You? Dare to call me a coward!?

Aria's plan worked. Harper calmed down and closed her eyes, and very soon, her breathing evened.

Aria continued to hum the tune until she was sure Harper was in a sleep deep enough that she would not awake even in her absence.

"I wish I remembered the words. They really worked like magic." Aria muttered as she stroked Harper's head.

She disentangled herself from Harper's hands and stood up. As soon as Aria moved away from Harper, her whole presence changed.

If anyone had seen Aria right now, they would have been afraid to approach her. That was the level of rage that was coming from her body. Aria's expression too had lost all the kindness and comfort, and she looked like a beautiful goddess that has been severely angered by the acts of mortals.

Aria climbed onto her window and jumped out. In less than five minutes, she was standing in front of the four boys, who had been trying to remove the earth and free themselves.

All of them froze at the sight of Aria, feeling such unmistakable terror that they were unable to utter a peep or even tremble.

Aria advanced slowly and said through gritted teeth, "Now you all tell me. What should be done with you?"

One of the boys found his voice and stammered, "Pl-please....let...let us go....We.. we are...." At this point his teeth started to chatter from fear as Aria had advanced towards him.

Her face turned darker and she grew more angry, if it was indeed possible to grow anymore angry than Aria already was. "You...You want me let you go!!!??? Did you think about letting that poor girl go while she was begging???!!!!!" Aria's voice trembled with anger. It was a wonder that she was still in control of herself and had not lost herself to rage.

The boy cowered like a little rabbit in front of a lioness. And that was indeed the way it felt to the four of them. Aria punched him in the face, forgetting that she could do more damage if she used bending.

"YOU....DARE.....TO....ASK...FOR...MERCY!!!" Aria shrieked one word with each punch she hit the boy with.

As she backed away, panting, Aria's knuckles were covered in blood. Whether her own, or the boy's, even she didn't know.

One of the other three seemed to have lost his mind upon seeing one of his buddies being beaten. He yelled, "Who are you to punish us? You are no one! If you dare, untie us!! You are just a little coward, a...." The boy never finished his sentence, because he fell over on the ground.

Aria had released the four of them. She looked at the boy who had just spoken and said, "Okay. Now show me what are you made of. Dare to punish a coward?" Her voice sounded to the boy like a death sentence. He instantly knew that if he even moved one step forward, that would be the end of his life.

The boy sat still like a statue as Aria spit on the ground, "You dare call me a coward! You?! Who had to have four boys when trying to overpower a single girl tied to a tree!?!?!?!"

Upon uttering these words, Aria advanced towards him. She felt rage about to take over, but Aria no longer cared. The only picture in her mind was Harper's when she had found these four animals bending over her.