Now their newfound ally, Erik, escorted them back to the Amellan walls.

He assisted Maya in navigating the woods, gallantly giving her a hand through slippery slopes, holding the balance for her whenever necessary. Moving beside him was a breeze. It was as if he knew exactly what she needed even before it became clear to her.

Maya continued to steal glances at him. In good lighting, despite his situational rugged appearance, he was too pleasing to the eye. His demeanour, voice, or posture never betrayed a hint of awkwardness around strangers. He stayed impeccable as if he were beyond human. Seeing him, Maya felt certain that someone like him couldn't have simply been born naturally but must have been crafted to the highest standard.

"The mages that were left behind, like your family, what happened to them after Mellgrah was created?"

"Probably as you could imagine. I can't speak for other clans, but my ancestors were dealing with a precarious aftermath," Erik continued to speak to fill the void during their long walk. "You see, the trend of the Witch Hunt had spread to England a bit later than the rest of Europe. By that time, the Grand Escape was already completed, and we experienced the full wrath of the persecutions completely powerless."

Maya gave it a thought. The outcome was quite unfair to them. Not only did they lose a lot, but they were punished for it.

"We were providing an asylum for many mages in the dark times, only for them to betray us when it was their time to return the favour. It's a little to say it sprouted enough resentment to last for generations."

"Does our existence fill you with resentment?" Maya wondered. "I mean, here we obliviously enjoy magic, while the ones who know the truth of it are ostracized and kept away from it."

"Me? I hold no ill will toward the 'witches' of Mellgrah. After all, current Mellgrah citizens all came from the families that stayed behind. There's not a single witch of those times or their offspring alive." He clarified. "Perhaps only among Trackers," he added, then concluded. "All I want is to set them free. Well… Set us free."

Maya smiled to herself. Although his family suffered great injustice, his heart was still in the right place.

"That wolf. Is it your pet?" Maya was curious. Although it was terrifying to encounter such a massive beast in the dark, Maya felt that it was, just like Erik, keeping her safe in that precarious moment.

Erik let out a soft chuckle at her question. "It's not a pet, more of a companion," he explained, a distant smile playing on his lips. "I rescued it as a pup, orphaned after vampires murdered its mother and litter. Although I raised it, it's still a wild animal." His gaze flicked towards Elena. "With a deep-seated grudge against vampires."

"Oh," Maya was saddened that even the wolf had a tragic past. "Why would vampires commit such a heinous act?"

"Because they could," Erik stated the grim reality. "As adults, they can pose a threat to them on the same hunting grounds. It is a scuffle between apex predators." His gaze once again found Elena, like he believed it all referred to her as well.

The thought of someone killing young pups simply because they could grow into potential threats horrified Maya. "Where is the wolf now?" she asked as they slowly approached Amellan Walls.

"Hmm…" he pondered. "It led the vampires off our trail. If you're concerned about it, I could try calling it. But it won't be good for your pet here," he indicated to Elena.

"So now I'm a pet?" Elena interjected, emphasizing the inconsistency in his words. "Am I a dangerous predator that is manipulating her or her pet? Will you make up your mind?"

"You're someone who can piss off, love," he sneered.

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Elena's expression would darken every time he would call her 'love.' Perhaps he had already noticed and persisted in doing so.

Before they could proceed to stab at each other, Maya interjected, pressed by the approaching end of their joined journey. "You promise to meet with us again, right? To tell us more about your past and how you lost your element?"

He nodded slowly.

"Do you have a number we could contact you at?" Maya wanted to establish a way for them to stay in touch.

"Sure. But…"

As Maya pulled out her phone, he froze and his calm demeanour shattered. Realization dawned on him, his face paling considerably.

"You had your phone the entire time…" His words hung in the air as he covered his face, clearly overwhelmed by the potential implications.

"Maya, you idiot," Elena jumped in.

Maya was taken aback, clouded in confusion. "What?" She failed to grasp why the presence of her phone caused such concern.

"Sorry, I need to confiscate it." His fingers swiftly swiped it from her hand. "It just didn't cross my mind…" he muttered to himself as he inspected it. "You too," he shifted his attention to Elena. "Give me your phone," he ordered as he extended his hand.

"I don't have it on me," Elena claimed, pulling the insides of her pockets and handing him the crumpled remains of a plastic bottle as the only thing she had on herself. "I'm not senseless enough to carry around a tracking device."

Maya blinked in surprise, her mind stalling as it registered that it was the bottle that contained blood. When had Elena managed to consume the blood Erik had offered her? Although she was sceptical, in the end, Elena had apparently drunk both the blood and tea he provided.

"Why is this bad?" Maya wanted answers. "Is it really tracking our location?"

However, she didn't receive an answer. Erik pondered for a moment, then gave her instructions. "Listen here, this is important. You'll have to report your phone missing," he stressed.

"Report it?"

"Yes. Don't give any specific detail about when or where, only that you noticed this morning. And request a new device. You're not getting this one back," he said, his tone firm.

"What will you do with it?" Maya asked, embarrassed about the mishap.

"I'll plant it so that it seems that vampires have it now."

"That doesn't make any sense," Maya protested.

Erik looked at her, his expression solemn. "I'm sorry, Maya, I can't allow Amanda to know of me yet. If a device that has left the wall perimeter returns without issue, she will get suspicious enough to investigate. And it will lead her straight to my location."

It hit Maya then, the gravity of her mistake. She had inadvertently put him in danger.

"You'll report the phone missing and never speak of me to anyone. I do not exist. Do you understand?"

Maya covered her mouth, stricken by the implications. Not only did Erik know a lot about outside Mellgrah, but he also knew a lot about the inner workings of Amellan Academy, including the fact that Amanda was a dangerous character.

"Is she really tracking our phones? How would you know that?"

This wasn't the only time she took her phone outside the Wall. They would practice outside regularly. If she could tell when someone left the Amellan perimeter, she would know of their rule-breaking.

Erik looked at her. "If I can do it, I'm sure she does it too."

"You can track our phones??" Maya exclaimed.

"I'm a hunter. If a vamp would get a hold of you, you'd be glad that I can… Listen… You're going to do what I've just told you to do. Is that clear?"

Maya nodded, not wanting to upset him. "Yes… I'm sorry about this. I didn't realize."

He sighed, a look of genuine regret on his face. "It's my mistake. I should have considered it."

"So, how do we reach you? Do you give us your number?" Maya ventured to ask again.

"I'll contact you," he assured her.

"Okay. Then," Maya turned to her friend. "Elena, give him your number."

"I haven't agreed to this," Elena retorted.

Erik exhaled softly, his fingers gently squeezed Maya's shoulder.

"No need." His voice was calm and strangely reassuring. "I have this phone," he added as he pivoted away with fluid grace, holding Maya's device aloft in a casual farewell gesture.

The morning light spilt through the canopy, catching the phone's glossy surface as Erik's silhouette gradually melted into the dense undergrowth of the forest.

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