The rest of the journey would have remained painfully silent if Ara hadn't eventually forced himself to speak. The tension Alex Renoff, the pompous head of Renoff Manor, left behind still hung in the air like a foul haze. Allowing that atmosphere to linger felt, to Ara, like handing Alex a victory he did not deserve. And Ara despised him too much to give him even that small satisfaction.
Yet even Vela, who usually had something witty or cutting to say, walked quietly. Zhiyi kept her steps light, her expression uncertain. And Aroha, normally sharp-tongued and fiery as a stirred phoenix, was solemn. Too solemn.
The strangeness of it all pressed on Ara's chest. What could he say that wouldn't make everything worse? He knew the girls were strong, and he'd been impressed by how well they handled Alex's manipulations. They were clearly more mature than he'd expected, especially Aroha.
Aroha… She really was prettier than he remembered. Her purple eyes flickered whenever the sun hit them, and her lips looked,
Wait.
What was he thinking?
Ara shook his head abruptly, banishing the intrusive thoughts before they could turn into something horrifying. Yes, Aroha was beautiful, but he'd met countless beautiful girls in his life, and they all acted the same around him. Swooning, breathless, dramatic. They weren't to blame, of course. He was exceptionally attractive, after all.
Too lost in his own ridiculous self-admiration, Ara didn't realise he was grinning foolishly with his hand propped under his chin, until he caught Aroha's creeped-out expression.
Great. So much for trying to break the awkwardness.
Zhiyi and Vela, however, burst into quiet laughter behind him. Even if it was at his expense, humour was still progress. Clearing his throat, Ara straightened and addressed Aroha with an exaggerated smirk.
"So, angry bird, what tales have reached Juza about me? Surely you've heard stories. I'm curious whether they differ from the ones here in the capital."
He puffed out his chest a little, trying to recoup the shred of dignity he had left. Rumours about him reached every corner of Maori; he and Zenon, the third prince of the Lo Kingdom, were easily the most sought-after princes on the continent. Though Ara was certain he was the better-looking one. And definitely the stronger.
Aroha sniffed. "Let me think… pompous, weak, and annoying."
Ara blinked. "Those, those can't possibly be the words anyone has ever used to describe me."
"Oh, absolutely," Aroha shot back, smirking. She had zero intention of feeding his ego with the swooning stories she had actually heard.
Ara scoffed dramatically. "It's fine. You can let it all out. Don't be embarrassed."
"Embarrassed? Me?" Aroha gave a sharp laugh. "If you want praise or gossip, ask Zhiyi. She's the one who won't stop talking about you."
Zhiyi turned scarlet.
Aroha stepped aside slightly, revealing Zhiyi's mortified expression. Zhiyi had been the one truly excited to meet the prince. If not for the promise of visiting the Croft Laboratorium, Aroha might have ditched them long ago. Large crowds and extended social interactions were exhausting.
"Oh? Is that so, Zhiyi?" Ara teased, leaning dangerously close.
Most girls melted when Ara pulled that move. Zhiyi teetered on the edge of becoming one of them, before she abruptly regulated her breathing and mana flow like a disciplined healer. She returned to composure almost instantly.
Ara blinked. "You're… still standing? Impressive."
He had fully expected her to fall. She looked like the type. Aroha, on the other hand, showed absolutely no signs of sway, not even when he tried his hardest. That, inexplicably, annoyed him more.
"Get away from her, you pervert," Aroha snapped, yanking him back by the collar.
Ara's guards stiffened instantly, hands ready on their weapons. Touching the prince like that should have been grounds for immediate retaliation, but Ara raised a hand, signalling them to stand down.
Besides, only one other person besides Aroha had ever treated him like that: Vela. Once inseparable, the two had drifted apart so suddenly that the capital was flooded with rumours, everything from secret romance to royal disapproval. The more boring truth was that Vela had simply become too busy, and Ara too overwhelmed with duties. But people preferred entertaining lies.
As Aroha continued scolding him, Ara was struck by how easily she manhandled him. For someone so petite, she was unusually strong. He had been with many women; none had strength remotely comparable.
Meanwhile, Vela had noticed something else entirely: Zhiyi's mana manipulation earlier. Her control was remarkable for her age. But watching Aroha and Ara bicker tugged at memories Vela wished she could forget. Still, she forced a smile.
Zhiyi, meanwhile, was surprised by how easily Aroha conversed with the prince. Ara was just as impressive and attractive as she had imagined, but he seemed oddly drawn to Aroha instead. Well… she still had Prince Zenon to daydream about. For now.
Without realising it, she began rubbing her chin just as Ara had earlier. And, predictably, Aroha's creeped-out stare jerked her back to awareness.
Ara burst into a laugh. "Hey, you picked up all my bad habits!"
They eventually reached the Croft Laboratorium, a secluded structure deep within the inner capital. Few citizens lived anywhere near it. The place housed some of the empire's most dangerous creatures, and although escape was theoretically impossible thanks to the sorcerers' barriers, people preferred distance.
The moment they approached, howls and guttural growls echoed through the corridors, an unsettling chorus that made Aroha and Zhiyi's skin prickle.
"They're louder than usual," Vela murmured.
Ara shrugged. "I'd say they're happy to see you, but I don't speak growl."
Vela elbowed him lightly. "You're impossible."
They were led to a heavily reinforced chamber.
Inside, restrained by enchanted chains, was the Lykan.
The humanoid wolf towered over them, its muscles grotesquely defined beneath patchy fur. Its amber eyes gleamed with a mixture of fury and pain. As Ara entered, the beast flinched, Ara had beaten it in a previous encounter.
But when its gaze landed on Aroha,
Its reaction changed entirely.
The Lykan stumbled backwards, scrambling into the farthest corner, trembling violently. The fear was primal.
"Oh come on," Ara said. "She's not that hideous."
Even he knew something was wrong. It made sense for the creatures to fear someone like him, someone stronger. But fear of Aroha made no sense.
Aroha ignored him. Her gaze locked on the Lykan, not its reaction, but its essence, as if she were seeing past flesh and bone. She stepped forward.
"Aroha, stop," Ara said quickly, grabbing her wrist. "Jokes aside, that thing is dangerous."
Vela nodded in agreement. Even she had never dared approach the beast unrestrained.
But Aroha didn't stop.
Something in her was responding, something old, deep, and terrifying.
Zhiyi suddenly felt a throb inside her chest. Aroha's energy had shifted. Her usual purple aura faded, replaced by something pale, almost white. It had happened once before in Juza. That same internal throb. That same frightening transformation.
Zhiyi swallowed. She could see their manas again.
Ara's mana was dense, feral, overwhelming, a testament to his Croft heritage. Vela's mana shone with sharp precision, controlled and bright. The Lykan's mana was turbulent, chaotic.
But Aroha's…
Aroha's mana was calm, serene, yet terrifying.
The calm before the storm.
No one else sensed it. But the Lykan did.
It howled in raw panic.
The other creatures across the Laboratorium responded instantly, their howls rising in a deafening cascade. Fear flooded the chambers, thick enough to choke on.
"Aroha, STOP!" Ara shouted.
But she continued walking toward the trembling Lykan.
She stopped in front of it.
"Be quiet," she said softly.
The beast froze, and collapsed unconscious.
Silence slammed into the room. Everyone stared at Aroha, horrified and awestruck.
"How… how did you do that?" Ara asked.
But as Aroha turned toward him, her eyes were cold, far too cold. Ara instinctively stepped back, every instinct screaming danger.
So that was what the Lykan felt.
"That's enough, Aroha," Vela said sharply.
She delivered a precise chop to Aroha's shoulder, and Aroha crumpled into her arms.
Vela exhaled shakily.
"You're just as terrifying as the Grand Healer said you'd be."