Page 108 of The Blackened Blade

His hands pull me closer into him, but the feel of his body heat has me leaning in further, hoping to soak up the warmth and rid myself of the cold that's seeped into my bones.

A small tremor works its way down his body, his hands clutching me tighter as he carries me. He turns his gaze toward the forest in front of us and slowly begins walking. He doesn’t ask me anything and doesn't push me to talk right away. Instead, allowing me to take a moment to relax and feel the small relief of being safe.

I look toward his face; his gaze is cold and hard, his brows are cinched downward and his jaw is tight. His lips pull into a straight line as he looks ahead and makes his way through the forest. A strange dark look bleeding through his eyes as we moved.

It's a complete contrast to his slow careful movements and the soft hold he has on me, or the warmth that seeps into my skin with his gentle touch.

“How did you…” I start, but he answers as if he already knows my question.

“I had finished my duties earlier than expected and thought you would be training, as you usually do.” He gives me a knowing look, breaking his cold and dark gaze, turning it into something softer as he glances down toward me.

“When you weren’t there…” He hesitates for a moment, looking to the trees ahead of us as his steps grow slower, his eyes slightly glossy as he continues. “I felt that something was wrong. So I began to check the surrounding area. I heard a noise in the distance...” His grip tightens around me and I wince. He catches the slight shift in me, quickly loosening his grasp and gives me an apologetic look.

He stops walking and looks down at me, the coldness in his eyes completely thawed as he meets my own. “What happened, Micai?”

His deep green eyes search mine for answers, a strange expression pulling at his features as he watches me.

But what do I tell him? That I was drugged by a group of students that hate me?

That they tied me up and let wild magical beasts loose to hurt me?

That I killed one of them, but was attacked by another one soon after?

And that I was then saved by a much bigger and terrifying beast that I’d fought before?

There were too many strings attached to everything, too many stories and explanations that would have to be told to understand how I got to this point. And even if I did tell him everything, he couldn’t help me, not really.

Even if he tried, it wouldn’t stop them or change their minds.

Sometimes violence had to be met with violence. And I had every intention of showing them they made a mistake by messing with me.

“Micai…” He places his hand over mine, one I had put on his chest and tightened without realising it.“Tell me so I can help.” His forest green eyes plead with me, a look of genuine worry seeping through his gaze as he awaits my answer.

And something prickles at my chest with the look. I could see the concern in his features, the anguish in his eyes and something else; an anger or fear waiting patiently behind it all…but this was for me to deal with.

And I had been holding myself back in the academy for too long.

I let all those pretentious assholes get away with too much and let them believe I was still the same girl as before.

Maybe a part of me had convinced myself that they were all just bad pranks and things that I should tolerate. And that it wasn’t real torture, or that they hadn’t really hurt me…that it wasn’t like the Facility.

But that was the problem.

The Facility wasliterallya prison and a place of true nightmares and Hell. Nothing could compare to that.

I had gone easy on them, thinking they were still‘kids’. But I too was once a kid, and they spared me no mercy then, or now.

I had been put through enough. But not anymore.

“Micai, you need to–” He calls before stopping and taking a slow breath. He closes his eyes before opening them again, his gaze now more firm and resolute.“I can help. Whoever did this to you…will pay.” His eyes darken, his gaze turning to our front before he begins walking again.“Give me their names or their years…anything.” He grits out, a slight tick forming in his jaw as his brows pinch downward.

I follow his hardened glare and spot the grey roofing of the academy in the distance. My limbs stiffen as a slight chill works its way up my back with the thoughts of heading into the academy.

I couldn’t go there. Not likethis.

I wouldn’t give them all the satisfaction.

“Micai–” He continued, but I cut him off, twisting around and trying to break free from his embrace. His grip tightens as he tries to stop my movements, a confused expression drawn across his face.

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