Nik spat out a handful of blood, collapsing to his knees. The metallic taste lingered in his mouth as he gasped for breath. The Black Wind Tribe was in utter chaos, with scorpions rampaging through the streets, females fleeing in terror, and hunters desperately trying to fend off the attackers. Amidst the turmoil, Nik found himself surrounded by leopards, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent.

He clenched his spear tightly, feeling the weight of his responsibility pressing down on him. The tribe was his home, and he couldn't let it fall. Despite the pain and exhaustion, he pushed himself to stand, his vision narrowing as he focused on the immediate threat.

A leopard lunged at him, claws extended. Nik sidestepped just in time, thrusting his spear forward with precision. The blade pierced the leopard's side, and it let out a pained yowl, collapsing to the ground. Another leopard attacked from behind, but Nik transformed into his scorpion form, his exoskeleton glinting menacingly. His pincers snapped at his attacker, and he struck with his venomous tail, injecting a lethal dose into the leopard's flesh.

The battle raged on, and Nik fought with every ounce of strength he had left. One by one, the leopards fell, their bodies littering the ground around him. His breath came in ragged gasps, and blood dripped from multiple wounds, but he refused to give up.

Finally, the last leopard crumpled at his feet. Nik staggered, using his spear for support. He glanced around, taking in the devastation that surrounded him. The scorpions continued their rampage, and the tribe's defenses were crumbling before his very eyes. Was this the end? If she came back and no one was here, wouldn't she cry like a baby?

Heh.. that beastie of a girl would bawl her eyes out.

As he began to move, he saw a blur of motion out of the corner of his eye. Leo was dashing by, a look of determination on his face. Nik raised a hand to stop him, and Leo skidded to a halt, his eyes widening in surprise.

"Leo," Nik panted, "what's going on?"

Leo quickly explained the situation, his words coming out in a rush. "Jean is working with the Flame City King. We need to kill this dragon. No matter what." As long as the dragon was gone, they could salvage the situation. The only other option was abandoning the black wind tribe, but even he couldn't stomach that idea.

Nik's eyes narrowed as he noticed the bomb strapped to Leo's chest. "Take that shit off," he ordered.

Leo hesitated, his resolve wavering. "Nik, we need to kill the dragon. I have to do this."

Nik shook his head, unstrapping the bomb from Leo's chest. "No, Leo. You're the one we need alive. If there's anyone that should have to do it, it's me."

Leo paused, seeing the resolve in Nik's eyes. Unlike himself, Nik wasn't afraid even in death. Compared to him, Leo felt like a coward, he couldn't fight and what use was strategies against pure overwhelming power? Leo's heart clenched, an unknown feeling surging through his heart he couldn't quite place a finger on.

When did he become so sentimental?

"Why?" Leo asked, his voice trembling. Why throw away your life, you're an unmarked beast with no reason to stick around and find out, you don't have to die with us.

Nik met his gaze steadily, a stupid grin on his face. "For the same reason as you ."

Leo's eyes filled with tears as he handed over the bomb. No words could be said that would make this any easier, Nik himself had to wonder: when exactly did he come to love such a beastly woman? He sighed. This must have been his fate; it's a shame.

.

Winston struggled to his feet, clutching the knife tightly as blood trickled down his side. He could barely breathe, but he knew he had to get away. With a final glance at her, he grabbed the knight and started to run, each step sending waves of pain through his body. 

"Where do you think you're going?" Mi Qi'er sneered, moving to intercept him.

But Rhea sprang into action, blocking Mi Qi'er's path. "Run, Winston!" she shouted, her voice firm and commanding. With Winston out of immediate danger, her focus shifted entirely to Mi Qi'er. Now that Winston was gone, she could finally unleash her full strength on this monster.

The fight was brutal. Rhea's blows were relentless; her opponent had no room to breathe, having to focus on blocking the next attack with no time to counterattack. Mi Qi'er, despite his strength, found himself struggling to keep up with her. He revelled in the intensity of the battle, his eyes gleaming with perverse delight. 

"Is this all worth it?" Rhea spat, her voice laced with malevolence as she landed another blow.

Mi Qi'er smiled, blood trickling from his lips. "Just wait a few hours, Rhea, and you'll be free from everything." 

Rhea froze, her heart pounding. "What do you mean?"

Mi Qi'er's smile widened, twisted and cruel. "The Black Wind Tribe should be all gone by now."

Rhea's world shattered. 

"No.." she managed to say, but the man below her only smirked at her response, seeing her heart broken like this, she was incredibly beautiful. 

Tears welled up in her eyes, and she staggered back, her body trembling. "Why... why are you doing this?" she cried, her voice breaking.

"Because I am the only one who loves you, Rhea," Mi Qi'er said, his voice filled with twisted affection.

Her vision blurred with tears, Rhea lunged at him, she struck him down, her hands covered in his blood, she hit him again and again until he was unrecognisable. As he breathed his last, he whispered, "I am the only one who loves you, Rhea. You can never forget that."

Mi Qi'er's body fell lifelessly to the ground. Rhea stood over him, her heart shattered and her mind reeling. She had never wanted this. She had only ever wanted love... Was this Karma for coming here? She should have never wanted more, she should have just stayed with Curtis and winston in their little cave, she shouldn't have gone to the black wind tribe; she shouldn't have attacked Jean. Mistake after mistake, each step she took had led her to this very moment, freedom? If this was freedom, she would rather have the shackles around her neck again. The weight of her actions, of everything that had led to this moment, crushed her. 

Shit. She needed to go back.

She took Harvey's gem from Mi Qi'er's lifeless hand, its warmth filling her with a fleeting sense of solace. For a brief moment, it felt like Harvey was there, his presence comforting her, his arms around her in a sad embrace. In that moment, she spoke words to him that only she could hear, and his reply was engraved into her heart, which no one was privy to anymore. It felt like his hand stroked her cheeks; it felt warm and it grounded her.  

Then, with trembling hands, she broke the stone, feeling its magic dissipate. Harvey's presence faded, leaving her alone once more. She reached down, picking up the mask and putting it on her face. 

Her footsteps left a trail of blood as she made her way out of the tower. Rage and sorrow fueled her every step. The Black Wind Tribe needed her, and she would destroy anyone who stood in her way. She was, after all, the strongest human left alive.

As she emerged into the sunlight, the ferals of flame city who expected to see their leader turned to face her. 

There was no medicine for regret. Her only choice now was to kill that fucking bitch. 

"I am the Queen of Ferals! Bow to me, or die." 

Two choices, quite simple choices, she was not in the mood to argue, either follow her or hand over your life!

.

Nik arrived at the battlefield, his heart pounding with urgency. The scene that greeted him was a nightmare. Korrin and Curtis lay on the ground, severely wounded and barely conscious. Blood pooled around them, their breaths coming in ragged gasps.

"Leo!" Nik called out, rushing to their side. He quickly assessed their injuries, his face set in grim determination. "We need to get them out of here."

Leo, who had been fending off attackers, turned to Nik. His eyes widened at the sight of his fallen comrades. He hurried over, helping Nik lift Korrin and Curtis. "This isn't good," Leo muttered, his voice strained.

As they began to retreat, Jean's mocking voice cut through the chaos. "Where do you think you're going? The fun is just starting. Are you running away?"

Leo's eyes narrowed, his anger boiling over. He turned to glare at Jean, his voice cold and filled with venom. "If I survive this, I will chase you to the ends of the earth until your death. I will never forgive you."

Jean's laughter rang out, sharp and cruel. "Then I shouldn't let you go, should I?"

Nik glanced at Leo, urging him to leave. "You need to leave." 

Leo clenched his fists, his mind racing. He wanted to pray, to call out to any higher power that might listen. God, Buddha, Allah—anyone. "Please," he whispered under his breath, his voice desperate. "Rhea, where are you?"

The ground rumbled. 

Jean paused, looking around, was it reinforcements? She smirked. It seemed like Mi Qi're won. She felt deeply satisfied in herself. Finally, that bitch was apprehended. Her poor mates, here they were, trying to fight such a futile fight. 

It's a shame-

Jean paused.

The ground underneath her had given way and a black, gleaming creature emerged. Her guard had been let down and a glistening black stinger had inserted itself into her spine. 

"Ultimately, even if you feel aggrieved, it is only your fate to die here, Jean." 

That voice.. No way.. 

She turned back, a look of pure terror in her eye as if the goddess of death stood behind her. 

"Rhea?"

A/n: Guys you don't understandddd, this fic is a crack fanfic I started because I was stressed from exams. Please please suspend your disbelief, T_T I'll try to fix plot holes after this. I am just trying to make you guys have fun. This will be my first completed fanfiction in a long long while.