ShadowBound: The Need For Power-Chapter 603: A Firm Warning

As soon as those words left Edith's mouth, the response was immediate—and sharp.

"Oh please," Lily scoffed, folding her arms across her chest as she tilted her head slightly. "Do you really think we don't see through that little act of yours?"

Linda nodded in agreement, her lips curling into a thin, knowing smile. "Yeah. Standing there all confident, talking about 'organization' and 'efficiency.' You're obviously just trying to put yourself in charge. Don't act like this isn't about you wanting to lead."

Edith blinked once, her expression tightening just slightly, but she didn't respond right away.

Before she could, Yuriel stepped forward with an irritated click of his tongue. "They're right," he said, lifting his chin proudly. "Your speech wasn't subtle at all. And even if we were to choose a leader, it certainly shouldn't be you."

He turned, placing a hand against his chest as if the conclusion were obvious. "If anyone is to lead this group, it should be me. I'm a noble, trained from birth, with experience and discipline far beyond—"

"—Beyond what, exactly?" Lily cut in sharply, shooting him an unimpressed look. "Your ego?"

Linda snorted. "Honestly, Yuriel, you might actually be worse than her. At least she sounds like she knows what she's talking about."

Yuriel's eyes widened in offense. "Worse?" he snapped. "How dare you compare me to—"

"Oh, don't get so dramatic," Lily shot back. "You're arrogant, loud, and you haven't done a single thing to prove you're fit to lead."

"And that attitude alone is enough to disqualify you," Linda added, nodding firmly. "So don't act like you're some obvious choice."

That was all it took.

Yuriel bristled, his face flushing as he fired back immediately. "You two are unbelievable. Just because you don't understand proper leadership doesn't mean—"

"Leadership isn't barking orders and expecting everyone to bow," Lily retorted.

"And it definitely isn't talking down to everyone like they're beneath you," Linda added.

The three of them quickly devolved into a heated verbal exchange, voices overlapping as accusations flew back and forth. Insults were traded freely, pride clashing with pride as none of them showed even the slightest willingness to back down.

From the side, Edith watched the scene unfold, her jaw tightening by the second. Her fingers curled subtly at her side, irritation clearly building as the argument dragged on far longer than necessary.

Finally, she exhaled sharply.

"Enough."

Her voice cut through the noise, firm and edged with frustration. The trio faltered, their argument tapering off as they turned toward her.

"We're wasting time," Edith said flatly. "Whether you like it or not, the trial has already started. Just because we have the entire day doesn't mean we can afford to stand here arguing like children."

She swept her gaze across them. "Every minute we waste here is a minute we're not moving forward."

The silence that followed was tense, but it held.

After a brief pause, Edith continued, her tone more controlled. "Now, if neither of you think I'm fit to lead," she said, glancing between the girls and Yuriel, "and if you also believe Yuriel isn't suitable, then tell me—who exactly do you want as leader?"

The girls hesitated.

Slowly, almost reluctantly, Lily's gaze drifted toward the back of the clearing.

Linda followed a second later.

Both sets of eyes landed on Liam.

He stood slightly apart from the group, posture relaxed and expression unreadable. His crimson eyes were calm and distant as if the entire argument hadn't concerned him in the slightest.

For a brief moment, neither girl said anything. Then Lily looked away with a scoff.

"Never mind," she said quickly. "Anyone but him."

Linda nodded without hesitation. "Yeah. Even if Edith and Yuriel aren't ideal, it's still better than choosing a dark mage."

Liam didn't react. He didn't frown, didn't shift, or even blink. He just remained exactly where he was, utterly indifferent.

After another second, Lily sighed. "Fine," she added, clearly irritated. "If it has to be someone, I'd rather it be her." She gestured vaguely toward Edith. "At least she seems more capable than the rest of you."

Linda gave a small shrug. "I agree. She's the least bad option."

Yuriel scoffed loudly. "That's ridiculous. I'm still the better leader here. You're all just refusing to admit it."

Edith ignored him entirely.

Instead, she turned her head slightly toward Liam. "Are you alright with me leading?" she asked calmly.

Liam met her gaze without hesitation. "I already chose you," he said evenly. "So we might as well cut this short and get moving."

That answer seemed to settle it—for everyone except the girls.

Linda frowned. "Wait," she said, narrowing her eyes at Liam. "Does his opinion even matter?"

Lily nodded, her disdain evident as she looked at him again. "Yeah. Why were we even grouped with a dark mage in the first place? This is ridiculous."

"Seriously," Linda added. "It's bad enough we have to work as a group, but this?" She shook her head. "It feels like a punishment."

Edith opened her mouth immediately, her expression sharpening. "Watch your tone—"

"It's fine."

Liam's voice interrupted her, calm and cold.

Edith paused, turning toward him just as he stepped past her.

Slowly and deliberately, Liam closed the distance between himself and the girls. Each step was unhurried and controlled. His presence growing heavier with every pace. When he stopped in front of them, his crimson eyes lifted, locking onto theirs with an intensity that silenced the clearing.

The moment Liam stopped in front of them and lifted his gaze, Lily and Linda instinctively took several steps back, boots scraping lightly against the forest floor. The air around him felt heavier somehow, colder, and the calm in his crimson eyes unsettled them far more than open hostility ever could.

Liam stood tall before them, looking down without a shred of courtesy or restraint, his expression flat and unreadable.

"Back off," Lily snapped quickly, her voice sharper than she probably intended. "You don't get to just walk up to us like—"

"I'll only say this once," Liam cut in, his tone even and unraised, yet sharp enough to slice through her words cleanly. "So listen. Carefully."

The authority in his voice froze them mid-breath.

Linda opened her mouth, then thought better of it. Both girls stiffened, eyes locked on him as the clearing fell into an uneasy silence.

Liam didn't rush his words or raise his voice. He simply spoke calmly with each word measured.

"You seem to be under the impression that I want to be here," he began. "Or that I care whether either of you accepts my presence."

His eyes flicked between them, cold and dismissive.

"Let me make this very clear. I don't like you. Not even slightly. In fact, the sight of the two of you alone is far more irritating than you probably imagine."

Lily's eyes widened in outrage, while Linda's face flushed instantly.

"If anything," Liam continued without pause, "I find your attitudes, your voices, and your assumptions about me genuinely disgusting."

"That—!" Lily burst out.

"I'm not finished," Liam said calmly, cutting her off without even looking at her.

The words hit harder than a shout ever could. Both girls froze, fists clenched at their sides.

Liam went on, unfazed. "However, whether I like you or not doesn't matter. Whether you like me or not doesn't matter either. The academy doesn't care. And the trial doesn't care either."

He gestured faintly around the clearing. "We were placed in the same group. That's reality. And for the sake of this evaluation, I have no intention of letting something as trivial as personal distaste interfere."

He paused for half a second, then added flatly, "Which means I will tolerate your… useless presence."

The word hit like a slap.

"Useless—?!" Linda snapped, stepping forward instinctively.

Liam's eyes shifted to her instantly.

"I said I'm not done."

Silence slammed back into place.

Lily swallowed hard, her jaw tightening as she forced herself not to speak. Linda's shoulders tensed, but she stayed quiet.

Liam nodded slightly, as if acknowledging their compliance.

"I do not plan to fail this trial," he continued. "And you will not be the reason I do. Whether you like it or not, we will work together well enough to pass. And that is not a request."

His gaze sharpened. "I know for a fact that none of you want to be demoted after this evaluation. So I suggest you put whatever petty resentment or prejudice you're clinging to aside and cooperate."

He leaned in just enough for the warning in his eyes to become unmistakable.

"You're free to hate me," he said quietly. "I couldn't care less. But if you let that hatred interfere with this trial—if you slow us down, sabotage us, or refuse to pull your weight—then I promise you I will personally make sure you regret it."

The clearing was completely silent as those final words settled in.

Lily stood rigid, lips pressed together, and eyes avoiding his. Linda stared at the ground, her earlier defiance nowhere to be found. Neither of them spoke, and Liam took that silence for what it was—understanding.

Satisfied, he straightened and turned away from them without another glance.

He stopped beside Edith and inclined his head slightly. "The rest is yours."

Edith stood there for a moment, visibly stunned. Her eyes flicked from Liam to the girls, then back again as she processed what she had just witnessed. After a brief pause, she shook her head once, steadying herself.

"…Right," she said, exhaling softly. "Well. Now that that's settled."

She stepped forward, placing herself at the center of the group once more, her posture firm and composed.

"Let's discuss how we're going to approach this trial," Edith continued evenly. "Because whether we like it or not, we succeed together—or not at all."