The Spider Queen

(Planet Caorn- Jasimin Island)

(Mariena Hotel- Private Beach)

Sophie let out a small yawn as she flung a white towel over her shoulder and made her way to the beach outside the hotel.

She was wearing a one-piece bathing suit that was very conservative since it covered most of her body all the way to her lower kneecaps.

The Mariena Hotel also had a private beachfront property for the guests to enjoy so Sophie planned to take full advantage of the amenities.

The tournament would be starting in a week's time and the other students from Zrudread University were going to arrive on Saturday.

That meant that she had a few days to relax by herself.

Honestly… Sophie felt a bit lonely being separated from her girlfriend and her friends but at least she could always message them over the virtual net.

The sun was shining brightly high above in the sky and its warm gentle rays illuminated the white sandy beach.

Sophie made her way over to the lounge chairs on the shoreline and placed her towel on the one closest to her.

She sat down on the chair and let out another sigh. The sounds of waves crashing against the shore was oddly relaxing.

Clearly, she wasn't the only one with beach plans since she could spot other guests hanging out on the southern side of the beach.

Fortunately, no one came up to bother her. Sophie really wasn't in the mood to deal with any curious bystanders or other nobles.

The hybrid girl reached into her storage bag and pulled out a small paperback . The cover had the title 'The Fragile Rose' printed in bold colours in the front.

Sophie opened the book and lost herself in the captivating world that the author had written.

'The Fragile Rose' was the story of a nobleman trapped in a loveless marriage with a wife who had only married him for power and riches.

Throughout the story their relationship gradually shifted and changed due to the introduction of new characters.

The handsome butler… the foolish king… the greedy coachman…

Sophie was enjoying the book so far and had reached halfway through the story where the nobleman finally decided to have an affair to get back at his wife.

Yeah… he wasn't exactly a protagonist that one would usually root for. That was precisely the reason why Sophie found the book so intriguing.

A gentle gust of wind blew against Sophie's face as she shifted to get a more comfortable position on the chair.

Hours passed by as the hybrid girl turned the pages and ignored the world around her.

This would have probably continued were it not for the voice that unexpectedly interrupted Sophie's relaxing afternoon.

"Hey… can I use your ability?" a voice asked tiredly.

Sophie looked up from her book and saw the Servie representative from Mer University staring at her with an exhausted expression on his face.

There were dark circles under his amber eyes and his fae-like features made him seem like a very old and at the same time youthful boy.

He wore a simple pair of black swimming trunks which left his skinny chest exposed to the elements.

"Excuse me?" Sophie replied with a bit of puzzlement in her tone.

"Well… it's just that I heard that you can amplify toxins so… would you mind increasing the strength of this?" Inya asked softly.

The Servie boy reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny syringe filled with a greenish- white liquid that bubbled.

"Is that drugs?" Sophie exclaimed in shock as she looked at Inya like he was crazy.

"Yeah… I think I used them too often, so I don't feel anything anymore…" Inya continued to talk nonchalantly as if he was discussing the weather.

"Please? I just need a good hit to take the edge off…"

"I'm going to have to decline… I don't want to put some strange drug into my system and besides… why would I feed your addiction?" Sophie replied as diplomatically as she could.

"Addiction? No… I can… quit whenever I want…" Inya coughed violently as he stammered out a reply.

Sophie raised an eyebrow and the Servie boy lifted up his arms in mock surrender.

He placed the syringe back in his pocket and flew towards the chair next to Sophie.

Inya glanced over at the hybrid girl and then nervously fidgeted with his thumbs.

He really wasn't good with small talk, but he felt as though he probably needed to say something to make a better impression.

"Um… what's it like being a hybrid?" Inya suddenly asked.

He immediately realised that it was a stupid question, but the words had already come out of his mouth.

Sophie wasn't exactly sure what the Servie boy's purpose was in still talking to her after she refused to amp up his drugs, but she figured that she might as well answer.

"Err… normal? I mean I was born a hybrid so its just who I am since birth," Sophie replied curtly as she tried to get back to reading.

"Yeah… well… good talk…" Inya awkwardly spoke. He stood up on the chair and then zipped away towards the other side of the beach.

It was an encounter that left Sophie feeling… very confused.

She shook her head and turned her attention back to her book.

Unfortunately, she only managed to get twenty more minutes of reading done before another unwelcome guest arrived.

"Is this seat taken?" a confident voice asked. The person who spoke then sat down on the chair next to Sophie before she could even reply.

Sophie lowered her book and glanced at the rude intruder. She saw Ryan staring back at her with a vicious smirk on his face.

"Well… it's free…" Sophie replied bluntly as she tried her best not to roll her eyes. Ryan hadn't exactly made the best impression on her after the press conference.

He seemed like an arrogant and pampered noble brat.

"I must say that you are nothing like what I expected… though I suppose that Duke Peterlor's blood must have cancelled out your more… 'uncivilised' nature," Ryan casually spoke.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sophie frowned slightly as a heavy pressure surrounded her body.

"Oh no! I'm just complementing you! Most hybrids have no manners or class, so it is good that your father managed to train you well," Ryan continued to mock.

"And clearly your family must have failed to do their job teaching you proper etiquette," Sophie snapped back coldly.

"But I shouldn't be surprised… after all… you probably barely saw your father and mother. I heard that the duke and duchess of House Wilhelm are a couple only in name…"

The smile was instantly wiped off Ryan's face as he listened to Sophie's vicious words. He sat up on the chair with an expression of fury on his face.

"Careful what you saw… you filthy…" Ryan's voice trailed off as Sophie sat up as well with her golden eyes glowing with an eerie light.

A dark crimson mist began to spread from the corners of her eyes until their golden radiance was covered by a reddish hue.

"Finish that sentence," Sophie growled darkly as the bloodlust surrounding her body intensified and a cold chill ran down Ryan's spine.

He felt as though he was standing before a predator.

A vicious animal who would tear him apart if he made even the slightest move in the wrong direction.

Then just as quickly as the feeling came… it vanished, and Sophie's eyes returned to their normal luster.