K A I D AThere’s a shift in the air the next morning.It’s subtle—just a change in the wind, a pressure against the skin that doesn’t quite belong. But I feel it the second I wake up.Something’s coming.I sit up in bed, blink against the gray light filtering through the stone shutters. My room in the Admosian stronghold is spartan—stone walls, thick furs on the bed, a table covered in maps and weapons. Nothing personal. Nothing soft.It fits.I rise and start moving, pulling on my gear piece by piece—black armor fitted to my form, reinforced with woven silver in the joints, lightweight but strong. Battle gear.By the time I tie my hair back, there’s a knock at the door.It’s Korra.Her eyes meet mine, and I know she feels it too.“Something’s shifted,” she says.“Yeah. I feel it.”We head to the war hall together. The corridors are filled with warriors. Tension hangs like a storm cloud above us all—silent, brewing. They feel it too.Inside the hall, Octavius is already standing with
K A I D AYou’d think preparing for war would feel like chaos.But this?This is silence.The kind that vibrates in your bones before the storm hits.The kind of silence that makes your breath feel too loud, your thoughts too sharp.I stand at the top of the eastern wall, looking out over the valley. The air up here is crisp, sharp with the bite of winter. Below, the Admosian warriors move like clockwork—unloading crates, sharpening blades, reinforcing the perimeter of the fortress.The sky is a washed-out gray. No birds. No sound.It’s like the world knows something’s coming. And it’s holding its breath.Behind me, the doors to the fortress creak open, and footsteps echo across the stone.Korra’s voice cuts through the quiet. “They’re here.”My heart skips once. Then it steadies. Of course they’re here.The first of the allied packs.I follow her down the stairwell, through the arching halls until we reach the courtyard—where the outer gates are wide open, and the first group enters
When the meeting finally wraps up, Octavius dismisses the gathered wolves with a curt nod just as I watch everyone disperse around me. The tension in the room doesn't fade completely, though. Everyone knows the stakes tomorrow, and no one wants to be the one who screws it up... and I don't want that to be me.I hang back, not quite ready to face him, but knowing I don't have a choice. My mind is still reeling from hearing that name—the Tyro Pack.Of all the damn packs.Lucas glances at me, his brows knitting together when he notices my silence. "You okay? You've been awfully quiet."I then look to him, finding him looking down at me curiously, right before I shake my head and try to keep my head together."I'm fine," I answer, a little sharper than I intend. His frown deepens, but he doesn't press me. I'm grateful for that, at least at him and the others don't give me as much trouble as before."I'll see you later Lucas." I tell him, walking off before he even has the chance to respon
K A I D AThe bruises haven’t even faded from the last trial when Kita calls us back to the courtyard.No rest.No congratulations.Just silence and the weight of whatever comes next.Korra walks beside me, silent. Focused. There’s a tension in her shoulders that I recognize—because it mirrors my own. It’s not just about survival anymore. It’s about legacy. About preparing for whatever monster Lucien is planning to unleash next.Kita stands beneath the stone archway, dressed in armor that looks like it belongs in a history book. A long black coat trimmed in silver. A blade on her back that pulses faintly with energy I can feel from ten feet away.I stop in front of her. “What now? Trial three?”She nods once. “The final one.”Korra crosses her arms. “Let me guess. We’re jumping into lava or battling demons from the underworld?”“No,” Kita says, her voice unusually low. “This one… is different.”That alone is enough to put me on edge.She gestures for us to follow her, and we do, throu
K A I D AThe bruises haven’t even faded from the last trial when Kita calls us back to the courtyard.No rest.No congratulations.Just silence and the weight of whatever comes next.Korra walks beside me, silent. Focused. There’s a tension in her shoulders that I recognize—because it mirrors my own. It’s not just about survival anymore. It’s about legacy. About preparing for whatever monster Lucien is planning to unleash next.Kita stands beneath the stone archway, dressed in armor that looks like it belongs in a history book. A long black coat trimmed in silver. A blade on her back that pulses faintly with energy I can feel from ten feet away.I stop in front of her. “What now? Trial three?”She nods once. “The final one.”Korra crosses her arms. “Let me guess. We’re jumping into lava or battling demons from the underworld?”“No,” Kita says, her voice unusually low. “This one… is different.”That alone is enough to put me on edge.She gestures for us to follow her, and we do, throu
K A I D AThe bruises haven’t even faded from the last trial when Kita calls us back to the courtyard.No rest.No congratulations.Just silence and the weight of whatever comes next.Korra walks beside me, silent. Focused. There’s a tension in her shoulders that I recognize—because it mirrors my own. It’s not just about survival anymore. It’s about legacy. About preparing for whatever monster Lucien is planning to unleash next.Kita stands beneath the stone archway, dressed in armor that looks like it belongs in a history book. A long black coat trimmed in silver. A blade on her back that pulses faintly with energy I can feel from ten feet away.I stop in front of her. “What now? Trial three?”She nods once. “The final one.”Korra crosses her arms. “Let me guess. We’re jumping into lava or battling demons from the underworld?”“No,” Kita says, her voice unusually low. “This one… is different.”That alone is enough to put me on edge.She gestures for us to follow her, and we do, throu