TRIAL OF STRENGTH

The pain hit Ariana the moment she woke up.

Her whole body felt wrong, like it had been pulled apart and put back together badly. Her arms hurt, her legs felt heavy, and even taking a deep breath sent sharp pain through her ribs.

She slowly sat up, holding onto the edge of the bed.

“Okay… that’s worse than yesterday,” she muttered.

For a second, she thought about lying back down.

Resting.

Taking time to recover.

But the thought didn’t last.

This wasn’t Moonridge.

No one here would wait for her.

If she slowed down,

she’d be left behind.

Ariana pushed herself to stand, ignoring the pain in her body.

“I didn’t come this far to stop now.”

She stepped outside.

The cold morning air hit her skin, sharp and harsh.

It woke her up right away.

The training grounds were already busy. Wolves were moving fast,training, running, lifting, fighting.

No one looked tired.

No one looked weak.

Ariana swallowed.

This place didn’t accept weakness.

“Ariana.”

She turned.

Lyra stood behind her, arms crossed, clearly not impressed.

“You look like you can barely stand,” Lyra said.

Ariana straightened a little. “I can stand.”

Lyra narrowed her eyes. “We’ll see.”

She turned and started walking.

“Follow me.”

***

They didn’t go to the main training area.

Instead, Lyra took her farther out, where the trees opened into a rough clearing.

Ariana stopped when she saw it.

An obstacle course.

Not simple.

Not easy.

Brutal.

Tall walls, hanging ropes, narrow beams over deep pits, uneven ground, and steep drops.

It looked like it was made to break people.

“This is your trial,” Lyra said.

Ariana took a slow breath. “You’re serious.”

Lyra glanced at her. “Very.”

Ariana stepped closer, looking at it carefully.

“How many times do I have to complete it?”

Lyra’s lips curved slightly.

“Once.”

Ariana frowned. “That doesn’t sound so bad.”

Lyra didn’t react.

“You don’t get to fail.”

Ariana understood right away.

Her stomach tightened.

No retries.

No second chances.

“You fall,” Lyra continued, “you start again. And if you can’t finish…”

She paused.

“You don’t belong here.”

Ariana nodded slowly.

Of course.

Everything here had a price.

She stepped forward.

“I’ll do it.”

Lyra said nothing.

She just watched.

***

The first part was running.

Ariana pushed forward, ignoring how stiff her legs felt. The ground was uneven, forcing her to adjust every step.

She reached the first wall and started climbing.

Her arms shook right away.

Pain shot through her muscles.

But she didn’t stop.

She pulled herself up and dragged her body over the top, then dropped down the other side.

The landing was rough.

But she kept going.

“Faster,” Lyra called.

Ariana clenched her jaw and pushed harder.

***

Next were the ropes.

She grabbed one and started climbing.

Halfway up,

Her strength started to fade.

Her grip slipped a little.

Her body swung.

Ariana gasped.

For a moment, she thought she would fall.

But she held on.

Her fingers tightened painfully.

“I’m not falling,” she whispered.

She kept climbing.

Slow.

Painful.

But steady.

When she reached the top, her arms were shaking badly.

She dropped down the other side, stumbling when she landed.

Her legs almost gave out.

But she forced herself to move.

****

Then came the beam.

Ariana stopped at the edge.

Below it was a deep pit filled with sharp stones.

Her breath caught.

“If you fall,” Lyra said calmly, “you climb back up.”

Ariana said nothing.

She stepped onto the beam.

Her balance shook right away.

Her body was too tired.

Too sore.

She stretched her arms out a little, focusing on each step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Halfway across,

Her foot slipped.

Ariana gasped as she lost balance,and fell.

She hit the ground hard.

Pain shot through her side.

For a moment,

She couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t think.

Couldn’t move.

“Get up.”

Lyra’s voice echoed above her.

Ariana shut her eyes tightly.

Her body begged her to stop.

To stay down.

To give up.

“No…” she whispered.

Her fingers pressed into the ground.

Slowly,

She pushed herself up.

Her legs shook badly.

But she stood.

“I’m not done.”

She climbed back up.

Every movement slower.

Harder.

More painful.

But she didn’t stop.

This time,when she stepped onto the beam,

She didn’t hesitate.

She didn’t think.

She just moved.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Until,

She reached the other side.

Her breath came out shaky.

“I did it…”

But there was no time.

“Move!” Lyra snapped.

***

The last obstacle stood in front of her.

A steep wall.

Higher than anything she had climbed before.

Ariana stared at it.

Her body felt empty.

Drained.

“I don’t think I have anything left,” she said.

Lyra stepped closer.

“For someone who refuses to quit,” she said, “you think about it a lot.”

Ariana clenched her jaw.

“I’m not quitting.”

“Then climb.”

Ariana stepped forward.

She grabbed the first hold.

She pulled herself up.

Then again.

And again.

Each movement slower.

Weaker.

Halfway up,

her hand slipped.

Her body dropped,and she barely caught the edge.

Her fingers dug in.

Her grip was slipping.

“I can’t…” she gasped.

Below her, Lyra spoke again.

“Yes. You can.”

Ariana shut her eyes.

That feeling came back.

That strange energy.

Faint.

But stronger than before.

Her fingers tightened.

Not just from effort,

But something else.

Something deeper.

Something inside her.

A pulse of energy rushed through her body.

Her eyes snapped open.

And for a moment,

They glowed.

Soft.

Bright.

Unnatural.

Ariana gasped.

“What…..”

She pulled herself up suddenly,faster than before.

Stronger.

Like the pain was gone.

She climbed.

Quick.

Powerful.

Until she reached the top.

Ariana collapsed onto the platform, breathing hard.

Her heart was racing.

Her body shook.

But she had done it.

She finished.

*****

When she climbed down, the clearing was quiet.

Too quiet.

Ariana frowned, still trying to catch her breath.

“Did I… pass?” she asked.

No one answered.

Lyra wasn’t looking at her.

She was staring at something else.

Ariana followed her gaze,

And froze.

Kael stood at the edge of the clearing.

Watching her.

But this time,

His face wasn’t calm.

It wasn’t neutral.

It was intense.

Focused.

Like he had seen something important.

Ariana’s chest tightened.

“What is it?” she asked softly.

Lyra didn’t answer.

She stepped closer to Ariana.

Her voice dropped.

“Your eyes.”

Ariana blinked. “What about them?”

Lyra’s gaze sharpened.

“They changed.”

Ariana’s heart skipped.

“That’s not possible.”

Lyra didn’t look convinced.

Kael started walking toward them.

Slow.

Steady.

Every step heavy.

Ariana felt it right away.

The shift.

The tension.

Something was wrong.

Very wrong.

Kael stopped in front of her.

Close.

Too close.

His eyes locked onto hers.

Studying.

Watching.

“You felt it,” he said.

It wasn’t a question.

Ariana swallowed.

“I… don’t know what you mean.”

Kael didn’t look away.

“Don’t lie.”

His voice was quiet.

But firm.

Ariana’s breath caught.

“I didn’t mean to…..”

“Do it again.”

Her heart pounded.

“What?”

“Whatever you did,” Kael said. “Do it again.”

Ariana shook her head. “I can’t. I don’t even know what it was.”

Kael’s eyes darkened.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then,

He stepped back.

Not in dismissal.

In realization.

“That wasn’t just strength,” he said quietly.

Ariana felt a chill.

“What are you saying?” she asked.

Kael didn’t answer right away.

He looked past her—

toward the forest.

His face hardened.

Like he had just thought of something worse.

When he spoke again,

His voice was colder.

More serious.

“You didn’t just pass a test today.”

Ariana’s heart raced.

“Then what happened?”

Kael looked back at her.

Sharp.

Certain.

“You revealed something.”

A pause.

Heavy.

Ariana felt her breath catch.

“What… kind of something?”

Kael didn’t hesitate this time.

“Something that will get you hunted.”

The words hit hard.

Ariana froze.

“Hunted…?”

Before she could say more,a distant

howl echoed through the forest.

Low.

Dark.

Not familiar.

Something else.

Every wolf in the clearing went still.

Lyra’s expression changed right away.

“Rogues,” she said.

Kael’s jaw tightened.

But his eyes,stayed on Ariana.

And in that moment,

Ariana understood.

The howl…

Wasn’t random.

It wasn’t a coincidence.

It was coming.

For her.

And as the sound echoed again,

Closer this time,

Ariana felt it deep inside her.

That same energy.

Waking up.

Answering.

Calling back.

And suddenly,

she wasn’t just scared anymore.

She was the reason danger was coming.

And she had no idea why.