Dominion of The Beast Masters

Chapter 73: Dark Water



The air between Eratz and Lisa felt heavy, filled with emotions neither of them could speak aloud. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, Lisa's heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst.

This was the moment she had been waiting for, months of guilt, regret, and hope all mixed together into this one chance to make things right.

"Eratz..." she whispered, her voice shaking, barely holding back the tears she had carried for so long.

She took a small step forward, her body trembling with the weight of everything she wanted to say but couldn't find the words for.

For a second, Eratz's gaze softened, and it seemed like he, too, felt the pull of their past. There was a flicker of something familiar, something that reminded them of what they once had.

In that brief moment, it felt like the world around them faded, leaving just the two of them, standing at the edge of everything that had been broken between them.

Lisa's heart was filled with hope, maybe they could fix what they had, they never talked, there was no conclusion between them, not even a sequel.

But just as quickly, Eratz's expression turned cold, the warmth in his eyes disappearing. Without a word, he turned his head to look at the other students, breaking the moment, leaving Lisa standing there, her heart sinking, shattered all over again.

The silent devastation on Lisa's face was hard to miss, but the other students were too wrapped up in their own surprise at seeing Eratz again, their minds whirling as they processed the situation.

Mercury's eyes turned to Eratz for a second, her usual confidence faltering slightly. There was something in the way Lisa looked at him that made her uneasy like she was missing part of the picture.

"What's going on here?" she asked.

She glanced at Lisa, then back to Eratz. Eratz sighed and turned to her.

"Remember that time I told you about the academy that expelled me?" His voice was light, almost too casual like he was discussing the weather.

Mercury blinked, taken aback by the shift in the conversation.

"Wait... you mean this is them?" she asked, her eyes darting toward the group of students who were watching them nervously.

Eratz nodded.

"Yeah, that's them."

Mercury stared at the students, her tension easing into something else. Relief washed over her, more powerful than she had expected.

"Oh..." She paused, shaking her head with a faint smirk, "I thought... never mind."

She almost let out a laugh. She glanced at Lisa again before returning her gaze to Eratz.

"So, these are the ones who made your life miserable?"

Eratz raised an eyebrow at her reaction, a little amused.

"I wouldn't say miserable anymore but you get the picture,"

The students around them began to murmur among themselves, some casting nervous glances at Eratz. They had hoped he would have forgotten about them, maybe even forgiven them. They were expecting indifference, sure, but this casual distance felt like a slap in the face.

"He's just... acting like it doesn't matter," one student whispered, guilt creeping into their voice.

"Did he really forgive us, or does he just not care anymore?" another asked, uncertain.

Kenny, standing beside Julian, couldn't take his eyes off Eratz. His stomach twisted uncomfortably. This wasn't how he had imagined seeing Eratz again. He had expected anger, maybe some kind of confrontation, but not this cold dismissal.

Julian shifted uneasily.

"It's like we don't even exist to him anymore... well, he's a celebrity now after all."

Lisa stood frozen, her heart breaking. She couldn't believe how quickly Eratz had turned away from her as if everything they had shared meant nothing now. She had imagined this reunion so many times, with many scenarios, anger, miracles, sadness, but this... this was nothing like what she had hoped for.

Clara, standing beside her, noticed the look on Lisa's face and felt a pang of sympathy for her friend.

"Eratz, maybe you should talk to her... You haven't seen each other for so long, she's been looking for you," Clara said softly, trying to break through the wall of indifference Eratz had built.

But Eratz didn't even glance back at them.

"Why should we? This isn't how we lived before," he said plainly, his voice devoid of emotion. "We had no contact at the academy so why change it now? This is perfectly normal."

The casualness of his words hit Lisa like a punch to the gut. Everything she had held onto, the hope of reconciliation, the possibility of fixing what had been broken, it all crumbled at that moment. Her eyes filled with tears, but she blinked them away, refusing to let them fall.

Crystal, who had been lingering at the back of the group, shrank even further into the shadows. She had been afraid of facing Eratz, but this... this indifference was somehow worse. Something in that was kind of annoying.

And then, Melcin's voice cut through the growing tension.

"Well, well, well... I never thought I'd see the day when the great Eratz Pandora would be so harsh to the girl who he always teamed with, was that all interest?" Melcin sneered, stepping forward with a smirk.

The venom in his voice was unmistakable, and the students tensed at his words. His confidence was growing, fueled by the fact that Eratz seemed to acknowledge what they had done.

"You think you can just come back here like none of it matters? You were expelled for a reason, boy, and I doubt anyone here is the problem" Melcin continued, his voice growing

louder, angrier.

Eratz didn't react. He was simply sitting there, his expression unreadable, as if Melcin's words were nothing more than background noise.

The lack of response only seemed to fuel Melcin's frustration. His face twisted with anger, and he took another step forward, his voice rising.

"You're no better than a washed-up cheater! Does anyone at the top know that about you? That you were a dirty cheater? Is that even past news? And now you're hiding behind some half-breed to heal you? What happened to you, Eratz? Where's that pride you used to have in the arena?" Melcin's words were biting, dripping with spite.

The students exchanged nervous glances, unsure of what to do. Even Mercury, who had been sitting calmly beside Eratz, stiffened slightly at Melcin's words. She glanced at Eratz, watching him closely, but he didn't move.

Melcin's anger was growing with each passing second, his frustration boiling over as he

realized Eratz was ignoring him.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"You're nothing but filth now... just like that Ishtarian brat next to you! Be a man and tell everyone the truth!" Melcin spat, his eyes darting to Colin with pure disdain. The racial slur hung in the air like poison, silencing the entire cave.

Everyone froze. The students stared at Melcin in shock, their mouths open in disbelief. Even those who had once mocked Eratz shifted uncomfortably, realizing just how far Melcin had

gone.

For a moment, the cave was silent, the tension so thick it was suffocating.

And then, Eratz switched.

His entire attitude shifted. He turned to Mercury, his voice calm, disturbingly calm.

"Mercury," he said quietly, "cover Milo and Colin's ears."

Mercury blinked, her eyes narrowing as she studied his face. There was no anger, no fury, just

a cold, eerie calm.

She nodded, using her water magic, she created soft earphones for the kids, blocking them

from hearing what was about to happen.

Milo and Colin, confused, looked at her.

"It's ok," Mercury murmured to them, "Just wait a little bit."

They remained close to Mercury, who kept their heads turned away from the scene.

With the kids safely out of earshot and vision, Eratz turned back to Melcin, who had gone pale, the confidence draining from his face.

Eratz's steps were slow, deliberate, each one echoing ominously in the cave. The students

watched in stunned silence, their hearts racing as they felt the shift in the air. Something

terrible was about to happen.

Melcin, now realizing the danger, took a step back, his voice shaking.

"I-I'm warning you, Eratz..."

The chill pace in Eratz's advance and his silence froze Melcin in place. He tried to speak again,

but fear had gripped him, his legs trembling as Eratz drew closer.

Without a word, Eratz stopped in front of him.

His fist shot forward, connecting with Melcin's face with brutal force. The loud crack of bone

and skin echoed through the cave, blood splattering onto the stone floor.

Clara's hand flew to her mouth, closing her eyes, she turned to the side.

Melcin fell back, clutching his nose, a scream of pain tearing from his throat. Blood poured between his fingers, his eyes wide with shock and terror.

The students gasped, horror spreading through the group as they watched the scene unfold.

Melcin rolled on the ground, writhing in agony, his face contorted in pain as blood continued

to pour from his broken nose.

"Get up," Eratz said coldly.

Melcin struggled, his body shaking, trying to push himself off the ground, with confusion and anger boiling in him. But when he fully stood, Eratz delivered another punch, this time to his

stomach.

Melcin doubled over. His body convulsed, his limbs trembling uncontrollably.

Lisa winced, tears filling her eyes, unable to look away.

"Stand up," Eratz ordered again, his voice ominously calm.

Melcin groaned, barely able to move, his body too weak to comply. But Eratz wasn't done. He

stepped closer, placing his boot on Melcin's foot, his voice low and filled with cold menace.

"If you don't get up, I'll start breaking your bones, one by one... from your toes to your hips."

Melcin's eyes widened in fear, his body shaking violently as he struggled to stand. He managed to rise, barely holding himself upright.

Eratz watched him for a moment, then delivered another brutal punch to Melcin's stomach.

The sickening echo filled the cave, and Melcin screamed, collapsing to the ground in a heap.

He convulsed and vomited the content of his stomach.

Julian felt his knees weaken as he watched, his stomach twisting.

The students could do nothing but watch in stunned silence, too terrified to intervene.

Eratz crouched beside Melcin, his voice eerily calm.

"Get up."

Melcin sobbed, his body wracked with pain, tears, and vomit staining the floor. But he knew

he had no choice. With trembling hands, he held Eratz's legs to stand, managing to raise

himself, his knees shaking.

Eratz observed him for a second, and then... Another punch in the stomach.

Melcin grunted, dropping to his knees. His body convulsed, his sobs growing louder as the

pain overwhelmed him.

"Please... stop..." one of the students whispered, her voice trembling.

Crystal, watching from the back, felt her knees buckle. She wanted to run, but her legs

wouldn't move.

Eratz ignored the plea. His focus remained on Melcin, who was now crying on the ground.

"Get up," Eratz repeated.

Melcin tried, his body shaking uncontrollably, moving the mud mixing his vomit and drops of

blood, but he couldn't stand.

Kenny stood frozen in the back, his face turning blue, unable to process what was happening.

"Your feet aren't broken, so you can stand. Get... up."

Melcin's body convulsed. He struggled to rise, almost slipping on his vomit. It took him

almost a minute to fully stand. Eratz observed him for a moment, a few centimeters between

their heads. Then another punch to the stomach.

"PLEASE STOOOP!" A student screamed.

Melcin gave a loud and cracked scream drowned by blood and vomit. He convulsed on the

ground, moving in his own excretion. He was conscious, fully conscious, feeling everything.

Eratz watched him for a moment, then sighed.

"Yep."

He glanced to the side, not looking at anyone in particular.

"Now I really don't care anymore."