DARKENED BONDS

As Radella walked to the center of the hall, all the attention was on her. It wasn't as though they had never heard her play the flute before, but her recent actions made them pay closer attention to everything she did.

She stood at the center, surrounded by tables, and faced the Eonians' table.

'So this is how Nala's reputation gets tarnished,' Elaine said, sounding sure of the outcome.

"She never had one, and I am going to create a strong one," Radella replied in a calm tone.

Soon, someone brought a flute for her. She held it but remained staring at the instrument, doing nothing. She didn't know how to play such a thing—not even a little.

Her hesitation only heightened the crowd's attention. What was she planning to do? She needed to act quickly to avoid angering the guests.

Raising her eyes, she faced Arthur. "This is boring compared to a surprise I've prepared for you. Let me entertain you in my way."

Arthur raised his brows. He glanced at the man with dark red hair, then at the girl beside him, before returning his gaze to Radella.

"Fine, I'm looking forward to it!" he responded enthusiastically.

"Bring me a bow and arrows," she ordered.

This made her intentions clear to everyone. Among the crowd, a middle-aged woman resembling the chestnut-haired girl grew more furious with each of Radella's actions.

"Oh," Arthur exclaimed. "Now I know the surprise!"

What made it interesting wasn't the archery itself. In the pack, they didn't believe in such weapons, using them only as a hobby. However, no one remembered Nala as an archer.

Soon, the bow and arrows were brought and placed on a small table near her. Behind her was a bar for arrow targets.

The target was positioned away from the guests. If there was a mistake, the arrows wouldn't harm anyone.

However, Radella changed its position, making it face the guests.

The werewolves at their tables exchanged uneasy glances. Rowan frowned, unable to understand her intentions. Why did she seem to chase trouble ever since she arrived?

The Eonians, however, remained indifferent. Even if there was a mistake, it wouldn't mean much to them. Arthur seemed to enjoy the surprises more.

The other two Eonians reacted differently. The green-haired girl's face darkened, clearly unused to someone showing no fear. The red-haired man paid close attention, his brows furrowed.

Radella held the bow and took two arrows. She nocked them, pulling the string with all her strength and focusing forward.

Instead of aiming at the bullseye, she stared directly at Arthur, then released the arrows.

Rowan felt his heart might burst from worry over what Nala was planning. He gripped his glass so tightly it shattered.

The hall went silent as everyone stared at where the arrows landed.

"Bullseye," someone announced.

Then the crowd cheered. Not only had she targeted perfectly, but she had used two arrows simultaneously.

Radella picked up three more arrows. Her expression darkened as she pulled the arrows back. She paused for a moment, then released them.

The arrows pierced the air, heading toward the guests—one for each of them.

Those who weren't even the targets couldn't tear their eyes away.

The arrows froze mid-air before they could reach their destinations. Radella turned her gaze to the green-haired girl, who had her hand extended. It was she who stopped the arrows, which then disintegrated into ashes.

"Oh, my hand slipped. I hope no one got hurt," Radella said, feigning innocence.

Arthur's face hardened momentarily before he smiled and clapped his hands. "I liked the surprise!"

The green-haired girl stood abruptly and waved her hand. An invisible force, like a gust of wind, shot toward Radella.

Radella tried to move aside, but the strike was too fast for her to dodge entirely.

The bar for the target broke in half, and she closed her eyes, her heart racing as she prepared for the impact.

She felt nothing.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself face-to-face with the man with dark red hair. He had stopped the strike, and everyone saw it.

They felt only the gust of wind, and then the strike vanished without hitting anyone.

His forehead wrinkled as he glared at her. "You… who are you?" he demanded coldly.

"Menelyck!" the green-haired girl called. "What is the meaning of this? She tried to kill us!"

Arthur interrupted, "Monica, aren't you overreacting? She's not foolish enough to think she could kill us like that. You ruined the fun!"

Monica glared at Arthur before turning her attention back to Menelyck. His opinion mattered more to her than Arthur's.

She hadn't expected Menelyck, who rarely involved himself in others' affairs, to intervene because of that girl. She truly wanted to kill Radella.

Radella stared at the man in front of her for a moment, then offered a faint, cold smile. "Who could I be? I'm nothing else but Nala, the Luna of the Eclipse pack."

Judging by his expression, that wasn't the answer he wanted.

"Send her to the dungeon!" Menelyck ordered coldly, walking past her toward the exit.

Monica was dissatisfied but pleased he didn't let Radella off easily. She hurried to catch up with Menelyck but paused as she neared Radella.

"Next time, there won't be anyone to help you," she threatened.

She expected her words to instill fear.

"Then I'll make sure it's a bullseye," Radella replied.

Monica understood immediately—it was a threat that Radella wouldn't miss next time. Monica's anger caused the curtains to flicker and the liquor in the glasses to shake.

Arthur walked over to stand near Radella, smiling. "I see you've changed a lot since your memory loss. Is it for the better? Either way, I like both versions of you. I'll come visit you—to help jog your memory about what we shared." He winked.

He then joined Monica, placing a hand on her shoulder and guiding her outside.

When they left, the hall filled with relieved sighs. The crowd had been waiting for bloodshed, certain Radella wouldn't survive, but nothing happened.

They fell silent, staring at the nonchalant figure at the center. Each tried to make sense of what had just occurred.

"What happened to Luna out there? Even the look in her eyes changed?"

"She is only acting tough and seeking death! Wait till the Beta puts her in her place!"

"But don't you find it strange? Even our Beta has never challenged those monsters."

"What are you all waiting for?!"

Everyone turned to see Harrison's furious expression. "Send her to the dungeon!" he shouted.