Darius Malphas stood before them, his arms crossed, gaze sharp enough to cut through steel. The weight of his authority still lingered in the air, suffocating.
Then, he paused. His nostrils flared slightly as he sniffed the air.
A low hum of curiosity rumbled in his throat before his gaze landed back on Isdis.
"Am I wrong," he said, voice smooth yet dangerously sharp, "or do I smell human blood?"
Tega stiffened immediately, his werewolf instincts reacting to the mention of blood. He didn't like where this was going.
Utibe, still hidden, felt his pulse spike. Shit.
Darius turned his head slightly. "And it's not from the brat who clearly doesn't value his own life."
That was obviously about Utibe.
Then, his eyes locked onto Isdis.
"Would you care to explain?"
For the first time since their fight, Isdis looked genuinely uneasy.
She had a habit.
A dangerous, reckless habit.
She often lured unsuspecting humans—mostly men—to isolated places under the guise of flirtation, fed on their blood, slipped some cash into their pockets as compensation, and erased their memories afterward.
If her succubus side kicked in, she might have a little more fun with them before erasing everything.
No harm done. No one ever remembered. No loose ends.
But if the Principal of Fantasia Academy found out?
She was screwed.
Her mind raced for an excuse, but before she could even open her mouth—
"It was a blood pack."
The voice was confident, unwavering.
Everyone turned.
Utibe stepped out from his hiding spot, arms crossed, looking completely unbothered despite the lingering tension in the air.
He jerked his chin at Isdis. "I saw her drinking from a blood pack. Nothing shady, nothing illegal." He raised a brow, eyes half-lidded with boredom. "Unless you've suddenly outlawed store-bought blood now."
Tega and Isdis both looked at him like he'd lost his mind.
Darius, however, didn't look convinced. His dark eyes studied Utibe for a long, silent moment.
The boy's body language was too casual.
His heartbeat, though slightly elevated, was controlled.
He was lying.
Darius knew.
But what was interesting… was why?
He could have easily thrown Isdis under the bus, let her deal with the consequences of her own recklessness. Yet, here he was, stepping in, defending her with a casual arrogance that most humans wouldn't dare muster in the presence of someone like him.
The brat had guts.
Darius's lips twitched, almost imperceptibly, before he let out a long, exasperated sigh.
"Is that so?" His voice was unreadable.
Utibe didn't flinch. "Yeah. That's so."
Darius hummed, then gave Isdis a look that clearly said We'll talk later.
Then, without warning, he turned and started walking away.
"Enough of this nonsense. Get in the car."
Tega blinked. "Wait—what?"
Darius shot him a glare over his shoulder. "Do I look like I enjoy repeating myself?"
Tega shut up.
Isdis grumbled but followed.
Utibe just shrugged and sauntered toward the car like he totally hadn't just stared down a supernatural authority figure and lied to his face.
Darius opened the sleek black car door, waiting for them all to pile in before getting behind the wheel himself.
He adjusted his cuffs, sighed dramatically, and muttered, "I swear to the gods, I should have become a lawyer."
Then, without another word, he started the car and drove off—straight toward Fantasia Academy, where the real reckoning awaited.
The car ride was silent.
Well—almost silent.
Utibe sat with his arms crossed, legs spread wide like he owned the damn space. His eyes flickered toward Tega, then back out the window.
Then he let out an exaggerated sigh.
"So… you're a werewolf."
Tega stiffened slightly but didn't answer.
Utibe clicked his tongue. "A whole ass furball, and you never once told me? Bro, what the hell?"
Tega clenched his jaw, looking away.
Utibe scoffed. "That's crazy, man. All these years, and I'm just now finding out that my so-called best friend turns into a goddamn dog on full moons."
Tega shot him a glare. "I don't turn into a dog."
Utibe smirked. "Could've fooled me."
Isdis chuckled under her breath.
Darius kept his eyes on the road, pretending not to listen.
Utibe leaned back in his seat. "And you, bloodsucker," he tilted his head at Isdis, "you were out here slurping people dry and wiping their memories like some discount vampire escort?"
Isdis rolled her eyes. "It's called survival."
Utibe barked a laugh. "Yeah? Well, next time, try not getting caught."
Isdis scowled but didn't argue.
Utibe shook his head. "Man… I knew something was off about you two, but damn, not this level of bullshit." He clicked his tongue. "All this supernatural madness, and nobody thought to fill me in? Not even a 'Hey, Utibe, watch out for the fangs and claws' text?"
Tega sighed. "It wasn't safe."
"Oh, bullshit. I'm already in this mess! If I hadn't run into you two tonight, how much longer were you gonna keep me in the dark?"
Neither of them answered.
Utibe laughed humorlessly. "Unbelievable. Y'all really had me thinking we were just normal troublemakers, but nah—you're out here playing Twilight and Teen Wolf behind my back."
Tega and Isdis exchanged a look.
Then Utibe leaned forward, staring directly at Darius, who had been way too quiet through all of this.
"And you," Utibe jabbed a finger toward him, "I don't even know what your deal is, but you reek of 'big boss energy,' and I don't like it."
Darius did not react.
Utibe narrowed his eyes. "Matter of fact, who the hell even are you?"
Silence.
Utibe let out a sharp exhale. "Oh, so you're just too cool to answer, huh? What, you some kind of vampire mafia boss? A werewolf king? Oh—wait! Let me guess—you're secretly a thousand-year-old demon lord, right?"
No response.
Utibe clicked his tongue. "Yeah, I thought so. Mysterious old men in suits always have some secret, overpowered bullshit going on. That's just the rule."
Tega closed his eyes in exhaustion.
Isdis sighed deeply.
Utibe just kept going. "Damn. You know, for a bunch of supernatural freaks, y'all sure are boring as hell. What, nobody got a sense of humor? You guys always this uptight, or did I just catch you on a bad—"
WHAM.
Utibe's whole body jerked forward as a sharp, heavy force slammed into the back of his head.
His vision blacked out instantly.
His body slumped.
Silence.
Tega and Isdis stared at Darius, who casually pulled his hand back, acting as if he had not just knocked Utibe the hell out with a single slap.
They gave him a look that practically screamed:
Seriously? No attacking civilians.
Darius didn't even blink.
Instead, he adjusted his sleeve, refocused on the road, and sighed.
"I swear to the gods, that boy talks too much."