"But I believe in Rayna, there is no way—"
"I know," Soren's tone was low, firm, "we all believe in her. But it's the villagers who are the issue..."
"Rayna literally saved the entire village, healed them, and these villagers—just ungrateful beastmen..." Ezra muttered, his jaw tight.
Rayna stirred at the sound of their voices, the murmurs cutting through the haze of her slumber. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open. At once, Ezra and Soren leaned closer, concern etched across their faces. Yunxi, on the other hand, vanished in a blink and returned almost immediately, holding a small wooden cup filled with water.
"Here," Yunxi urged softly, passing it to her.
Rayna sipped, the cool liquid easing the dryness in her throat. She set the cup down, her voice still rough as she spoke.
"What was it that you guys were talking about?" she asked, looking between them with searching eyes.
"Nothing for you to worry about, sunshine." Ezra smiled faintly, his fingers combing gently through her tangled hair.
Rayna narrowed her eyes. "Come on, I'm curious now. Are you guys seriously hiding something from me?"
The three of them exchanged glances, a heavy silence settling between them until Yunxi finally broke it.
"Yeah... it's better to tell her."
Soren sighed, crouching on his knees and leaning closer, his voice soft but edged with unease. "Well, my love, since dawn, when I went out to stretch my legs and make a basic patrol, I heard whispers... unpleasant ones. Rumors circulating about you."
Rayna's brow furrowed, a flicker of unease tightening her chest. "What rumors?"
Ezra hesitated for a beat, then met her gaze squarely. "They're calling you dangerous. After seeing your powers, they're afraid you'll harm them too."
"And... they're calling you cursed," Yunxi added hesitantly, his voice barely above a whisper.
Rayna's eyes widened. The word struck her hard. Cursed.
"Why are they calling me cursed?" Rayna asked.
"Because..." Ezra began slowly, his voice heavy. "Your eyes, Rayna. They turned red—and here, in these lands, red eyes have always been a bad omen. The villagers grew up on old tales, passed from one generation to the next—stories of people who were consumed by darkness, whose glowing eyes meant they were cursed by the spirits, fated to bring disaster wherever they went. When they saw you, with that blazing power raging through you, and the way you tore through those beasts with such ruthless force... they ignored the fact that you saved them and instead focused on how your power—it's something to be afraid of. And fear makes people whisper. Fear makes them call you cursed."
For a long moment, she couldn't speak. Her throat tightened, her thoughts tangled. Finally, she asked, "Do you guys... think the same? That I'm cursed?"
The silence that followed felt deafening. It wasn't that her mates hesitated, but her mind didn't wait for their answers—it filled the gaps with its own negative whispers.
Her overthinking began clawing at her, dragging her down into the familiar pit of doubt. What if they do think it? What if even Ezra, even Soren, even Yunxi—all the ones she trusted most—are secretly afraid of me?
She thought back to the fight. The way the power had surged through her, uncontrolled, violent. The red blaze in the sky, the beasts shredded beneath her hand. It hadn't been gentle or protective. It had been ruthless. Merciless. Terrifying.
Could I really blame them if they were scared? If they looked at me like a monster like the villagers were whispering about?
Her heart clenched as another thought struck her: Will they hate me now?
Rayna had always carried this habit, this curse of her own mind—the tendency to assume the worst before the truth could reach her. It was her armor, her way of bracing for rejection before it came. But here, in this moment, it didn't feel like armor. It felt like chains wrapping tighter around her chest, dragging her deeper into the fear that she was not their beloved—just a cursed thing they would one day leave behind.
Soren immediately interrupted her spiraling thoughts, his voice firm yet gentle.
"What made you think that way, my love? Of course not. Never. You saved us all—how could we ever think such a thing about you?"
His words were steady, but Rayna's heart still trembled. In her world—back where she came from—people never hesitated to turn on her. The moment she faltered, even in the smallest way, criticism would come like a tide: sharp words, harsh blame, condemning eyes.
Perhaps Rayna was still trapped in that world, at least in her mind. Still carrying the belief that the people closest to her would, sooner or later, look at her with the same suspicion, the same negativity. Still fearing that all it would take was one misstep for even her mates to see her not as their saviour or mate, but as something dangerous, cursed.
Ezra reached out without hesitation, wrapping his strong arms around Rayna and gently pulling her onto his lap as though to shield her from her own thoughts.
"Sunshine, it's never going to happen," he murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead. His voice was steady, filled with a certainty she could lean on. "You're our precious one... our pretty, special, beloved mate. We believe in you—always."
Yunxi settled beside Rayna on the other side, slipping an arm around her in a gentle side hug.
"Rayna," he said softly, "I know you have a habit of overthinking... but please, don't think like that about us. You were the first to look at me as if I was just... me. Not strange, not ugly, not less." His voice grew firmer, his eyes warm. "How could I ever think you're cursed, or be afraid of you?"
Yunxi's words had struck right at the heart of Rayna's fear. She sniffled, her voice trembling.
"I didn't mean to think like that... I just wanted them gone—those scorpions, those spiders."
Ezra tightened his embrace, rocking her slightly. "Shhh, sunshine. We know. Calm down... you don't have to explain."
A long silence hung in the room until Soren finally spoke, his voice firm.
"I don't see any point in staying here anymore. If these villagers can't be grateful, then so be it. Let's resume our trip to the Beast City."
Yunxi nodded immediately, his eyes brightening. "That's a great idea. I've always wanted to go there."
"Then it's settled," Soren said. "Pack the essentials again. We were headed there before all of this happened anyway."
Rayna's thoughts whirled. Yes, Beast City... they were supposed to be going there already. And now, after everything, she needed answers more than ever. What did her mark mean? Was this power—this blazing rage that surged through her veins, the red ball of energy—truly because of the mark? She had to find out.
"Yeah... alright. Let's go," she said at last, determination hardening her tone.
Ezra glanced toward the door. "Before that, let's visit the village chief once. Then we'll leave."
Rayna gave a small nod. "Agreed."
As they packed their belongings—food, clothes, and essentials—Yunxi spoke while tying up a bundle.
"Guys, since Rayna has healed most of the beastmen, the pressure here is really low now. My work as an assistant healer isn't needed much anymore. And nearly all the women have already given birth. For the few who haven't, I've stocked enough herbs in my hut. I'll just deliver the supplies to the healer's lodge and bid him farewell for now. I'll meet you at the boundary, alright?"
Ezra gave him a pointed look. "You'd better not keep us waiting too long."
"Yeah, yeah," Yunxi laughed, grabbing a few bundles before heading off.
Rayna, Soren, and Ezra walked together toward the village chief's hut. But with each step, Rayna felt it—the stares, the whispers, the murmurs that trailed behind her like shadows. The word cursed floated too often, too loudly, though no one dared say it to her face. She didn't pay much heed to it. After all, Soren, Ezra, and Yunxi had already helped her calm down earlier. She clung to their presence like an anchor.
When they entered the village chief's hut, the air shifted.
"Oh, Rayna!" the chief exclaimed warmly, rising to hug her. She had fully recovered, thanks to Rayna. Gratitude glimmered in her eyes. "Are you resuming your trip to the Beast City?"
"Yes," Rayna answered softly.
"Very well," the chief nodded, then shuffled to a corner. "Wait, I have something for you." She handed Rayna two full bundles of dried fruit. "They're sweet and a little tart. Perfect for cravings on the road."
Rayna smiled faintly, touched by the gesture. "Thank you."
"Have a safe trip. I hope you find all the answers you're looking for." The village chief said.
Rayna nodded. With a brief bow the three of them left the village chief's hut.
But the warmth faded as soon as they stepped outside. The villagers' eyes followed her every move—narrowed, suspicious, lingering too long. The air was heavy with whispers and rumors about all sorts of things.
Soren's jaw tightened. He met the villagers' gazes head-on, his glare sharp as steel. Ezra mirrored him, his protective presence radiating beside her. Under their combined glares, most of the villagers quickly looked away, pretending to be busy.
"These ungrateful brats," Soren muttered darkly, his voice low but dripping with contempt.
As they neared the boundary, Rayna spotted the female she had helped hide during the attack. The female approached her timidly, lowering her voice.
"Hey... are you going on a trip with your mates?"
"Yeah," Rayna replied with a small smile.
The female pulled out a scarf from behind her arms and offered it. "It's not much, but... it's my way of thanking you. I know you're not cursed. You're our savior. So thank you for saving me. For saving all of us."
Rayna accepted it with a soft smile. "Thanks." She draped the scarf around her neck and nodded in farewell. The female nodded as well.
Just as they reached the village boundary, Yunxi came running, a little out of breath. "I'm on time, right? ...Nice scarf, Rayna." He said still gasping for breath.
Rayna chuckled as he straightened himself. "Okay, we're set. Let's go."
Soren shifted into his beast form, his wings stretching wide.
"Oh—we're flying?" Rayna asked.
Soren gave a short nod.
"And what about us?" Yunxi glanced at Ezra.
Ezra grinned. "We'll just ride on your back, right Soren? You're big enough to carry us all." He batted his eyelashes playfully, and Yunxi immediately copied him.
"Pleaaase, Soren," they said in unison, their faces far too cute to ignore.
Rayna couldn't help but laugh. "Can you resist their charm, Soren? Come on..."
Soren shook his head, sighed, and finally gave a reluctant nod.
"Yayy!" both of them cheered, scrambling up.
Rayna climbed on first, with Ezra and Yunxi settling behind her.
"I know you're a tough guy, but carrying three of us is no joke. Don't worry—we'll only go as far as the —Moss Rock today. You're the only one who can fly us there this quickly. You're strong, and your beast form is incredible." Ezra praised Soren. Maybe also trying to butter him up a little.
Yunxi nodded agreeing with whatever Ezra said.
Soren shot Ezra a glare, then, without a word, spread his wings and launched them into the sky.
And so, with the wind beneath Soren's wings, the path to the Beast City stretched out before them—waiting to reveal what lay ahead.