Maria.

"Maria... watch out!"

The voice echoed loudly in my head, sharp and urgent, cutting through the noise of the arena like thunder. For a brief second, everything around me seemed to blur.

I didn’t understand what was happening.

My body had gone completely stiff, rooted to the ground as if the warning hadn’t quite reached my limbs in time. My mind struggled to catch up with the sudden panic in the air.

Then something slammed into me.

A strong force shoved me sideways, and before I could even process it, my balance disappeared beneath me.

The world tilted.

The next moment, I found myself on the ground.

The impact knocked the breath from my lungs as my hands scraped against the sand. For a second, I simply lay there, dazed and confused, trying to understand what had just happened.

The arena had erupted into chaos.

Shouts.

Footsteps.

Voices rising all around me.

But my mind felt strangely disconnected from it all.

I pushed myself up slowly, my heart beginning to race as the scene before me came into focus.

And then I saw him.

Adrien.

He lay pale on the ground a few feet away, his body completely still against the sand. His brothers were already surrounding him, their large figures hovering over him with clear urgency and concern.

My eyes widened.

I stared at him, completely perplexed.

Lost.

Why did he do that?

The question echoed loudly inside my mind.

Why would he take the hit for me?

My thoughts spun wildly as I tried to make sense of it.

Adrien.

Of all people.

He hated me.

They all hated me.

Every single one of the quadruplets had made that perfectly clear from the beginning. Their cold stares, their harsh words, their constant reminders that I didn’t belong here, it had always been obvious.

So why?

Why would he suddenly throw himself in front of danger to protect me?

My chest tightened as confusion flooded through me.

Nothing about this made sense.

My gaze remained fixed on his pale face, the sight of him lying there unmoving making something twist painfully inside my stomach.

Had the arrow...?

No.

The thought alone made my throat dry.

I couldn’t move.

I couldn’t speak.

I just remained where I was, sitting on the sand while the chaos around me continued to grow louder.

The questions in my mind refused to settle.

Why did he do that?

Why did he protect me?

Why now?

Suddenly, a pair of arms wrapped around me, strong and warm. The sudden contact startled me slightly, pulling me out of the spiral of thoughts I had been trapped in.

Noah.

He had bent down beside me and pulled me into a tight embrace, holding me carefully as though I might shatter at any moment.

Like I was something fragile.

Something precious.

I could feel the rapid rise and fall of his chest as he held me close.

For a moment, neither of us spoke.Then his voice broke the silence between us.

"It’s a good thing you are okay, Maria." His words were soft but filled with relief.

Hearing his voice finally snapped me fully back to reality. The chaos of the arena rushed back into my senses all at once.

"Why did they want to kill me?" The question slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. My voice trembled slightly, betraying the storm of emotions churning inside me.

I was still staring at Noah, my entire body shaking as the reality of what had almost happened slowly began to sink in. Just moments ago, an arrow had been flying straight toward me—me.

The thought alone made my stomach twist.

My hands were cold, and I could feel a faint tremor running through my fingers. The arena around us was still filled with noise, warriors shouting, people whispering, guards rushing about, but it all felt distant, muffled, like I was hearing it from far away.

My eyes searched Noah’s face desperately, hoping he would have some kind of answer that would make everything make sense.

But he didn’t.

"I have no idea, Maria..." he said slowly.

His voice was calm, steady, as if he was trying his best to keep me grounded. His hands remained firm on my shoulders, offering a silent reassurance.

"But we will get to the bottom of this," he continued gently. "You will be safe."

Safe.

The word sounded comforting, yet fragile at the same time.

Before I could respond, a harsh voice suddenly cut through the air.

"Hey, Demoness!"

The sharp tone made me flinch instinctively.

I turned my head toward the voice and immediately found Davian staring directly at me. His eyes were blazing with anger, his jaw clenched tightly as he glared in my direction.

"I wonder what you did to my brother to make him take the hit for you," he yelled.

His words struck me like a slap.

My eyes widened in shock as I stared at him, completely caught off guard by the accusation in his voice.

Before I could even process what he had said, another voice joined in.

"You better pray he gets well." Aidan’s voice carried the same harshness, the same simmering anger that Davian had shown.

His eyes were locked onto mine as well, his expression cold and unforgiving.

I stared at both of them in disbelief.

My heart was still racing from what had just happened. I had almost been killed, an arrow had been aimed straight at my chest, and yet here they were, yelling at me as if I was somehow responsible.

As if this was my fault.

My lips parted slowly, ready to speak.

Ready to defend myself.

But before I could say a single word, Noah moved.

Without warning, his arms slipped beneath me and suddenly I was lifted off the ground.

A soft gasp escaped my lips as he carried me up effortlessly, holding me in a bridal style against his chest. The sudden movement startled me, but his hold was steady and protective.

Noah turned his head toward Davian and Aidan, his expression calm but firm. "As you can see," he said evenly, "she is still in shock."

His words were simple, but there was a quiet authority in his voice that made the statement sound final.

Neither Davian nor Aidan responded immediately, before they could say anything else, Noah shifted his grip slightly and began walking away.

He didn’t look back.

Not even once.

And as he carried me away from the arena, from the chaos and accusations behind us, I could still feel the lingering weight of their angry stares burning into my back.