The Second Chance I Didn't Give

Vera held her phone high, jabbing at the screen with her finger. "This segment—testing muscle strength—my friend just chanted the spell in her head, and the system gave her a perfect score."

She lifted her chin, eyes gleaming with smug satisfaction. "The Trials system is a joke. Completely defenseless against a witch's spell."

The whole pack erupted. Everyone craned their necks to stare at that glaring perfect score on her screen.

"No way—it actually gave her full marks?"

Vera smiled, thoroughly pleased. "Have I ever lied to you? She had a few other friends who used the same method—all perfect scores. No question about it."

Someone ventured hesitantly, "What if the Trial content changes when we take it? What if the spell stops working?"

Vera's lips curved as she pulled up a chat log on her phone. "My cousin's interning with the Council. He told me himself—the Trials are standardized. Same format, same segments every time."

The pack exploded. Every face lit up with excitement.

"Inside info from the Council? Then we're golden."

"Vera, you're a legend! I'm your servant from now on!"

Vera pressed a finger to her lips, soaking in their adoration. "Right now, not many people know about the witch's spell trick. Other packs are still busting their asses preparing."

She paused, letting her gaze drift slowly across the room. "You get what I'm saying, right? You exploit a loophole while it's still there. Once everyone finds out, the chance is gone."

"Do what I say—chant the spell during the Trials, and we'll all score high. Then we can walk into whatever new pack we want."

A few wolves still looked uncertain. Vera walked over and patted one on the shoulder. "Relax. As long as the format stays the same, it has to obey the witch's spell. There's no way around it."

She crossed her arms, tone light. "Don't believe me? Then keep preparing. When we're all in our new packs, don't come crying to me."

The ones who'd been sucking up moments ago immediately joined in.

"I trust Vera! Anyone who doesn't follow her is an idiot!"

"If you're scared, then stay behind. We don't need you anyway."

The hesitant one's face went pale—clearly convinced now.

Someone started unscrewing the caps on their enhancement supplements. Yellowish and white pills flew through the air, raining down onto the ground like hailstones.

I sat in my seat, watching coldly.

The official Trials system filters out all spellwork. Chanting that thing in your head will only flag you as an anomaly—automatic zero.

And even wolves who score high on the Trials have to face a personal review by the Council. Anyone caught trying to cheat the system? They'd never get another chance. Not in this lifetime.

Last life, I tried to warn them. No one listened. They were all blinded by the illusion of perfect scores, convinced I was just bitter that they'd coast into a new pack while I busted my ass for nothing.

This time, I'm not saying a single word.

If they want to torch their own futures, that's on them. When the real results drop, I'll be watching to see how they plan to get into that new pack.