She had been reckless and far too careless. What was supposed to be a simple cleanup of the Wild Hunt turned into a fight for her life. The Ratnik struggled, her limbs shaking as she attempted to break free of the Wild Hunt abomination’s hold. The beast’s grip on her was tight, its claws digging into the flesh of her arms. She could feel blood beginning to drip down her arms, which only made her grimace and struggle even more.

Gritting her teeth, she finally managed to stab the creature. Her grip on her polearm tightened, white-knuckled as she fell to the ground. The creature dissipated into ash, causing her to exhale slowly in relief. The gashes in her arms from the abomination’s claws were deep and bleeding sluggishly.

Pursing her lips, she forced herself to her feet, hobbling to a small nearby cove. Collapsing against the stone wall, she winced at the pain in her arms as she attempted to reach for the bandages she carried. Unfortunately, she was beginning to feel lightheaded, and her vision was starting to swim with black dots. Within seconds, she was unconscious.

By the time she awoke, she was somewhere unfamiliar. Or rather, she was being held by someone she didn’t know. Forcing her eyes open, she suddenly gasped at the sight of a bandaged face and white hair. Who was this man? Where was he taking her? Feeling panic rise in her chest, she wriggled in an attempt to get him to let go.

“Relax,” the male spoke, causing her to flinch and struggle more. He sighed, irritation evident in the exhale. “I said relax, you dumb Ratnik.”

At that, she froze. Who was this guy? And how did he know she was a Lightkeeper? The man, seemingly satisfied that she stopped wriggling, gave a huff. “You’re lucky I saved you from bleeding out.”