Chapter 31

Evaline:
The test was to take place right after lunch. So we headed there once we were done eating.
I barely felt like eating, half because of my nerves and half because I ate a bunch of strawberries just half an hour ago. Still, I forced myself to empty a bowl of chicken soup.
The five of us walked out onto the training fields with other applicants. And I found myself closely observing my teammates. I was grateful to them, but that didn’t mean I trusted them. Not fully. At least not yet.
I had learned the hard way that trust was a currency few could afford. People left. People betrayed. Even those who smiled at you today could twist the knife tomorrow.
So I was planning to enjoy this… warmth, this sense of belonging… but I would not lower my guard.
Not completely.
The sound of a bell ringing reached our teams. It was a long, sonorous tone that vibrated through the very ground beneath us and it was summoning everyone to gather for the second test.
Within next five minutes, everyone was present in a wide arena carved into the side of the lower hill. A platform was standing in the front, raised and shaded, where a few high-ranking officials of the academy were standing.
And among them, I spotted him.
Alpha Kieran.
It was impossible to miss him, and noticing the way everyone around me was huddling together and whispering about him, I wasn’t the only one.
His pale hair was catching the sunlight like a golden crown. He wasn’t moving much, wasn’t speaking, but his eyes were sweeping over the crowd with silent authority.
And when his gaze passed over me, I froze. He looked, just a fleeting second longer than needed, before turning away.
Right then, a tall woman in a long black coat stepped forward from the side of the arena. She was one of the academy’s lead instructors – Professor Mara.
When she spoke, her voice was loud and clear. “Welcome, applicants, to the second round of the Silver Moon entrance exam. You have all passed the first stage. Congratulations. But the path to becoming a student here is far from complete.” ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ.net
Her eyes silently scanned the crowd as she continued, “This next challenge will test more than just your strength or knowledge. It will test your instinct. Your cooperation. Your trust in others.”
She gestured to the forested trail behind the arena.
“Behind me lies the Ashgrove Maze. Your team will enter the maze with one mission – to retrieve the hidden sigil before time runs out. You will face obstacles. Creatures. Illusions. Each team will be assigned a unique route. You have until nightfall.”
She paused. Then added, “And remember, those without a team will not enter.”
I glanced around and watched as those, who just learned about this particular requirement for taking the test, rushed to form a team.
Getting disqualified even before the test even began was another level of horror.
I inhaled deeply. I had a team. For once… someone had chosen me despite me being wolfless. And I was going to make sure they didn’t regret it.
The path into the Ashgrove Maze was narrow and cloaked in shade. Towering trees were bending inward from either side, their leaves filtering the afternoon sun into eerie patches of light. The five of us were now standing shoulder to shoulder just outside the entrance, waiting for the signal to begin.
Around us, the other teams were preparing as well. They were either stretching, whispering strategy, or checking their gear. Some of the teams were even looking so sure of themselves. Confident. Polished. Elite.
And then there was us.
Mallory was humming under her breath like this was some kind of picnic. Kyros was calmly rolling his shoulders, his eyes were narrowed toward the trees like he was calculating every possible danger before we stepped in. Selene was standing with her arms crossed, eyes scanning other teams with sharp assessment, while Noah was quietly adjusting the laces of his boots like nothing in the world could bother him.
And me?
I was trying not to show the way my stomach flipped each time I looked at the maze.
“Remember,” Kyros said in a low voice. “The sigil is our goal. But we won’t find it just by walking in a straight line. They’ll throw obstacles at us – mental and physical. We need to stay close. Communicate.”
Mallory nudged me gently. “And don’t worry. If anything comes at you, I have got your back.”
I smiled faintly, feeling touched despite myself. “Thanks.”
A deep horn sounded moments later, echoing through the arena. And then, the gate to the maze creaked open.
It was time.
Without a word, our team stepped forward and immediately got swallowed by the shadows of the Ashgrove.
It was quiet inside. The kind of quiet that made your skin crawl. The trees here were ancient, their barks were gnarled and covered with thick moss. There was no chirping of birds. No rustling of leaves as the wind was missing too. It was only the crunch of our boots on the dirt path that broke the silence.
We moved cautiously with Kyros leading and Selene covering the rear.
It was ten minutes in when the path spilt into two. Kyros stopped and all of us followed.
“Left or right?”
Before anyone could answer, I found myself pointing and speaking, “Left.”
All eyes turned to me. The question was loud and clear despite no one voicing it.
I shrugged. “There’s a faint smell… fresh water. The sigils are usually placed near places of power, right? Rivers or groves. If we follow the scent, we might find a clue.”
Selene raised an eyebrow at my words. “Sharp nose for someone without a wolf.” She wasn’t hostile toward me for being wolfless, but she wasn’t as friendly as Mallory or Kyros either.
“Years of survival,” I replied flatly and it wasn’t exactly a lie.
Kyros didn’t question it. He gave me a little nod before announcing, “Left it is.”