Chapter 4.3 - Nights are Dangerous

As Astron was lying unconscious, a profound transformation began to unfold in the environment around him.

The mist that had once concealed the presence of the demon now seemed to respond to an unseen force, swirling and dancing with an eerie luminescence.

The shadows grew deeper and more elusive as if they were under the command of an unknown power.

The air crackled with energy, and the trees swayed in an unseen breeze. The ground beneath him seemed to pulse with a newfound life force as if the very essence of the Mistwraith had merged with the surrounding nature.

The once dark and foreboding open field now appeared strangely serene, bathed in a soft, crimson moonlight that emanated from the crimson crescent moon appearing above Astron. It was as if a mysterious aura enveloped the area, casting an otherworldly glow upon everything it touched.

However, as the seconds passed, the shadows that had dissipated around the environment started swirling toward the young boy lying on the ground; with each movement, the pulsating aura changed.

"𐤁 Α ᚁ 𓀃 𐌂 Β 𓀀 Α ᚂ Α 𓀁 𐤁 Α Α ᚄ 𐌂 𐤂 Α ᚁ."

The shadows swirled and merged, weaving a tapestry of ancient symbols and intricate patterns upon Astron's unconscious form. Unseen energies surged through him, flowing like a river of power from the depths of the Primordial Demon's essence.

As the transformation reached its peak, the shadows and crimson moonlight dissipated, leaving behind a calm and serene forest. Astron's body gently descended to the ground, his eyes returning to their normal hue, but something had changed within him.

Just like that, the boy lay on the ground, blood still dripping from the wounds on his chest….

Little did he know someone was watching everything unfold…..

********

"What is this?" A young girl exclaimed as she looked at the scene unfolding before her eyes. "What is happening here?"

Because today was the day of the weekend and she had her assignments piled up, she was studying inside the library alone, trying to finish her assignments.

However, while she was studying, she forgot what the time was and how late it was… That was the reason why she took the shortcut inside the forest. She wanted to return to her dorms as fast as possible before the curfew.

But at that moment, she heard a voice coming into the forest. It was a scream….A scream filled with pain.

And following those screams, goosebumps filled her body as she flinched. Her element of light was screaming at her that there was someone that was her natural enemy.

A bunch of screams and a feeling of danger.

She felt fear; her body was shaking….

But, instead of backing away, she rather chose to follow the light in her heart.

'They might need my help!' That was what she thought.

However, the moment she got there, the scene she encountered made her stop…. It made her freeze on top of the place she was standing…

"What in the world is this?" It was a creature she had never seen.

Inside an open field in the forest, a gruesome scene was unfolding before the young girl's eyes.

"Dylan Miller?" She muttered the name of the young bulky man trying to escape. After all, he was a famous figure known as being a bully.

However, the thing she had seen before her eyes made her want to puke. The monster stabbed the young man with its claws, and in a matter of seconds, the body that was bulky turned into nothing but an empty shell…

Following his fate were two other bullies.

"Sophia Lawson and Mason…." The two people she never liked. Because they were the ones that tormented him…

The more she witnessed the scene, the more gruesome it became. She wanted to escape, but at that moment, the killing intent being spread from the monster was enough to freeze her movements….

However, in the midst of that gruesome scene, she saw a pair of purple eyes shining under the darkness of midnight….

"Astron?" As she mumbled his name, her heart became more clenched… Since she knew how weak he was….

'He is smiling?' But, as the shadows moved away only for a second to change their shape, the moonlight shone upon the boy revealing a crazed smile….

A smile that came from the boy that had never shown any expression in classes….

It was at that moment everything changed.

The monster turned its attention to him.

'NO!' She wanted to move, but she couldn't. Inside her heart, she also knew she would never be any help… After all, she was just a healer…. Inside her inexperienced and fear-filled head never once passed the thought of calling for help.

The monster attacked, trying to stab him in his chest just as it did with others.

'Don't die….' She wished for his well-being.

But, things were different….

"Now we are all alone…"

Since the coldest voice she had in her life echoed inside her head.

"I will erase your existence, just like I will eradicate your kin."

It was a voice filled with hatred. The purple eyes were glaring at the monster's very being…

It was at that moment something weird happened. First, a light shone upon the environment making the monster squirm in pain.

Then it was the lightning entering the body of the monster.

And finally, it was the crimson dagger that had stabbed the demon over and over again.

"DIE! DIE! DIE! DIE!"

As the voice filled with hatred and anger echoed, the dagger stabbed the monster's chest over and over again…

Until the monster lost its life….

As the last breath of the monster escaped its twisted form, a profound silence descended upon the open field.

The young girl stood there, her heart pounding, her mind struggling to comprehend the scene that had just unfolded before her eyes.

Before she lay the lifeless bodies of the bullies who had tormented Astron, their once imposing figures now reduced to mere shells.

And standing amidst the aftermath was Astron, the boy she had known as timid and weak, now wearing an expression of fierce determination and madness. His purple eyes, once so unassuming, were now filled with a crazed glint that sent a chill down her spine.

"What... what just happened?" she whispered, her voice trembling. She couldn't believe what she had witnessed – the weak and quiet boy had somehow become a force to be reckoned with, taking down the terrifying monster with seemingly unnatural strength and power.

As the crimson moonlight slowly faded, the environment around Astron began to change once more.

The swirling shadows and eerie luminescence that had enveloped the scene vanished, leaving behind a sense of calm that contrasted starkly with the chaos that had just unfolded.

The girl couldn't shake off the feeling that she was witnessing something ancient and powerful, something beyond her understanding. The symbols and patterns that had swirled around Astron's form were like nothing she had ever seen before, evoking an eerie sense of familiarity mixed with an unknown presence.

A soft breeze rustled the leaves of the surrounding trees, and the air felt charged with energy.

The crimson moonlight that had bathed the clearing had vanished, leaving only the soft glow of the crescent moon above.

As Astron's body gently settled on the ground, the girl approached him cautiously, unsure of what to expect.

She was torn between the desire to help him and the fear of what he had become. She reached out a trembling hand, hesitating for a moment before placing it on his forehead.

To her surprise, his skin felt burning….

'Ah… He is still wounded…..' She thought, immediately realizing he was burning up.

Then, in her mind instantly passed the thought of helping him. Her hand shone bright yellow and a mixture of green as her mana moved, activating her Trait.

In the dimly lit moonlight, the girl who had shining blonde hair and captivating green eyes healed the boy lying on the ground as the wounds slowly closed….

Even though the scars were still there, at least she was able to close the wounds.

'I need to look for other wounds.' She immediately realized how bad the situation of Astron was and knew she needed to look for every other possible wound.

"GASP!"

But the moment she lifted his shirt, the picture she saw made her gasp. A pale white body that looked weak…. It was filled with scars… Be it burn marks, cut marks, bruises… They were all the proof of abuse….

'Just what did you have to go through?' Her eyes teared…. In the end, she was a girl with a warm heart….

Her hand traced the skin of the unconscious boy as she looked for the wounds she could heal.

"Thank goodness there aren't any other wounds…." She mumbled in relief. But at the same time, she knew her skills might not be enough to cover the wounds in his chest; after all, the monster was huge and strong.

'I need to bring him over to the academy,' She thought.

The young girl carefully supported Astron's limp form as they made their way back through the forest. She couldn't help but glance back at the lifeless bodies of the bullies and the now-vanished monster, still trying to process what had unfolded before her eyes.

As they reached the outskirts of the forest, the girl noticed a group of academy instructors rushing towards them, drawn by the commotion caused by the battle.

"Student Sylvie, what happened there?"

"Please just help him first."

They were relieved to see Astron alive but unconscious and quickly arranged for medical help to tend to his wounds.

In the infirmary, the girl sat by Astron's bedside, her mind filled with questions and uncertainties. What had happened to him? How had he managed to defeat the formidable monster? And what was the strange power that seemed to have awakened within him?

The instructors were equally baffled by the events that had transpired. They had never heard about the existence of such a monster on the academy grounds, and neither did they expect it.

Following it, the headmaster of the academy arrived to assess the situation personally. She asked the girl about what happened there, and she recounted everything but left the transformation Astron went through.

Since in her heart, an instinct to protect him was awakened, for reasons unknown…

---------------A/N---------------

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