' The Crimson Reaper's Interest '.

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Hunter slumped against the wall, his eyes fixed on the floor as the weight of his emotions threatened to crush him. The pain and guilt he felt were suffocating, making it hard to breathe. He couldn't shake the feeling that he was responsible for everything that had happened.

Minutes ticked by, and Hunter remained frozen in his misery. But as the silence stretched out, something inside him began to shift. His mind started to clear, his thoughts growing sharper. He took a deep breath, feeling a spark of determination ignite within him.

His gaze snapped up, locking onto Xavier's concerned expression.

"The girls are in danger," he said, his voice low and urgent.

Xavier’s brow furrowed. "What's going on?"

Hunter’s eyes narrowed. "I received a message from a reliable source. The Crimson Reapers have taken an interest in them."

Xavier's expression turned serious. "We need to be careful. The Reapers aren't to be underestimated."

"I know. But we need to figure out why they’re after the girls." Hunter’s jaw clenched.

---

Days blurred into weeks as Hunter delved deeper into shadows, his focus never straying from the Reapers’ trail. Meanwhile, Aria and Emily attended their classes as usual, unaware of the growing danger. Xavier stayed close, his eyes constantly scanning for threats.

After three long weeks, Hunter had finally gathered enough information to call a meeting. Xavier and the girl's agreed to meet at a park on the outskirts of town.

As they stood in the cool breeze of early evening, discussing the Crimson Reapers' motives, Xavier frowned.

"Why are they after the Eclipse Eyes and Hunter’s Blood? Don’t they have better things to hunt?"

"Could be money," Hunter offered.

"Of course not, idiot," Xavier snapped. "There’s more to it than that."

A gust of wind blew through the park, rustling the trees. The group turned toward the east.

"That's not the exact reason hunter ".

"Huh," Xavier muttered, his eyes narrowing.

From the shadows emerged two figures. Scarlett stepped forward first, her long, fiery red hair cascading down her back like a wildfire. Her confident smirk matched the fierce glint in her emerald eyes. Behind her walked Freya, her flowing silver hair streaked with light green, and a calm, calculating gaze.

"S-Scarlett, Freya?" Xavier stuttered. "What are you doing here?"

Hunter’s expression remained calm. "I asked them to help us."

Scarlett’s smirk widened. "Don’t think I’m doing this for you or anything, Hunter. I’ve already lost one of my kind. I’m not losing another." Her eyes flicked toward Emily with fierce protectiveness.

Freya chuckled lightly, her eyes sparkling. "Besides, it’s been too long since we’ve had a good challenge."

Xavier turned to her. " You said there weren't exactly after mone, so you know what there after. So what is it?"

Freya’s expression grew thoughtful. "The items themselves."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Meaning?"

Scarlett stepped forward, her eyes sharp.

"To buy a pair of Eclipse Eyes in the underworld is impossible. The next black auction isn’t for another fifty years."

Freya’s gaze shifted to Aria and Emily.

"Which means… they want your eyes and blood. Not for power. Not for gold. Just because they can."

Aria and Emily exchanged a shocked glance.

"Seriously?" they whispered in unison.

Freya’s tone turned dry. "Yeah. Did you actually think they were after money?"

Scarlett snorted. "The Crimson Reapers don’t make deals. They take what they want. That’s one of their rules."

Freya’s voice lowered, her gaze piercing.

"You two need to stay far away from them."

Scarlett nodded. "Here’s a tip. You don’t know what they look like… but you can sense them."

"Sense them?" Aria asked, confused. "You mean their aura?"

Scarlett’s smirk deepened.

"Exactly. You may not know all the tricks of your powers yet, but sensing aura isn’t difficult—especially when it comes to monsters like them."

"But we’ve never been taught how to sense aura," Emily said warily.

Xavier stepped in, his tone calm. "You don’t need a lesson. Aura isn’t something you learn—it’s something you feel. Anyone can sense it if they’re paying attention."

Hunter nodded. "You feel it in your bones. Most of the time, it’s too weak to notice. But the Reapers? They’ll be strong enough that you can’t ignore it."

Scarlett’s final words lingered in the air like a warning.

"And if you do feel it—run."

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Want me to go ahead and help with Chapter 9 next?