- 13 hours ago
The Outcast and Her Beasts
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Short filmTranscript
00:03On the first day of term, the freshmen at Evergird Academy of Arcane Beasts gathered to choose their sacred familiars.
00:09Once the noble heirs had claimed the deadliest and most prestigious creatures, only one remained.
00:15Inside the iron cage, an iron pack bear.
00:18The instructors laughed openly.
00:20A bear that cannot cast a basic levitation charm and a scholarship butt who barely made it through the gates.
00:25Perfect match.
00:26I drew a slow breath and let a drop of blood fall onto the parchment.
00:31The moment my fingers brushed the bear's fur, something slammed through the air towards me.
00:35Get your filthy hands off it, Poffet!
00:39Alaria charged straight at me and drove her shoulder into my chest.
00:42Her dragonhide boots counted against the greenhouse floor.
00:46Before I could regain my balance, she yanked the cage chain free and dragged the bear behind her.
00:52The starfall fox she had chosen earlier lay discarded on a nearby table like yesterday's trash.
00:58Alaria, have you lost your mind?
01:00I stared at her, my voice flat with ice.
01:03By Academy law, she had already taken the highest bloodline faletal in the room.
01:08The bear was mine by right.
01:11Lost my mind.
01:12I am preventing a ridiculous fast.
01:13Disgust dripped from every word.
01:15Faye, look at yourself.
01:17A freak living off charity.
01:20Dead last in every mana assessment shin.
01:22And you think you deserve a familiar?
01:25Even this useless bear, too stupid to learn levitation charm, would be wasted on you.
01:31She gave a sharp laugh, her voice ringing through the conservatory.
01:34Listen carefully.
01:35I will not allow the records of Evergold to be stained with a contract tied to blood as low as
01:39yours.
01:39This bear belongs to me now.
01:41I will use it for the most dangerous dark magic experiments.
01:44As for you, you can crawl back to your slum today.
01:47In my last life, the bear and I survived the Everwinter curse by huddling together against the endless cold.
01:53Aurelia's rare fox had died on the very first day.
01:57If she was fighting me for the bear now, then she remembered, too.
02:00She had been reborn, just like me.
02:03I looked at her sneering face and laughed from Shir Shirayuri.
02:07The temper I had afforded in that frozen nightmare surged up all at once, too violent to hold back.
02:13If I remember correctly, each student gets one familiar, and you have no authority over anyone else's choice.
02:19I stepped toward her.
02:20Put the bear down!
02:21Do you think this academy is your private vault?
02:24That you can take whatever you want?
02:26You dare speak to me like that?
02:28Aurelia's face twisted in disbelief.
02:30She was pure-bled nobility, a girl raised on obedience and flattery.
02:33My defiance was something she could barely comprehend.
02:35What if I do not?
02:36I said, lifting a brow.
02:38Then I will teach you your place.
02:40She raised her right hand.
02:42Fire coiled instantly in her palm.
02:43With a furious cry, a high-tier fireball shot straight for my face.
02:46Die, freak!
02:50Gasps rippled through the conservatory.
02:52No one had expected the head prof, famous for her elegance and kindness,
02:56to try to murder a classmate on the very first day of school over a discarded bear.
03:01The wave of heat rushed toward me.
03:02I did not even blink.
03:04My eyes sharpened.
03:05Mana roared awake inside me, and my body moved on instant, already preparing to strike back.
03:11Mana gathered at my fingertips, ready to strike.
03:13Then two blurs shot across the room and threw themselves into the fight.
03:17A thunderous roar shook the glass walls.
03:19The lumbering iron-horde bear had planted itself in front of me.
03:23At the same instant, the starfall fox cub sprang from the table and landed beside it,
03:26shielding me with its tiny body.
03:28The fireball crashed into the mana barrier formed by bear and fox, exploding in a spray of sparks.
03:32The impact drove both cubs backward across the floor,
03:35but they still absorbed the full force of the attack meant to kill me.
03:39Silence swallowed the conservatory.
03:41Everyone stared, stunned by the sight of two newborn familiars,
03:45risking themselves without hesitation to protect their master.
03:49You useless white-furred pest!
03:51Aurelia's shriek shattered the stillness.
03:53She stormed forward, seized the fox by the scruff, and hurled it across the room.
03:58The cub let out a weak cry and curled up on the floor, its fur scorched black in patches.
04:03Then Aurelia dropped to her knees in front of the bear, heedless of the dirt staining her gown.
04:08Her face crumpled with exaggerated distress as she scooped it into her arms.
04:12Oh, my poor baby. Are you hurt?
04:14That vicious freak almost got you killed.
04:16Do not be afraid. Your master is taking you away right now.
04:19I did not move. My eyes stayed fixed on the bear.
04:21That defensive stance.
04:23The flautless positioning that shielded my vital points in a split second.
04:27The fearless look in its eyes as it took the fireball for me.
04:31No newborn cub should have been capable of that.
04:33Those were our movements. Our instincts.
04:36The battle rhythm we had forged together in the Everwinter curse.
04:39Joy and grief crashed through me at once.
04:42I understood now. This was never some newborn instinct to protect its owner.
04:46The bear remembered everything.
04:48It was not only my memories that had returned.
04:51My old partner had come back with me.
04:54Professor, this ironbide bear was terrified protecting me.
04:57It is now my most precious bonded failure, and I must take it to the infirmary wing immediately for a
05:02full mana examination.
05:03Surrounded by her followers, Aurelia swept out of the echo conservatory with the bear in her arms.
05:08The vast greenhouse fell quiet.
05:10Only a few apprentices remained, exchanging awkward looks, and one abandoned starfall fox laying on the floor.
05:16Its bloodline was noble, but after being publicly rejected by the head prefect, it had been marked as unlucky.
05:22To these snobbish nobles, that mattered more than pedigree.
05:26No one even stepped closer.
05:28I let out a breath and crossed to the corner.
05:31The little fox lifted its head, trembling.
05:34They may treat you like trash, but I have always had a talent for finding hidden treasure.
05:38I crouched and gathered it into my arms.
05:41A moment ago, even with its weak little body, it had still thrown itself in front of me without hesitation.
05:47In my last life, because of Aurelia's incompetence and neglect, this fox with its ancient bloodline had developed painfully slowly.
05:53On the first day of the Everwinter Curse, it froze solid into an ice statue.
05:59Everyone called it a beautiful mistake.
06:01A noble freak with nothing to offer but looks.
06:04So what if it was a freak?
06:05In the Everwinter Curse, anyone willing to take a blade for you without hesitation was worth more than bloodline, title,
06:12or pride.
06:13I drew my silver dagger across my palm and pressed a drop of blood to the fox's brow.
06:17I, Fae, swear to bind myself to you.
06:19We live together.
06:20We fall together.
06:21We share honor and ruin alike.
06:22Crimson light blazed across the greenhouse floor.
06:25A ring of runic symbols rose around us.
06:27This was no ordinary symbiotic pet.
06:29This was the oldest and harshest bond of all.
06:32The blood oath of two souls.
06:35The little fox seemed startled by the power of the ritual.
06:38It stared up at me with wide eyes, then cautiously licked the blood from my fingertip with its warm tongue.
06:43From now on, it is us against the world.
06:47I rubbed its soft head and smiled for the first time in what felt like forever.
06:51Even if you are a tiny thing that cannot survive winter on your own, I will never abandon you.
06:58A few days later, the academy held its first year magic trial.
07:01Faea, get up here.
07:02Aurelia pointed straight at me, murder burning in her eyes.
07:05At her side stood the iron head bear, already larger than before.
07:08I stepped on the arena platform with the sleeping starfall fox in my arms.
07:12Aurelia moved close enough for only me to hear her.
07:16Stop pretending, Faea.
07:17I know you were reborn too.
07:19But do you really think moving first changes anything?
07:21That is pathetic.
07:22With that useless freak fox dragging you down, you will never survive the first day of the Everwinter curse.
07:26This time, I am going to watch you freeze into an ice statue and shatter into pieces!
07:31As the referee raised his wand, a voice suddenly entered my mind through telepathy.
07:35Easy there, little mage.
07:37It is me.
07:37Branbor.
07:38That idiot thinks she controls everything.
07:40But on the day of the contract, I made a few tiny adjustments to the ritual circle.
07:45His tone was pure mischief.
07:47She thinks she signed a fair symbiotic pat.
07:49What I actually turned it into was blood-bound servancy.
07:53And here is the best part.
07:54I am the master.
07:55She is the servant.
07:56Once the fight starts, relax and play along.
07:59I am not laying a claw on you.
08:01I nearly laughed out loud.
08:02That scheming bear was exactly the same ruthless operate I had known in my last life.
08:06The trial begins!
08:08The referee's command rang out.
08:09Alaria snapped her wand forward.
08:11Bornbor, tear her apart!
08:13Show her the absolute power of a superior arcane beast!
08:16The bear roared and charged straight at me.
08:18Behind him, Aurelia smiled in triumph.
08:20The massive paw came hurtling toward my face.
08:22I did not even raise a defensive spell.
08:24Gasps broke out across the arena.
08:26Aurelia was already laughing.
08:28Then the bear slammed to a stop.
08:31Its claws carved two deep grooves into the stone platform.
08:34In front of a horrified crowd, it calmly dropped onto its haunches,
08:37yawned, and began licking one paw.
08:40What are you doing?
08:41Attack her!
08:42Aurelia's scream cracked across the arena.
08:45Nope.
08:46The bear rolled its eyes.
08:49You feed me those cheap little mana crystals that are not even enough to fill the gaps in
08:54my teeth and now you expect me to break my back for you?
08:57You wanted a free slave.
08:58Not happening.
08:59I quit.
09:00The arena erupted with laughter.
09:02No one had ever seen a familiar go on strike in the middle of a duel because the pay was
09:05too low.
09:06Aurelia shook with rage, only to realize she could not summon any mana at all.
09:10While she panicked, I barely flicked my wand and cast the most basic mana burst.
09:14The blast sent her flying.
09:15She hit the ground face first after tumbling off the platform.
09:19Faye, you filthy freak!
09:21That win does not count!
09:22Aurelia shrieked from the stone floor.
09:24Do not get smug!
09:25Even if you won today, you and that freak fox will still freeze to death in the curse!
09:29You were born to die young!
09:31I looked down at her once, unmoved by the tantrum of someone who could not stand losing.
09:36Then I stepped off the platform and piled every mana crystal I had won in front of the fox
09:41sleeping in my arms.
09:42For days, I had poured every resource I could find into him.
09:46As the crystals dissolved into streams of light and flowed into his body,
09:49a youthful voice explode inside my mind through our soul link.
09:52You do have decent taste after all.
09:54My steps halted.
09:55The fox's voice pierced my thoughts again.
09:57Remember my true name, Silas.
09:59And ignore the nonsense that ugly woman keeps shouting.
10:02I am not some helpless freak who cannot survive the cold.
10:05She was simply too incompetent to raise me properly.
10:07Since you offered all your resources to me,
10:10once I finish absorbing this power,
10:11I will personally protect you when disaster comes.
10:14Aurelia's humiliating defeat on the trial platform shattered the last of her composure.
10:18The coming ever-winter curse, drawing closer by the day like the ticking of a clock,
10:22became the hand of death wrapped around her throat.
10:24If she wanted to preserve her precious noble life,
10:27there was only one thing left to do.
10:28She clung to Bambor with the desperation of a drowning woman.
10:32Bambor, that so-called honest bear hiding the soul of a master con artist,
10:36turned extortion into an art form.
10:38He rolled his eyes at the mana crystals she offered him.
10:41You cannot seriously expect me to awaken an ancient sorcery ward strong enough
10:45to resist absolute zero with trash that looks like broken glass.
10:48Forget it.
10:48With one swipe, he knocked the crystals aside.
10:53Listen carefully.
10:54If you want to stay alive, do not insult me with defective scraps.
10:58You chose me, so think this through.
11:00First, bring me enough top-grade pureblood primal mana ore to stack higher than three mountains.
11:04If spending money pains you that much, then go pick out a nice grave now.
11:08Aurelia's eyes burned red with fury.
11:11Three mountains of top-grade ore.
11:13This was not negotiation.
11:15It was robbery in broad daylight.
11:17But her family had no intention of indulging her.
11:19The pureblood elders lounging on leather sofas dismissed all her
11:23ravving about the Everwinter curse as attention-seeking hysteria.
11:27Without hesitation, they froze every family account tied to her name.
11:31With death looming closer each night and her money cut off, Aurelia finally snapped.
11:36She became a gambler with nothing left to lose.
11:38The private estate that had once symbolized her pureblood prestige was marged immediately.
11:42The pegasus carriage passed down through generations of her family was sold for half its value.
11:47Even the custom robes in her dressing hall and the priceless heirloom jewels her parents
11:51had saved for her marriage were dumped for bags of heavy gold, as if they were junk from an attic.
11:57When Aurelia finally dragged herself forward, dark circles under her eyes,
12:00and piled three hill-sized heaps of flawless crystals before Branboar,
12:04she believed she had bought herself a pardon from death.
12:07What she never imagined was that she was about to be robbed by a thief even more ruthless than herself.
12:12The scheming bear opened a shadow portal and sent the entire fortune straight onto the carpet of my dorm room.
12:18The pile was large enough to buy half of Evergrade Academy.
12:21I did not even blink.
12:23I scooped two handfuls into my pocket and shoved the rest toward Silas.
12:27Well, that vicious idiot has finally done one useful thing in her life.
12:32Silas lounged on top of the crystal mountain like a king on his throne.
12:36As he absorbed the mana within them, the crystals dimmed and crumbled into ash around him.
12:41Through telepathy, he issued orders in his usual arrogant tone.
12:45Try not to stand there looking useless.
12:48I burn through energy faster than you can imagine.
12:50Pick out the two purest ones and bring them to me personally.
12:54Then, the midnight bells began to ring.
12:57The moment of doom had arrived.
12:59The prophesied Everwinter curse tore open the sky at last.
13:03Temperature plunged so violently, it felt as if the world had fallen off a cliff.
13:07In an instant, every trace of life across the academy was crushed beneath the cold.
13:12Snow spread quickly through the corridors and courtyards, covering the stones in white.
13:16While everyone else was desperate to survive, wishing they could crawl inside a fireplace just to feel a trace of
13:22warmth,
13:22Aurelia chose that moment to stage a spectacle.
13:25She kicked off her winter leathers, changed into a thin silk nightgown, slipped into high heels,
13:30and strode out of the dormitory quarter with Barnbor rumbering behind her like a moving hill.
13:34A barrier shield shimmered around her.
13:36Bramber had made it just strong enough to keep her from freezing to death,
13:40while giving her the perfect illusion that she was untouchable.
13:44Pathetic freaks.
13:45Every last one of you.
13:47In the Grand Corridor, Aurelia came upon several apprentices struggling to maintain warming charm spells,
13:53along with an enchantments professor, whose hands were shaking so badly, he could barely hold his wand.
13:59Whatever mask of grace and kindness she had worn as head-perfect was gone.
14:02Her true nature stood naked in the cold.
14:05She pointed straight at them and burst into laughter.
14:08Did you not call me insane?
14:10Were those pure-blood elders not so proud when they froze in my accounts?
14:14Well, open your eyes.
14:16In this frozen hell, I alone am truth.
14:18I am the winter queen who decides who lives and who dies.
14:21As for the rest of you worthless trash, enjoy the slow experience of freezing to death.
14:25The professor and apprentices stood there with blue lips and chattering teeth,
14:28forced to endure her mockery in silence.
14:31Then, just as Aurelia was savoring her power, slow footsteps echoed from around the corner.
14:35I stepped into view wearing nothing but the Academy's standard uniform shirt, Silas asleep in my arms.
14:41The vast, pure mana radiating from the starfall fox swept every trace of cold away from my body.
14:46Aurelia's laughter died instantly.
14:48Her face twisted with rage.
14:50Well, look who it is.
14:52Our poor little prodigy, Faye.
14:54She stalked toward me.
14:56And what is that in your arms?
14:57A rag that somehow has not frozen stiff yet?
15:00What happened?
15:01Your freak fox still has not finished dying?
15:03I stopped and looked at her without expression.
15:06Behind her, Branbor covered one eye with a paw and rolled the other dramatically.
15:10Aurelia lifted her chin and pointed to the floor in front of me.
15:14Faye, since luck carried you through the night, I will give you one last chance to live.
15:17Kneel, right now.
15:18She looked down at me like royalty addressing dirt.
15:21Crawl to me like a dog, sign a soul bond indenture.
15:24Sell your life to me, then beg through your tears for mercy.
15:26If your queen is pleased, perhaps Banbor will spare you a few crumbs of warmth.
15:29Otherwise, I will let you watch yourself rot into frozen meat.
15:32I gave a short laugh.
15:35Sign a soul bond inductrant?
15:37I raised one brow and let my gaze travel openly over her silk nightgown.
15:41Aurelia, did too much snow get into your head?
15:44I am never signing anything that turns me into your dog.
15:48Her face flushed a dark, ugly red.
15:51For a moment she nearly exploded, then forced herself into a look of lofty pity.
15:56Keep talking, Faye.
15:58Be as stubborn as you like.
16:00She sneered.
16:02In this hell of absolute zero, your ridiculous pride cannot block even one second of wind.
16:07I would bet that in less than three hours you will come crawling back to my feet like a frozen
16:11stray,
16:11sobbing for a single breath of warm air.
16:13And when that happens, even if you scream and beg, I will not spare you a glance.
16:17I yawned and did not bother answering.
16:20Silas huttered in my arms.
16:22She has completely lost her mind.
16:24Revolting.
16:26Illyria laughed and turned her gaze toward the teachers and students lining the corridor.
16:29If someone wants to die, I will not stop them.
16:32Her voice rang through the frozen hall.
16:34But what about the rest of you?
16:35Do you want to live?
16:36Anyone who wants to survive this curse inside my ward can kneel now and sign a soul bond indenture.
16:41Whoever pleases me most will earn the Winter Queen's protection.
16:44The professors and apprentice stared at her, eyes burning with humiliation and fury.
16:47In ordinary times, they were the proud elite of Evergard.
16:50How could they accept something so degrading?
16:52Then a gust of freezing wind tore through the corridor.
16:54A pane of glass shattered at the far end.
16:57Snowstorm air flooded inside.
16:59Wymanton screamed as dead gray frost over half his leg.
17:01In that instant, survival crushed Dignity flat.
17:03No one knew who moved first.
17:05A sob broke from the crowd.
17:06Then someone dropped to their knees before Aurelia with a thud.
17:09Then a second.
17:10Then a third.
17:11The corridor dissolved into chaos.
17:13Desperate mages lunged forward, fighting for a place nearest to Auraria's feet.
17:17Some clawed and shoved each other just to kneel closer to the toes of her shoes.
17:20Watching her former teachers and classmates crawl before her like dogs, Aurelia threw back
17:24her head and laughed.
17:25She basked in it, drunk on the highest thrill she had ever known.
17:27Absolute power over everyone around her.
17:29She cast one last triumphant glance at me.
17:31Do you see now, Fae?
17:32This is reality.
17:34Aurelia flicked her sleeve and delivered her verdict.
17:36Go cling to that useless freak fox of yours.
17:39And wait to die in the cold.
17:42Looking down at the so-called elites groveling at her feet, she let out a satisfied sigh.
17:46Then she lifted her chin and issued another command to the bear behind her.
17:51Barnbore, give these obedient little dogs a trace of warmth.
17:54Let them witness what true generosity looks like.
17:56The bear did not move.
17:57Instead, he blew a harsh breath through his nose and let out a low, mocking snert.
18:02Cracks spread across Aurelia's barrier shield like spider webs.
18:06Then, with a sharp snap, it shattered into a storm of ice crystals and vanished into the air.
18:11The cold hit her all at once.
18:15She screamed.
18:17Every trace of her practiced elegance disappeared.
18:19Her whole body convulsed violently as if struck by lightning.
18:22Her lips turned blue as she wrapped both arms around herself.
18:25You insane beast!
18:26What are you doing?
18:27I am your master!
18:28Restore the shield right now, or I will use the contract to make you beg for death!
18:32Branbore looked down at her.
18:34Master?
18:35You?
18:36His deep, booming voice rolled through the frozen corridor, thick with contempt.
18:41He swept one massive paw through the air, and a ronic contract array flared into existence.
18:45Open your eyes, idiot.
18:46This is blood-bound servitude.
18:47Under the law of bonds, I am the exalted master.
18:49You are nothing but a slave I can crush whenever I please.
18:51Do you know why I kept you alive this long?
18:53I was bored.
18:53I wanted to see how far a pathetic clown like you would dance before the end.
18:56The corridor fell into dead silence.
18:58Only the blizzard outside still howled against the windows.
19:02The professors and apprentice who had just thrown away every scrap of dignity to crawl on the floor
19:06and beg for a soul-bond indictment slowly lifted their heads.
19:09When they saw the inverted master-servant contract suspended in the air, and realized
19:12Arela had never possessed any control over the bear at all, shock drained from their faces.
19:16It twisted into humiliation, then into pure, violent rage.
19:19They had been made made into fools.
19:21They had surrendered the last pride they had as mages, and knelt before someone with no
19:26power at all, someone even more pitiful than they were.
19:29You liar.
19:30One apprentice growled.
19:32He had already been on the edge of collapse.
19:34Now the humiliation of having his dignity ground into dust destroyed what little reason he had
19:38left.
19:39His eyes blazed red.
19:41Die, you lying bitch.
19:43He launched himself from the floor and slammed into Aurelia, sending the former head-profert
19:47flying.
19:48She crashed hard against the stone with a heavy thud, followed by the sickening crack of bone.
19:56If we are all going to die in this cursed weather, then you can go to hell first!
20:00He straddled her chest and wrapped his frost-blackened hands around her throat.
20:04His skin split and bled from the cold, but madness gave him monstrous strength.
20:09Her windpipe rattled under his grip.
20:11Help.
20:12Help me.
20:14Aurelia's eyes bulged, blood vessels bursting red across the whites.
20:17She clawed wildly at his arms, trying to pry him off, but her carefully manicured nails
20:21had already turned brittle in the freezing air.
20:24They snapped off at the roots one after another.
20:26Her face darkened to a deep purple-black as the air left her lungs.
20:30The other professors and apprentices advanced one step at a time, hatred burning in their
20:35eyes.
20:35I stood at the far end of the corridor with Salamis in my arms, watching the farce unfold
20:40while he gave a cold little laugh.
20:41The ever-winter curse had no shortage of tears, and Aurelia was finally paying the full price
20:47for her arrogance and cruelty.
20:50Crack.
20:50The sharp sound echoed through the hall as her neck snapped.
20:54Her suffocating body jerked once.
20:56Those eyes that had once overflowed with pride and superiority flew wide open.
21:01Blood vessels bursted across them as terror and agony frozen there forever.
21:04She stared at the dim ceiling, lifeless.
21:07The flawless head-prayer, who had crowned herself the Winter Queen, died at the hands of a
21:11common apprentice she had considered beneath notice.
21:13She died without dignity, and almost absurdly.
21:16She is dead!
21:16She is dead!
21:17The apprentice shook violently, then burst into laughter.
21:20He threw himself onto Aurelia's corpse and began tearing at her silk nightgown.
21:25Where is her bag of holding?
21:27She must have hidden supplies.
21:28Give it to me!
21:29That act snapped the last thread of reason in everyone nearby.
21:33In the hell of absolute zero, morality, manners, and law shattered, like thin ice before the
21:39instinct to survive.
21:40The professors and apprentices lunged as one, eyes blazing with animal greed.
21:44They swarmed Aurelia's body and buried it beneath a frenzy of grasping hands.
21:48Get back!
21:49It is mine!
21:49Give me that robe!
21:50I am freezing!
21:51She doesn't have a storage bag!
21:52That bitch traded everything for crystals for the bear!
21:54There is nothing left!
21:55The crowd spiraled into chaos.
21:57Crushing cold and hopelessness drove them into blind violence.
22:00The refined mages of yesterday clawed and beat one another over a torn cloak and a stale
22:05piece of bread.
22:06Broken frost spells and stray sparks exploded wildly through the mob.
22:09Blood splashed into the air, only to freeze into vivid red ice before it hit the ground.
22:14The academy had become a slaughterhouse without order.
22:16Then, in the middle of that blood magnus, someone slowly turned a hungry, murderous gaze towards
22:22me at the edge of the corridor.
22:23She...
22:24She looks warm.
22:25A blood-covered Imerd Apprentice pointed at me, voice ragged.
22:28That fox has mana.
22:30Take it!
22:30Take her clothes and take the fox!
22:32Dozens of crimson eyes locked onto me.
22:34With screams and snarls, they charged.
22:37My expression hardened.
22:38I was just raising my fingers to cast Burst Hex when a massive shadow crashed down in front
22:43of me.
22:43Branbor.
22:44He plantanted himself between me and the mob with a roar that shook the corridors.
22:49Mana erupted outward as a shockwave, hurling more than a dozen Apprentice through the air
22:54and smashing them into the ice-covered walls.
22:56Anyone who takes one more step.
22:58Banbor growled as he rose to his full height, murder blazing in his bare eyes.
23:04I will rip your head off and use it for a ball.
23:07That overwhelming display of brute force finally brought the mob back to its senses.
23:11They staggered backward, staring at the savage beast who had turned on Aurelia herself.
23:15No one dared step forward to die next.
23:18I stood behind Banbor's and towering frame and pat his back.
23:22Thanks, old friend.
23:23He did not even look at me.
23:25He only snored.
23:26Take it easy, little mage.
23:28While I am here, this trash will not touch a single hair on your head.
23:32At that moment, I felt a strange pulse rise from the fox in my arms.
23:37Silas, who had been sleeping the entire time, suddenly grew hotter by the second.
23:41It was more than warmth.
23:42It felt like holding a miniature sun against my chest.
23:45Blinding silver-white light began to shine through his snow-colored fur.
23:49Frost in the air hissed and evaporated around us.
23:52I looked down.
23:53His small body was wrapped in a halo of starlight, and within that radiance he began to change.
23:58His frame lengthened and unfolded with impossible speed.
24:02A massive white tail burst outward behind him.
24:04Wings of pure mana, forged from condensed starlight, spread from his back.
24:09Ancient divine power rolled off him with such force it made worship feel like instant.
24:13At the center of that brilliance, Simus slowly opened his eyes.
24:17They were mismatched.
24:18One gleamed like molten gold.
24:20The other was cold as living ice.
24:22He made no sound with his mouth, yet telepathy thundered through my mind.
24:26How unbearably loud.
24:27A swarm of low-brawn insects dares disturb my sleep.
24:31Silas rose from my arms and stood tall, his elegant star-walled fox form stretching to its full majesty.
24:36A terrifying ward swept outward from him, pressing down on everyone in the corridor.
24:41Little mage, thank you for waiting.
24:43Now let these freaks witness what a true primial phantive looks like.
24:47Around us lay wreckage, blood, and the trembling figures of rioters hiding in corners.
24:51Above them all, Silas hovered with his vast wings spread wide, radiating a sacred pressure that stole the breath from
24:58anyone who saw him.
24:59Then he turned his head toward me.
25:00Those mesmerizing eyes fixed on mine, and his cool voice rang through my thoughts.
25:05Come here. Stand beside me and witness a real miracle.
25:09I smiled and stepped across the shattered ice to his side.
25:12Through the ancient blood oath of two souls, I could feel the terrifying mana inside him, vast and violent as
25:18a supernova.
25:19He had no intention of ending this disaster alone.
25:22He was opening his soul to me willingly.
25:24Give me your mana.
25:26Silas whispered, his voice filled with absolute trust.
25:31Take all of it, your highness.
25:33I raised my hand and poured back into him the immense power he had been feeding into me all this
25:37time.
25:38Our mana met in the air and resonated perfectly.
25:41The two forces fused at once, becoming a blazing pillar of silver and gold light that shot upward from where
25:47we stood.
25:48Ancient sorcery. Breath of dawn.
25:50At Silas's command, the beam tore through the massive storm clouds that had smothered the sky above Evergrove Academy for
25:55half a month.
25:56Then the miracle began.
25:57The endless darkness split apart beneath golden sunlight.
26:00The blessed radiance of the starfall fox carried overwhelming heat and life with it.
26:05Snow piled as high as a building did not even melt into water first.
26:09It hissed once and vanished directly into steam.
26:12The enchanted thermometer hanging on the corridor wall began shrieking with rapid clicks as the red column shot upward.
26:18Negative 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
26:21Zero.
26:22Forty.
26:22Then, at last, it settled at a perfectly comfortable 75 degrees.
26:27The surviving apprentices and professors huddled in the dark corners of the corridor.
26:31Staring blankly as sunlight poured through the shattered windows and fell across their faces.
26:36When they felt warmth for the first time in what seemed like forever, some collapsed to their knees.
26:42Others covered their faces and broke into uncontrollable sobs.
26:46The curse!
26:47The curse is broken!
26:49We survived!
26:50Dear God, the sun is out!
26:52Then they looked toward me at the far end of the hall with awe in their eyes.
26:57Bathed in brilliant light, I stood there without a scratch on me.
27:00To my left was the fully unfurled starfall fox.
27:02To my right stood the room bear, towering like a black iron fortress.
27:05In that moment, everyone understood.
27:07The sky, over Evergard, had changed.
27:10No one dared speak of pure lead prestige anymore.
27:13No one dared call me a freak again.
27:15In a world ruled by strength, I had become the only law that mattered.
27:19I ignored their stares.
27:21I simply stretched, yawned, and let the tension drain from my shoulders.
27:25Finally over.
27:26I patted Barnboar's thick leg, then reached up and rubbed one of Silas' fox ears.
27:30Come on, you two.
27:31I want a hot bath and about three straight days of sleep.
27:34Three months later, most of Evergrade had been rebuilt.
27:37Aradia's ugly death had become an unspoken taboo, and the mountains of mana crystals she
27:41had sacrificed everything to gather naturally became the private property of me and my two
27:45familians.
27:46With that fortune and our overwhelming power, I traded up to the most luxurious top-floor
27:50duplex suite in the academy.
27:52No one dared harass me over my scholarship anymore.
27:54Even the headmaster greeted me politely whenever we crossed paths.
27:57Hey, you uncivilized brown brute.
28:00Get your slobber-covered paw off my sofa.
28:03A familiar, arrogant voice rang out from the living room.
28:05I walked out of the kitchen carrying two muggas of hot cocoa and sighed at the usual chaos
28:09waiting for me.
28:10Sinus was in his human form, tall and elegant, silver hair falling to his waist in loose
28:14waves.
28:14He wore an exquisitely tailored silk shirt open at the collar to reveal a sharp sculpted
28:18collarbone.
28:19His face was impossibly handsome and thoroughly annoyed.
28:21Behind him, his large fluffy tail lashed back and forth in outrage.
28:25The target of his fury, Banbor, was sprawled across an outrageously expensive dragonhide sofa
28:29like he owned the place.
28:30He lazily scratched one ear.
28:32Your Highness, the sofa was bought by the little mage.
28:36And for the record, I just chased a pack of high-tier beasts off North Ridge for her.
28:40This is my earned personal recovery time.
28:43What would a white fox who only sheds everywhere know about earning rewards through hard work?
28:48You are asking to die.
28:50Silver magic flared instantly in Sinus's mismatched eyes.
28:53That is enough.
28:55Both of you, settle down.
28:57I walked over, shoved one mug of cocoa into Banbor's enormous paw, and dropped onto the
29:03center cushion of the sofa.
29:05Silas dismissed his magic at once and slid beside me with practiced ease.
29:08His tall body folded against my shoulder like he had no bones at all.
29:12His fluffiest tail curled around my waist and tugged me gently into his arms.
29:16He lowered his head, cool lips brushing the edge of my ear in a teasing whisper.
29:20My dear, ignore that oversized barbarian.
29:23The weather is perfect today.
29:24Should we finally finish that partner ritual we left unfinished last time?
29:28Get lost.
29:29Try thinking with your brain for once.
29:31Laughing.
29:32I caught his chin and pushed his face away, though I made no effort to leave his embrace.
29:35Sunlight streamed through the massive floor-to-ceiling windows, warm and golden across all of us.
29:39On my left was a cunning fox resting at my shoulder with a quiet smile.
29:43On my right was a loyal bear already snoring loud enough to shake the room.
29:47I looked at the mountain of premium mana crystals stacked on the coffee table and closed my eyes
29:50in contentment.
29:51To hell with the Everwinter curse.
29:53To hell with class prejudice.
29:54After surviving death and a frozen nightmare, every day now belonged to me.
29:58For Fae, this was the perfect summer.
30:00And nothing in the world could defeat it.
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