Alexa

I stood still as I heard the reality of it. Werewolves and other magical races could heal themselves quickly, while humans healed slower and were vulnerable to various other complications. Compared to an Omega, an ordinary human was physically weaker. With wounds like that, how could she survive?

Her body was bleeding crimson, and I could only stare at the engrossed view. The crowd around me roared, expressing their disappointment at my victory.

‘What the hell? Why are they going crazy like this?’ Mythril voiced its protest.

“I…” Amid my panic, my voice stuttered.

Somehow, the noise died down. The shouting began to quiet, and the crowd parted, making an open way through the crowd. I turned to see the middle of the room, and the once-curses shifted to murmurs.

Mr. Moris walked calmly through the room. He opened the iron gate of the ring and stepped inside, accompanied by two men carrying an empty stretcher. They looked like medics, and they took her body away.

After they left, Mr. Moris stood in the center of the ring. He looked at the crowd with his hands in the pockets of his jeans. His posture was relaxed, but his gaze was sharp and serious.

“Cheating? You were the ones who bet on her. You all knew Jo was just a regular human, yet you still expected her to beat magical beings in this gladiator club.” He glared at the silent crowd below.

“Aren’t you the cruel ones? You, magical beings, bored with your lives, threw your dirty money at Jo to face these monsters.” He sneered. “Honestly, I’m flattered by your faith in her. But when she loses, you also need to accept the fact that you lost your bets.”

The people hearing his words groaned. Low murmurs of disappointment echoed throughout the room. Slowly, one by one, they left through the door and went down to the lower floor.

“You’re pretty good, kid. You’re hired.”

Hearing Mr. Moris’s words, my eyes blinked rapidly. “Seriously?” I asked.

“Yes. Go to the counter and see Rhys. He’ll give you a key to your bedroom and guide you through the details.”

Mr. Moris then stepped down from the ring. I hurried to follow him out of the bloodstained ring. Several staff entered to replace us.

As I stepped out of the ring, I saw Harlow waiting for me. He stifled a small smile and gave me an awkward wave. “Hey, you did great,” he said.

I leaped into his embrace. My hands gripped his back. Relief washed over me, and I rested my head on his chest.

The scent of him in my nose gave me the peace and comfort I’d been craving. The fight earlier had kept me on edge the entire time. Now that it was over, his presence gave me the safety and familiarity I needed.

“I did it,” I said with a wide grin.

“Yeah. You did it. You’re a strong lycan,” he chuckled while gripping my shoulders.

A few seconds passed before I realized I had crossed his boundaries again. My face flushed red, adding to the redness already there from the fight. I pulled myself away from his embrace.

“Sorry,” I murmured.

My sweat probably clung to his shirt. That’s kind of gross. He must be disgusted with me.

“Come on, let’s treat your wounds,” he said with a small cough.

“Oh! Jo!” My eyes widened as I remembered the girl.

“Why are you worrying about her?” he asked, frowning.

I hurried toward the dressing room behind the counter, ignoring his question. He eventually followed, though his expression still showed his irritation at my prioritizing someone else’s safety over my own injuries.

In the small square room near the registration counter, I saw several men gathered around her. Strangely, they seemed to sit like mourning. Why were they just sitting still?

“How is she?” I asked as I approached them.

One of the medics shook his head. “Her wounds are too deep. Her ribs cracked, and her head suffered trauma. With all this internal bleeding, she won’t make it.”

My heart raced in an adrenaline rush once more. My body trembled at the thought of having to face the fact that I killed a human. I didn’t want to carry such a dark history on my shoulders.

“Are you sure? Let me see,” I pushed my way through them and knelt beside her.

Her body lay flat on the stretcher. Her breath was shallow, and sweat drenched her face. The blood was seeping through the towel. It covered the wounds on her neck and shoulders, but the iron stench in the air was enough as a bad sign.

“We’ve tried covering the wounds with a towel soaked in healing potion, but it seems the potion isn’t very effective for closing large wounds on humans.” One of the medics bowed with a deeply furrowed brow.

“Have you called an ambulance?” I asked them, but the two healers only exchanged glances.

“There’s no point. Those humans refuse to send ambulances to this area.” Mr. Moris walked into the dressing room. His tone was cold, and he seemed unbothered by the looming threat of her death. “To those humans, we’re just strange creatures or the freakier side of their race. No one wants to help.”

“So, you’re just going to let her die?” I asked, my mouth agape and my brow furrowed.

“She knew the risks,” he clicked his tongue. “I say, let her be. Pray to the Moon Goddess to grant her healing.”

“But she’ll bleed to death if we just leave her like this,” I argued.

“And you’re the one who beat her with your wolf's power. Congrats, you did the first homework,” he said.

I scoffed, hearing his unbelievable words. His words stunned me. Guilt consumed me entirely, but that didn’t make me the bad guy. He was.

No, wait, I was the villainess here. I shouldn’t have let Mythril out even for a second. Werewolves, especially lycans, had the ability to heal quickly, but humans were far weaker.

“But you’re the one who told me to fight her,” I argued again, stammering.

“I told you to fight, not to win over, but it proved effective. One way or another, you beat her in physical combat. Isn’t that what you wanted?” he asked.

My heart sank. His words felt like an invisible slap to my face. They hurt even more than her punches earlier.

He was right. This was what I wanted. This victory proved that I could be stronger and that I wasn’t as weak as everyone had thought.

Wasn’t that what I had longed for? But if it hadn’t been for Mythril’s help, could I still have defeated her?

‘He’s got a point. I can feel you’re stronger than before, Alexa.’ Mythril consoled me, but it only made me feel guiltier. I bit my lower lip.

“Humans can’t withstand fights against magical beings. Why did she push herself?” Harlow knelt beside me, his brow furrowed as his eyes examined her wounds.

The girl’s face grew paler, her lips turned blue, and the metallic smell intensified as her blood continued to flow. I swallowed hard and clenched my fists against the floor.

“No.” My voice rang out in the room. I turned to Harlow and locked eyes with his dark gaze. Then I turned to Mr. Moris and met his sharp stare.

“I hurt her, so I have to heal her too,” I said amid my raging breath. My hands reached for Jo’s hand and held it in both of mine.

“No. Don’t tell me you’ll heal her,” Harlow whispered doubtfully while Mr. Moris narrowed his eyes. “It’ll suck your soul out. You’ll cut your lifespan.”