Rivalry has Begun

Celeste pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders as she stepped out of the ruined underground passage. The night's chill still clung to her skin, despite the warmth she had shared—unintentionally—with Raikhan. The thought of waking up beside him in his human form still haunted her, and her face burned at the memory.

Focus, Celeste.

The towering iron walls of the military base loomed ahead, their dark steel reflecting the dim morning light. She could already see the sentries standing at the watchtowers, their sharp eyes scanning the wasteland beyond. The closer she got, the more the weight of reality pressed down on her chest.

She was alone.

Her team—her unit—had been wiped out. And the moment she walked through those gates, every single soldier would know.

Her hands clenched into fists as she imagined their reactions.

Horror.

Disbelief.

And worst of all—accusation.

She could already hear their whispers. She's the only one who came back? No way… That means she…

Her stomach twisted.

Raikhan walked beside her, his form now completely cloaked in a heavy black hooded coat that concealed most of his face. Where he got the coat, she had no idea. But he looked almost human now—almost. His piercing crimson eyes were still unnerving, even when partially hidden beneath his hood.

"This place reeks of fear," he murmured, his voice calm yet sharp. "You still wish to enter?"

Celeste let out a slow breath. "I have to."

Raikhan hummed, as if amused. "Then lead the way, little warrior."

She shot him a glare but didn't respond.

As they approached the massive iron gates, the guards immediately reacted.

"Identify yourself!" One of them barked, raising his rifle.

Celeste lowered her hood. "Celeste Fairburn. Lieutenant of the 5th Lion's Brigade."

The man stiffened, his face turning pale. The soldiers beside him shared the same reaction—wide eyes, stunned expressions, fingers twitching over their weapons.

"You…" The guard's voice wavered. "You're alive?"

Celeste exhaled through her nose. "No need to sound so surprised."

The soldiers exchanged uneasy glances. The silence was suffocating.

Everyone knew what this meant.

Celeste returned alone.

Which meant her team—the strongest, most elite warriors of the 5th Brigade—were all dead.

"Open the gates," the guard finally ordered, his voice tight.

The heavy iron doors groaned as they parted, revealing the heart of the military base. Soldiers moved in formation, training drills echoed through the air, but the moment Celeste stepped inside, the entire atmosphere changed.

Everywhere, heads turned.

Eyes locked onto her in shock and disbelief.

Conversations stopped mid-sentence.

She felt their stares like daggers against her skin.

She came back alone.

There's no way…

Did she betray them?

What about the monster? Did she see it?

Celeste ignored them, forcing her legs to move forward. The weight of their judgment pressed against her shoulders, but she refused to let it break her.

And then—

"Celeste!!"

A familiar voice shattered through the tension, and before she could react, a silver-haired blur crashed into her.

Her breath caught as strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an embrace so tight she almost lost her balance.

"Celeste… gods, you're alive."

The scent of steel and frost filled her senses.

She knew that voice.

"Kieran…?"

She barely had time to register what was happening before Kieran Valtier—her captain, her closest friend—pulled back just enough to cup her face between his gloved hands.

His silver eyes were wild with emotion, searching her features as if making sure she was real. His hair, usually tied neatly behind his head, was messier than usual, strands falling over his forehead.

"You—You're really here," he whispered, his voice almost breaking. "I thought…" He swallowed hard. "I thought we lost you."

Celeste's chest tightened.

Kieran was always composed—always the dependable, unshakable leader. But right now, the raw relief in his expression made her throat ache.

Her lips parted, but before she could speak—

His gaze shifted over her shoulder.

Straight to Raikhan.

And in an instant, Kieran's entire body tensed.

His silver eyes sharpened, and his hand instinctively moved toward the sword at his waist.

"Who the hell is that?"

The tension snapped like a whip.

Soldiers who had been frozen in shock now reached for their weapons, eyes darting between Celeste and the cloaked figure beside her.

Raikhan, completely unfazed, merely tilted his head slightly, regarding Kieran with mild interest.

Celeste inhaled sharply, stepping between them. "He's with me," she said quickly.

The surrounding soldiers murmured in confusion.

With her?

Kieran's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Celeste… explain."

She hesitated. She knew how this looked.

But before she could think of a proper response—

Raikhan lifted his hood slightly, just enough for his crimson eyes to gleam beneath the dim sunlight.

A slow smirk played at his lips.

"Ah," he murmured. "So this is your human mate."

Silence.

Celeste choked.

Kieran's entire body froze.

The soldiers around them collectively gasped, and whispers exploded through the crowd.

Mate?

What the hell did he just say?

Kieran's eyes flashed with something dangerously unreadable. His grip on his sword tightened.

Celeste's face burned hotter than the sun. "He is NOT my mate!!" she snapped, turning to Raikhan with absolute mortification. "Shut up!"

Raikhan chuckled, completely entertained by her reaction. "I merely stated an observation," he mused, tilting his head. "He seems… protective of you."

Celeste gritted her teeth. "That doesn't mean anything!"

But Raikhan's smirk only deepened, and Celeste suddenly had a terrifying realization—

He was doing this on purpose.

Kieran, however, was no longer focused on her. His sharp silver eyes locked onto Raikhan, his entire posture radiating warning.

"If you lay a single hand on her, I will cut you down where you stand," he said, his voice deathly calm.

Celeste's breath hitched.

Raikhan merely raised an amused brow. "How bold," he mused. "But you needn't worry, Captain. I have already touched her quite a bit. She slept in my arms just last night."

A loud crack split the air.

Kieran drew his sword.

And all hell broke loose.

A heavy silence hung in the air. Kieran's blade gleamed under the dim sunlight, his silver eyes locked onto Raikhan with lethal intent. The tension was suffocating—one wrong move, and blood would spill right here in the middle of the base.

Celeste's heart pounded. She knew Kieran. Once his blade was drawn, it wouldn't return to its sheath unless he was satisfied with the outcome.

Raikhan, on the other hand, looked amused. His smirk was infuriating, his crimson eyes gleaming with mischief.

He was enjoying this.

Damn it.

Without thinking, Celeste threw herself between them, pressing a firm hand against Kieran's chest.

"Enough," she hissed, glaring up at him. "Stand down, now."

Kieran didn't lower his sword. His jaw clenched, his breathing shallow. His silver eyes flickered between her and Raikhan, the dangerous energy still radiating off of him.

"Celeste," he said, his voice low, controlled, "who is he?"

She exhaled sharply, her patience snapping. "Come with me."

Before he could protest, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him away, pulling him toward one of the empty corridors of the base. Kieran stumbled slightly but allowed her to lead him, his grip loosening on his sword.

The moment they were out of sight from the other soldiers, Celeste whirled around to face him, crossing her arms.

"Listen," she said, keeping her voice low. "Raikhan is not the enemy."

Kieran narrowed his eyes. "Not the enemy?" His voice was sharp. "That thing just claimed you were his mate, Celeste. Are you seriously telling me to trust him?"

She groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "That was bullshit! He said that just to piss you off!"

Kieran's expression remained hard. He didn't believe her.

Celeste sighed, lowering her voice. "Raikhan was a survivor in the dungeon. He helped me escape. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be standing here right now."

Kieran studied her, his expression unreadable.

"You expect me to believe that a random survivor from an S-Class dungeon just happened to be strong enough to get you out of there alive?"

Celeste hesitated. She couldn't tell him the whole truth. Not yet.

"He's strong, Kieran," she admitted. "Stronger than anything I've ever seen. But he chose to help me instead of killing me. I made a deal with him, and now he's under my protection."

Kieran's frown deepened. "You made a deal with him?" His voice dropped dangerously low. "Celeste… what kind of deal?"

She hesitated for a second too long.

Kieran caught it instantly. His eyes flashed with suspicion.

"I can't tell you everything yet," she admitted, meeting his gaze. "But please… just trust me on this."

For a long moment, Kieran didn't speak. His jaw tightened, and she could see the battle in his mind—the part of him that wanted to trust her versus the part that refused to trust Raikhan.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his silver hair.

"Fine," he muttered. "But if he so much as looks at you wrong, I'll kill him myself."

Celeste rolled her eyes. "Noted."

Kieran shot her one last warning glance before turning back toward the main grounds. Celeste followed him, feeling a little lighter now that the immediate crisis had been avoided.

However, as soon as they stepped back into the open—

A loud yelp echoed through the courtyard.

Celeste turned her head just in time to witness one of the base's soldiers—an arrogant-looking brute named Darius—face down on the ground, his arms pinned behind his back.

And sitting directly on top of him, looking as relaxed as ever—

Was Raikhan.

The entire courtyard was staring.

Some in shock.

Others in… horrified fascination.

Celeste's stomach dropped. "Oh, for f—"

Kieran tensed beside her. "What. The. Hell."

Celeste stormed over, ignoring the stunned soldiers, and glared at Raikhan.

"What are you doing?" she hissed.

Raikhan lazily looked up at her, completely unbothered. "This one," he said, nudging Darius's head with his knee, "challenged me."

Celeste's eye twitched. "Challenged you?"

"He said I was your leashed pet," Raikhan mused. "I found that… amusing."

Darius groaned, struggling beneath him. "Get this—thing—off me!"

Raikhan ignored him. Instead, he looked up at Kieran, smirking. "Your soldiers are weak," he remarked. "I barely had to use any effort."

Kieran's expression was blank—too blank.

Celeste knew that look.

It was the same look he had before a storm.

"Get. Off. My soldier," Kieran said, his voice eerily calm.

Raikhan tilted his head as if considering it—before standing up in one fluid movement, letting Darius collapse into the dirt.

Celeste exhaled.

Before things could escalate any further, she turned to the soldiers gathered around them. "Everyone, back to work," she ordered. "Now."

The soldiers hesitated, glancing at Kieran for confirmation. When he gave them a sharp nod, they quickly dispersed—though not without stealing wary glances at Raikhan.

Darius scrambled to his feet, shooting Raikhan a murderous glare before storming off.

Celeste turned back to Raikhan, crossing her arms. "Could you not pick fights the second we get here?"

Raikhan smirked. "You misunderstand, little warrior." His crimson eyes gleamed. "I was simply testing my new home's strength."

Kieran made a noise that sounded suspiciously like a growl. Celeste shot him a look.

Raikhan stretched lazily. "I like it here," he mused. "The humans are amusing."

Celeste sighed, massaging her temples.

This was going to be a long day.

And somehow… she had a feeling this was only the beginning.