Archery practice

The grassland stretched wide, green blades swaying under the soft wind. The air smelled fresh, but the atmosphere around the three people was anything but.

Leon stood tall, bow in hand, smirking as if the whole world belonged to him. He pulled an arrow from the quiver, not even glancing at Ark. “Pick up the used ones when I’m done,” he ordered casually.

Ark nodded wordlessly. He held the spare quiver in one hand, his blank expression unchanging. He was already used to this role—fetching arrows, standing silent, listening to arrogance.

Leon raised his bow, aimed at the straw target in the distance, and lost the first arrow. It shot through the air with a sharp whistle and landed dead center.

“Hah! Perfect, as expected,” Leon laughed. “No one in this entire land will ever surpass me in archery.”

He fired another, and another. Each one hit close to the middle. Ark, silent as a shadow, moved forward and gathered the arrows that landed short of the mark.

For a while, it was repetitive. Shoot. Pick up. Return. Leon smiled proudly at his own skill, his chest puffed out. But then, after only a short while, he grew bored.

“Tch. This is dull,” Leon muttered, lowering his bow. His eyes flicked toward the rabbit beast-human girl still kneeling a short distance away. Her chain glinted in the sunlight, sweat dripping down her face as she tried to catch her breath.

Leon smirked cruelly. “Oi, rabbit. Come here.”

The girl froze. Her ears twitched nervously. She looked at Ark for a moment, as if hoping he would say something, but Ark’s poker face gave her nothing. Trembling, she stood and walked closer, head bowed.

“Yes… master…” she whispered, voice shaking.

Leon’s grin widened. “I’m tired of lifeless targets. You’ll run. Run in zigzag. If you stop, I’ll punish you. I’ll aim at you—let’s see if I can hit something that moves.”

The girl’s eyes widened in horror. She shook her head quickly, her voice breaking. “N-no… please… don’t…”

Leon’s expression darkened instantly. His hand brushed the chain’s small gem, and a faint glow activated.

“AAAHHHHH!”

The girl collapsed, screaming, clutching her throat as unbearable pain surged through her. It wasn’t death—it was worse. Every nerve in her body lit on fire, every muscle convulsed as if tearing apart.

Ark’s eyes narrowed slightly, though his face stayed calm.

Leon deactivated it after a few seconds, smirking at the sight of her trembling on the ground. “That was just a taste. Run. Zigzag. NOW.”

Tears streamed down her face. She wanted to refuse, but the pain still lingered in her bones, burning as a reminder. She forced herself to stand, staggering, and then broke into a zigzag run across the field.

Leon laughed, pulling an arrow from Ark’s quiver. “Perfect. Let’s make this fun.”

He drew the bowstring, aimed at her moving figure, and released.

The arrow flew fast—straight toward her chest.

But just before it hit, a faint shimmer bent its path. The arrow whistled past her ear and embedded into the grass.

Leon blinked. “Huh?”

He frowned, grabbed another arrow, and shot again. This time, the arrow swerved at the last second, missing her by inches.

“What the hell? My aim never fails,” Leon growled. He loosed another. Then another. Each one missed—sometimes narrowly, sometimes wildly.

Ark’s hand, hidden behind his back, faintly glowed for only a breath each time. His magic was subtle, invisible, bending the flight of the arrows just enough to save the girl. His face never showed it. To Leon, he was just the same blank servant.

“Tch! Something’s wrong with these arrows!” Leon snarled, glaring at the bow as if it betrayed him. “They’re useless today!”

He fired again in frustration. This time, Ark’s timing faltered—just slightly. The arrow grazed the rabbit girl’s leg.

“AHHH!” she cried, stumbling and falling into the grass. Blood trickled from the wound.

Leon smirked, satisfied at last. “Finally, one hit. Hmph. Only one though? Pathetic. She’s useless.”

He turned, shoving the quiver back at Ark. “Take care of the arrows. I’m going into the forest to hunt something that actually matters. I don’t want useless pests disturbing me. Understand?”

Ark bowed slightly, expression flat. “As you wish, young master.”

Leon strode off toward the forest, his steps arrogant and careless, leaving the two behind.

The rabbit beast-human girl still lay on the ground, clutching her bleeding leg. Her breaths were shallow, tears wetting her cheeks. She tried to stop the bleeding with her hands, but it only made the pain worse.

Ark walked over calmly, crouched beside her, and placed his hand near the wound. A soft green glow surrounded his palm.

The girl gasped as warmth spread through her injured leg. The bleeding slowed, the torn flesh mended, the pain eased. In moments, her wound was gone as if it had never existed.

She looked up at him with wide, trembling eyes. Her lips moved, but no sound came out. She wanted to thank him, but fear chained her tongue.

Ark’s eyes met hers. His expression didn’t change, but in his gaze was something sharp, piercing.

“You look at me with those eyes,” Ark said quietly. “I can see everything in them. Fear. Pain. Desperation. But also a tiny spark—hope.”

The girl shivered, unable to look away.

Ark’s voice stayed calm, almost cold. “If you do nothing, then you’ve chosen this life. You’ll remain chained, beaten, humiliated. No one will save you. Not gods. Not miracles. Only you.”

His words cut deeper than Leon’s arrows.

He stood, leaving her silent and trembling in the grass. Without another glance, Ark walked a short distance to a large tree. He sat down against the trunk, closed his eyes, and tilted his head back.

The breeze brushed his hair. Birds sang faintly above. He folded his arms and exhaled softly.

“…I’ll rest. Wake me if anything tries to kill us,” he muttered, though no one was listening.

And just like that, he drifted into a nap, as if the cruelty around him didn’t exist.

The rabbit girl sat where she was, clutching her chest, staring at him with wide, wet eyes. His words echoed in her mind again and again.

If you do nothing… you choose this life.

Hours passed. The sun shifted across the sky, shadows growing longer. Finally, the sound of footsteps approached.

Leon returned, bow slung across his shoulder, humming proudly. “Hah! Another perfect hunt. The forest beasts fall like flies before me.”

He didn’t spare a glance at the rabbit girl or Ark. He simply waved his hand. “Get up. We’re going back to the mansion. I’m tired of this field.”

Ark stood calmly, brushing grass off his clothes. His face was unreadable, as always.

The rabbit girl stumbled to her feet, silent, the chain at her neck rattling softly.

The three of them returned to the cart. Horses neighed, wheels creaked, and slowly, they made their way back toward the Valkart mansion.

And as the mansion gates drew closer, Ark’s poker face hid the storm still building behind his calm eyes.