As Damian approached, he saw a burst of non-human energy flare up from the Oathstone.

He paused, glancing around to make sure no one was watching before he pulled her aside. "Phina, how could you use that kind of power in the human world?"

With the memories gone, Seraphina looked at Damian with a heart that was completely calm.

The faint sting of pain she'd felt moments ago was gone, as if it had never been there.

She pulled her hand away. "It's fine. No one saw."

Her expression was no different from when she had been standing on the bridge, but for some reason, Damian felt that she had changed in an instant.

He couldn't put his finger on what was different.

An unsettling feeling crept over him, and he reached for her hand again. But before he could, Lyra came up from behind and linked her arm through his. "Damian, let's go see the other places."

She pulled him away.

Damian was forced to let go of Seraphina. He looked back and saw her standing there, alone.

In that moment, he felt as if he would never be able to hold onto her again…

After wandering through the human world, they returned to their own territory. Only a moment had passed in their time, but Lyra looked utterly exhausted.

She leaned against Damian weakly. "Damian, the human world is so much fun. When I get better, can we go there often?"

Damian glanced at Seraphina but didn't answer.

Suddenly, a murderous intent washed over them all.

Seraphina's head snapped up just in time to see a white shadow lunging towards them.

She was about to dodge, but a hand shoved her from behind, pushing her directly into the path of the white shadow—

*SLASH!*

Giant claws ripped through the air, tearing three deep gashes across Seraphina's chest. She crumpled to the ground in pain, her white robes instantly soaked in blood.

Looking up, she froze in shock. "Blaze?"

The one who had attacked her was Blaze.

She turned her head. Behind her, Damian was shielding Lyra with his own body. The hand that had pushed her was his.

To protect Lyra, he had pushed her forward to take the blow.

Seraphina clutched her chest and coughed up a mouthful of blood. Damian's face paled, and he rushed towards her in a panic.

"Phina!"

A wave of despair washed over Seraphina. She wanted to ask him why he bothered to look so worried now, after what he had just done.

But the pain was too intense for her to speak. She could only let Damian scoop her up into his arms.

They rushed back to the center of the territory, running into the Alpha, Luna, and Leo.

Seeing the blood-soaked Seraphina, her parents' expressions changed drastically. They immediately ordered the pack members, "Quick, bring all the precious moon-herbs!"

Seraphina, her consciousness fading, felt her eyelashes flutter at their words.

But in the next moment, she heard her father say, "Seraphina can't die! Otherwise, she won't be able to give her life to Lyra!"

His words were like a blade of ice stabbing into her heart.

So it was still all about Lyra. Her life only mattered because it could save Lyra.

Seraphina felt as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss. A tear slid from the corner of her eye, and she finally succumbed to the darkness, passing out completely.

When she woke up, three days had passed.

Damian was keeping watch by her bed, looking as if he hadn't slept at all.

Seeing her awake, he immediately stood up. "Phina, you're awake! How do you feel? Does it still hurt?"

Seraphina looked at him silently.

For the past three days, though she had been unconscious, she could feel the Mark of the Moon on her forehead burning.

Each time it burned, a piece of her memory faded.

It had burned three times, so she knew she had been unconscious for three days.

By now, most of her memories of Damian were gone. Recalling what had happened before she passed out, she no longer felt any pain in her heart.

Her pale lips parted. "Do you even care if I'm in pain?"

Damian's face went white with guilt. "Phina, it was an emergency. I really didn't mean to… The spirit wolf was clearly aiming for Lyra. I was just trying to protect her."

A bitter smile touched Seraphina's lips, and the movement sent a fresh wave of pain through the wounds on her chest.

"Lyra has your Shadowheart. Nothing could have possibly hurt her."

Damian flinched, as if he had just remembered. His excuse now sounded even more pathetic.

Seraphina didn't want to waste any more words on him. "Where is Blaze?"

Damian's eyes immediately hardened. "He ran off somewhere after he hurt you! I will find him, and I will tear him to shreds!"

"No! He was being controlled!" Seraphina stopped him.

Even in the chaos, she had seen an unnatural purple light in Blaze's eyes.

Someone had cast a mind-control spell on him.

Damian was silent for a moment. Seraphina thought he was considering who could have done such a thing.

But then, he looked at her with suspicion in his eyes. "Seraphina, that day, Blaze went straight for Lyra. You were the one who brought him here, and he isn't close to anyone else."

"Did you order him to do it? Did you try to kill Lyra?"