~Aurora~

　　Upon hearing the bell atop the wooden structure, huge cemented gates open towards the mysterious woods. My heart has been beating out of my chest for no reason, as if someone has been hammering it from within. The fourth trial was simple, yet needed a lot of strength of the mind. Survive three days and three nights in the dark woods until the timer was up.

　　I took lead for our team, following Han Hanzel's strategy. He's already been observing us, and claimed that I had better and faster response speed. Hence, I'll be to the front. Meanwhile he himself was at the back, protecting us from threats which shall appear from behind.

　　The useless one goes in the middle. That said, I was self satisfied when Hanzel instructed Alexia to be in the middle. He dismissed her request to stay to the front, as she wanted to assert dominance over me. Before she could argue further, Hanzel quickly dismissed her. The trial bell was about to ring then, and we shouldn't be discussing anything further this point as per courtesy and rules.

　　Five minutes into walking into the woods, Alexia suddenly yelled, pointing to her front, near my foot!

　　"Snake!" Before jumping away, I trusted my reflexes and sight, and looked at the foot she was pointing at!

　　"...There's no snake here, Alexia. Quit it." I gave the warning through my teeth, seething in slight anger. She's trying to distract me, but her tricks have always been old. I won't fall for them at all.

　　"Alexia Thorn, you may take my position if it bothers you. By doing this, I can tell you will bring our survival chances down with yourself. Staying at the back, you may pull any kinds of pranks you wish to."

　　Wow! I tried to control the snicker that was coming out of my chest!

　　Clearing my throat, I realized I've been way too polite with Alexia. Wouldn't it be better if I stay passive aggressive towards her? Just like she is with me? That'll keep my mental sanity intact as well.

　　"Aurora Fangborn," Hanzel calls my name.

　　"Yes, sir?" I call him with respect, since he's roughly ten years older than me and Heir to a very popular and strong pack.

　　"Have you memorized the map of this side of dark woods? It is a bit different from the labyrinth, from the third trial." His deep voice suggested as I nodded softly, still walking at a normal pace,

　　"I did, sir. And I agree that this is different, because - if I'm not wrong - we are at the south of the ring, unlike the north of our third trial." I looked at the sun from the canopies above us and concluded.

　　"You determined our direction looking at the sun, remembered the previous route as well. Well done, Fangborn. As expected from Den's daughter." A cheerful smile erupted on my face. Alexia wasn't quite liking what was happening between us, I guess.

　　"Thank you, sir. It's an honor." I replied.

　　Well, through more conversation, I was told that Han Hanzel has been a good friend and ally to dad. They did business together which was briefly given away for profit to the humans. It was good listening to sir Hanzel talk about my dad.

　　Meanwhile, Alexia only kept to herself.

　　Hours later, I and sir Hanzel came to an agreement that we shall camp out at a location.

　　However, Sir Hanzel claimed to smell a group of wolf scents around.

　　"If I'm not wrong, it must be Odin Blackwood...and few others with him. Two males are what I smell," I laughed at the way sir Hanzel lifted his eyebrow and told me! He could tell there were two males specifically, because male scents are stronger than female wolf scents.

　　I couldn't differentiate much by myself, but I can recognise highly familiar scents ONLY when they are high in concentrations.

　　But wait. Why was Odin setting his camp so close to mine? Did he already predict we were coming this way? He must have done that. He did say that he's concerned about me getting into trouble because of the last trial. After seeing me in such a vumberable state, it must have triggered his need to be protective of me.

　　As a friend, I hope.

　　"Well, we should not be seen interacting with the other team. It'll deduct our points." Alexia said in a bitter tone. I turned to look at her with my eyebrow raised. I didn't say anything else and started setting a camp up.

　　Collecting important things for a camp, which included firewood, tall leaves, twigs to act as ropes, barks and branches and of course, few rocks to built the fireplace to survive the night. The rocks better be dry. I pray.

　　"Alexia Thorn. You're in charge of finding dry rocks and ropes, twigs for that matter. Make the twigs into ropes if you have to. We would need a lot of them to build our shelter. I will fetch big leaves and dried ones too, if I find them. And you, Aurora Fangborn, you will fetch the heavy ones."

　　"Understood, sir. I'll go to the south. Please start the fire with these." Saying, I contribute to the group with the dry rocks I've found before. They will act as splinters to ignite sparks, but there is a shortage of dry leaves and hay.

　　"Sir, I'll bring few short firewood immediately and go back for longer barks. Is that fine?"

　　"Absolutely. Why don't you two find firewood together and go back together? The south east had a lot of dry shoots."

　　"Uh...okay, sir. It will save some time, too. Please begin with the splinters." Handing sir Hanzel the dry and slightly powdery rocks, I gave Alexia a look. She nonchalantly followed me. Which is strange to me, since she has the tendency to nag me down, first thing of everything.

　　We kept walking in a different direction from where we have originally joined the path. I smelled the petrichor nearby, and narrowed my eyes.

　　"We are closing in to the wet center of the woods, Alexia. We came to the wrong direction." I said to the woman. With a nonchalant expression, the woman who was walking casually turned around and rolled her eyes.

　　"You're way too naive to even be a pack's alpha, Fangborn. Didn't you ever study that wet ground often are close to dry lands that are close to dying?"

　　She was half right with that fact. It's the dark woods with a climate so mysterious, that this logic applies to it.

　　"Right." I hope we walk past the wet patch which is at the center of the woods.

　　In addition to this, the dark center of the dark woods is known for another vile fact. Existence of hazardous plants blooming like an evil sapling from earth are highest concentration within this region. Specifically in the direction we are walking, if I remember the rough map of dark woods correctly.

　　Alexia leads the way as I was wary and suspicious of her behavior. She is calm and quiet, almost as if she wanted to beat me to the survival and gain more points. We are being watched by many adjudicators this time. Prince Emeric is getting reported of each and every time, on every one of our actions.

　　The Trial of Victors was not as hard as I thought it would be, however.

　　But…