3. The Survival Test

The academy forest swallowed us almost immediately.

Towering pine trees blocked out most of the sunlight, leaving patches of golden light dancing across the forest floor. The air smelled fresh, carrying the scent of damp earth, moss, and hundreds of excited wolves racing ahead.

Everywhere I looked, students were already overtaking one another; some were unbelievably fast, while others had partially shifted.

Wolf ears appeared. Golden eyes glowed. Claws extended from fingertips.

Apparently... That was allowed. "...Right."

I looked down at my completely ordinary human hands. "...Guess I'll be using the ancient human technique."

I sighed dramatically. And that ancient human technique isn't anything extraordinary; it was just...

"...Effort."

*

Far above the forest... hidden inside stone watchtowers built into the mountainside, dozens of professors silently observed the trial. Crystal screens floated before them, displaying different sections of the course.

One professor smiled. "Alexander Blackthorn has already taken the lead."

Another nodded. "As expected."

A third pointed toward another screen. "Dareth is closing the distance."

Several professors murmured approvingly. Professor Hawthorne remained quiet. His amber eyes slowly scanned every screen before stopping on another student.

'Bellona Ashford.'

She wasn't first, and she wasn't even close. Yet, she had stopped running. Weird... A younger professor frowned. "She's already giving up?"

Professor Hawthorne folded his arms. "No. Maybe... She's thinking," he said with a faint knowing smile.

The younger professor looked confused. "But shouldn't we be watching the leaders?"

Professor Hawthorne shook his head. "Don't watch who's first."

His gaze never left Bellona. "Watch who's thinking."

*

Back inside the forest...

I slowed to a stop. A massive stone wall stretched nearly twenty feet into the air, blocking the path completely. Well... This seems unnecessarily rude. But students immediately began climbing.

Or...

Attempting to.

No.

...Scratch that.

Most of them weren't climbing at all. They partially shifted. Claws dug into the rough stone. Their strength enhanced, which carried them upward with surprising ease, and within seconds, several students had already reached the top.

"Show-offs," I muttered under my breath. This felt practically cheating because I can't shift, but who am I complaining to? It wasn't anyone's fault that I couldn't shift.

I walked closer to the wall. I don't have claws, no enhanced grip, no magically convenient wolf helping me climb. It was just me. I stared up at the towering wall.

"Guess I'll really be using effort."

...Fantastic.

I placed one hand against the stone. Exactly on the spots where the claws of other wolves had dug holes as they climbed up quickly. Everyone else had accidentally made me a ladder. I just had to climb through one trail.

"We're doing this the old-fashioned way," I said, ceering myself from time to time. I planted one foot onto a narrow ledge, reached a little higher, and found another crack. Using that, I pulled myself upward slowly, carefully, one move at a time.

Below me, someone laughed. "This girl is climbing like a squirrel."

Another student snorted. "At this rate, she'll graduate next year."

I smiled to myself. 

...Morons were already my fans.

Talking required breathing, and breathing required oxygen.

...My oxygen was currently reserved for not falling to my death.

Why would I bother with my fan following? They could focus on me because I'm focusing on myself as well.

 I was halfway up the wall when a boy beside me slipped, making me gasp. His claws scraped uselessly against the stone. He cursed loudly before dropping several feet, but he was fine, thankfully.

I looked at the crack he'd been trying to grab. Too smooth. Wrong angle.

I adjusted my own grip and moved slightly left instead. Much better. By the time I pulled myself over the top, several students who had started before me were still struggling below.

I dusted off my hands.

"Effort wins."

Well... Sometimes.

*

High above... Professor Hawthorne watched Bellona climb.

Another professor frowned. "Interesting."

"She never wasted energy, and she studied the wall first."

Professor Hawthorne nodded. "Exactly."

Another instructor crossed his arms. "She's slower than the Alphas."

"For now." Professor Hawthorne replied and then continued. "But she isn't competing against the wall."

The younger professor looked confused. "What?"

"She's solving it." Professor Hawthorne said, observing her.

"Strength wins battles." Professor Hawthorne said and continued after a long pause.

"Thinking wins wars."

*

I barely had time to celebrate before another scream echoed through the trees. A girl lost her footing while jumping across a fallen log, and she fell awkwardly onto one knee.

"Ouch!"

Before anyone else reacted... A blond blur changed direction; the charming Alpha from earlier. I heard girls calling him...

Atlas.

He reached her in seconds and asked. "You okay?"

The girl nodded sheepishly.

"I think so."

Atlas offered his hand. "Can you stand?"

She accepted it. "Thank you."

"No problem." He smiled before immediately continuing down the trail.

I watched him disappear.

... Hm. Guardian Angel.

Nearly thirty seconds later, another girl stumbled over an exposed tree root. Atlas stopped again. He caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Saviour much?" I muttered.

A minute later... Yet another student struggled to climb over a fallen tree. Atlas gave her a push she needed, and she thanked him, all blushing.

He waved. Then kept running. I blinked.

"He must be a secret Human-Collector-Guardian-Angel," I whispered to myself because there was simply no other explanation.

The man was a protector through and through. What a lovely quality.

Further ahead... A petite blonde girl slipped while climbing over a rocky slope. Unlike before... Atlas reacted instantly. He reached her before she'd even finished falling.

"You alright?" His voice carried a different edge.

Sharper.

More protective.

He carefully checked the scrape on her arm. "Does it hurt?" He asked, examining the wound; she jerked her arm from his grip and rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine."

"You sure?"

"Atlas..."

"I'm asking."

She sighed. "I'm fine."

He finally relaxed.

I stared after them, dumbfounded. This one didn't blush... Interesting.

"Could be his favorite Human."

Apparently, even Guardian Angels had favorites. Good to know.

I faintly noticed that Alexander had stopped running; he was far from us, but he was staring at Atlas and the girl. It was just for a few seconds before he was sprinting again.

The blonde girl dashed away first without another word. Atlas waited until she disappeared around the bend before running again.

Weird.

Very weird.

I stored that information away for later.

Somewhere far ahead, I caught a glimpse of Alexander effortlessly crossing another obstacle without breaking stride. Meanwhile, Atlas was probably halfway through adopting the freshman class.

The contrast was almost hilarious. One looked like he ruled kingdoms. The other looked like he'd stop to help a squirrel cross the road.

I had a feeling Alpha Academy was going to be far more interesting than I'd expected...

...Wait! Bellona! Eyes on the road. You came here to survive. Not to study attractive wildlife.