ARYA'S POV

The morning after orientation felt like I’d barely survived a war.

I woke before dawn, my heart pounding in my chest, and with sweat glued to my back despite the chill in the common room. The boys around me were still snoring, limbs sprawled over bunk beds and the floor like bodies after a battlefield.

But I hadn’t even closed my eyes for a second.

I kept replaying yesterday over and over—Kael’s hands gripping my arms, the heat between us, and his words: I know your secret. Maybe that can motivate you to consider a partnership.

I didn’t know what to make of him, but one thing was clear—Kael was dangerous. He was clever and he was definitely too observant for my liking.

I slipped out of bed quietly, clutching my water bottle. My chest ached from the binding. My neck itched from the chopped hair. I missed my old life—braiding my long hair by candlelight, laughing with Mara. Even the beatings from Sofia had become better in comparison to this place

The whole arena reeked of chaos. One wrong move and I was dead.

As I splashed my face in the icy sink at the end of the hall, I caught my reflection. My face looked thinner, my cheekbones sharper. There was a hollow in my eyes I didn’t recognize. However, I knew that I had to keep pretending. I’d already survived one night. All I had to do was keep surviving.

After a quick wash, I headed straight for the mess hall for breakfast. The whole place was crowded and loud, filled with boys jostling for food like starving wolves. I kept my head down, scooping porridge into my mouth like it was the best thing I’d ever tasted, even though deep down, it was terrible.

Kael sat at a table near the front, eating alone, as if the entire room belonged to him.

And maybe it did. Because for some reason, the others seemed to avoid him.

Eventually, the bell rang and we all scrambled into the courtyard.

Elder Torvald stood in the center, flanked by two other Elders in black. He wore a malicious grin on his face and he waited for the noise in the courtyard to go down before speaking.

“Welcome to your first trial," He snorted. "The Blood Run.”

Almost immediately, a few whispers broke out.

“Today,” Torvald continued, “you will be split into five groups. Each group will head into the forest surrounding the Academy. You will retrieve a sigil from the ruins. First team back wins. But be warned—the forest is enchanted. Many ancient creatures live there. You bleed, you lose.”

He let that sink in, then barked out names. My heart sank when I heard mine—“Caleb, Group Three.”

Kael was also in Group Three. Of course he was.

I met his eyes briefly across the courtyard. He gave the faintest smirk, like the whole thing amused him. I hated him for that smirk.

We were handed simple gear—a dagger, a satchel, a compass—and pushed toward the woods.

“Stick close. Don’t die,” our instructor barked, then blew the horn signalling the start of the game.

Our group of six moved in silence, Kael leading and the rest trailing behind like lost pups. The forest was colder than it looked from the gates and just when I thought we were going to maintain the silence till the end of the game, someone whispered.

“Which way are we heading?"

Kael didn’t reply. He just pointed forward.

We crossed streams, ducked under branches, and climbed ridges. I struggled to keep up, sweat soaking through my shirt. The binding made it hard to breathe and my legs ached badly.

“Keep up, Caleb,” Kael muttered without turning.

I gritted my teeth, clearly irritated. “I’m trying.”

An hour passed quickly. We were deep now. The compass spun wildly—useless. The air changed, thick with fog. Birds stopped chirping and something howled in the distance.

We stumbled into a clearing with broken stone pillars carved with runes I couldn’t read. The sigil glowed on a pedestal in the center.

“We found it,” Kael said. “But it’s too easy.”

"Maybe we're lucky," one of the boys said with a shrug.

Kyle rolled his eyes at him.

"I've been playing this game for years," Kyle snorted. "It's never this easy."

He ignored the glowing sigil and spun around, his eyes scanning the perimeter for any sudden threats.

"Look around for anything out of the ordinary," Kyle ordered. "And no one touches the sigil until I say so."

But he had spoken too late.

An excited member of our team had already grabbed onto the sigil as Kyle was speaking.

Just then, a guttural roar shattered the silence.

From the trees, a beast lunged—twice the size of a wolf, with tusks like spears and eyes glowing red. It slammed into the boy with the sigil, throwing him across the clearing like a toy.

“Stay clear!” Kael warned and drew his blade.

But his words seemed to attract the creature to me. It lunged at me and I dove sideways, rolling across the dirt, and slamming into a stone. Pain exploded in my ribs and I struggled to make it back to my feet.

Kael slashed at the creature's legs, drawing blood. I scrambled to my feet and grabbed a torch from one of the broken pillars.

“Hey!” I shouted.

The creature turned to me, snarling.

I lit the torch and threw it at the beast’s face.

It howled, flailing as the flame licked its fur. Kael seized the moment and plunged his blade deep into its side.

With a final screech, it collapsed dead.

At once, I stumbled towards the boy who lay groaning in the dirt. His leg was broken and blood soaked his pants.

“Help me lift him,” I called, grabbing one side.

Kael didn’t argue. He moved fast, wrapping the boy's arm over his shoulders. Another boy carried the sigil and we limped back toward the Academy.

Halfway through the forest, my ankle gave out and I collapsed hard, gasping.

Kael was beside me in seconds. “You’re hurt.”

“I’m fine,” I muttered, even though I knew very well that I wasn’t.

My arm was bleeding, the cloth around my chest soaked and heavy. I couldn’t breathe.

He crouched beside me, watching my face too closely. “That’s not just bruising.”

“Leave me,” I rasped. “Just get the boy back.”

He ignored that and grabbed me, lifting me into his arms. “You’re a pain in the ass, Caleb. But you’re not dying today.”

I tried to fight, but I was too weak. His grip was solid. His heat burned through me and surprisingly, I felt safe in his arms.

And just like that, I allowed myself rest against him.

When we reached the gates, the sun was already dipping low behind the mountains. The Elders rushed forward, barking orders and our now unconscious teammate was taken to the infirmary.

I tried to walk, but Kael still held me. We ducked behind a shed near the back wall, away from the others.

“Put me down,” I groaned.

He dropped me on the floor slowly and then he looked down at me.

“Back in your pack," He started. "What offence did you commit?"

My throat tightened at his words and for a moment, I felt beads of sweat gather around my forehead.

Kael heaved a sigh and lowered himself to the ground, to face me.

“I'm sorry if I came off as rude yesterday,” he continued. “But you need someone to watch your back here.”

“And you’re volunteering?” I asked.

He smirked. “I don’t trust anyone. But you? You lie like a pro. That’s useful.”

I chuckled, but it sounded hollow.

“Think about it,” he said, and stood. “We’re both good liars. Might as well make use of each other.”

And with that, he walked away, leaving me with the proposition of an unlikely partnership.