"Oh my gosh! You startled me. Wait—why are you breathing so heavily?"

Without giving a probable answer to Lena, Cynthia grabbed the older girl's wrist and pulled her inside the room, where Cora was still sound asleep. Lena had her fingers clasped around a glass, meaning she had woken up to quench her thirst, when she came across a hysterically breathing Cynthia barging through the front door. The kitchen and the living room were attached, making it easier for Lena to notice the sixteen-year-old.

"Not here," Cynthia managed to form the words, "We need to gather everyone. Right now."

A laugh of disbelief left from Alana's mouth as she ran fingers through her hair.

"I cannot believe this," it was more of a frustrated laugh at the moment, "Why do we happen to fall in trouble every single time?"

"Trust me," Lucian sighed, "Have been asking myself the same question for the past few days."

"We do not have enough time though," Lena whined, standing up from the chair, "Mullin has returned and is inside his room, downstairs. We cannot wait till sunrise. What's the chance really of him not skinning us alive before then?"

"Lena is correct," Leon nodded his head in agreement, "We must leave. Now."

"Then we need to be quick and quiet...extremely and utterly quiet," Alana said, her voice already a few octaves lower, "Let us meet outside our rooms within ten minutes."

Having said that, the six of them went their separate ways to pack their bags and leave the house of this lunatic killer before the sun could even rise.

"I'll be outside," Lena informed with one hand of hers on the doorknob as she glanced at Alana, who was sharpening her dagger, "Be quick."

With Alana's nod, Lena left the room which had been given to her and the other girl.

Alana for once and all inspected the room to make sure she was not leaving anything behind. Her weapons (the forcefully collected dagger-like weapons from Leon on their first meet) lied inside her bag. A small smile appeared on Alana's lips thinking about their hilarious meet. She was truly ready to slit the Dragonesian's throat then and there if he being different from his species had not been identified by the girl. Leon was kind, pure, and innocent and deep down, even if Alana would never admit, she was glad to have met him. Just how Lena, Lucian, Cynthia and little Cora had suddenly arrived in her lonely life. Before, Alana never knew what the fear of losing a loved one was. She did lose her mother, but it was instantaneous. She did not have the time to feel the fear of losing her mother. But now she knew. Alana knew the constant fear of losing her friends. The constant heaviness burdening her with the thought that she might not be strong enough to protect them, after all.

Alana stood up with the bag on her back and her dagger in her hand as she proceeded to open the door and go outside.

Within moments, before Alana could contemplate, she was pulled inside the room opposite to theirs. The room which was previously given to Leon and Lucian to spend the night. Lucian had his palm covered against Alana's mouth to prevent her from spitting out any words.

"Have a glance down the stairs, right there." Alana's furrowed eyebrows made Cynthia, who apparently was present inside the room too, speak up.

Alana did not speak as instructed strictly by the other two. Instead, she peeked her head out of the slightly ajar door to locate whatever was happening right below the staircase. The girl had to squint her eyes to accurately view the commotion amidst the darkness.

And oh boy, her eyes bulged out and heart thumped when she finally realized exactly what was taking place downstairs. It was ironic how the scene was the literal thing she was being afraid of.

Mullin had gotten aware of their whereabouts. His beefy arms were encircling Leon's neck, almost enough to cause an obstruction to his respiration. A butcher knife was close to his eyes.

And some distance away from them stood Lena and Cora, clutching onto one another in their stupefied state.

"I knew I had received a jackpot the moment you revealed that you were a Dragonesian," Mullin chuckled into Leon's ears, "She will especially love your flesh."

Alana wanted to go out right then and there and free Leon. She wanted to push Mullin aside or even stab him. However, Alana knew better than to act without any initial plan. One wrong move, and it could end Leon's life forever. The particular matter which appeared to be a whodunit was the fact that Leon was not transforming into his dragon form. For any other Dragonesian, who could transform into the way dragons usually existed in their large forms, it would have been a problem because of the shortage in height of the house. It was not for Leon though. His form was unique and different. Then why he was putting himself in danger was a phenomenon of abstruseness.

"Stupid," Alana mumbled under her breath.

Not long after, with one elbow hit, Mullin was able to make Leon fall unconscious.

"Try to follow me," Mullin pointed the butcher knife at Lena and Cora, "And you will find this Dragonesian chopped off alive, in front of your own eyes."

And that was what it took for Mullin to drag Leon out with him.

Soon, the frightened Lena and Cora were joined by the other three, and the five of them wasted no more time before running outside. They kept up a considerably fast pace, but not fast enough to let Mullin know about their presence. Cora was advised by everyone to stay back and wait for them. Even Cynthia was told to stay with Cora. But the two younger girls insisted on being of help, even if it was little.

Time was precious. Hence, without arguing, they had set off to save the Dragonesian Prince free.

Mullin came out of the shack-house, grinning like a Cheshire cat. As if he had returned to his old, joyful self, he walked towards the five of them.

"Good to see you," he greeted loudly, "I, for sure, do hope his soul rests in peace."

Not a single one reacted to Mullin's taunt. In fact, the old man was taken aback to receive such an unexpected reaction. Nevertheless, paying no heed to the unanticipated response, the man passed by them.

Or rather, he tried to pass by them.

Within the blink of an eye, Alana's hard punch was on Mullin's face and him on the ground, unconscious.

"Your punch is effective," Lucian voiced out his thoughts, "Well, he was stupid enough to think we did not have a plan."

"Good luck," Lena's voice brought the fuming Alana back to reality. The blonde girl gave a soft smile and said, concern evident in her eyes, "Come back safe, three of you."

Nodding their heads, Alana, Lucian, and Cynthia ran towards the shack-house. The blue-eyed boy however, did not move before giving a good kick to the unconscious Mullin. Meanwhile, Lena and Cora held onto either of the unconscious man's leg and dragged him to the adjacent shed in order to tie him up and keep an eye on him. Dragging him was nothing but a minor karma for the ruthless way of him yanking Leon, as if the Dragonesian was an inanimate object, previously.

By the time, Alana, Lucian and Cynthia had stepped inside the shack-house, Leon had already gained consciousness. His eyes lit up in relief when he noticed his friends. Nonetheless, the next moment he wished they had not come.

For the ballistic Dragonesian woman was gazing at them, ravenously.

"Ah," she growled, "More food."

It was quite unnatural for Dragonesians to feed on other Dragonesians. Some Evil Classes, similar to Prince Eluscan, fed on human flesh as a mere leisure time or just to frighten them, thus not bothering about the Dragonesian Law. However, the earnest desire to feed upon the members of their own species was something that had never occurred before.

Unless...

"Should I eat you first?"

Leon, who was cowering away, gasped when the woman snaked her fingers around his neck, while her dirty, pointed nails were able to draw out some blood.

"Stop."

The woman's brutal gaze fell upon Alana's unfazed ones. She licked her lips, her half face glowing dangerously under the dim, yellow light as she let go of Leon.

"A brave soul," the woman grinned, baring her canines, "Just what I need to return to my old self."

"You belong to the Devil Class, do you not?"

The woman's grin widened at Alana's unpredictable question. She chuckled. Then giggled. And then cackled in amusement. Meanwhile, Leon moved as far as he could at the signal of Lucian.

"You are an interesting human," the woman guffawed, her hoarse voice being more profound than ever.

"You were kind once," Alana continued, "You belonged to the Pure Class. It would take a figment of moment to show kindness."

"Kind?" A chortle of disbelief left her throat. "Dear, you are too naive. You want me to show kindness to this petty little Dragonesian when...

I ate my own son?"