Chapter 97: Past-Life Trauma

Shani hadn’t expected Vivienne’s sudden attack. A sharp sting burned across her cheek, sending her stumbling backward as she nearly lost her footing.

"Consider this my welcome. As the future host to an ungrateful brat like you," Vivienne mocked.

"Are you insane?!" Shani glaring back.

As she struggled to steady herself, she caught a glimpse of a black shadow darting toward Vivienne out of the corner of her eye.

Vivienne spotted the black baby beast as well and scoffed. "So you really do have a Night Panther."

A wave of disgust washed over her at the thought of sharing the same gene of baby beast as a wretched girl like Shani.

When Nyx pounced and bit her leg, Vivienne gloated, knowing a baby beast was far too weak to inflict real harm on a beastman who had already had their beast essence.

She simply shook her leg lightly, confident the little panther would be tossed aside. But a sharp pang of pain suddenly flared against her calf.

"Argh! Dammit!"

Shocked and disbelieving, Vivienne shook her leg far harder, finally dislodging the baby beast. An angry red bite mark was left behind on her smooth calf.

Fury surged through Vivienne. "Just as infuriating as your owner!"

Vivienne kicked Nyx just as the cub was pushing itself back up to attack again.

The whole thing happened in mere seconds while Shani was still trying to regain her balance.

Vivienne’s kick sent Nyx flying through the air. Panicking at the sight, Shani threw herself to the side, catching the little furball just before it slammed into the bed frame.

Pain shot through Shani’s body as she hit the floor, but her heart bled for Nyx. The baby beast curled into a ball, whimpering in pain, its terror pulsing clearly through their soul bond.

Shani looked up to see Vivienne standing over her with hands on her hips.

The painful memories awakened by Dominic’s arrival flooded back with terrifying clarity at the sight of Vivienne’s arrogant, menacing face, breaking buried trauma free once more.

Her head dropped instinctively, her entire body trembling violently as if she had been plunged into icy waters.

"You really only understand force, don’t you?" Vivienne sneered, dripping with smug arrogance.

A sinister smile curled across her lips. As it turned out, this Shani, the girl who had dared to defy her, her mother, and even her father, was nothing at all.

Vivienne stepped forward. With every stride she took, Shani’s shoulders slumped further, widening Vivienne’s triumphant smirk.

"Show me that tough attitude again!" Vivienne grabbed Shani’s silver hair, yanking her head up to force eye contact.

Shani tried desperately to avert her gaze. A suffocating darkness expanded within her chest, threatening to swallow the light she had built in this life.

"Nora was expelled from the academy, and I don’t have a servant anymore. From now on, you’re my servant."

"And you better speak highly of me to your four friends, especially Noella and Prince Jeryon. Don’t you dare let them think poorly of me."

Vivienne rattled off her demands imperiously, laying down everything Shani had to do as her new servant.

"Did you hear me?!" Vivienne patted Shani’s cheek dismissively.

Shani offered no reply, remaining frozen, her eyes wide with fear.

Vivienne clicked her tongue. Her eyes fell onto Nyx, who was still curled tightly in Shani’s arms, and a sense of humiliation washed over her anew.

"That baby beast of yours is an eyesore! Lock her up in a cage. I better not see her around again... And don’t you dare mention a word of this to Prince Jeryon."

"Your job from now on will be taking care of my baby beast. Give her all the food and vitamins Prince Jeryon gave you so she can grow strong like... Just give everything from the prince to my Ennie."

Nyx’s ears twitched, its head suddenly snapping up.

Ever since she was born, Nyx had only ever interacted with her mother and father, only recently meeting their friends.

They played with, adored, and pampered Nyx endlessly. Its mother only scolded it occasionally, but it knew its mother was never truly angry.

Being kicked until its whole body throbbed was a terrifying first for Nyx, as was the sensation of pure fear.

Sensing its mother’s panic, Nyx’s emotions spiraled, merging seamlessly with Shani’s deep-seated trauma.

But the moment it heard that its delicious treats and toys, bought by its father, were going to be handed over to another baby beast, Nyx’s rebellious spirit roared past its terror.

Nyx was not about to let anyone touch what belonged to it!

"Hiss!" Nyx bared its teeth, doing absolute best to look menacing at the wicked beastman.

But Vivienne merely scoffed, tightening her grip on Shani’s hair.

"Agh!" Shani whimpered in pain.

Nyx turned toward its mother on reflex, sensing the overwhelming terror radiating from Shani, a fear that threatened to swallow the tiny cub whole as well.

But Nyx refused to yield. "Meow! Meow! Meow!" It chirped in fierce vocal protest at Shani.

That familiar squeak and Nyx’s brave, rebellious spirit jolted Shani back to reality. Her entire body shuddered.

That single cry reminded her of every happy moment she had shared with Nyx, and of the hope she carried into this second life.

Flash after flash of carefree laughter with Aster, the kids at the orphanage, and her new friends at the academy surged through her mind.

Her ambitions to exact revenge on the Ashbournes, build her own business empire, and live a fulfilling life alongside the people she cherished rushed back to the surface.

Together, those memories coalesced into a blinding light that shattered the coiling darkness in her heart.

In an instant, the fear in Shani’s eyes vanished, replaced by crystal clarity. She met Vivienne’s gaze head-on, causing Vivienne’s brow to furrow in displeasure.

"Lower your eyes!" Vivienne barked.

No longer trembling, Shani clamped her hand around the arm clutching her hair.

Her grip was so bone-crushing that a startled Vivienne instinctively released Shani’s hair and tried to yank her arm back.

"Let go of me! Dammit!"

But Shani didn’t budge. She slowly rose to her feet, never loosening her iron grip with one hand while her other arm held Nyx securely against her chest.

"I said let go!" Vivienne shrieked, panic creeping into her voice.

To Vivienne, the situation was utterly absurd. How could Shani, who had just been shaking in helpless terror, suddenly find the courage to defy her all because of a tiny baby beast’s squeak?

Vivienne failed to realize that the bond between a baby beast and its parent was far deeper than she could fathom.

After all, she had never once cared about her own baby beast’s feelings. To her, a baby beast was nothing more than an artificial tool designed by researchers to restore raw power.

Vivienne couldn’t comprehend where Shani was getting this physical strength either.

Even though both of them were B-Ranks, she was certain her beast energy were higher, and their beast essence levels were far too negligible to make a difference.

Shani herself was slightly surprised that she could overpower Vivienne, but now was not the time to seek answers.

A menacing aura slowly radiated from her body, making her appear like a towering giant in Vivienne’s eyes as Vivienne’s wrist felt near crushed.

"Let go! Let go, you bitch!" Vivienne clawed frantically at Shani’s hand, every shred of her earlier arrogance and composure utterly shattered.

Shani released her grip, though certainly not out of obedience.

SLAP!

A stinging slap hit Vivienne across the cheek, sending her stumbling back onto the floor.

When Vivienne looked up, the mother and cub standing over her looked terrifying. The fear reflecting in Vivienne’s eyes mirrored the exact terror Shani had felt moments ago.

Yet Vivienne refused to bow her head. Clambering up on trembling legs, she scrambled toward the door.

"I’m going to make you pay for this when you get to the mansion!" she spat, casting a hasty glance back before tearing open the door and bolting like a cat with its tail on fire.

Shani’s brow furrowed, but she had no time to dwell on what had just happened. She checked on Nyx, who was still trying to look brave despite hissing softly in pain under her breath.

Without a word, Shani bolted out of her room and sprinted toward the elevator, hitting the button for the fourth floor to reach the medical facility.

Several students who saw Shani frantically carrying a panther baby beast wondered what was going on, though none assumed it belonged to her. After all, her friend Sonny also owned a void panther baby beast.

Shani didn’t waste a second explaining to anyone.

"Doctor, please check my baby beast!" Shani pleaded in a panic as she burst into the medical facility.

In a moment like this, keeping Nyx’s identity a secret was the least of her worries.

Besides, with her feud with the Ashbournes spiraling out of control, she had nothing left to hide anyway.

...