Kyro kept his gaze fixed on the egg as it gave a faint twitch, still showing no signs of cracking open.

  It was small enough to rest securely in one hand, its smooth surface interrupted only by fiery patterns that glowed with a subtle light.

  “This egg still isn’t hatching,” Kyro muttered. “Do you think it accepted my blood, or is the beast inside planning to attack me when it breaks?”

  Erynn shook her head. “If the creature inside didn’t want to bond with you, the egg wouldn’t have reacted at all. But this one has responded, so I’m sure it’s accepting you as its partner.”

  The egg gave another faint shudder, its glow pulsing, but the cracks on its surface remained small.

  Kyro channeled more of his mana into the egg, hoping to speed up the hatching process. Despite his efforts, the egg offered no further reaction.

  “Erynn, what do you think about taking it out of the forest?”

  Erynn gave a quick nod. “That might be our best shot. The egg could need a stronger source of mana to hatch completely. But we’re running out of time—we can’t stay here much longer.”

  Kyro lifted the egg, cradling it in his hands as they made their way out of the forest.

  Kyro and Erynn stepped out of her room, walking down the dormitory corridor and heading outside.

  Their presence together immediately became the subject of whispers and speculation among their peers.

  Kyro carried the mysterious egg in his arms, its faint glow drawing curious stares, while Erynn held her white rabbit, Lunar, nestled comfortably in her arms.

  Not many people knew that Kyro and Erynn had been childhood friends, so their apparent closeness surprised more than a few onlookers.

  But what truly captured everyone's attention was the egg Kyro was carrying.

  “What do you think Kyro’s holding? Is that his magical beast? Did he finally manage to form a contract?”

  Nearly everyone at the academy knew Kyro was the only student who had yet to succeed in forming a beast contract.

  “But why is he walking with Erynn? Could she have used her special access to get him into Eterna Forest?”

  “Damn it! How is that even possible? I’ve never seen them together before.”

  “Do you think Erynn heard about Kyro’s situation? Maybe she offered to help him personally. Everyone knows Erynn is kind to everyone.”

  “No! I won’t accept it! Kyro, that useless guy, has no business being anywhere near Erynn!”

  The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Erynn was undeniably the academy’s brightest star—both in intellect and beauty.

  Everyone seemed eager to catch her eye, each one striving for her favor, yet none had managed to bridge the gap to truly know her.

  Her connection with Kyro only made matters worse.

  Someone rushed to inform Robert about what had happened with them.

  He slammed his desk with a loud bang. “What did you say?! Where is he now?”

  Robert immediately left the classroom, flanked by four of his usual provocateurs. Together, they stormed toward Kyro.

  Before long, Robert stood face-to-face with Kyro and Erynn. The commotion quickly drew a crowd of students eager to witness what would unfold.

  Robert was a prominent figure in the academy, known for his Epic-grade magical beast and the wealth of his family.

  When he arrived, Robert burst into laughter. “Hahaha! So, this ‘magical beast’ of yours is just that useless egg?! Hah! It suits you perfectly!”

  “Look at it—it doesn’t even want to hatch. Haha!”

  “I bet it’s just some worthless egg he picked up at random,” one of Robert’s friends chimed in.

  Robert moved closer to Erynn. "Erynn, why are you wasting your time with him? Surely you can see it’s pointless. This fool has been at the academy for two years and still hasn’t managed to form a single contract!"

  He continued, “I suggest you stay away from him. Who knows? You might end up tarnishing your reputation because of him.”

  “Did you come all the way here just to mock him? I don’t think it’s your place to tell me who I can or can’t associate with,” Erynn said.

  Erynn’s patience was wearing thin. She reached for Lunar, ready to command her rabbit to transform.

  But before she could act, something warm stopped her. Kyro’s hand gently rested on her arm.

  “Erynn, stop,” he said. “Let me handle this.”

  "What?" Robert’s irritation deepened as Kyro stood his ground. "Where does that sudden confidence even come from, huh?"

  He added. "You idiot. I’ll put you in your place, beneath me. It’s too late for you to back out now!"

  "Robert, don’t you think you’re running your mouth a little too much?"

  The crowd froze, utterly shocked by Kyro’s bold retort. It was something no one would have ever imagined coming from him.

  The original Kyro wouldn’t have dared to look his opponent in the eye, let alone stand up to someone like Robert, who had tormented him relentlessly.

  Robert, on the other hand, was visibly irritated. His expression darkened as he barked an order at his crow.

  “Do it! Show him his place!”

  The crow, circling above, prepared to unleash its deadly screech. Kyro braced himself, ready to endure the noise.

  But before the attack could begin, a blinding light erupted from the egg in his arms.

  The brilliant glow illuminated the entire area, forcing everyone to shield their eyes with their hands. The sheer intensity of the light captured everyone’s attention.

  The egg hatched.

  But, should he protect the newborn beast? After all, it might already be at risk of attack, especially from that Crow.

  He held the egg in one hand, the other shielding his eyes as he tried to process the unfolding scene.

  The cracks on the egg’s surface widened, spreading like tiny veins of lightning.

  Finally, the egg shattered completely, pieces scattering as a creature emerged.

  It had four legs and fur as sleek and dark as midnight, streaked with fiery red patterns that flickered and glowed like living embers.

  The creature moved cautiously, its gaze darting around as it shook off fragments of shell clinging to its glistening coat.