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00:00On the first day at Academy, the elders ran the Resonance Ceremony.
00:04Lycans used Scent Instinct to locate their fated student.
00:07Valedictorian and Student Council President Scarlett Ashcroft didn't even hesitate.
00:12She walked straight up and claimed the Frost Wolf before anyone else could move.
00:17I was dead last in the student rankings.
00:20I got assigned a single Silver Rank Stone Wolf.
00:23Then the Glacial Reckoning hit.
00:25Because I'd bonded with the Stone Wolf, I shared its innate ability.
00:29Cold resistance.
00:31Scarlett's Frost Wolf never had the chance to grow.
00:34His bloodline never awoke.
00:36On day one of the Reckoning, he froze to death.
00:38That wasn't the worst part.
00:40Fueled by jealousy, Scarlett rallied the others and jumped at me.
00:44They killed my Stone Wolf.
00:46Then they roasted steaks right in front of me, while they ate.
00:49I was so overwhelmed with grief I died.
00:52When I opened my eyes again, I was back.
00:54Back to the day of the Resonance Ceremony.
00:56As the lowest ranked student at Academy, I was always picked last.
01:00Sure enough, the only Lycan remaining was the Stone Wolf.
01:04I was reaching for him when Scarlett suddenly shouted from across the room.
01:08Wait!
01:09She sprinted over, clutching a small Frost Wolf pup, and shoved him into my arms without a word.
01:15Then she picked up the Stone Wolf from his crate.
01:19You take the Frost Wolf?
01:21I want the Stone Wolf.
01:23The room went quiet.
01:24Even Elder Whitmore, our homeroom elder, frowned.
01:28Everyone knew the Frost Wolf pup carried the purest bloodline of any Lycan in this batch.
01:33His ancient lineage concentration was 80%.
01:36The Stone Wolf's was barely 20, considered low rank by any standard.
01:42Scarlett, choosing your bonded Lycan isn't something to take lightly.
01:46This determines your ceiling for the rest of your life.
01:49On the first day at Academy, the Elders ran the Resonance Ceremony.
01:54Lycans used scent instinct to locate their fated student.
01:57Valedictorian and Student Council President Scarlett Ashcroft didn't even hesitate.
02:02She walked straight up and claimed the Frost Wolf before anyone else could move.
02:08I was dead last in the student rankings.
02:10I got assigned a single silver rank Stone Wolf.
02:13Then the Glacial Reckoning hit.
02:16Because I'd bonded with the Stone Wolf, I shared its innate ability, cold resistance.
02:21Scarlett's Frost Wolf never had the chance to grow.
02:24His bloodline never awoke.
02:25On day one of the Reckoning, he froze to death.
02:28That wasn't the worst part.
02:30Fueled by jealousy, Scarlett rallied the others and jumped at me.
02:34They killed my Stone Wolf.
02:36Then they roasted steaks right in front of me, while they ate.
02:39I was so overwhelmed with grief I died.
02:42When I opened my eyes again, I was back.
02:44Back to the day of the Resonance Ceremony.
02:46As the lowest ranked student at Academy, I was always picked last.
02:51Sure enough, the only Lycan remaining was the Stone Wolf.
02:54I was reaching for him when Scarlett suddenly shouted from across the room.
02:58Wait!
02:59She sprinted over, clutching a small Frost Wolf pup, and shoved him into my arms without a word.
03:05Then she picked up the Stone Wolf from his crate.
03:10You take the Frost Wolf?
03:12I want the Stone Wolf.
03:13The room went quiet.
03:15Even Elder Whitmore, our homeroom elder, frowned.
03:18Everyone knew the Frost Wolf pup carried the purest bloodline of any Lycan in this batch.
03:23His ancient lineage concentration was 80%.
03:26The Stone Wolf's was barely 20%, considered low rank by any standard.
03:32Scarlett.
03:33Choosing your bonded Lycan isn't something to take lightly.
03:36This determines your ceiling for the rest of your life.
03:41Sir, Selina needs this Frost Wolf more than I do.
03:44My bloodline rank is strong.
03:45I can progress fast no matter what Lycan I bond with.
03:48But Selina is Omega class.
03:50If she ends up with a low rank Stone Wolf on top of that, her future is basically over.
03:55A few people nodded.
03:57Elder Whitmore gave a short approval.
03:59That's a decent thing to do.
04:00Then he turned to me.
04:01Well?
04:03Say something.
04:04I blinked.
04:05I held the White Wolf pup out toward her.
04:07It's fine.
04:09You don't have to swap.
04:10I actually kinda like Stone Wolf.
04:13Scarlett pulled the Stone Wolf closer to her chest.
04:16Selina, you don't have to test me.
04:18I genuinely want to trade.
04:20I wasn't buying it.
04:25I'm serious.
04:26Keep him.
04:26Before I could finish, the Frost Wolf pup had bitten me.
04:30A bead of blood welled up from the wound.
04:33Then he pressed his tiny tongue against my skin and licked it clean.
04:37The Frost Wolf initiated a mate mark with me.
04:40Frost crystal markings surfaced on my wrist the moment his teeth touched skin.
04:44They settled fast.
04:46Clean.
04:46Perfectly shaped.
04:48Like they'd always been there.
04:49Like my body had been waiting for them.
04:51What the room witnessed was not just an unsanctioned bond.
04:54It was a Frost Wolf branding a mark of fate onto an Omega class student.
04:59A ripple of noise spread through the room.
05:02So Selina wasn't being noble after all.
05:05She said she didn't want the Frost Wolf but she went and got mate marked the second she got the
05:08chance.
05:09She was just scared Scarlett would take him back.
05:12Never seen someone play both sides that hard before.
05:14After the mate mark locked in, the white wolf pup went drowsy and fell asleep in my arms.
05:20I sat there listening to the whispers and feeling my face go red.
05:24They didn't know the truth.
05:25I genuinely did not want this Frost Wolf.
05:28Because I knew something none of them did.
05:31In two weeks, this beautiful, pure bloodline Frost Wolf was going to be completely useless.
05:37Well, almost none of them knew.
05:40Scarlett knew too.
05:41The moment she gave up the Frost Wolf and fought me for the Stone Wolf, I understood.
05:45She'd been reborn.
05:47Just like me.
05:48I stared at Rex tucked against Scarlett's chest.
05:51I'd been so close to him in my past life.
05:54We'd trusted each other completely.
05:55Now Scarlett had taken him.
05:57I could deal with losing cold resistance.
06:00What I couldn't stand was thinking about whether Rex would be fed properly.
06:04Whether he would be treated well.
06:06I was staring at him when Rex slowly turned his head and met my eyes.
06:10Then he blinked.
06:11Once.
06:12Twice.
06:13Not once.
06:14Not three times.
06:15Twice.
06:16My chest lit up.
06:18Two blinks was a signal.
06:19A code we'd created together in my past life.
06:22During the months we spent in the Eastern Ruins when there was no one else to rely on.
06:27Rex was using it now to tell me.
06:29He remembered.
06:30He had been reborn too.
06:32I looked at him.
06:33Really looked.
06:34He was smaller now.
06:35Rounder.
06:36With none of the combat scars he'd carried by the end.
06:39But the way he held himself hadn't changed.
06:41The way he watched me hadn't changed.
06:43He'd found me in a classroom full of strangers.
06:46And used a code only the two of us knew.
06:48That was enough.
06:49I was still exchanging glances with Rex when something warm and soft wrapped around my
06:54fingertip.
06:55I looked down.
06:56Caius had woken up.
06:59I'm not useless.
07:01And stop staring at that chunky little low life.
07:04Caius gave an imperious little sniff and rolled over in my arms.
07:08I thought about what to call him.
07:10Frostwolf felt too generic.
07:12Little Wolf felt too soft.
07:14I was going to call him.
07:16Your Highness.
07:18My name is Caius.
07:20And yeah.
07:21You can call me.
07:22Your Highness if you want.
07:24Who taught you to be this dramatic?
07:28Up front.
07:29Elder Whitmore was explaining resonance ceremony bonding mechanics on the board.
07:33Most bonds were initiated by students.
07:36Since lichens were naturally proud creatures.
07:38Young lichens were gentler than adults.
07:41But it was still extremely rare for a lichen to seek out a bond on its own.
07:45Everyone began attempting their bond formations.
07:47Everyone except me.
07:49Since I'd already been forcibly claimed.
07:52Caius.
07:52Why did you bond with me?
07:55I didn't like that other girl.
07:57She smells.
07:58Those guys are blind.
08:00They can't see the rot underneath.
08:02Smells?
08:03I kept my voice low.
08:04Scarlet is literally the most popular student in school.
08:08Half the guys here would say she smells amazing.
08:12Those guys are blind.
08:14They can't see the rot underneath.
08:18And me?
08:22You're fine.
08:23You're kind of sweet.
08:26I started scratching under Caius's chin while the class droned on.
08:30Frostwolf fur had a reputation.
08:33And it delivered.
08:34Impossibly soft.
08:35Dense like a cloud.
08:37I scratched his ears.
08:38Squeezed his belly.
08:39And eventually couldn't help reaching for his tail.
08:42They say you should never touch a lichen's tail.
08:45But Caius was young.
08:46So the usual rules didn't apply.
08:48The moment my hand settled on the tail.
08:50Caius went completely rigid.
08:52Through the white fur.
08:53I could see his skin flush faintly pink.
08:56Stop it!
08:56What is wrong with you?
08:59It sounded exactly like someone who'd just been caught off guard and was deeply, mortifyingly
09:04flustered.
09:06I pulled my hand back, keeping my expression neutral.
09:10Calm down.
09:10You've got a very active imagination.
09:13Caius's eyes welled up immediately.
09:15He snapped his head away and refused to look at me.
09:18Across the room, Scarlet successfully completed her bond formation.
09:21A flash of pleasure crossed her face.
09:24She directed it toward Rex.
09:26The formation activated, spinning fast around Rex.
09:29Inside the light, Rex quietly reached out and made two small adjustments to the structure.
09:35The standard equal bond shifted, without a sound, into a master-servant bond.
09:40Rex was the master.
09:41Scarlet was the servant.
09:42Not that Scarlet would ever know.
09:44The formation read clean from the outside.
09:47Nothing to flag.
09:48Nothing to question.
09:49Rex had simply ensured that every order Scarlet gave him was one he was choosing to follow.
09:54The moment he decided otherwise, the bond would answer to him, not her.
09:58For now, he would play the loyal Lycan.
10:01It was easier that way.
10:02It was a technique we'd discovered together in a ruin, years ago in another life.
10:07Rex was now using it to put a leash on Scarlet.
10:10Rex caught my eye across the room.
10:12Satisfied.
10:13Proud of himself.
10:14Under the table, I gave him a thumbs up.
10:17You are so manipulative.
10:21Me?
10:22How?
10:23You touched my tail and then stared at that chunky low life for five whole minutes!
10:28You were making eyes at him!
10:30Caius' voice escalated toward genuine grievance.
10:33I added another item to my mental description of him, prone to completely unhinged jealousy.
10:38After class ended, Elder Whitmore handed out progression supplies.
10:43One week's worth per student.
10:44I kept a single moon core for myself.
10:47I fed everything else to Caius.
10:49Nineteen cores.
10:50Caius crunched through them like chips.
10:54We hadn't even left the room.
10:56The class watched in disbelief.
10:58Is she serious?
11:00That's a week's worth of bloodline resources.
11:02And she just fed all of it to the lithen.
11:04Did she even listen?
11:06Lithens have slow growth cycles.
11:07You're not supposed to rush them.
11:09The moon cores are supposed to be for her own bloodline rank progression.
11:12The frost wolf bonded with her for nothing.
11:14Some of you should note, moon core applications are limited.
11:18The academy won't give you more if you waste them.
11:23Got it.
11:25Honestly, in my past life, I'd always been generous with Rex.
11:30Most students kept a 4 to 1 ratio for themselves.
11:33I split everything 50-50.
11:35Equals deserved equal shares.
11:37But this?
11:38Nineteen for Caius, one for me?
11:41This was something else entirely.
11:43It wasn't generosity.
11:44It was self-preservation.
11:46Because Caius and I had a mate mark.
11:49A standard equal bond meant one partner's death didn't affect the other.
11:53A mate mark was different.
11:55If Caius froze to death on day one of the reckoning,
11:58the same way the frost wolf died in my past life,
12:01I died too.
12:02Caius' survival wasn't kindness.
12:05It was my only chance to live.
12:07The moon cores were an investment in not dying.
12:10After class, students scattered to train on their own.
12:13I carried Caius toward the exit,
12:15and Scarlet stepped half in front of me.
12:17I know you've been reborn too.
12:20This time, the cold resistance belongs to me.
12:24Scarlet's eyes sharpened with triumph.
12:26Then I hope you enjoy it.
12:28You and your useless little lichen can look forward to freezing on day one.
12:32I gave you a chance to be useful to me.
12:35You threw it away.
12:36Ember lunged at Caius with a low growl.
12:38Caius' Alpha King bloodline aura pressed down without effort.
12:43Half of Ember's flame died mid-air.
12:45Then Caius turned around and…
12:47Scarlet's composure shattered instantly.
12:50She stumbled backward.
13:01I turned and walked away.
13:03Barely holding in a…
13:05The moon core problem was serious though.
13:07I needed a massive supply.
13:09And I needed it fast.
13:11I was thinking about it.
13:12Absently pulling at Caius' fur.
13:14When I remembered.
13:15Before the glacial reckoning hit in my past life.
13:18A news outlet had exposed a small moon core vein.
13:22Based on timing, nobody should have found it yet.
13:25I loaded Caius into the car and drove.
13:27Of course, she would know about it too.
13:30We'd both come back with the same memories.
13:32The same news cycle.
13:34The same coordinates.
13:35I'd been so focused on getting there first that I hadn't stopped to calculate the obvious.
13:40When I reached the rough coordinates I'd memorized, Scarlet was already there.
13:45Old money with a family network I couldn't compete with.
13:48She'd brought 20 plus people and they were already mining the vein.
13:52I stood at the outer edge and watched them haul out core after core.
13:56Brilliant.
13:58Translucent.
13:58Catching the light.
14:00Ember paced behind Scarlet.
14:02Its rust colored coat catching the sun.
14:04A fire fox.
14:05Not her bonded lichen.
14:07But a family gifted fighter she'd been running alongside since she was 12.
14:10Old money came with that kind of backup.
14:13One of its ears kept flicking.
14:14Small thing.
14:15Probably nothing.
14:17Low quality cores here.
14:18Let's go find something better.
14:20I started walking away.
14:21Sis!
14:22Is that you?
14:23Then, from somewhere inside my head,
14:25a voice crackled to life.
14:29You can do telepathy now?
14:31Scarlet spent serious resources on me.
14:34I can project thoughts directly.
14:35Rex continued.
14:36Sis, take Caius and find somewhere to rest.
14:39Once they're done mining and clear out, I'll call you back.
14:42I finished the mental exchange and came back to the present moment.
14:45A very large, very imperious face was approximately two inches from my nose.
14:51Caius had both front paws planted on my shoulders.
14:54What were you doing just now?
14:56You were mentally cheating on me!
14:58I raised an eyebrow, sharp nose.
15:01For your information, when an alpha king makes a mate mark with someone, that person is their bonded Luna.
15:07For life!
15:09For life!
15:09You can't have secret meetings with a Beta-class Lycon!
15:12My face went slightly warm.
15:14You're young.
15:16Do you even know what that means?
15:18Caius' eyes immediately filled with tears that refused to actually fall.
15:23He waved his tiny paws in what appeared to be an angry, thrashing, swimming motion.
15:27I leaned forward and stuck my tongue out at him.
15:30A small, damp nose pressed against my cheek.
15:33Before I could react, the culprit had already retreated.
15:36I kissed you.
15:38That means you're mine now.
15:41Nobody else is allowed to kiss you there.
15:43I stood still.
15:44Caius had just made a move on me.
15:47A very small, very smug, very baby-toothed move.
15:51I pulled myself together and went to find somewhere to wait.
15:54I reclined in the car with the air conditioning running, watching a nature documentary on the center screen.
16:00The documentary put me to sleep almost immediately.
16:04When I woke up, it was dark.
16:07The wilderness had no streetlights.
16:08Just silence and shadow in every direction.
16:11Right on cue.
16:13Sis!
16:14Rex's voice appeared in my head.
16:15Come now!
16:16They're gone!
16:18I stirred and looked down.
16:20Caius was staring up at me, suspicious and accusatory.
16:24My conscience flickered.
16:25We were just talking.
16:26I'm not listening!
16:27I'm not talking to you for the rest of the day!
16:30Caius turned away.
16:31Under the dark sky, I carried Caius toward the moon core vein.
16:35Just as Rex had said, the area was empty.
16:37All that remained was a concealment formation hiding the vein's location.
16:41I walked to the perimeter of the formation.
16:43A few moments later, Rex deactivated it from inside and poked his head out.
16:47Sis!
16:48Over here!
16:49His dark gray coat with stone markings caught the faint light.
16:52He had grown enough to speak clearly now.
16:55Caius took one look at Rex and immediately bared his teeth.
16:58I clamped a hand over Caius's mouth before anything could escalate.
17:01I gave Rex an apologetic look.
17:04Caius is going through a phase.
17:06Rex took the lead.
17:07My hand was still over Caius's mouth.
17:09That didn't stop him.
17:10The voice erupted directly in my skull at maximum volume.
17:13That thing is a fake nice snake in the grass!
17:16Get your hand off me!
17:17I'm going to bite him!
17:19I am biting him today!
17:20Silly, don't hold me back!
17:22It went on like that for a while.
17:24I didn't address it.
17:25I looked at Rex.
17:27His bloodline aura drifted quietly around him, steady and calm.
17:31I released Caius and let him jump to the ground.
17:34Caius hit the dirt, spun around, and stared at me.
17:37His expression said he had not expected me to actually let go.
17:40He shuffled forward at approximately the speed of a very indignant caterpillar.
17:44Every few steps, he looked back at me.
17:46On his fourth look back, he hesitated.
17:49You're not stopping me?
17:50What if your little buddy actually gets hurt?
17:53I glanced at Rex's bloodline aura.
17:55After absorbing a solid hull of moon cores,
17:58he was running at easily 50 times Caius's current output.
18:02Whether Caius would be the one doing the herding was very much an open question.
18:07It's fine. Show me what you've got.
18:11If you win, you'll have my full and undivided attention forever.
18:15Caius glanced at Rex, felt the weight of that aura.
18:18Slowly, reluctantly, he walked back and sat down next to my feet.
18:22You showed good remorse this time.
18:25Fine. I'll let the secret meeting go, but don't let it happen again.
18:29Inside the vein, Rex had divided the core stockpile into three piles.
18:33One very small pile for himself, a medium small pile,
18:37and a pile roughly the size of a small hill.
18:39This is all I need, sis.
18:42Caius's eyes went green, literally luminous.
18:46Hmm. Okay, that chunky thing is definitely not into you.
18:51Sis, this one's for your progression.
18:53And that one's for my little sibling.
18:57Selina!
18:59He does not have feelings for you!
19:01I have been worried for nothing!
19:03You run everything through the romance filter, don't you?
19:07I do not!
19:09Moon cores!
19:11Caius went quiet and well-behaved immediately.
19:14If we take all of this, won't Scarlet figure out it was you?
19:18She does everything I say right now.
19:21Full compliance.
19:22The next morning, Scarlet stared at the hollowed-out vein
19:26with all the color drained from her face.
19:30You used all of it?!
19:32You used every single core?!
19:34Rex sat on his haunches, eyes wide and guileless.
19:38Under the rules of his master-servant bond,
19:40he only had to give basic responses.
19:43The truth was not required.
19:45I don't know. I was asleep all night.
19:47Maybe the vein just ran dry on its own?
19:49Scarlet shook with rage.
19:51She brought her entire crew back and tore the cave apart.
19:55Not a single core remained.
19:58She stared at Rex for a long time.
20:01Something felt wrong, she could tell,
20:03but the bond formation read completely normal.
20:06Rex's bloodline aura showed no irregularity.
20:09She had no choice but to swallow it.
20:13Useless!
20:14She snapped.
20:15I leave you alone for one night and you can't even guard a pile of rocks.
20:19Rex let his ears droop.
20:21Internally, he was ecstatic.
20:23Sis!
20:24She tried to hit me just now!
20:26The bond punished her for it!
20:27She went pale!
20:28Hidden in the brush nearby,
20:30I pressed my face into Caius's fur to muffle my laughter.
20:35Good.
20:35They tried to steal from us.
20:37The traitor earned it.
20:38I tugged one of his ears.
20:41Don't call Rex that.
20:42He's our teammate.
20:43Caius huffed.
20:44He looked away,
20:45but his tail quietly curled around my wrist,
20:48warm and soft,
20:49and completely involuntary.
20:51Once Scarlet and her crew were gone,
20:54we slipped into the cave.
20:56Rex had already bundled the core stockpile with vines,
20:59multiple bundles,
21:01organized and ready,
21:02nudging the largest bundle forward with one paw.
21:05Sis!
21:06He said.
21:07These should keep the little one fed for a while.
21:10Caius's eyes locked on the pile and did not move.
21:13He wriggled free from my hold,
21:15launched himself at the biggest core he could find,
21:17and started crunching.
21:19The sound echoed through the cave like someone eating gravel.
21:23I shook my head.
21:24I genuinely had not known in my past life
21:27that frost wolves had this kind of appetite.
21:30We loaded the cores into the car.
21:32They filled most of the trunk.
21:34Rex couldn't come with us.
21:36He had to stay and keep up the performance.
21:38Before we left, he said.
21:40Sis!
21:41The reckoning is ten days out.
21:43Stock up on supplies.
21:44His appetite is going to keep growing.
21:46I nodded and patted his head.
21:48Be careful.
21:50Don't let her spot the cracks in your act.
21:52Ember was sitting near the cave entrance when we left.
21:55It watched us go.
21:57Its coat had lost some of its shine.
21:59Rex grinned in his easy, unbothered way.
22:02She does whatever I tell her.
22:03We're fine!
22:04We drove back.
22:06Caius sat in the passenger seat with a core in both paws,
22:09crunching contentedly,
22:10flecks of shimmering dust on the corners of his mouth,
22:13like someone who had found an entire winter's worth of food in one afternoon.
22:17Watching him, I thought about Rex in my past life,
22:20always saving the best of everything for me.
22:23The shape of that care was different now, but the feeling was the same.
22:27Back in the city, I skipped my apartment and went straight to the largest supermarket I could find.
22:33I loaded two carts with everything useful.
22:35Compressed ration bars, canned goods, bottled water, instant food.
22:40Caius wrote in the cart, pointing,
22:41More of those chocolate-ly ones.
22:44And meat jerky, the spiced kind.
22:47I loaded both.
22:49The store staff watched me with visible unease.
22:51I didn't slow down.
22:53In ten days, none of this would matter to them anyway.
22:56Beyond food and water, I grabbed thermal underlayers,
22:59sleeping bags, flashlights, batteries, lighters,
23:02a few sharp kitchen knives, a hand axe,
23:05anything with practical value in sustained sub-zero conditions.
23:09Two full carts.
23:11I drove home to my apartment and spent an hour hauling everything upstairs.
23:16The living room, the bedroom, the balcony.
23:19All of it stacked floor to ceiling.
23:21Caius sprawled across a pile of chocolate bars
23:24and let out a long, satisfied belch.
23:26His tail swayed slowly.
23:28Not bad!
23:29You actually know how to shop!
23:31I collapsed onto the couch, completely winded.
23:35These are our survival supplies.
23:37The next several days, I took Caius to different locations every day
23:40and kept stocking up.
23:42The pharmacy.
23:43Cold medicine.
23:44Fever reducers.
23:45Antibiotics.
23:46Bandages.
23:47Antiseptic.
23:48The outdoor supply store.
23:50A tent.
23:51Climbing rope.
23:52Anti-slip boots.
23:52A hardware store for gas canisters and basic tools.
23:56My apartment ran out of space.
23:58I rented the unit next door and the one upstairs.
24:01Both became storage.
24:03Scarlet texted a few times.
24:04Cheerful and fake.
24:06Asking how I was doing.
24:07Casually mentioning that her stone wolf had broken through to gold rank.
24:11I sent her three word replies.
24:13I already knew.
24:15Everything Rex showed her was deliberate.
24:17Every rank up was calculated theater, designed to keep her compliant.
24:21Caius's growth was outpacing everything I'd projected.
24:25He ate cores, slept, and woke up noticeably larger each time.
24:29He had started out the size of a regular pup.
24:31Now he was halfway to the size of a medium dog.
24:34His fur had deepened to a white so pure it was almost blinding.
24:38And his eyes had shifted from pale to a vivid saturated crimson.
24:43The kind of beauty that made it hard to look away.
24:45His bloodline aura was deepening fast.
24:48Something close to platinum rank was stirring at the edges.
24:51I was combing through Caius's fur when he went still.
24:54Something's happening.
24:56In my bloodline, there's pressure building.
24:59My pulse jumped.
25:00The frost wolf in my past life had never awoken any ability at all.
25:04He died before he had the chance.
25:06Was this what happened when you gave frost wolf proper resources and a mate mark?
25:10An early awakening?
25:13Don't force it.
25:14Let it come on its own.
25:16Caius closed his eyes.
25:17A soft white light kindled across his fur.
25:21The moon cores around him began losing their glow.
25:24All that energy pouring steadily into his body.
25:27A small spiral of concentrated bloodline power formed around him.
25:31Rotating slowly.
25:33His fur stood up along his spine.
25:35His tail filled out further.
25:37The individual hairs catching light like fiber optic threads.
25:41An hour passed.
25:43The light faded.
25:44Caius opened his eyes.
25:45And there was something new in them.
25:48The mate mark on my wrist.
25:49Lit up in sync.
25:50A cold I hadn't felt before moved through my hand.
25:53Up my arm.
25:55Then stopped.
25:56Like it was searching for something.
25:58Like it almost found it.
25:59I awoked.
26:04What did you get?
26:07Caius tilted his chin up.
26:09Tail flicking with casual superiority.
26:11A small, perfectly formed spike of ice materialized from empty air.
26:15And dropped to the floor with a clean, crystalline tap.
26:20Ice manifestation.
26:23And void pocket.
26:25I stared.
26:26Ice manifestation.
26:28In a glacial reckoning.
26:29An ice type bloodline wasn't just useful.
26:32It was like being native to the environment everyone else was trying to survive.
26:36And void pocket.
26:38One of the rarest abilities in existence.
26:40In my past life.
26:42People with spatial abilities could name their price at any pack settlement.
26:46Every faction wanted them.
26:48Caius.
26:49I said.
26:49And pulled him into a hug.
26:51I kissed the top of his head without thinking.
26:53Caius's ears went crimson.
26:55His entire body locked up for half a second.
26:57Then he twisted away.
26:59Deeply offended.
27:00Stop.
27:01Doing.
27:02That.
27:02That.
27:02His tail, however, had already wrapped around my wrist again.
27:06The same involuntary habit.
27:08I smiled and squeezed his cheek.
27:10My little heistness is absolutely terrifying.
27:12We're going to be fine out there.
27:15Caius made a dismissive sound.
27:17And climbed back into my lap to resume eating Coors.
27:21Three days out from the reckoning.
27:23The temperature had already started dropping.
27:25Daytime lows were hitting negative 15.
27:27People on the street moved fast.
27:30Buried in their puffer coats.
27:31News coverage was starting to pick up on the anomalous cold snaps.
27:35Experts offered competing theories.
27:37Extreme weather pattern.
27:39Greenhouse rebound effect.
27:41Nobody said what was actually happening.
27:43Nobody saw what was coming.
27:44Scarlet called.
27:45She sounded casual.
27:47And then, deliberately didn't.
27:49Selena.
27:49My stone wolf just hit platinum peak.
27:52Almost to crimson.
27:53I'll be able to take care of myself once things get rough.
27:56A pause.
27:57Pointed.
27:58How about you?
27:59Has your little lichen even hit silver yet?
28:02It's fine.
28:03I said.
28:03Platinum rank?
28:04Roughly?
28:04Silence on the other end.
28:06Then a short, dismissive laugh.
28:09Selena.
28:10You don't have to make things up.
28:12Frost wolf maturation timelines are long.
28:14There's no world where he's already platinum.
28:17Another pause.
28:18Look.
28:18If things get too hard, you can come to me.
28:21You can work for me.
28:22I'll keep you alive.
28:24I hung up.
28:25Caius was lying next to me, expression flat.
28:28She thinks platinum peak is impressive.
28:30He said.
28:31When I hit crimson, I could end her with one finger.
28:34I scratched his ear.
28:35Don't get careless.
28:37Scarlet is reckless, but her family has real reach.
28:40When the reckoning hits, she'll have numbers.
28:42We play it smart.
28:44Caius pressed his nose down onto his paws.
28:46Still eating cores.
28:48Those last three days I didn't go out.
28:50I stayed home with Caius and we trained together.
28:53Caius had already gotten a solid handle on his void pocket.
28:56The space inside wasn't enormous.
28:58Roughly the size of a basketball court, but more than sufficient for supplies.
29:02We loaded the majority of what I'd stockpiled into the void.
29:05My own bloodline rank was moving faster than I'd expected.
29:09The mate mark shared bloodline flow between us.
29:11And with the cores on top of that, I'd pushed gold rank mid-level.
29:15Not close to Caius or Rex, but solidly mid-range for a student.
29:19The night before the reckoning, the temperature had already dropped to negative 30.
29:23Outside, the snow came in heavy, diagonal sheets.
29:26And the wind sounded like something screaming.
29:29I stood at the window and looked at the city disappearing under white.
29:33In my past life, I'd been so afraid.
29:36So completely alone.
29:37This time, I had Rex.
29:40And I had Caius.
29:41That was enough.
29:42Caius came and pressed against my leg.
29:44His head reached my hip now.
29:46Stop stressing.
29:47He said.
29:48I'm here.
29:49Nobody touches you.
29:51I crouched down and pulled him close.
29:54I know.
29:54We're going to make it.
29:56Rex checked in through telepathy.
29:59Sis.
29:59Scarlet and her people have retreated to her family's underground facility.
30:03Good supplies.
30:04Good infrastructure.
30:05I've already made some adjustments down there.
30:08She'll figure out what that means once the reckoning hits.
30:11In the underground facility, Ember's flames had begun contracting without warning.
30:16Scarlet already felt it.
30:17She was running out of time.
30:19I said.
30:20Stay safe.
30:21I didn't sleep.
30:23When morning came, the world outside had ended.
30:25Negative fifty degrees.
30:27The window panes had cracked from the cold.
30:29Ice flowers blooming across the glass.
30:32Outside.
30:33Cars froze into sculptures.
30:34People who had been caught in the streets were down and still.
30:37The power grid was gone.
30:39Communication networks were gone.
30:41The city was silent.
30:43The glacial reckoning had arrived.
30:44I layered on everything I had.
30:46Pulled on my hat and gloves.
30:48Held Caius against my chest.
30:50And walked out of the apartment.
30:52The wind hit my face like something solid.
30:54A burning cold that cut through even the layers.
30:57But Caius and I both had bloodline auras as a buffer.
31:00Caius's ice manifestation shaved off another layer of the cold on top of that.
31:05We could bear it.
31:06Caius didn't flinch.
31:07If anything, he seemed steadier than usual.
31:10Like the temperature around us was simply home ground.
31:12The streets were a wreck.
31:14Abandoned vehicles everywhere.
31:16Frozen bodies half buried in the drifts.
31:19Mutant creatures prowled the snow between the cars.
31:21Eyes sharp and predatory.
31:23Tracking us as we passed.
31:25The reckoning had done something to the wildlife.
31:28The extreme cold triggered genetic shifts.
31:30And what came out the other side was faster.
31:33Meaner.
31:33And far more adapted to the temperature than anything that had existed before.
31:38Caius dropped out of my arms.
31:39His body expanded in one smooth motion.
31:42Doubling in size.
31:44The white fur settled.
31:45Dense and wind resistant.
31:47His eyes locked onto the nearest creature.
31:49With the calm of something that had already decided the outcome.
31:53You're looking at my person.
31:54He said.
31:56Bad call.
31:56His tail swept sideways.
31:58Six ice spikes launched simultaneously.
32:00They punched through the throats of the closest mutants before any of them could react.
32:05The bodies dropped and were still.
32:07Completely ridiculous.
32:09Completely dramatic.
32:10Completely reliable.
32:11We moved toward the city center.
32:13That was where the pack settlement was.
32:15In my past life.
32:17The government had organized several large scale shelters in the weeks after the reckoning hit.
32:22The central settlement was the biggest and the safest.
32:25We encountered more mutant creatures along the way.
32:28A few disoriented survivors too.
32:30Some of them passed the point of reasoning.
32:32Who came at us for our packs.
32:34Caius handled the threats.
32:35I kept the people at a distance.
32:37And moved us fast.
32:38Two hours on foot.
32:40Then the settlement appeared through the blizzard.
32:42A ring of steel walls rising over 10 meters.
32:45Soldiers posted on the upper walkways with rifles.
32:48Scanning the perimeter.
32:49A crowd of survivors was already queued at the gate.
32:52We joined the line.
32:52The couple ahead of us had a baby pressed to the woman's chest.
32:56The baby was crying.
32:57The woman's face was hollow.
32:59The man looked like he hadn't slept in days.
33:02She hasn't eaten in three days.
33:04The woman said to the soldier at the checkpoint.
33:06Please.
33:07Just let us in.
33:07The soldier's expression didn't move.
33:08Entry requires a resource payment.
33:10Ten pounds of food.
33:11Five bottles of water.
33:12Or one warm garment.
33:15No exceptions.
33:16The man's voice cracked.
33:18Everything we had was taken.
33:20We have nothing left.
33:21Please.
33:22Policy is policy.
33:23The woman started crying.
33:24The baby cried louder.
33:26I'd been there before.
33:27I knew what it felt like when every door was shut and there was nothing left to bargain
33:31with.
33:31I reached into my pack and pulled out two cans and a water bottle.
33:35I held them out to the couple.
33:36Use these for your entry fee.
33:37They turned around.
33:39The woman looked at me.
33:41The man managed.
33:42You're a good person.
33:43I smiled and didn't say anything.
33:45Caius made an irritated noise beside me.
33:47You're going to keep doing this, aren't you?
33:49Helping complete strangers.
33:51Maybe.
33:52I said.
33:53We might need a stranger's help someday too.
33:55His tail curled around my wrist.
33:57No words.
33:58He did not need any.
33:59When we reached the checkpoint, the soldier looked at Caius and went wary.
34:03Your payment?
34:04I handed over five pounds of rations.
34:06Is that enough?
34:08The soldier checked it, nodded.
34:09You can go in.
34:10We were almost through the gate when a familiar voice called from behind us.
34:14Selena.
34:15Wait.
34:18I turned.
34:19Scarlet was pushing through the crowd, surrounded by a cluster of people, with Rex walking calmly
34:25at her side.
34:26She was wearing an expensive puffer coat, her face perfectly composed and confident.
34:31Her group had weapons.
34:33I didn't expect you to make it this far.
34:35She looked me over with a slow, deliberate appraisal.
34:38I guess that lichen of yours isn't completely decorative.
34:42Caius' fur went electric.
34:44His body expanded, hackles lifting, lips pulling back.
34:49Say that again.
34:50Scarlet took a step back without meaning to, then collected herself and shifted behind Rex.
34:55Rex stepped forward and positioned himself between them.
34:58He glanced at me.
34:59His expression said, I know.
35:01I tried to stop her.
35:03She wouldn't listen.
35:04I looked back at him and gave him a small signal.
35:06Not now.
35:08Too many people.
35:09What happens to us in there has nothing to do with you.
35:11I said, and pulled Caius toward the gate.
35:14Hold on.
35:15Scarlet's voice sharpened.
35:17You think a platinum rank Lylan is enough to hold any ground in there?
35:20This settlement runs on strength.
35:24My stone wolf is crimson rank.
35:27That makes me the top of the food chain here.
35:29You have two options.
35:31Fall in line and work under me.
35:33Or I make sure you can't move in this settlement without running into a wall.
35:37The crowd around the gate had started paying attention.
35:40Crimson rank was rare in the early reckoning.
35:43People recognized what that meant.
35:44I let the moment sit for exactly one breath.
35:47Then I looked at Caius.
35:49Caius understood without being told.
35:51His bloodline aura detonated outward.
35:53Void crimson pressure rolled across the gate plaza like a physical force.
35:57The snowflake still drifting in the air simply stopped moving.
36:00The cold deepened noticeably.
36:03Every lichen and student in range flinched without understanding why.
36:07Several people stumbled back.
36:09Ember instinctively stepped back.
36:11Scarlet ordered it forward.
36:12It trembled and did not move.
36:15Scarlet's face lost its color.
36:17That's… that's not possible.
36:18How is your lichen already void crimson?
36:21Caius tilted his chin up to a frankly insufferable angle.
36:25You assumed your stone wolf was the ceiling.
36:27Embarrassing mistake.
36:28Rex chose that moment to release his own crimson aura alongside Caius's.
36:34Two high rank signatures layered together.
36:37The crowd scattered back from the gate.
36:39Half of them barely staying upright.
36:41Scarlet stood there.
36:43Mouth open.
36:44Staring between Caius and Rex.
36:47Rex, who was supposed to be hers.
36:49Aligned with the girl she'd been trying to humiliate.
36:52She tried to form words.
36:54Couldn't find them.
36:55I walked through the gate with Caius and Rex on either side of me.
36:58And left Scarlet and her group at the entrance.
37:01With whatever was left of the impression she'd tried to make.
37:05Inside, we were brought to a registration desk.
37:07Name, bloodline rank, bonded lichen.
37:10The soldier processing our forms looked at Caius's void crimson listing.
37:15Then at Rex's crimson.
37:16And spent a long moment saying nothing.
37:18Then the professionalism kicked back in.
37:21Somewhat overcorrected.
37:23Miss Selene.
37:24With a void crimson and a crimson rankle bonded lion.
37:27You qualify for our highest tier accommodations.
37:29We'd like to offer you a room in the Alpha Wing.
37:32Independent room.
37:32Heating system.
37:33Full resource allocation.
37:37That works.
37:38Can I get an additional room for my companion?
37:41I gestured to Rex.
37:43Of course.
37:44Absolutely.
37:45Right away.
37:46A soldier escorted us to the Alpha Wing.
37:49It was its own building, near the center of the settlement.
37:51Inside.
37:52Functioning radiators.
37:54Hot water.
37:55A private bathroom.
37:56A small kitchen.
37:57A sitting area.
37:59The soldier handed me a key card and stepped back with the careful deference.
38:03Usually reserved for people who could level buildings.
38:05I opened my room and started pulling supplies out of Caius's void pocket.
38:10Organized space.
38:11Stacked on what we needed.
38:13Caius jumped onto the couch and stretched his full length.
38:16Tail hanging off the edge.
38:18Finally.
38:19That walk was miserable.
38:21Rex appeared in the doorway.
38:23Eyes warm.
38:24Scarlet and her group got assigned to general housing.
38:27He reported.
38:31Leave her alone, I said.
38:34Let's rest and get our bearings.
38:38Over the following days, we mapped the settlement.
38:41Around 5,000 survivors.
38:43The majority were civilians with no bloodline rank and no bonded lichen.
38:47A small fraction had some level of awakening and bonded companions.
38:51The settlement ran a strict allocation system.
38:53Resources distributed by contribution level and bloodline rank.
38:57Scarlet established herself quickly.
38:59The crimson rank Rex was enough to pull in followers.
39:02And she assembled a decent sized crew within the first week.
39:05She used them to push people around.
39:07The kind of entitlement that survives context changes because it was never really about context.
39:12One afternoon in the settlement cafeteria, she walked in with her group and found us eating.
39:17Ember trailed behind her, moving slower than it had at the gate.
39:21Its rust colored coat had gone patchy at the edges.
39:23You have some nerves.
39:25This food is for people who actually contribute.
39:28Not for passengers who coast on their lichen's strength.
39:31Kaya set down his jerky strip.
39:33His eyes went flat.
39:35Repeat that.
39:36Scarlet was visibly unnerved, but committed.
39:39I called you a passenger.
39:41Your lichen got lucky hitting Void Crimson.
39:43That doesn't make you anything special.
39:45I set my chopsticks down, stood up and said,
39:48Then let's settle it.
39:49If you win, I won't set foot in this cafeteria again.
39:53If I win, you leave the settlement and stop terrorizing everyone in it.
39:57Scarlet's expression lit up.
39:59She'd wanted this for days.
40:00Deal.
40:01Don't cry when you lose.
40:04People crowded in from three directions.
40:05People crowded in from three directions.
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