Free Web NovelChapter 125: Chapter 119: Her
Speaking of interesting, Cass looked at Zeke and asked through their bond, "Is she here yet?"
"No," replied Zeke, his voice laced with impatience. He glanced at the clock and realized that the match would begin soon. That meant she would be here any moment. The invigilators in the room started to stir, signaling that it was time to enter the arena.
"But everyone isn’t here yet," Zeke protested, his tone betraying his concern.
"You should worry about yourself," one of the invigilators retorted curtly. Without further debate, they opened the large, imposing doors to the arena and ushered the participants inside.
Fifteen cadets stepped onto the sandy battleground, their faces a mixture of determination and nervous energy. The arena, a circular coliseum lined with stone walls, felt alive with anticipation as the audience watched from above.
One of the invigilators frowned. "He’s right. We’re missing a cadet."
The other invigilator nodded gravely. "We’ll give them a few more minutes. If they don’t show up, we’ll have no choice but to disqualify them."
Zeke barely heard the exchange. His focus was glued to the gate, waiting for that familiar figure to walk through it. The tension in his chest was unbearable, but he forced himself to remain calm. Unfortunately, calmness wasn’t a luxury he could afford for long—especially with people like Erik Thorsson around.
Erik, the towering boy with bluish-gray eyes and a bear-like build, sidled up to Zeke. His voice was deep and mocking. "Can you really afford to be distracted right now?"
Cass sighed and muttered, "Dude, not now."
"I wasn’t talking to you," Erik shot back, his sharp glare fixed solely on Zeke. But Zeke didn’t respond. His eyes remained locked on the gate, as if willing her to appear.
Apparently, Erik didn’t appreciate being ignored. With a growl of frustration, he lunged toward Zeke, his massive frame barreling forward like an angry bull. But before he could reach his target, two referees stepped in, their swift intervention stopping him in his tracks.
High above the arena, in the VIP viewing room, Dean smirked as he watched the scene unfold. "Damn," he said, turning to his companion. "He really is just like you, Bjorn. So reckless."
Bjorn, his stoic figure with arms crossed over his chest, didn’t even flinch. "You done?" he asked, his voice flat.
Dean chuckled. "Not yet. You know, Erik really shouldn’t have done that. Zeke’s clearly on edge, and now Erik’s gone and poked the bear. My condolences in advance."
Back in the arena, one of the referees addressed the cadets. "I’m guessing most of you are already familiar with today’s format?"
The group nodded in unison, though a few still looked uneasy.
"Good," the referee continued. "But I’ll repeat it anyway. Today, you’ll be participating in a grand battle royale. The objective is simple: keep fighting until only one of you is left standing. Killing and intentional maiming are strictly forbidden. However, accidents happen, so we’ve arranged for medics from House Vitali to be on standby. They’re skilled enough to heal you back to your peak condition, as long as you’re not dead. So, go all out."
The cadets murmured among themselves, their excitement and nerves bubbling to the surface.
"We’ll begin as soon as the last cadet joins us," the referee added.
Minutes ticked by, each one stretching longer than the last. Zeke’s heart raced as he continued to stare at the gate. Then, finally, the referee spoke again: "She’s here. Get ready."
(Play ’Her’ by JVKE for a better experience.)
Zeke’s entire body stiffened at those words. His breath hitched, and even Cass found himself staring at the gate with renewed interest.
He wanted to see her—the woman who had somehow managed to handle Zeke’s sharp edges and guarded heart.
The moment she stepped into the arena, time seemed to stop. For Zeke, everything else disappeared. It was as if the world had dimmed, leaving her as the only source of light. Memories flooded his mind, one after the other, like waves crashing against a fragile shore.
The first time he had met her came rushing back. She had stormed up to him, her hazel eyes blazing with fury. "How dare you hurt Leah?" she’d shouted, her voice trembling with anger.
He remembered their endless bickering, each of them too stubborn to back down. And yet, somewhere along the way, the arguments had softened into something warmer, something more profound.
He recalled the nights spent worrying about her. Every time she left for the battlefield, he’d lie awake, wondering if she would return.
(Now switch to ’In the Stars- Sped Up’ by Benson Boone at 0:40)
And then came the worst memory of all—the last time he saw her.
She had stood before him, her expression torn between determination and sorrow. "I have to go," she had said, her voice barely above a whisper.
He had begged her to stay, pleaded with her not to leave. But she had only smiled sadly and replied, "I have to."
Her final words echoed in his mind like a haunting refrain: "Let’s get married if I return this time. Promise me you’ll wait for me."
And he had waited. Through sleepless nights and endless battles, he had waited. But she never returned. Only her lifeless body came back to him, carried by her comrades.
A hole in her abdomen had ended everything they could have been. He remembered burying her ashes beneath the apple tree in the backyard of her childhood home, just as she had asked. After that, he had waited again, this time for the war to end so he could join her in peace.
(Finally, switch to ’I Can’t Help It’ by JVKE)
Yet here he was, alive and staring at her once more.
Her hazel eyes—those same eyes that turned amber under the sunlight—met his, and for a moment, he felt as if he was falling in love all over again. freewebnovel.cσ๓
Cass, standing beside him, was less enraptured but equally intrigued. He studied the girl curiously. ’So this is the one who tamed Zeke,’ he thought.
Meanwhile, her thoughts were far from romantic. She glanced at the two brothers, her expression a mixture of confusion and amusement. ’Are they the Neo-Nephilim brothers?’ she wondered. ’They’re cute... but why are they staring at me like that?’
