Dominion of The Beast Masters

After the Greenridge Finals, Crystal's world had crumbled.

Her plans to manipulate Eratz had backfired, and her carefully constructed lies fell under scrutiny.

While some students still wanted to support her, others questioned how she could fabricate such a serious accusation for so long.

Her reputation was further damaged, then another problem surfaced when they came back at Grushia.

Kenny refused to admit any guilt. Despite Rowan's efforts, he denied everything and avoided expulsion.

Officially, he was innocent, and the director had no grounds to act against him without abusing her position.

Crystal, furious, stormed into the director's office.

"You're leaving a predator on campus!" she shouted. "Do you have any idea what you've done? I put myself at risk to expose him, and this is how you repay me?!"

The director promised to monitor Kenny, but it wasn't enough. Feeling isolated and threatened, Crystal resigned from her role as student council president.

Now, she rarely attended classes and avoided secluded areas of the campus.

Elsewhere, a young first-year sprinted through Genova's grand halls, his eyes wide with excitement.

Caught up in the grandeur of the place, he turned a corner too quickly and collided with someone, stumbling back onto the marble floor.

His breath hitched as he looked up to see a tall figure standing over him.

Kenny loomed there, his wide smile stretched unnaturally across his face, as if carved into his skin. His sharp eyes fell down on the boy, scrutinizing him in a way that made the first-year's stomach twist.

"Careful," Kenny said softly. "You don't want to hurt yourself, now do you?"

The boy scrambled to his feet, clutching his bag tightly to his chest. "Oh, huh... sorry, I wasn't looking, "

Kenny chuckled, a low sound that seemed to echo in the empty corridor.

He bent slightly, leaning just close enough that the boy could feel the warmth of his breath.

"No need to apologize," Kenny murmured.

His gaze lingered a moment too long, making the boy shift uncomfortably.

"Running like that… You could fall. Get hurt. That wouldn't be good for someone so… innocent."

The young boy nodded quickly, his heart pounding in his chest.

"Y-Yeah, I'll be more careful," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Kenny's smile didn't falter. In fact, it seemed to widen, his teeth almost too perfect, too sharp.

"That's a good idea," he said smoothly, his tone dripping with something the boy couldn't quite name. "This is a big place, after all. Lots of corners. Lots of… dangerous people."

The boy froze for a split second before taking a hurried step back.

"I-I should get going," he said, his voice breaking slightly.

Kenny straightened, his expression never changing.

The boy turned, practically running down the hall. Kenny's gaze followed him until he disappeared around the corner, his footsteps echoing faintly in the distance.

Alone once more, Kenny's smile faded, replaced by a blank, unreadable expression.

His fingers twitched slightly at his sides as he muttered under his breath.

"No need to hurry, everyone will receive what they deserve. Some more than the others..."

Students passing by instinctively avoided the area, their unease clear.
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At Genova, Kenny had become an scarecrow, a shadow that smiled, watched, and waited for something.

Meanwhile in Grushia's most exclusive district, a towering skyscraper of glass and steel loomed above pristine streets lined with luxury cars and high-end boutiques.

Its glass facade glowed in the setting sun, and polished marble and gold accents marked its private entrance.

Gabriel stepped out of a taxi, shoulders hunched with exhaustion.

Glancing briefly at the building, he adjusted his bag and entered through the glass doors.

The cool, quiet air inside felt like another world. He headed straight for the private elevator, swiping his access card without pausing to admire the decor.

As the elevator ascended, Grushia's glittering skyline spread below him, but his reflection in the glass caught his eye, a face etched with stress.

When the elevator doors opened, Gabriel entered the minimalist penthouse, its floor-to-ceiling windows showcasing the city.

The polished furniture and art exuded wealth, but to him, it felt hollow.

Dropping his bag by the door, Gabriel moved to the couch and collapsed with a groan.

"This is harder than I thought," he muttered, rubbing his temples. "I should've refused the rank-up… if that's even possible."

He leaned back, staring at the ceiling as his mind swirled with the pressures of his position.

The endless expectations, the difficulty of the battles, it was suffocating. For a brief moment, he closed his eyes, trying to forget.

"Refuse it?"

Gabriel flinched, his eyes snapping open. Crystal stood in the kitchen doorway, a plate of food in her hands.

Her figure was illuminated by the soft light from the kitchen, highlighting the subtle curves of her silhouette.

Her expression was warm, almost playful, but something in her tone made the hairs on the back of Gabriel's neck stand up.

"You should be proud, Gabriel," she said, stepping into the room with slow movements. "Not everyone gets the chance to rise."

Gabriel blinked.

"Oh... It's just... It was so easy before. People in national tier are crazy, I'm starting to think that I won't live to see the next finals..."

She approached him, cutting him off with a soft laugh.

"You're overthinking again," she said, setting the plate on the glass table in front of him. Her fingers brushed his arm lightly, a subtle touch that made his breath catch. "That's in your head."

Gabriel tried to straighten, to regain some semblance of composure, but her presence was suffocating in a way he couldn't explain.

"It's just… a lot," he admitted, his voice quieter than he intended. "The rank-up, the people, it's all overwhelming. Sometimes I feel like I'm drowning."

Crystal tilted her head, her hair falling over one shoulder as she leaned closer, her voice dropping to a near whisper.

"Drowning? Or do you mean… afraid?"

"Afraid?" Gabriel repeated, his throat dry. "Of what?"

She smiled, her lips curling into something soft and predatory.

She slid onto the couch beside him, her leg brushing against his, her hand resting lightly on his knee.

The warmth of her touch sent a ripple of unease through him, but he couldn't move away, or rather, he couldn't convince himself to move away.

"Afraid of falling," she murmured, her fingers tracing slow patterns against his leg. "Afraid of what happens if you stop climbing. But you don't need to worry, Gabriel."

Her hand drifted higher, her touch light but electric, her gaze locked onto his.

Gabriel's pulse quickened, his mind clouding with confusion and something darker, something he couldn't understand.

"You'll get used to it," Crystal continued, her tone impossibly soft, "the pressure, the expectations. It'll all become normal. As long as you keep climbing."

Her breath was warm against his ear, and her proximity was intoxicating. Gabriel's thoughts scattered, his body betraying him as a flush of heat coursed through him.

Crystal's smile widened, her eyes flicking downward for the briefest moment before returning to his.

She leaned back slightly, her gaze playful.

"Oh, Gabriel," she teased, her voice dripping with false innocence. "You're such a hard worker."

Gabriel tried to respond, but his voice failed him. His heart pounded in his chest, his breathing shallow.

Crystal's laughter was soft, almost musical, as she stood, smoothing her skirt as if nothing had happened.

"Eat up," she said over her shoulder as she walked toward the kitchen. "You'll need your strength to reach the top. Everything will be alright... You just have to keep climbing."

Gabriel sat frozen, his earlier worries about the rank-up forgotten.

His thoughts were consumed not by the weight of his responsibilities, but by the warmth of Crystal's touch, the sound of her voice, and the way she seemed to know exactly how to unravel him.

He forgot why she seemed scary, and remembered why he paid for everything in this place.