Lucian thought it was over for him. He was already feeling like he was dying due to the searing pain coursing through him, and the Fiend’s cruel enjoyment only made it worse, drawing out every agonizing second.Then, out of nowhere, the girl charged forward, swinging the stick high and hard. With all her might, she brought it down onto the Fiend’s head. The sound of wood meeting skull was followed by a grunt of surprise from the demon. He staggered back, disoriented, claws retracting for a brief moment as he turned toward her in fury.“You…” the Fiend hissed, preparing to lunge at her. But before it could, Lucian mustered the last of his strength and shoved the Fiend hard, forcing it several feet back.Lucian struggled to catch his breath, glancing down to see his shirt in tatters, chest scorched and raw.The Fiend stumbled but quickly regained its footing, though the momentary distraction had given Lucian the edge he needed.Ignoring the throbbing pain, Lucian straightened, his eyes

The next morning, news reports buzzed with the story of an anonymous man who had heroically saved all the kidnapped girls, bringing them home safely.In her room, bathed in the soft morning light filtering through her curtains, Amber was on a call with Liz. She couldn’t contain her surprise. “Wait—are you serious?! You were the one who told him I was missing?”Liz responded, “I had to. You didn’t show up at school, and as usual, he came to pick you up. Your phone wasn’t reachable, and then your dad called…”“My dad called you?” Amber asked, stunned.“Yep. He sounded really worried, and that’s when I realized something was off. I’m not even sure why I thought to call Lucian. I just had this feeling he needed to know because he seemed worried too, and he seemed to care about you. It didn't even take too long, and you're already back home. He saved you.”Amber couldn’t help but giggle, shaking her head. “The moment I saw him there… I’ve never felt so relieved. And the way he just broke o