Training

I dropped onto my bed, my hands still trembling a little. The dorm was quiet except for my roommate’s steady breathing. I let my head rest against the pillow, my eyes tracing the shifting shadows on the ceiling.

I told myself I did not care what Cruz Maddox thought of me. I told myself I did not care what Ash Kieran wanted from me. The truth was, both of them were trouble in different ways, and just being here was already too much risk.

That night, I slept in short bursts, waking more than once to faint noises in the hall. My body still carried the rush from the fight, the ache in my muscles strangely satisfying. When the morning bell rang, it felt as if I had only slept for minutes.

I rolled out of bed, moving carefully so the bindings stayed tight, and put on the uniform again. My split lip stung as I washed my face in the small sink, the cold water shocking me fully awake.

The Great Hall was already half full when I walked in. The smell of fresh bread and roasted meat made my stomach twist with hunger. I took a plate and headed toward a quiet spot by the wall, but Ash saw me before I could sit.

He dropped into the seat across from me, smiling like he had been waiting. “You made an impression last night.”

I bit into the bread without replying.

“Word spreads fast here you know,” he said. “Half the academy already knows about the new guy in the pit. You have fans now.”

“I am not interested in fans, Ash.”

“That is fine,” Ash said easily. “Fans turn into enemies fast. But it is better they talk about how you fight than question if you can.”

I gave him a short look. “You brought me there for a reason, didn't you?.”

He smirked. “Yes. I wanted to see if you would sink or swim. But you swam. And that is enough for me.”

Before I could speak, Cruz walked in. He did not look at us right away, but I felt the change in the air the moment he entered. He moved like the space itself shifted for him.

He came to our table, stopping beside the bench. “Kieran,” he said to Ash. “Rowan.”

I muttered a short greeting.

Cruz looked at Ash, then at me. “Brant is looking for you. Both of you. He wants you in the yard early.”

Ash groaned and shoved more food into his mouth. “What for?”

“You will find out,” Cruz said, already turning away.

Ash grinned at me. “This should be fun.”

But It was not.

When we reached the yard, Brant stood with his arms crossed and a pile of training staffs at his feet. “Today is about endurance and control,” he said. “You will be paired off. Last one standing wins.”

His eyes stopped on me, and I did not like it.

My opponent was a broad-shouldered wolf from Blackmoor pack with a scar running down his cheek. He wasted no time. As soon as Brant gave the signal, he swung hard with the staff.

The first hits rattled through my arms. He was strong, but slow. I shifted my weight, letting him wear himself out, striking back when I saw an opening.

Sweat ran down my back, my arms aching with every block and counter. Around us, others dropped out until only two matches remained—mine, and one between Ash and a wolf I did not know.

Ash was grinning in his fight like it was sport. Mine felt like a battle to stay alive.

When my opponent overreached again, I swept his legs from under him. He hit the ground hard.

“Winner,” Brant called.

I lowered my staff, breathing heavily. Ash won his match moments later.

Brant’s eyes moved between us. “Maddox, Kieran, Rowan. Stay behind.”

The rest left, and the yard grew quiet.

“The Alpha trials are coming,” Brant said. “I want you three ready. You will train together from now on.”

Ash let out a short laugh. “Oh, this will be fun.”

Cruz just nodded. “Understood.”

Brant walked away, leaving the weight of his words with us.

Ash leaned on his staff, glancing between us. “Looks like we are stuck with each other.”

“Looks like,” Cruz replied evenly.

I did not like it. Training with both of them meant being near them every day. That meant more chances for them to notice me. But I could not refuse.

The rest of the morning was punishing. Cruz’s style was precise and calculated, keeping me on edge. Ash was wild and fast, unpredictable at every turn. Switching between them drained my strength. By the time Brant called a break, my arms felt like stone.

Ash dropped onto the grass beside me and tossed me a bottle. “Keep this up, Rowan, and you might actually last here.”

I drank deeply, letting the cool water wash the dryness from my throat. “That is the plan.”

Cruz stood nearby, eyes on the yard. “Plans change,” he said quietly.

I was not sure if it was meant for me, and I did not ask.

The day dragged on through more drills. When the final bell rang, my muscles were screaming in pains. I took a long, hot shower until the tension began to fade.

The halls were quiet when I walked back to the dorm. Most were in their rooms or the hall. My footsteps echoed until I reached my door.

Ash was there, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “You are better than I thought,” he said.

I frowned. “Better at what?”

“At keeping up. Most new guys here break in the first week. You have not yet.”

“That is not a compliment, is it?”

He grinned. “Maybe. You will find out.”

Before I could reply, Cruz appeared from the far end. His eyes flicked between us, unreadable. “Brant wants us back in the yard tomorrow. At dawn.”

Ash groaned. “Does he ever give us a break?”

“No,” Cruz said simply, and walked past toward his dorm.

Ash muttered something under his breath and went the other way.

I stepped into my room and shut the door. My body was tired, but my mind stayed alert. Training with Cruz and Ash was not what I wanted, but I could not change it.

Sitting on the bed, I thought about how they fought, how they moved. Different in every way, yet both impossible to ignore.

For the first time since coming to Ravenlake academy, I was not thinking about how to escape, I was thinking about how to win.

The thought stayed with me all night. Even when exhaustion tried to pull me under, it would not leave. My body was sore in ways I had not felt in years, but it was the good kind of pain. The kind that makes you stronger if you do not let it break you.