Incubus Ascension-Chapter 40

Teacher Simon stood in the open clearing, his eyes moving slowly over the group of students spread out in front of him.

The afternoon sun filtered through the leaves overhead, casting patchy shadows on the grass.

"The one who loses clears the toilets," he said in that steady voice of his, "and the one who wins gets one favor from me."

The words barely left his mouth before the whole class erupted into cheers. Students were clapping, laughing, and shoving each other lightly, their faces lit up like they had just won the lottery.

Getting a personal favor from a national-level hunter was the kind of thing most of them only dreamed about. Liam watched it all from the edge of the group. He shook his head, keeping his expression neutral.

These guys had no idea. They were treating Simon like some kind of hero, but Liam knew the truth. This was the same man who would be the first to sell out humanity the second the walls fell.

The memory sat heavy in Liam’s chest, but he pushed it down and stayed quiet. No point saying anything now.

Simon cleared his throat loud enough to cut through the noise. "Make groups of three people so you can pass my test."

He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small jewel. It caught the light as he held it up, glinting red like a tiny flame.

"My test is simple," he continued, dangling it so everyone could get a good look. "This jewel is called the Heart of Fire. There are only two pairs of them in the whole world."

He paused, letting that sink in. "I’m throwing one into the forest behind the academy. You need to find it. The first group that brings it back gets my favor."

Then he snapped his fingers casually. "By the way, I left my ’pet’ in there. Don’t provoke him."

Simon turned without another word and walked over to a wooden bench at the side of the clearing. He dropped onto it, crossed his legs, and gave a lazy wave of his hand, like he was shooing them off to play a game.

The class didn’t need telling twice. Students started clustering together right away, voices overlapping as they picked teammates and made quick plans.

Liam found himself with Beatrix and Pyra, the three of them falling into their usual spot together without even having to say much. It felt natural.

Before they could even start moving, Crya strolled over. She flipped her long white hair back over one shoulder and tilted her head, looking at their little trio. "You guys wouldn’t let me join you?"

"Sorry," Liam said, keeping his tone even. "We’re full."

Crya didn’t miss a beat. She just stepped right into line beside them anyway, matching their pace as if she had been invited all along. She glanced sideways at him and added with a small smirk, "Too bad he can’t control her."

Liam shook his head again, this time to himself. He decided right then it was smarter to just ignore her for the rest of this. Getting into it with Crya never ended well. Plus, he had already done her a solid by helping track down her lost brother a while back.

That had to count for something. She wouldn’t turn on him over something this small.

At least, that was what he kept telling himself as they started walking.

The thought still made his stomach twist a little, but he pushed it aside and focused on the path ahead.

The four of them headed into the forest. The trees closed in quickly, their trunks thick and old, the ground soft with fallen leaves and moss. The air smelled damp and earthy, and the sounds of the class faded behind them.

Crya let out a loud sigh that echoed a bit between the branches. "Damn, I never thought my boss would end up as a teacher."

Beatrix shot her a sharp glare over her shoulder, eyes narrowed. "I fucking hate your boss. Teacher Simon."

Crya raised one eyebrow, not looking bothered at all. "I’ve heard that a lot. Get in line."

Beatrix snorted and picked up her pace, leaving Crya a few steps behind. Liam stayed in the middle, his mind already turning over the problem. That jewel was tiny. How were they supposed to find something that small in a forest this big? It felt like looking for a needle in a haystack, and the clock was already ticking in his head. Then it hit him. Crya was right there, an assassin by trade. That meant she had sharp eyes, the kind that spotted details from a distance most people would miss. She was probably better at this than any of them.

He turned to her, keeping his voice low so it wouldn’t carry too far. "Why don’t you help us and go find the jewel?"

Crya stopped walking and looked at him straight on, her expression turning curious. "Oh? And what would you do for me in return?"

Liam thought fast. "I’d do one favor of your choice," he said. "But keep it simple. Nothing crazy."

Crya’s face broke into a giggle, light and quick. She spun on her heel and took off running deeper into the trees without another word. "I’ll hold you to that!" her voice floated back.

Liam watched her disappear between the trunks, hoping he hadn’t just made a mistake. Beatrix and Pyra exchanged a look but kept quiet.

The minutes stretched. Birds called overhead, and somewhere far off a branch cracked under something’s weight.

Then Crya came jogging back, holding the red jewel up in her hand like a trophy. A big smile spread across her face. "Look what I got."

She tossed it straight to him. Liam’s hand shot up on instinct and caught it cleanly. The stone felt warm against his palm, heavier than it looked.

Right at that moment a loud monster roar tore through the forest. It wasn’t distant, it was close, and it was moving fast toward them. The ground seemed to vibrate a little under their feet.

From between two thick trees, the Chimera stepped out into the open. It was massive. A dragon’s head sat on its shoulders, scales gleaming dark and sharp.

Two huge black wings were folded tight against its body, but even folded they looked powerful enough to blot out the sky.

Its legs moved with heavy, deliberate steps, muscles rippling under the hide. Every footfall made the leaves crunch loudly.

The Chimera’s eyes locked straight onto the jewel in Liam’s hand. They were cold, focused, and hungry.

Liam’s stomach dropped. He realized in that split second that they had just screwed themselves. The jewel suddenly felt like a ticking bomb in his grip, and there was nowhere to run.