But Bren was already in front of Cassian, his flaming hand cocked back, the heat intense enough to make Cassian squint.