Draven Lockwood raced through the dense forest.
His boots pounding against the uneven ground.
The cold night air carried sounds of chaos.
Clashes of weapons, growls, and the distinct sound of explosions.
His sharp senses honed in on the commotion ahead.
Each breath of his carried urgency.
The faint luminescence of the moon casting long, shifting shadows between the towering trees.
He pushed through a thicket, finally reaching a clearing where the forest dipped into a steep pathway.
Draven stopped, his gaze locking onto the battle below.
His enhanced sight allowed him to make out several figures—
Two students, likely first-years judging by their smaller statures.
Frantically engaging a swarm of undead skeleton soldiers.
The scene was chaos incarnate.
Glowing red eyes of the skeletons burned ominously through the darkness.
Their clattering bones moved unnaturally fast, wielding jagged weapons with precision.
Amidst the melee, a massive orange-hued spirit bear roared ferociously.
Its claws smashing into the skeletal soldiers.
Each swipe of its massive paw sent shards of bone flying.
But for every skeleton felled, another rose.
Draven's eyes narrowed.
That bear... Buddy.
"Ariana?"
He muttered under his breath.
His heart sinking as he scanned the scene.
Sure enough, his gaze fell upon her—
A girl with fiery determination etched across her face. Find your next read on empire
Her every movement sharp yet fluid as she darted between the undead.
Her magic flared brilliantly as she fought alongside the students.
But Draven's stomach churned as his sharp eyes spotted a looming threat.
An undead soldier, its hulking form wielding a massive mace glowing with dark energy, stalked behind Ariana.
Its skeletal grin seemed almost eager for violence as it raised its weapon high.
There wasn't enough time.
Draven clenched his teeth.
There was no way he could reach her by simply running.
Taking several steps back, Draven steadied his breathing.
His heart pounded as he visualized his plan—
A leap of faith, calculated but no less reckless.
He broke into a sprint, his feet pounding the dirt as he hurled himself off the edge of the steep incline.
The world seemed to slow.
Wind howled past him, tugging at his hair as he soared through the air.
His silhouette framed against the pale moonlight.
Time stretched impossibly thin, the details around him crystal clear.
Ariana turning to face the undead with widening eyes.
The first-year students yelling warnings too late, the undead's mace already descending.
The name sent a jolt of recognition through her.
"Draven Lockwood.
One of the top students in the second year... and one of the top seniors in all of Ravenwood Academy."
Her mind replayed the moment of the devastating slash that had cleaved the undead soldier and obliterated the trees in its wake.
It was a display of raw, overwhelming power, far beyond anything she had seen before.
Now, standing so close to him, the aura he exuded made her stomach churn with both awe and intimidation.
"So this is what makes him second only to... him."
Draven finally turned away from Ariana.
His sharp gaze locking onto the two first-years.
The girl, realizing he was approaching, scrambled to her feet alongside her companion.
Brushing off the dirt from her uniform.
She straightened up as Draven came to a stop before them.
"And what about you two?"
Draven's tone was clipped, leaving little room for evasion.
The first-year boy stepped forward first, bowing slightly.
"I'm Elias Briar, second son of the Briar family."
He glanced at the girl, urging her to speak.
She took a deep breath before replying.
"Oh...I-I'm Rosaline Whitmore, daughter of House Whitmore."
Her voice wavered slightly as she added,.
"We're both first-years, sir."
Draven raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt.
Rosaline continued, her voice steadier now.
"Senior Ariana requested our help.
We were the only ones outside the dormitories when the alert about demonic energy in the cemetery came through. Everyone else was confined."
Elias chimed in, his expression earnest.
"We thought we could help ward off the evil.
We didn't think the situation would escalate like this."
Draven's sharp eyes shifted briefly to Ariana, who gave him a faint nod of confirmation.
He sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly.
But his grip on his sword remained firm.
Before he could respond, a sickening sound filled the air—
A dry, grating noise of bone scraping against bone.
Rosaline's eyes widened in horror as she turned toward the scattered remains of the undead soldiers.
Their broken forms were trembling, the pieces crawling toward one another as if drawn by an unseen force.
Black and red smoke swirled around the bones.
Stitching them back together in grotesque mimicry of life.
"They're... reforming?"
Elias stammered, his voice cracking.
Draven's expression darkened as he stepped forward, sword raised.
"Brace yourselves. They weren't defeated after all."
Rosaline and Elias scrambled to position themselves as Draven's cold, commanding voice cut through the rising tension.
"This time..."
He said, his sword gleaming as he drew it fully.
"...we make sure they stay down."