6
be things
I noticed he was always secretly rummaging through my things. I knew he was looking for the Beast–kin token my father had left me. Kaelen was incredibly ambitious; he’d always coveted that token because possessing it meant unifying the entire Beast–kin tribes.
In my previous life, many coveted the token. My father had hidden it, giving me a painting, and to find the token, I had to decipher the painting’s secret. Back then, I never understood the painting’s meaning, so the token remained unfound. Kaelen resented me for it, thinking I didn’t trust him.
This time, I planned to set a trap for him, to catch him red–handed and use that as grounds to kick him out. But before I could implement my plan, Ryker mysteriously disappeared. I sent people everywhere, but he was nowhere to be found.
The day of the dungeon assessment was fast approaching. At this crucial moment, Kaelen volunteered to accompany me into the dungeon. Looking at his sincere eyes, I remembered how he had heartlessly pushed me into the fiery abyss in my previous life, and a chill ran down my spine. A Beast–kin, once bonded with their master, could not abandon or betray them unless the master died, which would then break the bond. He was enduring such humiliation just to deliver a fatal blow at the critical moment, then throw himself into his ‘one true love’s‘ arms. Had his disappearance been his doing?
I’d rather fail the trial than let his scheme succeed. So, I enacted my plan early, kicking Kaelen out of my household on the charge of theft. We bond with Beast–kin because without them, we can’t successfully complete the trials. Now, I was alone, and it was almost certain I wouldn’t make it out of the dungeon.
Mom asked me in front of all the clan members if I wanted to give up. If I did, Valerie would become the next Clan Leader. Seeing the triumphant smile on Valerie’s face, I stepped onto the ceremonial altar, showing them my choice through my actions.
Valerie, with her Beast–kin Sterling, walked up as well, her tone full of disdain. “Sister, do you really think you can win against me by yourself?
Heh, how utterly delusional!”
“Who said she was alone?”
Ryker, who had been missing, appeared like a god descended from the heavens. He took my hand, standing beside me. A wave of warmth spread through my palm, engulfing my whole body, making my heart leap with excitement.
A dazzling crimson light shot up from the ceremonial altar, and we were instantly teleported into the dungeon. At the same moment, another figure rushed forward, flying onto the altar without hesitation. In the blink of an eye, that person also vanished before everyone’s eyes. Only the
clan members remained, staring at each other in stunned silence.
