Chapter 30: The Hunt Begins

The jungle was silent. Too silent.

Somewhere in the shadows, something was moving. Fast. Unseen. Deadly.

Then—a scream.

A student from Tripura Academy vanished into the darkness. His teammates barely had time to react before another was taken, their bodies dragged into the undergrowth.

> "What is happening?!" one of them yelled—before a set of glowing red eyes appeared behind him.

A blur of black and crimson aura, and he was gone.

The monstrous panther was hunting.

Following the Trail

Mri's team moved swiftly, weaving between thick trees, tracking a trail of fresh blood.

Jasmine crouched, inspecting the ground. "Multiple students. They ran, but something caught them."

Shahid clenched his fists. "That means it's close."

Ayang wiped sweat from his forehead. "How do we fight something we can't even see?"

Mri narrowed his eyes. "We go one by one."

The team spread out in a loose formation, moving carefully. One step at a time.

Then—Mri saw it.

A shadow—long, sleek, powerful. The panther was watching them from afar, its crimson aura flickering like flames.

> "It's fast."

Mri took off, rushing toward it—but the beast vanished in a blur of speed.

> "Tch."

He followed. He wouldn't let it escape.

Fight in the Dark

As Mri ran, a shout rang through the jungle.

> "No—stay back!"

Up ahead, a student from Nagaland Academy faced the panther alone.

A sword in his hand, he charged, slashing at the beast—but he was too slow.

With a sickening crunch, the panther lunged, its monstrous jaws closing over him.

The jungle fell silent again.

Mri stopped. He had arrived too late.

His fists tightened. His eyes locked onto the panther.

> "You're mine."