LOGINZANA’S POVHouse Varen’s common hall was louder than I had ever heard it. They were celebrating like we'd already won the entire tournament instead of just the first day.Music pounded through the room, cups clinked together, and everywhere was filled with laughter.Students danced all around. The tables were covered with food and drinks, while banners in grey and silver hung proudly from the ceiling.Tonight, everyone was celebrating our tournament victories.And somehow, I was at the center of it all.It felt strange. Just weeks ago, most people in this academy treated me like I was dirt under their boots. Now they were cheering when I entered rooms, calling my name, slapping my back, and pulling me into conversations.People kept coming up to congratulate me, to tell me how amazing I'd been in the arena, to ask me questions about my fighting style. Girls who'd ignored me for weeks were suddenly treating me like a friend. Boys who'd sneered at me were now offering to get me drinks.
ZANA’S POVWe sprinted for center and slammed the first token into the scoring pedestal. Above the arena, bells rang.House Varen: 10 points.The crowd erupted. Everyone kept cheering and screaming our names. Sadly, there was no time to enjoy it. The pressure was still on.Before I could react or turn to my team mates, something happened again. The maze shifted violently, this time.“What the-” I muttered.I tried taking a step forward to run to my team mates but the ground shook so much that my heart started racing. I decided the best option was to stay still.Something came up from the ground. It was a huge wall. It rose up between me and my team mates.“Zana!” Jessie shouted.“I’m here!” I screamed back.Another wall dropped, cutting sound in half. I looked around to see if at least, one person was with me. There wasn’t anyone here.I was alone.My pulse started racing even faster.Fine. I knew how to be alone. It was nothing new to me. It just wasn’t what I was expecting.I calmed
ZANA’S POVWhen I got out of the arena, the crowd kept cheering me on. I could hear them chanting my name.“Zana”“Zana”“Zana”My wolf purred inside me. She stood tall in my chest. She was filled with satisfaction.Jessie grabbed both my shoulders and shook me so hard my teeth clicked together. “You absolute menace,” she yelled over the noise. “Did you hear the Krath section go silent when the lights came back on?”I laughed “I was a little busy.”Cael stepped in next, arms crossed. He was pretending not to be impressed. “Your guard dropped twice in the third phase.”“You’re welcome too,” I said.“You won because you adapted faster,” he replied. “Fix the guard anyway.”Then he gave me a short nod that meant more than praise from anyone else. Cael did not hand out approval lightly.My chest warmed. I had earned something today.It might not have been victory alone. I gained respect too.The officials called for the next event setup, and students began shifting through the stands. Ser
ZANA’S POVThe afternoon event was called the Strategy Duel, but everyone in the academy knew it was far more dangerous than the name sounded. It wasn’t just about fighting. It was about surviving pressure while thinking clearly.Two representatives entered the arena alone, then faced each other inside a controlled combat simulation where the rules kept changing in real time.Strength mattered. Speed mattered. But the judges cared most about instinct, control, and the ability to make fast decisions while under attack.That was why many wolves failed in this event. A strong wolf could fight but only a true Alpha… or a true Luna… could stay calm in chaos and lead through it.The arena was packed again, louder than before. Pack students filled the stands. There were so many scents in the air - adrenaline, pride, fear, hunger.I could hear low growls, excited whispers, and the restless shifting of wolves beneath human skin. The energy was wild. People were excited. I could feel it.My wol
DARREN’S POVIt was break time.The lunchtime break between the morning and afternoon events was never really about food.People called it lunch because tables were set out, trays were carried around, and students crowded the long refreshment stations. But nobody important was focused on eating, not really.This was when tournaments became honest.The arena floor showed strength but the break between events showed truth. You could see the alliances shifting in corners.I had known that since I was twelve.I moved through crowds easily. I was bored anyway. What better way to spend my time than to know the latest gossip?I knew where there was tension before I heard it. I knew which conversations mattered and which ones were noise. I knew how to stand close enough to hear without appearing interested, how to ask questions that sounded casual, and how to leave before anyone realized they had told me something useful.My brothers said I enjoyed it too much. They weren’t entirely wrong.Th
ZANA’S POVThe moment I stepped off the arena floor, the noise hit me all over again. The cheers were louder and closer this time. It wasn’t distant anymore. It surrounded me completely. I could hear the sounds of voices rising, hands clapping, people shouting my name in a way that felt unreal.My chest was still rising and falling from the run. My body still buzzed with adrenaline, and for a second I just stood there, taking it all in.Then my team reached me. They didn’t hold back.Arms wrapped around me from different directions, pulling me into the center of them before I could even react. Someone laughed loudly in my ear, another person clapped my back hard enough to make me stumble a little, and for the first time since I had entered the arena, I felt something warm spread through my chest.Jessie was jumping up and down, screaming with excitement. "Did you see her final move? She completely killed that obstacle"“You were insane out there!” one of the girls said, gripping my sh







