The cold bite of winter swayed at my cheeks as I strolled casually through the bustling streets. A soft layer of snow blanketed the ground, crunching under my boots with every step. People were out and walking as the tournant is a type of festival for everyone and working people got their holiday. Despite the chill, their faces flushed and their voices lively. The air buzzed with excitent, conversations about was happening around in small small talks.
"Did you see the match yesterday? She was sooo incredible!"
"Cutiepie defeated last year's champion—can you believe it?"
"She's unstoppable. I've never seen anyone fight like that!"
I kept my face straight but smirked to myself inside, shoving my hands into my jacket's pockets as I passed by a newsstand. My face stared back at from the front page of nearly every newspaper. Bold headlines scread about the tournant, about my victory over Seraphine, the legacy of Damascus family. There were pictures of mid-fight, my aura blazing, my face intense. I stopped for a mont, scanning the headlines.
"Cutiepie Crowned Finalist!"
"Shocking Upset: Last Year's Champion Defeated!"
"Cutiepie – The Rising Star of the Tournant."
I shook my head, amused. The attention didn't bother . If anything, it was kind of fun seeing everyone so invested. Fa wasn't sothing I'd ever sought, but now that it was here, I didn't mind it one bit.
Hehehe, I thought to myself. This kind of makes famous, doesn't it?
I continued walking, the chatter following wherever I went. People on the streets began to recognize . So greeted with a polite nod or a bow. Others were bolder, calling out to or wishing luck for the finals.
"Good luck, Cutiepie! We're rooting for you!"
"Show them what you're made of!"
I waved casually at a few of them, acknowledging their support. A group of children caught my attention as I walked past a park. They were pretending to fight, mimicking my moves and even quoting my lines from the tournant.
"You think you can defeat ? How naive," one kid said, trying to sound intimidating. He struck a dramatic pose, and the others laughed.
"Cutiepie wins again!" another shouted, raising his arms in triumph.
I couldn't help but chuckle. They were terrible actors, but their enthusiasm was infectious. It felt surreal to see kids playing pretend and acting like . For a brief mont, I let myself enjoy the absurdity of it all.
By noon, I found myself in a cozy little coffee shop tucked away on a quiet corner of the street. The place was warm and inviting, a welco escape from the winter chill outside. I ordered a cup of coffee and took a seat by the window, watching as snowflakes calling down.
The television mounted on the wall played highlights from the tournant. Every so often, the people at the cafe glanced up at the screen, murmuring about the fights.
My na ca up often, and I noticed a few people sneaking glances at . I ignored it, focusing on my coffee instead.
As I took a slow sip, I heard the soft chi of the door opening. A familiar presence filled the room, and I didn't need to look up to know who it was.
"Master," ca Alpha's calm, composed voice.
I gestured to the seat across from without looking up. "I was waiting for you," I said.
She slid into the seat gracefully, her denim skirt, knitted tightly around her as she sat folding her legs in graze.
Alpha always carried an air of quiet confidence, her pink hair glinting faintly in the soft light of the café. Her piercing eyes t mine, and for a mont, neither of us spoke.
"Congratulations on your victory," she said finally, her tone warm but asured.
"Thank you," I replied, setting my cup down. "It was an easy fight."
Alpha nodded, her gaze flickering toward the television where a replay of my match against Seraphine was playing. "You've beco the talk of the city," she said. "It's well-deserved."
I smirked, leaning back in my chair. "I suppose it is. Though, I doubt you ca all the way here just to congratulate ."
Her expression shifted, growing serious. "You're right," she said. "It's about Darius."
I raised an eyebrow, the na instantly catching my attention. "I figured as much," I said, recalling the notification on my phone. It had buzzed while I was sleeping naked beside Seraphine in my room. I was checking making it doesn't disturb her sleep.
"What about him?" I ask. "Found any clue on him?"
Alpha's voice lowered slightly, her tone cautious. "We've been investigating him," she began. "The shadow mystics have been following him for weeks, observing his movents. And… we've uncovered the truth."
I leaned forward, my interest piqued. "Go on."
She hesitated for a mont, as if weighing her words carefully. "Darius is the traitor," she said finally. Her voice was steady, but there was an anger in her words. "We saw him eting with bandits."
I frowned, the weight of her statent sinking in. "Bandits?" I echoed. "Didn't we already deal with them?"
"The true ones," Alpha clarified. "The ones pulling the strings from the shadows. Darius has been working with them all along."
I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "Of course he has," I muttered. "I suspected as much as well."
Alpha's expression softened slightly, but there was still a hint of tension in her eyes. "It wasn't easy to confirm," she admitted. "He's been careful, covering his tracks. But we have enough evidence now. His betrayal is undeniable."
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I studied her for a mont, my mind racing as I processed the information. Darius had always been a wildcard, but I hadn't expected this. Still, the pieces were starting to fall into place.
"It's confird, then?" I asked, my voice low.
"Yes," Alpha said firmly. "There's no doubt."
"So... what about Seraphine?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the swirling coffee in my cup. The steam rose in soft spirals, curling into the air like whispers of warmth against the cold winter outside.
Alpha's expression didn't waver. "She doesn't know anything," she said, her voice steady but tinged with a faint trace of pity. "She's innocent and completely blinded by his presence. She sees him as a father figure."
I let her words settle for a mont, exhaling deeply. My fingers tightened around the cup, the warmth grounding against the weight pressing down on my chest.
"I know…" I murmured, my voice low.
Sighh* A soft sigh escaped my lips, and for the first ti in a long while, I felt a pang of sothing close to sadness. I wasn't sure if it was for Seraphine herself or for the storm she was unknowingly walking into. Perhaps both. She didn't deserve this. Not the lies, not the betrayal, and certainly not the fallout that was about to crash down around her.
My mind played back flashes of her—her smile, her fierce determination in the arena, and the way her eyes lit up whenever she talked about Darius. For her, he was more than a ntor. He was a protector, soone she trusted with an unshakable loyalty. And now... that trust was nothing more than a fragile illusion.
I glanced at Alpha again, her silver eyes unwavering as she watched . "Since when?" I asked, my voice breaking the fragile silence. "Since when has he been in this?"
Her answer ca without hesitation, as if she'd already prepared herself for the impact her words would carry. "Since Seraphine's father was labeled a traitor," she said.
The world seed to stop for a mont. Her words hit like a sharp gust of wind, stealing the air from my lungs. I blinked, my gaze snapping to hers, searching her face for any hint that she might be wrong. But Alpha didn't falter. She never did.
My fingers slackened around the coffee cup as my thoughts raced. The air in the café felt heavier, colder, despite the warm glow of the lights and the hum of quiet conversations around us.
Slowly, I turned my face toward the window, where snowflakes fell in a gentle cascade, blanketing the streets in the ethereal beauty that felt almost cruelly ironic for what was about to happen.
"This is ssed up…" I muttered, my voice barely audible. I leaned back in my chair, my gaze distant as I stared at the falling snow.
Seraphine had been so happy, her love for radiating in every gesture, every word. Yet, fate was cruel; the weight of pain and sacrifice lood heavily over her, descending not from one side, but from all directions, threatening to shatter the warmth she so selflessly offered.
—Just then
"So, when are we going to do it?" I asked, a sly smirk playing on my lips as I turned to Alpha.
She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly, her mouth parting in confusion.
"Tomorrow," she finally said, her tone steady despite her visible hesitation. "When finals of the tournant happens, the bandits will be there too. They have plans… to take Seraphine out of the picture as per Darius's order."
My smirk deepened as a low chuckle escaped . "They dare to harm my girl?" I muttered, the thought alone igniting sothing dark within .
Hehehehehehehehehe
The laughter bubbled out, soft at first, then growing louder, darker. Oh, those fools had no idea what they were walking into.
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