Allan was no longer a warrior; he was a pack mule. He trudged through the snowy remains of the campus, dragging his unconscious companions to safety. He had Lina draped over his shoulder like a trophy and Marcy cradled carefully in his arm.

  He let out a long, ragged sigh that turned into a puff of smoke. "How did I end up being the babysitter?" he muttered.

  He found a small, sheltered equipment shed and kicked the door shut. After gathering a pile of broken wooden benches and smashed desks, he leaned over and blew a steady stream of fire onto the wood. It took a few tries—his throat felt like it was full of gravel—but eventually, a warm orange glow filled the room.

  He laid Lina down first, placing a bundled-up track jacket under her head as a pillow. Then, he turned to Marcy. He winced.

  The bunny’s left arm was bent backward at a sickening angle. It looked like a twig that had been snapped but not quite severed. Seeing her like this—so small, so broken, and yet the only reason they were still breathing—made something shift in Allan’s chest.

  He tried to put her arm back in place but... He couldn't he had never had to do this before so he was inexperienced but seen his father do it once however he almost made it worse this made him panic so he decided to do what he could do at the moment.

  he worked, memories of the "Old World" flashed through his mind. He remembered the day Lina had kissed his cheek in the hallway; he remembered the way Marcy—the human Marcy—had looked at them. She had looked absolutely heartbroken.

  He understood why he had felt guilt at that moment, though he had no way of knowing she had feelings for him before the sky fell, before their old life was rewritten.

  The realization hit him harder than the Golem’s fist. He looked at Lina. She had been "perfect" before the collapse, but the girl who had threatened him with a spear today felt like a stranger. She was icy, untouchable, and distant.

  Gently, he did what he could with Marcy’s arm and tied it into a makeshift splint using strips of cloth and a wooden ruler. He stayed there for a moment, looking at her pink fur. She was "monstrous" now, just like him, but she still felt like the same girl from the apartment.

  Suddenly, the temperature in the shed plummeted. The fire flickered, turning a ghostly blue.

  Allan felt a pair of eyes burning into the back of his neck. He turned slowly, his scales prickling with alarm. Lina was awake. She wasn't standing, but she was watching him from her "pillow," her cerulean eyes narrowed with a terrifying mixture of anger, possessiveness, and pure, cold jealousy.

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  The Ice Queen had returned, and she didn't like what she was seeing.

  "Lina," Allan said, standing up straight and trying to keep his voice steady. "You're awake. Do you feel bett-"

  He didn't get to finish. In a blur of frost and scales, Lina launched herself off the floor.

  CRACK.

  Allan slammed into the wooden wall of the shed, a small crater forming behind his head. Lina was inches from his face, her hands pinning his shoulders and her eyes glowing a predatory blue. A low, guttural growl vibrated in her chest, and the frost from her breath began to tickle Allan's skin.

  "Why are you protecting food?!" she hissed.

  Allan's own eyes narrowed dangerously. His draconic heat flared, melting the frost on his chest instantly. "She is not food. She has a name..."

  Lina blinked, her pupils flickering between slitted dragon-eyes and human ones. "Wait... that shy girl from the apartment? Nancy, was it?"

  "It's Marcy," Allan corrected, his voice stern. "And what are you doing right now? Why are you pinning me against a wall?"

  Lina suddenly realized where she was. She backed off, stumbling slightly, and clutched her head in frustration. "Sorry... I'm sorry. Ever since the sky changed, I've been fighting against something. I feel-"

  "Not like yourself?" Allan interrupted.

  Lina nodded slowly. "You're different, too. This System... it's trying to rewrite us. When I was in that dragon form and I saw Marcy, a window kept popping up in front of my eyes. It just kept saying: EAT THE PINK FURBALL PLEASE!!"

  Her face softened, and for a fleeting second, her old warmth returned. She hugged herself, shivering despite the cold. "I'm almost glad that Golem knocked me out. I was losing the fight. I didn't want to turn on you... or her."

  Then, her head snapped up. She looked at the smoldering remains of the Golem visible through the door. "Wait. If I was out... who defeated the Golem? Did you do it, Allan?"

  Allan crossed his arms over his chest, a small, proud smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Nope. The bunny did."

  Lina's jaw dropped. She turned and stared at the unconscious pink bundle on the floor, wrapped in a makeshift splint and snoring softly. "Marcy? She defeated a Level 15 Metal Golem?"

  Lina looked at Allan, then back at Marcy. If the "Dragon Fodder" had taken down a titan like that, her level had likely skyrocketed. They were looking at a tiny pink powerhouse, and for the first time, Lina looked more intimidated than hungry.