NERO VERYNN
I let out a sharp breath and opened my eyes. A groan escaped my lips, and I quickly shut them again as the sun greeted me with its harsh heat. My back was on the ground. My uniform was still on.
"Where am I?" My voice came out hoarse, tired, weak.
Dragging myself to my knees, I spotted a boulder in front of me. When I lifted my gaze, the fox-like creature was sitting right on top of it, staring straight into my soul.
Its gaze was curious, angry—and mostly disappointed.
Its eyes looked much bigger than before. My attention drifted to the spot where it had been injured. Healed. Completely.
"Good, you're awake."
A voice spoke in my head– feminine. It carried no emotion, no warmth. Smooth, calm, yet heavy with authority. I couldn't tell if she was trying to dominate me or just stating a fact. I tilted my head slightly, and to my surprise, the spirit beast mimicked me, tilting its head too.
Amazing.
She really had formed a contract with me. The realization sent a strange warmth through my chest. I never thought I'd have the chance to bond with a spirit beast, no matter how weak it was.
Even though she was just an E-Class beast—the lowest rank—it meant something to me. Something precious.
I could feel her restless scoff inside my head.
"I'll name you Nyssa," I said, smiling. For the first time in a long while, I felt genuinely happy.
Nyssa didn't want to ruin my mood, so she only rolled her eyes. I could sense her disapproval—apparently she thought the name lacked grandeur. Still, I had chosen it because it reminded me of Neryssa Windcrest, the woman whose strength I had admired the day before.
I slumped against the boulder to rest my back on the boulder.
"What are we doing here?"
We were deep in the woods, but the area was open. I could hear the trickle of running water somewhere nearby—a stream. My senses felt sharper, clearer. Maybe this was one of the perks of bonding.
I raised my bitten palm. The teeth marks were still there, but the pain was gone.
"I was expecting to meet a stronger person," Nyssa said flatly inside my mind.
Her words pierced deeper than I cared to admit. She jumped down from the boulder, padded toward me, and sat facing me.
She wasn't wrong. I was weak—born with a dormant core, cursed with the worst kind of luck.
"I'm sorry I didn't meet your expectations, Nyssa," I said quietly, pressing a hand to my chest like I was taking an oath. "But I promise, I'll grow stronger. Strong enough to protect our bond."
"Your mana core was quite delicious," she said matter-of-factly. "I ate about seventy percent of it."
I froze.
My mana core? The same core I had been hoping to awaken one day?
"You ate what?" My voice was cold, empty.
Nyssa didn't flinch at the killing intent that slipped from me. Her expression was calm—almost bored.
"I saved us both," she said simply. "My core was wounded, so I needed someone else's to heal mine. If it makes you feel any better, I'll help you manifest your core to its full potential."
I sighed and got to my feet. She was my bond now. That meant everything I had was hers too. I kicked a few loose stones across the dirt and tried to breathe through the frustration.
"You should mourn your parents," she said suddenly. Her voice carried a chill that sliced through my chest.
And just like that, reality came crashing back. My home. My mother. My father. Everything was gone. I hadn't even seen the faces of the ones who did it.
My heart hardened. I made my decision then—I would kill them. Every last one of them, whatever they were. Even if it costs my life.
I started toward the stream, tears slipping down my cheeks though my face felt numb. Nyssa followed behind me, silent except for the faint crunch of her paws. The only other sound was birdsong.
"You seem familiar with bonding," I said after a while, wiping my tears. "Have you bonded before?"
She was quiet for a moment, thinking.
"I don't remember anything," she finally said.
I wasn't sure if she was lying or truly lost. If she didn't trust me, why had she bound herself to me at all?
"How did we get here? Who brought us?" I asked.
Her irritation rippled through our link, but she still answered. "I did."
I arched my brow. "You're small."
Her claw raked across my leg before I could react. Pain shot up my thigh. She didn't even pretend to care; she just walked past me toward the stream.
"Mages from your school were sent to inspect the destruction site," she said without turning. "They probably think you died in the blast."
"Oh, so did you drag me here with your teeth or something?" I asked, half-smiling.
"You don't learn, do you?" she muttered, pausing to drink from the water.
I stepped beside her, hands on my belt. "Look away. I need to take a leak."
Disgust radiated from her so strongly I almost laughed. She rolled her eyes and padded toward the bushes.
"I'm older than you, you know," she called from behind the leaves.
I blinked, caught off guard. Indeed, her voice always carried a weight that felt… ancient.
"How old are you?" I asked.
She didn't answer.