~Aurora~

　　I've secured my position for the second trial. But at what cost?

　　I didn't want to sound deliberately pessimistic nor have a mindset that will push me back into who I was before all of this began. I want to do a couple of things, but never have I ever felt so jealous of everyone else around me.

　　Tonight, right before supper, I'll have to join the team of Elite - the members who have done well in the previous Trial - and report to the training ground east division. It is Kingston Miller, the General Captain who shall overlook our special training from now on.

　　I laid on the bed in my room in solitude. Whilst everyone was partying, their voices were heard in my room as well, I couldn't do the same because of a few restrictions. One, that my body still hadn't recovered quite yet. Other contestants along with me have taken much more hits from Gatekeeper than myself. Yet, since they had a wolf to heal them, they remained unscathed all by the time the match had ended.

　　Oh, that reminds me of the last scene I saw before I blacked out. For a split second, I noticed the face of concern flush onto Prince Emeric's as I began leaning towards him, losing consciousness quickly after. I don't even remember having his arms around me as he carried me to the healers himself.

　　And after I had woken up, I was told by the healers that I would take a few more days and a little more rest to come back to normalcy. I had lost my smile there, my peace was shattered.

　　Looking at the ceiling above me, I exhaled sharply. I planned on skipping dinner once again, I didn't care if I didn't meet my dietary needs anymore. I need to do what I had to do. And if there was no one around the corridor to ask me, congratulate me or even have a simple conversation with my tired self, I'd be very happy.

　　I threw on a crop top-hoodie and exposed my injury so that people would know not to touch me there. They'd have at least an amount of sympathy, or so I thought. Putting on some mild amounts of perfume, I stepped out of my room precisely ten minutes before reporting time.

　　"Hey, Fangborn!" I closed my eyes tightly, my back facing the one who called out my name,

　　"H-Hey, Clara. Well, you guys. Hello to you too." I gave a light fist bump to the men and pointed immediately to the wrapped waist of mine.

　　"Still haven't recovered, I see. Well, we all are heading down to the training ground right? I can't believe all of us were welcomed into the elite regime this time!" I chuckled at them. Trying my best to not show any hesitation to join them, I began walking with the group.

　　Pope Summers, Johnny and Clara walked ahead of me as I followed them at my own pace. Nothing seems to help me at the moment. Thoughts were only flooding my mind and I have the desperate need to prove that my strength wasn't snatched over.

　　My slow walk contributed to time being cut down, hence, reaching the training right on time and not having a chance to take a breather or something. I fell into position, Pope and Clara were right beside me as Johnny was a little far from us to the left of the line. Kingston Miller – our Guard Captain - appeared from behind the pillar, seemingly busy talking to someone.

　　...And that someone turns out to be Prince Emeric.

　　He leaves by himself, hands in his pocket while appearing calm and composed. But I can tell he had his fists balled up in his pockets. And oh, I could never miss the gaze he threw at me as he walked back inside the east wing.

　　What the fuck is his problem with me!? Why only look at me!? At this point, Prince Emeric and I have an annoying hot-and-cold relationship. I can't even call this friendship!

　　Well, back to the training ground.

　　"Are you sure you wish to continue training, Cadet Aurora?" Kingston Miller leaned in and whispered to me. And I replied back in the same pitch of communication, "Don't worry, Captain, I've got this. I have to get used to this."

　　"You know, it's alright if you don't push yourself this hard as well. You will heal in three days, I guarantee. And I'll give you a special, rigorous training myself—"

　　"Captain, in all honesty, I'm fine. Please, let's fall back into regime and not discuss about me anymore." Trying to sound as polite as possible, I realized that's the rudest I've ever been to a person of higher rank than myself, in this Kingdom. Well, I did speak rudely to the ruler of this Kingdom as well.

　　Ugh!

　　Captain Kingston speaks to us for a few minutes before things are set up behind him. Screens, projectors and a long stick - perhaps to draw Warfare diagrams on the sand beneath our feet as he explains them - all of them were being arranged as we each answered what was our perspective on war.

　　Battle and war were two different things for me.

　　As we all talked, Captain Kingston revealed a few pieces of Literature from the library that could help us with the second trial, the Trial of Intellect.

　　We have to discover a hidden object in the second Trial using our wit and intellect, apparently. I was excited for this, mostly because all the books Captain Kingston had recommended...I've borrowed them all!

　　Oh, the gazes I feel from both sides of my head made me nervous~

　　Well, since everything was set up to a degree, the contestants who passed from the last Trial are expected to perform better in this one. Holistic abilities and improvement is crucial for leadership, that's what Captain Kingston imbibed on us by the end of our special regime for tonight.

　　"Alright, all of you. We wind up for tonight. I know this is probably going to make you all feel head over heels and probably, give seed to your growing arrogance, but Prince Emeric is enthusiastic about your performance. This year marks history, because every time the passing bar for Trial 1 was below 38 candidates making it to the next Tier. This time...it's 47! More than half, which is quite exceptional since the trial was harder than ever too!" The information revealed by Captain warmed all of our hearts!

　　We cheered up at the moon, howling as I chuckled at them, feeling proud and privileged.

　　Well...I have to skip dinner and hit the gymnasium again. I'll have to push through. Pity doesn't help me anymore, not in the Lycan Kingdom of Whispering Pines. And…no more coming last in the future trials!