Third-person POV: Everyone's eyes locked on Thora. Only then did they notice her academy uniform, soaked in blood. Her words, like her presence, carried authority—strong, calm, and convincing. A rush of adrenaline hit many of the boys. Their blood stirred, their hands itched to grab the guns on the floor. Harvey was the first to step forward. Ashton followed close behind. They each picked up a weapon that fit their hands, gripping it tight; their gazes fixed on Thora, eyes burning with fire. Both of them had seen what Thora could do. They trusted her completely. Trust came with doubt, especially from the noble born werewolf heirs who had never seen real danger. Raised in luxury, most of them had never even touched a gun, let alone faced ruthless mercenaries in a life-and-death fight. "You're sending everyone to die. Why should we believe you?" Sophia snapped, her dislike for Thora flaring as she spoke. A few timid students immediately echoed her. "Yeah, why should we trust her?" "She's right. This is suicide." Before Thora could respond, Shirley stepped forward. The muzzle of her gun pointed straight at Sophia. Sophia and a few others screamed and backed away fast. "Why?" Shirley gave a cold, quiet laugh and glanced at the guns scattered on the floor. "These? Thora pulled them off the mercenaries' corpses. "She also disarmed every bomb they planted around the academy. If it weren't for her, you'd already be blown to pieces. Still think she's wrong?" Shirley still looked like the same twin-tailed, soft-faced girl who could melt hearts—but the energy pouring off her was razor sharp, pulsing with killing intent. Thora shot her a glance. Only then did Shirley lower her weapon slightly, but her trigger-ready posture still made everyone nervous. Thora didn't say a word, but even in silence, the aura she gave off was impossible to ignore. At that moment, several sons of military werewolf families stepped forward from the crowd. Two of them had met Thora before at the shooting range. They looked at her—at that cold, composed face—and in their eyes, she stood taller than Harvey himself. That calm, solemn expression carried the weight of command, the feeling of being called to duty.They picked up rifles from the floor, checking the chambers and handling them with practiced ease. A boy with thick glasses hesitated, then shuffled out, trembling. He bent down to grab a pistol—but before he could, Thora picked it up herself. "I..." He froze, eyes wide, fear and confusion mixed together. Thora's lips curved, her tone cutting and cold. "I'm not sending someone who can't even fire a gun to die." The boy's face flushed red with embarrassment. Thora watched as the weapons were distributed. Counting Harvey and Ashton, there were about ten of them now—mostly from military families, all familiar with firearms. "Get used to your weapons. Eat something. Restore your energy. Be ready for a fight," Thora ordered in a firm voice. "Yes!"They straightened automatically, answering in unison. Then it hit them. Why were they taking orders from Thora—a mixed-blood girl whose wolf spirit hadn't even awakened? Yet even without sensing her wolf power, they obeyed her instinctively. And deep down, they knew she was right. Shirley looked up at Thora, eyes full of sparkling admiration. She even gave her a playful wink, her twin ponytails bouncing. If she hadn't just pointed a gun at someone, anyone would've believed she was just a cute, harmless girl. The raging warrior from earlier was gone, replaced by a sweet-faced little doll. Harvey and Ashton both twitched at the mouth. Split personality much? Malcolm and several academy leaders had been stunned from the moment Thora entered. They were still frozen, speechless. Was this really the same useless mixed-blood Thora everyone at school mocked?Had their memories been wrong, or were they dreaming? And that speech of hers—it had stirred something in them, made them want to grab a gun and fight. Thora's sharp eyes swept over them but didn't linger. She walked toward Luke. "Thora." Luke had already expected her to come. He'd prepared the latest intel. "How's it looking?" Thora asked. "The entire academy's surrounded by the military. The Greywolf Mercenary Group has trapped the teachers and students inside. This basement only holds a small group—most are still out there." Luke pushed his glasses up. "Things don't look good." "I managed to reach the military by radio. The academy's defense systems are up, so it won't be easy for them to break in. But Greywolf is using our teachers and students as hostages to hold them back."He shared the full situation with her. Thora sat down nearby, elbows on her knees, thinking. "Where's Felix?" she asked after a moment. Harvey replied, "When I went to Class S, he was already gone. My guess? He's with the others." Ashton frowned. "What if they're already..." Considering how ruthless the mercenaries were, it was possible they'd been killed. Harvey nudged Ashton with his elbow, cutting him off. Thora checked her phone and mentally traced the time that had passed since the first explosion. "No," she said firmly. "They're still alive." "Why?" Harvey asked.