Proclaimed dead

Ariel stopped by the old tree trunk, stretching her arms with a satisfied sigh. This mission had been a piece of cream for her. She harvested a ton, wasted little to no energy, and even managed to get back unscathed. It was easier than some C-ranked missions—almost too easy.

She scanned her surroundings. The forest was eerily silent. No rustling leaves, no distant howls, not even the usual chirping of insects.

A frown creased her brow.

"How weird... I'm not encountering any beasts." She tapped her chin, eyes narrowing at the empty path ahead. "Is this some coincidence... or some other power at play here?"

Normally, traveling through these woods meant at least a couple of run-ins with stray creatures, if not outright hostile monsters. But this time? Not a single living thing crossed her path.

She reached into her pouch and pulled out the tiny, plump hamster by the scruff of its neck, holding it up in front of her face. The small creature dangled midair, its deep red nose twitching slightly.

Ariel squinted. "You're the only anomaly this time..." Her voice took on a mocking lilt as she smirked. "Could it be they're turned off by your cuteness? Not wanting to hunt such an adorable being?"

With a casual flick, she smacked its tiny butt.

Damon: "..."

The hamster's beady eyes darkened. If he weren't restraining himself, this stupid woman would have been reduced to a trembling mess under his true form's presence.

Ariel continued without a care. "Silly little thing. When did you even slip into my bag? I always thought you rodents were stupid, but you've got some brains, huh?"

Damon clenched his tiny paws.

This woman...

Tiny?

Animal?

Burden?

Did she just call him a burden?

This so-called 'tiny animal' had drained her dungeon boss dry in mere seconds so that she could waltz in and claim all the rewards. Without him, she'd be dead in a pit somewhere, gnawed on by scavengers. And yet, here she was—acting like he was nothing more than a dumb little stowaway!

Damon had an unbearable itch to make this arrogant woman realize exactly who she was talking to.

His fur bristled.

His tiny whiskers twitched.

For a split second, a flicker of golden light shimmered around his body, his aura threatening to leak out.

But he inhaled sharply.

No. Not yet.

Revealing himself now was a waste. He needed more time. More control. He had plans—plans that didn't include exposing himself to an airheaded brute with a superiority complex.

So he did what he had to do.

He swallowed his rage, forced his fur to settle, and blinked up at her with the most harmless, wide-eyed expression he could muster.

Ariel chuckled. "What's with that 'I'm being wronged' look on your face? Don't get the wrong idea, little guy. I don't need a burden slowing me down."

Burden? Again?

Damon mentally repeated the word, engraving it into his soul.

Oh...

One day.

One day, she was going to remember this moment.

And she was going to cry.. 

...

The scent of burning metal and damp stone clung to the air inside the human stronghold. Dim lanterns flickered along the rough concrete walls, barely illuminating the somber faces gathered in the war room. The elders sat in a semicircle, their expressions grim as Luiss and his team stood before them.

Marcus, his grizzled features carved deep with worry, fixed Luiss with an unblinking stare. His fingers tapped against the armrest of his chair, slow and deliberate.

"The one who didn't make it back?" His voice was quiet, but the weight of authority behind it made the room feel smaller.

Luiss, still bandaged from the mission, lowered his gaze slightly. "It was Ariel."

The words barely left his mouth before Marcus's palm slammed against the table. The wood groaned under the force, and the elders flinched.

"Nonsense." His voice rang through the chamber. "Ariel is no fool. She wouldn't have fallen so easily."

The tension in the room thickened like a storm cloud.

Marcus gestured, and within moments, a soldier rushed off, returning with Luiss's weakened form propped up between two guards.

Marcus leaned forward, his sharp eyes boring into Luiss's. "You've been a leader long enough to know protocol. When a mission goes wrong, the first priority is recovering missing team members. Did you do that?"

Luiss swallowed hard, but his expression remained firm. "I did." He straightened despite the ache in his ribs. "But she disobeyed a direct order and veered off. We had already suffered losses, and I didn't have the manpower to spare chasing her into an unknown path."

Marcus's jaw clenched. "And after the mission? Did you wait for her? Send a recovery team?"

Luiss hesitated for half a second.

The female healer standing beside him stiffened but nodded quickly in agreement. "Yes. We searched. We found... a body in the uncharted tunnels."

The elders exchanged glances.

"A body," Marcus repeated slowly.

Luiss exhaled, nodding. "We were overwhelmed by wolves. We had no choice but to retreat." His voice held no tremor, his face a mask of practiced calm.

Lies.

And yet, the others backed him up. One by one, they nodded, their gazes a mixture of reluctance and unspoken agreement.

Because they knew.

If it came to light that Luiss abandoned a teammate—worse, that he did it out of a personal grudge—the punishment would be severe.

Marcus exhaled sharply and leaned back in his chair, his expression unreadable.

"...You were outnumbered," he finally said, rubbing his temple. "Go recuperate."

Luiss resisted the urge to let out a sigh of relief. The tension in the room eased slightly as the team murmured words of gratitude, some offering brief nods before turning to leave.

They thought they were safe.

They thought their lie had sealed the truth away.

But unbeknownst to them, the very person they had written off as dead was making her way back at that very moment.