The savior of the fantasy world

The Silent Hunt

-Stefan's POV-

After yesterday’s fight, Wendy had me slumped in a chair, pressing an ice bag to my face, her fingers skillfully applying ointment to the cut across my jaw. She worked with a precision that spoke of her training, and yet, her voice was laced with something darker. “Do you want me to teach him a lesson?”

I didn’t even have to think about it. “No,” I said flatly, knowing exactly what she’d do if I gave her the green light. Wendy was a hunter—a damn good one. Master G had insisted she join us on this mission, and now she was already weighing the cost of killing someone in her mind. She was the first daughter of Lady Ursula, the most powerful dark witch of her kind.

You might ask, do witches exist? Yes, they do. And my mother happens to be one. But that’s a story for another time.

Aaron barged in then, slamming his crossbow down on the table with a loud thud.

“Find anything?” I asked, barely looking up.

He threw himself into the chair across from me, shrugging. “Nothing. Are you sure this is the right school? Because this place is full of idiots.”

I snorted. “My mother doesn’t make mistakes. And I can feel her too.” Wendy groaned, rolling her eyes.

“Can’t believe I’m stuck in a human high school because of this mission,” she grumbled. “I swear, I’m about to lose my mind.”

“What do you feel?” I asked, ignoring her sarcasm, focusing instead on the task at hand.

She exhaled sharply, her eyes narrowing as she concentrated. “Siren. She’s here, but I can’t track her. She’s good.”

I nodded. I could feel her too—a faint, haunting pull in the air—but no clear direction. “We’re missing something. The only place we haven’t checked is the detention class,” I said.

Aaron raised an eyebrow, looking at us both like we’d lost our minds. “What’s a detention class?”

I gave him a side-glance. “Where the troublemakers get locked up. You know, the ‘humans’ who can’t follow basic rules.”

Aaron shook his head in disgust and stormed out, muttering something about getting out of this hellhole. Wendy sank deeper into the chair Aaron had vacated, her posture slouched. “They have detention here? I’m about to lose my patience,” she muttered, her voice thick with irritation.

Then, without warning, she turned her attention back to me, her gaze narrowing. “By the way, what’s going on with you and the human girl?”

I blinked, tying my shoelaces slowly, pretending not to care. “Who?” I asked, feigning ignorance.

Wendy scoffed, clearly unimpressed. “Don’t play dumb with me, Stef.”

I couldn’t help myself. I stood up, closing the distance between us. She avoided my gaze, her breath catching ever so slightly as she said, “I don’t know. There’s something about her. I just… feel like she’s in trouble.”

My lip curled into a knowing smile. “Jealous, much?” I teased, the hint of a challenge in my voice.

She looked away, the flush creeping up her neck betraying her. With a slow, deliberate motion, I took her chin and turned her face back toward me. “Are you?”

Her expression hardened, but I could see the conflict beneath her cool facade. “We talked about this, right?” I pressed.

Her brows furrowed in confusion. “Talk about what?”

I hesitated, my throat tightening. “We agreed that when I found my mate, we’d stop whatever this was between us.”

The words hung in the air between us like a heavy weight. Wendy didn’t say anything for a moment, her eyes locking onto mine, and for a split second, I thought she might say something more. But then—

Aaron burst back into the room, his face tight with frustration. We both turned to him, instinctively shifting into a more defensive stance.

“I found her,” he said through gritted teeth, eyes flicking nervously between Wendy and me.

Wendy’s eyes narrowed. “And you let her escape?”

Aaron threw his hands up in exasperation. “What do you want me to do? Fight her in front of a teacher and the whole school?”

Wendy’s gaze turned cold, calculating. “We wait until she’s alone. We take her then.”

I nodded, already moving toward the door. “Exactly. She won’t be able to outrun us.”

Wendy shot to her feet, her impatience palpable. She looked between Aaron and me, her expression hardening. “We need to end this and get out of here. Now,” she stated, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Without another word, she stalked out, leaving me and Aaron standing in silence.

---

The next day, I arrived at school earlier than usual, hoping to talk to Ellie about what she said before the game yesterday. But as I walked down the hallway toward my locker, I saw her boyfriend approaching. My stomach twisted into a knot.

He smirked at me, that same malicious glint in his eyes. Students started to gather, sensing the tension. “You...” His voice dropped into a cold whisper, his breath against my ear. “I’ll get you.”

I stood still, the air thick with unspoken animosity. He grabbed my collar, yanking me toward him, slamming me into a locker. “You wanna fight? Then let’s go.”

I couldn’t help the amused smile that tugged at my lips, but that only fueled his anger. Without warning, he threw a punch, landing it squarely across my face. The sharp sting of it sent a rush of anger and blood to my head. I tasted it, that metallic burn in my mouth.

My fingers touched my split lip, feeling the pain. My eyes met his, and he issued a serious warning to me, “Don’t ever try to fight me again. If you value your life, take it seriously.”

He smirked and turned away, his friends snickering behind him. But I couldn’t hold it in anymore. My blood boiled, fury clouding my thoughts. I spun him around and slammed him back into a different locker, my grip tightening around his neck. The gasp from the onlookers was almost deafening.

“If you ever raise your filthy hand at me again, I’ll rip it off your body and watch you look at me slicing it into bits,” I warned, my voice low and menacing. I pushed him to the ground, watching as he choked, my hands clawing at his throat.

I turned then, expecting to feel the rush of triumph, but instead, I was met with her gaze. Ellie’s eyes were locked on me, full of disgust and something worse—disappointment. My stomach sank. The anger inside me faded, replaced by a hollow ache. I stepped back, feeling the weight of her gaze, and walked away.

---

Later that night, I couldn’t shake the feeling of her eyes on me, the look that seemed to pierce through everything I was.

Wendy was waiting for me when I returned to the sitting room, her eyes sharp as ever. “I’ve got a feeling you did all that because of her,” she said, her voice cutting through the silence.

I stopped in my tracks, turning to face her. “What do you mean?” I asked, trying to mask the confusion brewing inside me.

It had been a long, exhausting day of searching for the elusive Siren who managed to slip away again. Aaron had passed out, leaving Wendy and me alone.

“I mean…” She crossed her arms, her lips curling into a knowing smile. “If you hadn’t intervened, her boyfriend would be lying dead on the floor by now.”

I clenched my fists at my sides, frustration mounting. If only she knew. The i***t was hiding his true identity, but that wasn’t the issue right now.

“We’re not here to kill, Wendy,” I snapped. “We’re still hunting the Sirens, and we don’t kill humans. We stick to the protocols.”

Wendy's smile never wavered. “But we hunt who hunts us.” Her voice was cold, unwavering.

I turned away from her, refusing to engage further. Wendy never listened, and she was dangerous in ways I couldn’t even begin to understand.

“No one touches his hair,” I warned, my tone sharp.

Her eyes glinted with amusement. “Too late,” she replied, her smirk deepening. “It’s not the boy anymore, but… the girl.”

I froze. The realization hit me like a freight train.

“Don’t you dare,” I hissed, panic creeping into my voice.

Wendy shrugged casually, like it was nothing. “And who says I haven’t started?”

My heart raced, panic surging through me. I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong. Wendy was up to something, and I had a sinking suspicion that Ellie was involved.

---

Without another thought, I dashed out into the dark streets, my heart hammering in my chest. I couldn’t sense Ellie—couldn’t find her—and that terrified me. Had Wendy found out about my mate? Was she threatening her? Why had Wendy gone after her instead of the boyfriend?

I couldn’t answer these questions. All I knew was that my heart ached with the thought of Ellie being in danger. I couldn’t lose her, not like this.

I reached Ellie’s house, the familiar sights almost too much to bear. I scaled the fence in a blur of movement, leaping toward her window. I slid it open, hoping to find her safe.

To my surprise, she was asleep in her bed, her delicate features soft in the dim light. My gaze lingered on her, the weight of the moment almost too overwhelming to bear. She looked so peaceful, so innocent, clutching a book to her chest.

I stepped closer, about to reach for the book, but then I heard footsteps approaching. Without thinking, I ducked behind the curtains.

A woman walked into the room, her back to me as she sat beside Ellie. She kissed her forehead tenderly, a gesture of affection I couldn’t ignore. She took the book from Ellie’s hands and turned off the light before leaving the room.

I waited, breath held, until the door creaked shut. Then, with a final glance at Ellie’s peaceful face, I slipped out of the window and disappeared into the night.

Ellie was fine. Everything Wendy had put me through, the fear and anxiety I’d felt, had been a trick. She’d manipulated me, knowing I would react like this. But why? What did she want from me?

The answers were out of my reach for now, but one thing was certain: Wendy was always two steps ahead. And I had no idea what she was planning next.