Chapter 2

The next morning, a crowd gathered around the notice board, where the roster for the new squads hung in the most conspicuous spot possible.

My name was no longer in the healer slot for Team Gamma.

Amid the crowd, Beth wore the team cloak I'd worn for the past four years. Arthur stood in front of her, his head bowed as he helped her fasten the clasp.

Beside them, Carl held the newly carved team badges while Lucas checked the roster. Ethan waited next to Lucas, clutching the short daggers used for practice.

Around them, everyone was muttering in low voices.

"Those four elites gave up on the opportunity to get warrior training, all for Beth. Now that's what I call being chosen without any hesitation."

"Isn't Nora childhood friends with them?"

"Well, it's only natural to be closer to some people than others. With how strong and capable she is, she'll easily adapt to any new place she goes to. Beth is the one who needs protection."

A gust of wind blew by, curling a corner of the roster. I reached out to smooth it down with a hand.

At that moment, Carl's voice rang out in my mind through the team mind-link. "Nora, what are you doing standing in front of the roster? Don't you see how many people are watching? Beth will think that you're blaming her."

Ethan chimed in as well, "Don't do anything that could agitate her. She hasn't been feeling well the whole night."

I didn't even look back; I just kept pressing a hand to the paper.

At last, Arthur joined in, though it was only to say, "You'll be leaving tonight, so stop throwing a tantrum."

In the next second, an intense, tearing pain flared through me, coming from deep within my mind where the team link was.

Then, the four familiar scents faded simultaneously as the team link was forcefully ripped from my mind.

I staggered and had to steady myself against the wall, completely ignoring the hand Arthur had instinctively offered me.

Thinking that I was just having a tantrum, he frowned before sighing.

"You'll be leaving tonight, and with the Stonefang pack so far away, you wouldn't be able to reach us through the link anyway. Breaking it now is just the practical thing to do, and it would also open up a spot for Beth to join us.

"Be a little more understanding, okay? If you miss us, you can always just call us. Then, when we reunite in the future, I'll add you back into the team link."

Back when we had first formed our team, Arthur had held my hand and declared that a healer was the backbone of the team. Unless I voluntarily chose to leave, nobody could replace me.

Now, however, I wasn't even given the chance to make the decision to leave myself.

When I remained silent, Beth approached me, her fingers gripping the hem of the cloak.

"Nora, I didn't know that they would be posting the new roster today. Are you upset? If you're that unwilling, I can always just return the cloak to you."

As she spoke, she was already moving to unclasp the cloak, only for Arthur to grab her hand and stop her.

"We've already submitted the name list, so we can't edit it anymore. Just wear it. I'm sure Nora doesn't mind."

I glanced at him, removed my hand from the notice board, and turned to enter the treatment center.

Moments later, Odelia reviewed my information sheet.

"You must truthfully report any familial relationships or legal mates you have." She raised her head to look at me. "Have you and Arthur gone to the council hall to register as mates yet? Have you undergone a marking ceremony?"

I subconsciously brushed my fingers over the side of my neck.

Outside the window, Beth ran past, wearing my cloak, while Arthur helped her clear a path through the crowd.

"No." I dropped my hand. "We aren't officially mates."

The moment I said those words, I felt lighter, as though a heavy weight had been lifted from my chest.

…

A farewell ceremony was held that afternoon. As the trainees' representative, I would have to give a battlefield first-aid demonstration.

On my way to the back of the stage, several trainees deliberately raised their voices when they saw me coming.

"I heard that Nora forced Arthur to go to the Stonefang pack with her, but he refused. Because of that, she even headed to the council hall and kicked up a fuss."

"Beth was scared witless by her last night. Nora is so much stronger, so why does she always pick on a weaker person like Beth?"

I kept my head down, ignored their comments, and walked past them.

Later, I had only just finished checking over the things I needed for the demonstration when Beth's three roommates blocked the doorway.

The leader of the group, Lia Rowell, placed a hand on my herb satchel. "Beth was ill the whole of last night. Go and apologize to her now, and we'll return your stuff."

"The farewell ceremony is about to start. Let go!"

However, she snatched my satchel and backed away. "You like to throw your weight around just because you're stronger. Of course, you wouldn't care about how much she suffered."

I reached out to grab my satchel back, but the other two were quick to stop me. Lia took the opportunity to sprint straight for the mountain behind the academy.

"Stop right there!"

I hastily chased after her. Besides the herbs needed for the demonstration, the satchel also held a copy of my application form to head for the border; without it, I couldn't board the border supply convoy.

Lia stopped at the entrance to the Graywoods, one of the Mistwoods behind the academy, and pulled open the stone gates. Then, she tossed my satchel inside.

Hunching forward to increase my speed, I dashed straight through the gates. My fingers had barely brushed the fabric of my satchel when the rattling of steel chains rang out behind me.

When I looked back, the stone gates had closed.

Through the cracks in the stone, I heard Lia's smug laughter. "Once you're willing to apologize, I'll let you out of there."

I threw myself against the gates twice, using as much force as I could, yet they didn't even budge an inch.

Every day, the entrance to the Graywoods sealed at sunset, when the mistvine plants bloomed. When they did, miasma would begin to fill the entire forest from the ground up. Only those older trainees who had undergone miasma resistance training were allowed to stay out after the gates closed.

Looking up, I saw that the sun was already dipping below the horizon.

The first mistvine plant began to slowly unfurl at my feet.