SCARED BY BLOOD ( Beast, God, Man?)

The fires of Zoria raged as Samuel stood in the ruined streets, his body trembling from exhaustion. Blood, both human and beast, stained the cobblestone roads. The night sky was thick with smoke, and the distant roars of the Malugna still echoed through the city.

But Samuel didn't care about any of that.

His eyes were locked onto Ezekiel – Vox Sanguinis, the man responsible for the massacre. The infamous beast tamer stood a few meters away, his lips curled into an amused grin, as if he wasn't standing in the middle of a battlefield. The corpses of fallen soldiers and civilians surrounded them, and yet, he smiled.

"You're stronger than I expected," Ezekiel mused, tilting his head. His crimson cloak fluttered in the wind, stained with the blood of both enemies and allies. "I suppose it makes sense, given what you really are."

Samuel's fists clenched. The battle had revealed a secret he had tried to keep hidden—his power as a Soul Tamer. The townspeople, the soldiers, even the King's warriors had witnessed him summon spirits of the dead to fight alongside him. A power that shouldn't exist.

But none of that mattered now.

"You turned my friend into that...thing," Samuel growled, his voice low and dangerous. The monstrous beast made from Lancelot's body still stood at Ezekiel's side, twitching and growling as if trapped between life and death.

Ezekiel chuckled. "Lancelot was strong. He deserved better than to rot in the ground. Now, he serves a greater purpose."

Samuel felt something snap inside him.

The air around him grew heavy as a powerful aura surged from his body. The spectral wolf he had summoned earlier let out a ghostly howl, sensing its master's fury. The ground trembled beneath Samuel's feet.

But he wasn't done yet.

"I will not let you leave this place alive."

Samuel closed his eyes, reaching into the depths of his power. His vision blurred as he searched—searching for something deeper, something older. And then, he felt it.

Beneath the empire, beneath the land itself, something ancient stirred.

A heartbeat.

A slumbering force buried deep below.

And then, Samuel spoke its name.

"Arkanis."

The earth split open beneath him. The very foundation of the capital city trembled as a deafening roar erupted from below.

Then—flames.

A monstrous figure burst from the ground, its enormous body shaking the entire continent. Golden scales, wings as vast as the sky, and eyes that burned like molten fire. The legendary beast that had once ruled over the empire, sealed away for centuries—Arkanis, the Eternal Flame.

The dragon stretched its colossal wings, its mere presence warping the air. The people of Zoria, even the King's warriors, fell to their knees in terror. This wasn't just a beast. This was a force of nature.

Ezekiel's smirk vanished.

"You—" His voice wavered for the first time.

Arkanis opened its mouth.

A single breath of fire erupted forward, a cataclysmic blast that tore through Ezekiel's forces. The heat alone melted buildings, and the sheer force of it split the land itself—the very continent trembled.

Ezekiel barely had time to react. He vanished into the shadows, retreating as the inferno consumed everything in its path. His soldiers? Burned to nothing. The Malugna? Erased.

And then—silence.

The city of Zoria stood on the edge of destruction. The people who remained standing looked at Samuel with a mixture of fear and awe.

Lyra, standing among the nobles and the King's warriors, clutched her chest, eyes wide. She had always been composed, always controlled—but this? This was something beyond her calculations.

Samuel took a step forward, his body weak. His vision blurred, and the last thing he saw before collapsing was the King's gaze upon him, filled with recognition.

"A Soul Tamer."

And then, Samuel fainted.

Samuel's vision swirled as his body crumpled to the ground, the force of summoning the dragon taking its toll on him. He could barely hear the sounds of the chaos around him, his senses dulling as his consciousness slipped away. The last thing he remembered was the heat from Arkanis's flame, and the figure of Ezekiel retreating into the shadows, knowing he had been defeated.

But the battle wasn't over yet.

---

Lyra stood frozen, her breath caught in her throat. The moment the dragon appeared, she had felt the overwhelming pressure of the power Samuel unleashed. It was unlike anything she had ever felt—this was not the power of a normal beast tamer, or even a skilled warrior. This was something ancient, something dangerous.

The King, standing beside her, slowly raised his hand. His warriors, who had been prepared to charge into the next phase of the battle, were now uncertain, some staring in shock at the dragon and others at Samuel's collapsed form. The Royal Guard stood motionless, unsure whether to approach or hold their ground.

The King's voice broke the silence.

"This is the power of a Soul Tamer." His voice was calm, but the weight of his words hit the crowd hard. The Royal Advisors exchanged nervous glances, and the nobles present seemed to shrink back in apprehension.

The dragon's massive body was still, but the heat from its breath lingered, enough to scorch the ground around it. There was no denying the presence of the beast—it was real, and it was bound to Samuel.

Lyra turned to the King. She had known that Samuel was powerful, but this? She had never imagined he could summon a beast of this caliber, let alone one with the destructive potential of Arkanis.

Her thoughts were interrupted when the King motioned for his men to step forward.

"Take the Soul Tamer," the King ordered.

Two guards cautiously moved toward Samuel's unconscious form, but Lyra was already kneeling beside him before they could reach him. Her heart raced, and she could feel the thunderous heartbeat of the dragon vibrating in her chest. She placed a hand on Samuel's forehead, her fingers brushing through his hair. He was warm, too warm. His breath was shallow, and his face was pale.

"He's not dead," Lyra whispered, more to herself than anyone else. Her eyes glinted with an emotion that was hard to read. "But he needs rest."

The King watched her closely. "He should come with us. We need to understand the extent of his abilities, especially now that this city is in ruins. He has saved us, but this is a debt that cannot be ignored."

Lyra clenched her fists. She had come here with plans of her own, but now, things were changing. Samuel had just revealed a power far greater than anything she had expected. She couldn't ignore it. Not when the King and his advisors were starting to look at him with suspicion and awe.

"Do you have a way to transport him?" the King asked, his gaze still fixed on the unconscious Samuel.

"Yes," Lyra replied, standing up slowly. She looked at the dragon one last time. Arkanis was no longer breathing fire, but it remained, hovering in the air like a looming threat. She couldn't help but feel a sense of awe at its power.

She turned to the soldiers who had been waiting nearby. "We'll take him back to the palace."

The King nodded, but there was a lingering doubt in his eyes. The Soul Tamer had become both an ally and a threat. No one truly knew what Samuel was capable of—especially now. The King had heard rumors of Soul Tamers in the past, but none had ever been this strong.

---

Samuel woke hours later in a lavish chamber, the warm glow of a fire flickering in the hearth. His head throbbed, and his limbs felt heavy, as if he had just run a marathon. He opened his eyes slowly, his vision blurry at first, before it sharpened to reveal the stone walls of the palace.

"You're awake," a voice said.

He turned his head to find Lyra, sitting at his bedside, her expression unreadable. She didn't look worried, but her eyes were narrowed as if she was trying to gauge his every move.

"What happened?" Samuel croaked, his throat dry.

Lyra didn't respond right away. Instead, she handed him a cup of water. He took it gratefully, drinking deeply.

"You summoned a dragon," she said softly.

Samuel's breath caught in his throat as he recalled the events. The dragon, Arkanis. The fire. The destruction.

"I... I didn't mean to. I just wanted to stop Ezekiel," Samuel muttered, trying to sit up, but his body protested. He winced and lay back down.

"That power... It's what saved the city, Samuel," Lyra said, her voice calm, but something about her tone made him uneasy. "You didn't just stop Ezekiel—you forced him to retreat. He's gone, and the city is safe... for now."

Samuel closed his eyes, trying to process everything. He had summoned the dragon without thinking, and it had almost destroyed everything in its wake.

But the moment had passed. The city had been saved. Ezekiel had retreated, his forces scattered. It was over, for now.

But at what cost?

---

The King arrived later. Samuel wasn't sure how long he had been unconscious, but it felt like hours, maybe even days. The King entered with a quiet procession of advisors, and the room fell silent. Samuel knew this wasn't just a casual visit. They were here because they had questions. Big ones.

"How did you summon that beast?" the King asked, his voice authoritative but measured.

Samuel didn't hesitate. He had nothing to hide, not now. "I... I didn't know I could do it," he said. "It just happened. When I saw Lancelot—" His voice cracked, but he quickly pushed through. "I felt something inside me, something ancient, and I just called it out. The dragon... Arkanis... answered."

The King's eyes narrowed as he studied Samuel. There was no fear in his gaze, but something else—curiosity, maybe even respect.

"You're not just a beast tamer, are you?" the King said slowly. "You have the power of a Soul Tamer."

Samuel froze, feeling the weight of the King's words. He had never spoken the truth aloud before, but now, it felt like everyone in the room knew it.

"Yes," Samuel admitted, his voice barely a whisper. "I am a Soul Tamer."

The room was silent for a long moment before the King spoke again.

"We need to talk about your future here in Zoria, Samuel," the King said. "You've proven yourself invaluable, but you're also a danger. We need to understand your abilities before we decide what to do with you."

---

As the King and his advisors discussed Samuel's fate, Lyra stood to the side, her thoughts racing. She had known Samuel had power, but she hadn't realized the depth of it until now. She had seen many powerful men in her life, but this... this was something else entirely.

She couldn't help but feel a pull toward him, even as everything around them was uncertain. The King wanted to control him, and the city needed him, but Lyra? She needed to understand more about Samuel and his power. There was something about him—something that called to her.

And she couldn't let it go.