She tapped the mana-infused pin on her chest, causing a faint, rhythmic pulse of blue light to ripple across its surface. The pressure Kai had felt earlier intensified—a subtle wave of energy designed to exert dominance over the weak.
It was a clear display of status and power, a silent reminder that she wasn't just any woman on the street; she was a Hunter, someone with the means to provide a life of luxury and protection.
Fuck... alright. First things first, this bitch is clearly a Hunter.
Kai finally understood what that pin indicated. It was a badge showing she was an official Hunter recognized by the Kingdom of Avalon. He didn't know exactly how strong she was, but she carried herself with dangerous confidence.
Kai was about to respond when he felt the temperature around him drop by at least twenty degrees. He didn't need to look at Aria to know her patience had officially reached its limit. The ice-blue light in her eyes was no longer just a flicker; it was a brewing blizzard.
Aria finally moved. She didn't yell or make a scene; she simply stepped forward, placing herself between Kai and Elena. The movement was so fast and fluid it was almost a blur. She didn't touch the woman, but the sheer force of her mana was like a physical wall crashing into the blonde.
"He gave you his answer," Aria said, her voice sounding like the cracking of a glacier. There was no emotion in her tone, only a flat, terrifying promise of violence. "Now, take your hand away before I decide you no longer need it and freeze you into a popsicle."
Elena raised her brows, her eyes shimmering with a newfound sense of intrigue. She realized that the young girl standing beside her "prey" was not just some pretty ornament or a mere companion—she was genuinely powerful.
Elena's piercing green eyes locked onto Aria, her expression smug and dismissive at first. However, as she took in the unmistakable combination of shimmering silver hair and those deep, ice-blue eyes, the smirk on her face slowly faded, replaced by a look of dawning realization and confusion.
"Ashford?" Elena whispered, the name carrying a weight that seemed to momentarily quiet the noise of the mall around them.
Aria didn't relax for a second; her body remained as tense as a coiled spring, ready to strike at the slightest provocation. She replied in a severe, biting tone that left no room for negotiation.
"That's right. I'm Aria Ashford, and my mother is Alexandra Ashford. Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll take your hands off him this instant. I swear to the gods, if you persist, I will make you suffer the worst kinds of punishments known to humankind! I will make sure you regret the day you ever looked in our direction!"
Despite the open threat and the sheer intensity of Aria's gaze, Elena didn't look intimidated. Instead, she suddenly tilted her head back and smiled. It was a beautiful, mesmerizing look that could have graced a magazine cover, yet the words she spoke next were cold enough to send a sharp shiver down both their spines.
"Did you really think that the low A-rank hunter hiding in the back there could protect you from someone like me?" Elena asked, her voice dropping to a low, dangerous hum.
She glanced toward the distant crowd where a shadow seemed to shift. "If I truly wanted to do something to you, or take what I wanted, you would already be gone before you could even blink. Unless your mother has suddenly gained the ability to teleport across the city, even she couldn't stop me in time."
Aria froze, her aggressive posture faltering as a genuine bit of apprehension seeped into her voice.
"Do you… do you know my mother?"
The blonde woman remained quiet for a few agonizing seconds, letting the tension build until it was almost unbearable. Finally, she gave a simple, knowing smile.
"My name is Elena Grace. I'll be one of your professors at the Academy starting next semester. Did you really think that just because you quietly left your estate, bringing the minimum amount of servants with you that you would be safe? You're lucky it was me who found you out here today instead of a rival family or someone looking to settle a score."
Shit.. I just fucking got here and a boss level character get's dragged out here all of a sudden, what kind of dogshit luck do I have
Kai shifted uncomfortably as Elena turned her sharp attention back to him. Her expression was now a complex mix of deep curiosity and predatory danger.
"As for you, little boy… don't think you can hide the fact that you possess an ability from me. My eyes see more than most," she said, her gaze scanning him as if she were looking right through his skin to his very soul.
"It seems Alexandra is quite lucky that all of her children turned out to be ability users. But it's more than just power. You have a fire in your eyes—a spark of defiance. You don't look like those other weak and disgusting men who live only to serve. In this world, that can be a great blessing, but it can also be a terrible curse."
Elena stepped back, her presence still weighing heavy on the air. She smoothed her clothes and turned around to walk off into the distance, her heels clicking rhythmically against the marble. However, before she completely disappeared into the sea of shoppers, she paused and threw a final, sharp warning over her shoulder.
"Little boy, if you value your life and your pride, you better prove yourself to be valuable. You better grow some real strength. Otherwise, you're just going to spend your entire life hiding under some woman's skirts, waiting for the world to swallow you whole."
The clicking of Elena's heels finally faded into the ambient noise of the mall, but the weight of her words remained, hanging over them like a thick fog. Kai watched her golden hair vanish into the crowd, his mind racing.
He wasn't just thinking about her beauty or her warning—he was thinking about the fact that she had looked right through his "normal" façade and figured out that he had awakened an ability.