Alexia jolts upright, eyes darting around the dim wooden walls. For a second, she thinks she’s woken up in a coffin.

  “Easy, easy,” Lemres says, calm as ever. He’s sitting nearby, holding out a slice of pie like it’s a peace offering.

  “You fight really well for a healer,” he adds with a smirk.

  Alexia lowers her voice, eyes narrowing. “Oh—do you mean I lost? That tiger…”

  Lemres offers a sympathetic nod. “It’s one of the strongest Morgi — you did what you could. This isn’t on you.”

  He pauses, then adds with a grim edge, “Killing the Ox drew the Morgi Dragon’s attention. My plan for the Tiger was simple — have Markus hold it down while we finished it off.”

  He looks away, jaw tightening. “But he’s not here right now.”

  “Do we know where he is?” Demono asks, stepping into the room and folding her arms.

  “All I know,” Lemres replies, “is that he’s not on Earth right now.”

  “I’ll contact you both when I need you,” Lemres says, already conjuring a portal behind him. “For now, you two can go back to your lives. I’ll wait for Markus to finish his trials.”

  With that, he steps through the portal, leaving Alexia standing alone in front of the hotel. The portal seals behind him with a soft hum, and silence settles over the hallway once more.

  A voice rings out from below — harsh, venomous.

  “Go back to hell, demon!”

  Looking down into the lobby, Alexia spots a large, muscular white man shouting at Liddle — and then, to her horror, putting a hand around the girl’s throat.

  “Hey! Back off!” Alexia shouts, grabbing a chair from the hallway.

  The man turns just in time for Alexia to hurl it — slamming it into his side with a loud crack. He grunts and stumbles back, letting go of Liddle, who falls hard to the floor.

  Alexia storms down the steps, fists clenched. “How dare you hurt a little girl like that!”

  “That ‘little girl’ is a demon!” he spits, eyes wild.

  The sharp clack of dress shoes echoes across the lobby floor.

  A tall, broad-shouldered Black man in a navy vest and tie steps between them, hands raised. “What is going on here?” he says firmly, his voice calm but commanding.

  He glances between the furious man and Alexia, then down at Liddle, still on the floor.

  “No more shouting. No more hands on anyone. Start talking.”

  The attacker pulls out a cross necklace. “Look at her horns. That girl is nothing but trouble.”

  “She’s been staying here for a few days now,” the manager says evenly. “We haven’t had any issues with her in that time. Did she do something specific to upset you?”

  The man sneers. “She’s a demon. That’s all the reason I need.”

  Gasps ripple through a few nearby guests. The air in the lobby turns sharp.

  The manager doesn’t flinch. “Sir, unless she’s broken a law or violated hotel policy, that’s not your call to make.”

  “She’s dangerous!” the man shouts, pointing an accusing finger at Liddle. “You’re all just waiting until she burns the place down!”

  Liddle flinches, curling tighter on the floor, eyes wide.

  Alexia steps forward, voice low but razor-edged. “Touch her again, and you’ll find out who’s really dangerous.”

  The manager calmly steps forward and taps the man’s shoulder. His hand briefly lifts his own cross necklace into view — not in threat, but as a quiet signal.

  “I think it’s time you left,” he says, voice low and steady.

  The man’s eyes narrow. “Of course someone like you would be on her side,” he spits.

  Then, screaming curses, he storms out of the lobby — flipping over a table and knocking over a lamp on his way to the exit. The doors slam shut behind him.

  “Liddle, are you alright?” Alexia asks, kneeling beside her.

  “Thank you,” Liddle whispers, taking Alexia’s hand to help herself up.

  The manager steps forward, his voice firm but kind. “If someone like that gives you trouble again, just let me know. I’m not about to let one of my guests be threatened like that.”

  He offers a calm smile and adds, “Name’s Caleb, by the way. You ever need anything, ask for me.”

  With that, he turns and walks back to the front desk, his posture relaxed but still alert — silently watching over them as they make their way back to their room.

  “Why did you go out alone like that?” Alexia asks as they walk down the hallway.

  “I didn’t know they only have food in the morning,” Liddle mumbles.

  “It’s okay, we can go out to get food,” Alexia says gently, offering a soft smile.

  Liddle hesitates, brushing some hair behind her ear. “Will Markus be joining us?”

  Alexia’s smile falters just a little. “I’m sorry… he still hasn’t come home yet.”

  Liddle lowers her gaze, fingers curling around the hem of her sleeve. “Oh. Right.”

  A beat of silence passes between them.

  “He’s probably okay, right?” Liddle asks, barely above a whisper.

  She sighs as she slides into the passenger seat of Alexia’s car. The engine hums to life, and soon they’re rolling out of the parking lot.

  “Hey, Alexia?” Liddle says quietly, fiddling with the edge of her sleeve.

  “Yeah?” Alexia replies, flicking on her turn signal and merging onto the highway.

  “You’ve known Markus for a long time… Can I ask you something?”

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  “Sure, Liddle. What’s on your mind?”

  Liddle hesitates, watching the trees blur past outside the window.

  “Well… I was thinking about what’ll happen when Markus gets the sword. What if it changes him? What if he tries to do something reckless?”

  She looks down at her lap. “I love him with all my heart, and… I don’t know how to stop him if he decides to do something dangerous.”

  Alexia is quiet for a moment, then gives a dry laugh.

  “Honestly? I was never able to stop him either.”

  She shifts lanes, her tone more thoughtful now.

  “The best I could do was give him a Mahoishi and hope it helped. You’d think being in a coma for three months would slow a guy down, but no… Markus is the type who throws himself into danger if he thinks it’ll protect someone.”

  Liddle’s eyes widen a little.

  “So… what do I do?”

  Alexia glances at her with a small, reassuring smile.

  “Just talk to him. You’re not just anyone — he loves you more than anything. If there’s one person he’ll listen to, it’s you.”

  “I know… I love him too. That’s why the thought of him getting himself killed, it’s—”

  Liddle’s voice catches, the sentence left unfinished.

  “Hey now. None of that.” Alexia gives a playful smile.

  “Come on, let’s go have a girls’ night out. I seriously need to stop thinking about the giant death tiger that’s apparently coming for Earth.”

  Liddle blinks, then giggles softly.

  “Girls’ night?”

  The car ride ends at a glowing Burger Prince on the edge of town, its neon crown flickering above the sign. Alexia and Liddle sit in a booth by the window, paper trays between them, the warm scent of fries and grease in the air.

  Alexia stares down at her half-eaten burger, then glances across the table.

  Liddle is already halfway through hers, humming softly with each bite.

  “Hey, Liddle,” Alexia says, picking up a fry. “Your ice magic is seriously strong. Why didn’t you fight back when that guy grabbed you?”

  Liddle’s eyes lower to her tray.

  “Because if I did… they’d just use it as another reason to come after me.”

  Alexia falls silent for a moment, her gaze drifting to the window where the parking lot lights shimmer against the glass.

  “So… if you started a fire just to keep warm… they’d still call you the arsonist.”

  She speaks softly, more to herself than anyone.

  Liddle looks up, confused for a second — but says nothing.

  Alexia takes another bite of her burger, eyes distant.

  Liddle tilts her head.

  “I don’t know how my powers would start a fire.”

  “Yeah… you never would.”

  Alexia finishes the last bite of her sandwich, wipes her hands, and grabs the second one from the tray.

  “You know…” she says, unwrapping it slowly,

  “I get why Markus likes you.”

  She gives a soft chuckle, not quite meeting Liddle’s eyes.

  “Kinda glad we can finally move on from me, huh?”

  Liddle smiles, eyes bright with quiet affection.

  “He’s great, isn’t he?”

  She tilts her head. “Never once threw a rock at me or told me to go to Hell. Is that the kind of guy you like?”

  Alexia blinks. “…I don’t even know how to respond to that.”

  Liddle snaps her fingers. “Oh! Wait — since you’ve known Markus forever, what kind of things does he like?”

  “Hmm.” Alexia taps a finger to her lips in mock thought.

  “As nice as it would be to get him a gift, I think what he’ll really need when he comes back is support.”

  She gives Liddle a knowing smile.

  “So be ready to hit a gas station at midnight for coffee. That’s basically love, Markus-style.”

  Liddle giggles. “That actually sounds kind of nice. That… and doing push-ups.”

  The two girls giggle as they cross the city limits back into Ohio City, the warmth of the afternoon still lingering around them.

  But the moment they pass the faded welcome sign, Alexia’s smile falters.

  In the distance — just beyond the treeline — she sees it.

  The tiger.

  A blur of muscle and fury, mid-pounce.

  Slamming a screaming civilian to the ground.

  “I thought Lemres was supposed to warn me about this,” Alexia mutters. Then louder, “Alright, Liddle — you ready?”

  Liddle nods, her expression hardening.

  They rush toward the tiger. Liddle extends her hands, sending a blast of freezing magic at its feet. Ice forms instantly, locking the creature in place.

  The tiger lets out a deep, rumbling laugh. “Welcome back.”

  With a violent swipe, it shatters the ice around its paws using its front claws.

  “It broke out—!”

  Liddle throws up a thick wall of ice just as the tiger lunges. It slams into the frozen barrier with a snarl.

  Alexia doesn’t hesitate. She slams a hand against her Mahoishi crystal, activating its power with a flash of light.

  She scrambles to climb over the wall of ice—

  But the tiger is faster.’

  With a roar, it smashes through the barrier, chunks of ice flying in every direction. One massive paw slams into Alexia, knocking her to the ground.

  She barely has time to react before its claws rake across her cheek, a flash of red streaking her face.

  “Alexia!” Liddle shouts, her voice trembling.

  She thrusts her hands forward, firing a focused blast of ice that strikes the tiger in the shoulder, staggering it backward just long enough to break its advance.

  Alexia presses her hand to her bleeding cheek, golden light already flickering beneath her fingertips as she activates a healing spell.

  “Keep it busy!” she hisses through clenched teeth. “Just a few seconds—!”

  Liddle nods and slams her hands down, freezing the ground beneath the tiger’s paws. As it staggers for footing, she launches another blast — this one slamming into its face and forcing it to recoil with a snarl.

  It blinks through the frost and lets out a growl, muscles coiling as it prepares to leap—

  Bang!

  A gunshot rings out. The tiger jerks mid-air as the bullet strikes it from behind, sending it crashing to the ground with a roar of pain.

  “Alexia!”

  She turns at the voice, eyes wide.

  Marlion steps forward, pumping another shell into the chamber of his shotgun, coat flaring behind him.

  “Are you alright?”

  Alexia blinks. “Dad?”

  “Robert, Nathan — surround it! Make sure it can’t run!” Marlion barks.

  The tiger snarls, its ears twitching as agents close in from every direction.

  But it’s already moving.

  With a swipe of its claw, it tears open a shimmering portal behind itself.

  And before anyone can react, the beast vanishes into the swirling rift, leaving only scorched grass and silence in its wake.

  Two agents — Robert and Nathan — raise their guns, aiming straight at Liddle.

  She freezes, eyes wide, breath caught in her throat

  But before either of them can speak, Marlion steps forward and holds out a hand.

  “Lower your weapons.”

  His voice is calm, but leaves no room for argument

  The agents hesitate, then slowly lower their guns.

  Marlion turns to Liddle. His coat still ripples with tension from the fight, but his expression softens.

  Then, to everyone’s shock, he drops to one knee.

  “Thank you,” he says quietly.

  “For keeping my daughter safe.”

  Alexia turns away from her father, her jaw tight.

  “Alexia,” Marlion says quietly, “I’m sorry. I should’ve never let work come before family.”

  She doesn’t look back.

  “Fighting over dinner is normal,” she says, her voice steady but cold. “Pointing a gun at me isn’t.”

  She takes a step away, the space between them stretching like a canyon.

  “You would’ve killed me.”

  Marlion opens his mouth to respond, but nothing comes.

  “Go away,” Alexia says. “I need space.”

  She walks to her car without looking back.

  Liddle hesitates — just for a second — then follows.

  She opens the door, hesitates again, then climbs in without a word.

  They drive off, the sound of tires fading into the evening silence.