Alex met the beast's gaze, her humanoid form coiled elegantly in the throne of crimson feathers. Her presence alone carried weight—authority pressed into every inch of her posture, every flicker of firelight reflecting in her eyes. But her question? That was something else.
Her tone had been even, almost playful. But the weight behind it wasn't lost on him.
"Why is a Legend-rank beast traveling with a human?"
Alex didn't answer.
Not immediately. Not at all.
His eyes remained fixed on her, a mask of mystery that revealed nothing. Since the fall of his clan, he had borne witness to countless horrors—monsters that lurked in the shadows, and murderers adorned in shimmering gold.
Yet Aetheria stood apart. She wore her majesty like a blazing flame, radiating an unquenchable intensity that drew in both awe and trepidation. It was as if she did not merely demand respect; she exuded a palpable disdain for anything she deemed beneath her.
Especially him.
