Held in place by Zara's wings while her hands ran traces back and forth on his crotch.

Aegon noticed the spike in temperature. His eyes trailed to the open door and his body stiffened. "Claire!"

Claire stood at the door frame looking utterly heartbroken, her eyes were glassy as tears threatened to spill, bottom lip quivered and shoulders slumped, yet didn't look away.

A complete contrast was Eli behind her who obviously could not contain his joy. His smile stretched wide as he watched them.

Even Zara's hands had finally stopped yet she didn't unwrap them. She glanced at Claire. "Could you close the door? Thank you."

And all hell broke loose. "Excuse me?" Claire said as her expressions shifted from sad to seething. She stepped into the room and right in front of them. "Let him go now." Her voice shaky.

Zara cocked a brow. Waited a second to see if Claire was serious—she was. She unfurled her wings and brought them back into her back.

She now stood face to face with Claire. Neither backing down as no one knew what was going to happen.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Zara said, smirking.

She opened her mouth, yet no words came out. She really didn't know what Aegon was to her yet but she wasn't going to let this— this bitch, talk to her that way. "That doesn't matter." She finally replied.

"Haa." Zara laughed. Seeing Claire's stutter was all the fuel needed at attack. "I think it does. Because he—" she pointed to Aegon, who was plopped at the side, just standing. "—and his cock seemed to be enjoying my hands."

The room turned into a sauna. A haze covered everything as Claire practically boiled hot. She raised a finger to Zara—

"It's not what it looks like I swear." Aegon cut in before things could go any further. "She just grabbed me Claire."

He tried to convince her but she wouldn't even face him, her face remained downcast. Aegon turned to Eli for support. "Come on, man. Tell her it was nothing."

"Kheum," Eli cleared his throat, trying to drown his smile. "You dog, you."

And that was the final straw. Claire turned on her heels and took off running.

"Wait!" Aegon called out but she had already gone. He dragged his hair back. "Eli, why?"

"No, I don't." He said giddy. "But I think you should go after her."

"Shit." He cursed, running a hand across his face. He faced Zara who couldn't care less.

And so he ran after her. Down the dorm stairs and dodging the cluster of awakened finding their rooms.

He followed closely behind her yet never reached due to her initial headstart. She ran across the field, through a group of awakened.

He chased after until he bumped into someone and sent them both tumbling to the dirt. He tilted his head to watch Claire run out of range.

He got up, dusted his knees and finally turned to see him. It was one of the new kids from juvie. Black hair, grey eyes and their grey overalls.

His friends were already helping him get up.

"I'm sorry man." Aegon apologized immediately. Turned to resume his chase.

"Hey!" One of the kids called him back. He, reluctantly turned, already knowing where this was going.

Their fists were already raised. They were already spreading out to circle him.

'I really don't want to deal with this right now.' He rubbed the ridge of his nose. He clasped his hands together, trying to sound more sincere. "Look, guys I'm so sorry I bumped into you but I really don't have time for this."

But his please fell on deaf ears, they had already circled him and were now just waiting for the first to attack.

"There's really no other way to solve this?" He sighed and took his stance. He lowered his core to move more fluid.

Luckily, they still had their dampening collars on their necks so this was still a somewhat far fight.

They ran for him together.

He stretched out his hands and scorched the earth around him in a ring, or a warning. "Guys, I'm sorry. Now let it go."

"Arrgh!" One screamed as he ran through the ring and charged into Aegon and pushed him into the floor.

He immediately pulled a knife from his pockets and raised it for the stab.

Aegon shifted to the left and kicked it out of his hands. Rolling back to his feet with his hands in the air. "Isn't there any way where we just talk about this?"

Another was already sprinting towards him with his hands open for a punch.

Aegon grabs his hand, sets him on his back and uses the attacker's momentum to throw him to the floor.

The one who the knife had retrieved it and was coming back. He reaches Aegon and thrusts the knife into his center.

But Aegon walked right through him. Phasing through the assailant and solidifying behind him.

He grabs a handful of his shirt from the back, bent slightly and dragged him back to the dirt.

"Come on guy." He tied his hair up. "You're not gonna win this fight."

~BAM!~

One of them took the distraction and pulled him in the face, sending him tumbling to the ground.

The circle tightened, boots scraping against dirt, eyes burning. Aegon exhaled, shoulders loosening, his stance predatory yet calm. "You asked for this."

The first lunged—wild, desperate. Aegon sidestepped, caught his wrist, and twisted.

~CRRK!~

A sharp crack echoed as the boy's arm bent unnaturally. Aegon shoved him down with a boot to the chest, leaving him gasping in the dust.

Another came from behind, swinging wide. Aegon phased, the punch cutting through empty air.

He reappeared at the attacker's flank, palm igniting. A burst of flame seared across the boy's ribs, not enough to kill, but enough to drop him screaming to the ground.

Two left, circling like wolves. His eyes narrowed. He crouched low, then surged forward. His fist collided with the first jaw—bone met fire, the impact sending the kid sprawling unconscious before he even hit the dirt.

The last one hesitated, knife trembling in his grip. Aegon walked toward him slowly, deliberately, each step crunching against scorched earth. "You still want this?" His voice was low, dangerous.

The boy screamed and charged anyway. Aegon phased through the blade, reappearing behind him in a fluid motion.

He grabbed the back of his collar, yanked hard, and slammed him face-first into the ground. The impact rattled teeth, left him limp.

Four bodies lay scattered around him—groaning, unconscious, defeated.

Aegon stood in the center, chest rising steady, fire still flickering faintly across his knuckles. He scanned the circle, jaw tight, then extinguished the flames with a flick of his wrist.

"Enough," he muttered, voice sharp as steel. He dusted his hands, eyes already trailing toward the field where Claire had vanished.

But they weren't done with him. The one he pushed lunged forward and hit him. Presice and deliberately aimed for pressure points.

Sharp blooms of pain erupted over his body. He fell to the floor trying to regain balance but he already knew—he couldn't draw anymore.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.