............In front of a not so Luxurious Hotel,"Alright, see you later, Bella. Call me if you need me to show you around the city!" Aarav said as Bella and her parents got out of his car."Okay, I'll call you tomorrow, Brother!" Bella nodded and waved at Aarav, who waved back before starting his car and driving away.He didn't even glance at his ex-parents-in-law, who also ignored him as they immediately went inside the hotel."Seriously, when are they going to grow up and give up their useless pride, acknowledge their mistakes!" Bella muttered in frustration, watching her parents walk away in disappointment.After today, she decided to seriously consider what to do about her parents. If they could set aside their pride and genuinely change, she might give them a chance to be a family again. If not, she would take her big sister and live separately from these two huge disappointments.After dropping Bella and her parents off, Aarav drove directly to the church, as he was running
............"What do you think we should do for Aeliana to help her forget about her sadness and get over it? We don't know how much she might be hurting. Any ideas, ladies?" Aarav asked in a slightly gloomy tone, and the atmosphere in the hall shifted from playful to a little sad.Aarav had shared with them about Aeliana's grandfather's situation, and everyone had the same thought: they were sorry for not being there for Aeliana when she needed their support the most."Brother, isn't Sister Aeliana coming here the day after tomorrow?" Aria asked, a bright idea forming in her mind."Yes, why... did you think of something?" Aarav asked, noticing her excited smile."Yes, how about giving her a welcoming party? We could have also celebrated her birthday, but we don't know when it is," Aria nodded as she shared her thoughts."Actually, I might have an idea, but I'm not sure if it's accurate. I think it might be the 2nd of next month," Phia said with a thoughtful look, unsure but hopeful
............"Arrest him, now!" Aarav shouted at the other guard, who was still in a daze. Aarav then went over to the injured guard and began checking his gunshot wound."Ahh... yes!" The guard snapped back to his senses and moved to arrest the unconscious man."Phew... it's fine now. You shouldn't move unnecessarily for now. Wait for emergency treatment before trying to move forcefully!" Aarav gave the injured guard basic treatment and warned him."Th-thank you, mister!" The guard, overwhelmed by pain and how quickly Aarav had handled the situation, expressed his gratitude.Other people and guards who had rushed over were also staring at Aarav with questioning looks in their eyes. They had just witnessed a dramatic scene: one second, a crazy man was pointing a gun at the guards, and the next, he was lying on the floor, unconscious, with a small crater around him."It's no problem. I am Aarav Veridian, by the way," Aarav introduced himself. "I already tried to warn others that this
............"Boom... crash!" The knights eliminated the stronger beasts while driving the weaker ones back toward the forest."Wow... look at the seniors, handling such strong beasts so effortlessly. Watching them fight so heroically makes our blood boil!" The new recruits gasped and praised their seniors' fighting, feeling their bodies shake with excitement and adrenaline, eager to get down and chop those beasts with their sharp weapons."Oh, please, you newbies won't even last a moment down there," mocked another senior as he approached the enthusiastic new recruits."Haha...you're probably right, Senior. But let us dream a little!" The new recruits were angry at being mocked, but seeing it was a senior, they cooled down and laughed awkwardly."What the fuck are you talking about? Get the fuck down and grow some balls, you bastards!" The senior knight glared at them menacingly before shouting in anger, making the newbies scramble to grab the rope and climb down the wall."Roarrrr.
............"What is that... I can't really tell from this distance, but these goosebumps... We're definitely onto something, but it feels way too dangerous for us," Captain Thorn said, feeling the same dangerous sensation and tingling just by looking in that direction. Captain Alaric also shared this unease.Even though they were still a few miles away, Captain Thorn expressed his apprehension about moving any further."Yeah, I agree with you, Captain Thorn. Before we make any decisions, let's notify the commanders," Captain Lyra voiced, agreeing with Captain Thorn and suggesting they report to their commander and wait for further instructions."Alright, let's do that," Captain Alaric nodded. They ordered the others to establish a temporary safe base. Then, the three captains used the special device to report their findings and ask for instructions on how to proceed.Back at the Great Wall of Quartzgate City, in the command center, all three commanders sat together, mulling over th
............"Huh... this is... Shadowclaw, damn!" When Brian arrived near the creature and saw its appearance, a word suddenly appeared in his mind."By what is this creature doing here? It shouldn't be here to begin with. Who brought it? I need all the answers but can't get any in this situation!" Brian muttered in a low tone, his face filled with shock. He wasn't expecting to see this abomination.Brian remembered reading information about this creature.It's a creature born from the darkest depths of the forest, its appearance a grotesque fusion of various animals. Its body is sleek and muscular, covered in dark fur that seems to absorb light, giving it a shadowy appearance.Its eyes are glowing orbs of amber, piercing through the darkness with an otherworldly intensity.The Shadowclaw moves with a silent grace, its movements almost ethereal as it stalks its prey through the dense undergrowth of the forest. Its claws are razor-sharp and tipped with venom that can induce hallucina
............"Captain Thorn and Captain Lyra, you take the front and keep moving. I'll take the rear with my men to defend us from this beast," Captain Alaric ordered as they quickly moved into position.Captain Thorn carried their Commander, so he couldn't help clear the path of beasts. His men took on that task while Captain Lyra and her team focused on finding the shortest and safest route to the Quartzgate City's great wall.Even though Captain Alaric and his men were terrified by the nightmare creature chasing them, they kept their pace and defended their position to protect the rest of the team. Captain Alaric knew they couldn't confront the creature head-on without risking being wiped out. He instructed his men to set traps to slow down the beast.They could only stall for time. If even Commander Brian couldn't damage this nightmarish creature, how could they hope to achieve that?"Swiish...Booommn....Crashhh...Ahhhhhh!"Even though the plan was good, fatigue, the fear of the
............"There, its eyes!" He noticed the glowing amber eyes, identifying them as the only weak point he could see. The beast's hide looked as sturdy as a mountain, offering no obvious vulnerabilities."Swiish...Baaamn!!"Captain Alaric charged forward with everything he had, focusing solely on that part of the beast. He ignored the scratches and claw wounds on his body, even though they bled continuously. He had evaded just in time to avoid being paralyzed by its venom—so far."Swish... Swoooh... Chiiichiiii...!" Alaric somehow managed to reach its eyes and plunged his short dagger deep into its pupil. The beast cried out in pain, but then Alaric found himself impaled on its claws, his body filled with venom. Paralysis set in, and he was lost in a dream-like illusion, dying without even realizing it."Chiiichiii...!!"The Shadowclaw, hurt in the eyes, became furious. It aggressively pursued the other ants, determined to crush any hope they had of escaping after annoying it."Sw