'This is exactly why I hate revealing too much to this girl.'

  Everyone knew Hazie—the pink-haired prodigy currently slung over his shoulder. She wasn’t just famous in their university; she was practically a legend. Hazie had it all: an intellect that could shame seasoned scholars, skills that made her unmatched in every field, and the kind of wealth most could only dream of. Born into a prestigious family, she was the epitome of perfection. Her record was flawless, literally. Graduating with an unbroken streak of success, excelling in every single aspect without so much as a smudge on her achievements, deeming her a once in a lifetime genius for only she had achieved perfection throughout the university's history.

  She was everything Kaiser wasn’t.

  Where she embodied brilliance, discipline, and untouchable prestige, Kaiser was a self-proclaimed delinquent—a "waste of potential," as society often labeled him. Their worlds were galaxies apart and there are many reasons why, with his extreme lack of ambition being the main reason dragging him down the ground.

  Of course, her status outshines others for an obvious reason. In the world, there are two types of people, the poor and the rich. The wealthy stood at the top for they are different, lifting them above the hierarchy, but the ranking simply doesn't end there for it stretch higher and higher, until the few and most outstanding individual remains. People that hold countless wealth, produce the brightest ideas and shape the future, even potentially deciding the fate of all humanity itself for the better or worse.

  Kaiser had encountered his fair share of experience despite his youth to know better, for the life he had lived let him see the cruelness of humanity without protection of luxury almost everyone has, allowing him to knew the difference between those that stand above and people like him that stand below, sweating for pennies while they gaze at tall buildings, holding millions and life of utmost luxury.

  They're there simply because they are superior.

  And the girl slung over his shoulder on their frenzied run from an aerial predator was the most talented person Kai had ever known. In fact, if she has not been summoned in the Shattered Realms, he won't be surprised if she becomes a president or multi billionaire.

  She's a person Kai didn't want to get involved with, if possible.

  He knew better than to be fooled by her dazzling exterior. Behind Hazie’s charming mask was a calculating mind that made him wary. Admiring her from afar was one thing—getting involved with her was a mistake he would have tried to avoid. That trait was one of her charms—deadliness wrapped in beautiful packaging. However, Kai would rather not play with fire. Hazie wasn’t like Ariella and Cia. Those two were harmless, easy to trust thanks to their reliance on him, even capable of bringing out a softer side of his misunderstood coldness. Hazie, on the other hand, was terrifying. Even as a fragmented version of her original self, she was more dangerous than any woman he could have encountered in this dim wasteland.

  Her current persona might have been more expressive, emotionally open and easygoing. But she's no way a fool of a lady.

  It hadn’t even been an hour since he had revealed his inhuman swiftness, and Hazie was already manipulating him, twisting the situation to her goal instead of their agreed objective. It wasn’t until now, that Kaiser realized she had been playing him, guiding him toward a reckless course of action that endangered them both.

  And yet, as much as it frustrated him to have been outmaneuvered, most of his irritation was aimed at himself. He should have seen through her earlier.

  Still, there was a grudging respect simmering beneath the annoyance.

  "Well played..." Kaiser said, his words nearly lost to the wind whipping past them as he ran. Hazie, hanging over his shoulder like a sack of flour, likely caught them.

  "But you do realize I can drop you whenever I feel like it."

  Hazie’s lips curled into a sly smile, her pink eyes locked on the predator relentlessly pursuing them. She was clearly uncomfortable, her position far from dignified, yet she didn’t falter. Even while being jostled around, she maintained her focus, scanning the sky for their foe while searching her memory to guide him in a path to kill that thing. Somehow.

  "Are you mad?" she asked, her hair whipping around her face.

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  "Shut up."

  "You are, aren’t you? Hah! At least now you know how I feel—dragging myself around with a fractured leg while you have the strength to carry me this whole time. Do you have any idea how agonizing that was? No man has ever treated me so *roughly* before! Unbelievable!"

  "Oh, please," Kaiser shot back,. "You really think I’d spill all my secrets to a girl I’ve only known for a few hours? Trust doesn’t work like that, princess."

  True, it would be beyond reckless to trust someone just because they had a charming smile.

  There was a pause. Then, her voice softened.

  "That's… understandable," Hazie conceded, her tone unusually subdued. Perhaps she's not used to being lectured by a mundane student who's leagues lower than him.

  But the reprieve was short-lived.

  "U-turn!" she barked suddenly, her urgency snapping him back to the present.

  Kaiser reacted on instinct, pivoting sharply as his shoe scraped against the rugged ground. His muscles screamed in protest, and he nearly lost his footing, barely managing to stabilize himself. The sudden maneuver strained his already fatigued legs, but there was no room for hesitation.

  A gust of frigid wind blasted against his back, carrying with it the ominous sound of wings slicing through the air.

  The predator was closing in.

  Kaiser gritted his teeth as the pale glider swooped low, its talons raking through the air mere inches from his head. He could feel the creature’s oppressive presence bearing down on them, its shrill screech echoing in his ears.

  Once again, they dodge another dive from the predatory glider.

  But he wasn’t relieved. Not even close.

  'If that thing caught us, we're done for.'

  Not completely, but if Hazie were to die, Kai would have to go through the trouble of searching blindly for the group in this vast wastelands or scale the northern cliff without gears. Either way would consume months worth of time, making his return take a whole year of struggle or more. But with her by his side, that delay would be significantly decrease. So their failures here weren't so different from dooming him, lost in these dark mountains for years, alone.

  However, though they managed to keep the pale monstrosity off their trail for the moment thanks to her, Kaiser couldn’t shake the unease clawing at him. Following Hazie’s directions felt like running blindfolded through a minefield, trusting that the voice guiding him wouldn’t lead him to his doom. He hated it—hated how her calm, calculating tone twisted around him, forcing him to comply even when every fiber of his being resisted. Despite his reluctance to be controlled, Kai was unable to resist. Because questioning her was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Not when he couldn’t spare even a second to glance behind him. His focus was locked on the rugged terrain ahead, every step a struggle to stay upright and avoid tripping over the uneven ground. Hazie, perched precariously on his shoulder, was his only source of clarity in this chaos. Her sharp observations and quick commands were the sole things keeping them ahead of their relentless pursuer.

  "Leave the arguing for later," Hazie snapped, her voice cutting through the roar of the wind. "Just focus on following my commands. I know I’m being harsh, but we’ll have to kill it eventually. So bear with me, Kaiser."

  Her words hit a nerve, but Kaiser didn’t respond immediately.

  "Bear with you?" he finally muttered, his tone laced with irritation. "You’re not exactly giving me much of a choice, are you?"

  "Choice?" Hazie scoffed. "We’re being chased by a flying death machine, Kaiser. Forgive me if I don’t have time to hold your hand and ask nicely. Or would you prefer I stay quiet and let us both die?"

  Kaiser clenched his jaw but said nothing, pushing forward with long, determined strides.

  Hazie sighed, the edge in her voice softening. "Look, I know you don’t like being told what to do. Trust me, I’d rather not be in this position either. But right now, I’m the only one who can see what’s happening behind us. I’m not trying to control you—I’m trying to keep us alive. Can we at least agree on that?"

  "Alive?" Kaiser muttered, his voice tinged with bitterness. "Stop sugarcoating it. If survival was really your goal, we’d already be holed up in that damned cave."

  Hazie’s grip tightened slightly on his shoulder. "I've made it clear from the start that we won't be returning unless that thing is dead or immobilized. And you'll help me do just that."

  He didn’t respond anymore, for this isn't the situation to argue. And truthfully, he couldn’t muster the anger a normal person might feel in this situation. Partially due to his habit of suppressing emotions and mostly because his life wasn’t at risk. It's like gambling a huge sum but possesses an infinite amount of money to gamble. Death was a fleeting inconvenience to him, something he had faced multiple times before and would face again. Hazie, on the other hand, wasn’t so fortunate. This version of her had only one life, and she was gambling it recklessly, putting herself in harm’s way with a confidence that bordered on madness.

  Still, she had a point. Kaiser didn’t want to simply escape, either; he wanted to take down the predator. Leaving such a dangerous creature alive would be a mistake—one that could come back to haunt them.

  But his body was nearing its limits. His muscles screamed with every movement, his breath came in harsh, ragged gasps, and exhaustion weighed on him like chains. Activating his Immortality was an option—it always was—but his reluctant price. However, the circumstances are gradually forcing him to comply.

  'Damn it, those three points are the only thing I have.'

  Losing points wasn't the nicest feeling and would likely hinder his growth in the long run. However, an option that would spare himself from using immortality doesn't exist... Or does it?

  A reckless grin spread across his face as a daring idea sparked in his mind. Without warning, Kaiser disobeyed Hazie’s commands, pivoting sharply and skidding to a halt just before a towering boulder. His boots scraped against the rocks, sending loose gravel tumbling as he came to an abrupt stop.

  Hazie’s voice shot up in alarm. "What are you doing?!"

  He didn’t answer immediately, his sharp gaze scanning the area as the pieces of his plan fell into place.

  "Kaiser!" she shouted, her tone growing more frantic. "This isn’t the time to stop! Are you trying to get us killed?"

  "Shut up and hold on," he snapped, his tone sharp and commanding. Without hesitation, he set her down, forcing her to stand on her own two feet.

  Hazie stumbled slightly, clearly caught off guard. "You’re seriously—"

  "Just trust me," Kaiser interrupted, his voice low but firm. He grabbed her shoulders, spinning her around to face the sky. "Look."

  Her protests died in her throat as she followed his gaze. Above them, the pale glider circled menacingly, its wings slicing through the air as its shadow rippled across the ground. A piercing screech echoed through the canyon as the beast tucked its wings, preparing for another dive.

  Hazie’s eyes widened, and for the first time, uncertainty flickered in her voice. "Are you insane?"

  Kaiser smirked, the corners of his mouth quirking upward. "You’re not the first person to tell me that."

  "You can’t be serious—"

  "You said we’d have to kill it eventually," he cut her off, his tone cold and steady. "Well, ‘eventually’ just became now... Get ready."

  With that, Kai holds her in place by the shoulder as the pterodactyl dive towards them.