The dining hall at Bloodfang Academy was less a place for meals than a theater of dominance. Long tables stretched beneath chandeliers fashioned from wolf bone and iron. Shadows flickered along the stone walls, echoing with the murmur of students who lived for blood and spectacle.
Elara sat at the far edge, hands curled around her untouched food. She could feel the weight of eyes on her;measuring, mocking, waiting. Since the combat class, whispers had only multiplied. A half-blood shouldn't have been able to deflect Valen. And yet she had.
Her name was now poison on every tongue.
At the center of the hall, the F4 lounged like predators at rest. Darius at the head, his presence so consuming that even silence seemed to bend toward him. Kael beside him, all razor-edged cruelty, his smirk sharp enough to draw blood. Valen nursed his bruised pride with seething glares, while Cassian leaned back in quiet observation, his unreadable eyes darting once toward Elara.
Then Darius stood.
The chatter died instantly, as if snuffed out. All gazes turned to him.
He didn't need to raise his voice. Authority rippled from him with every syllable.
"Tonight," he said, "we honor tradition."
Students straightened, anticipation sparking in the air.
"The Blood Oath Game."
A ripple of excitement shuddered through the crowd. Elara's stomach sank. She had heard rumors, but no details. Only that it ended badly for the weak.
Darius's golden gaze swept the room, settling with deliberate cruelty on her.
"Every year, the new blood is tested," he continued. "We strip away pretense, weakness, fear. We bind by oath. And only those strong enough to survive may remain at Bloodfang."
A murmur of agreement swelled. Fangs flashed. Wolves bared teeth in hunger.
Darius's mouth curved. "Tonight, after moonrise. The courtyard. Attendance… mandatory."
With that, he sat. Conversation exploded once more, louder, fevered, like the taste of blood already lingered on their tongues.
Elara forced herself to breathe. What game? What oath? Her instincts screamed danger.
And yet, when she dared glance at Darius again, he was already watching her;his eyes promising that whatever came next was for her.
---
Night fell quickly over Bloodfang Academy. The moon hung , silvered and swollen, painting the courtyard in ghostlight. Torches burned in iron sconces, casting flickering shadows across the ancient stones.
The students gathered in a tight circle, their faces eager, cruel. At the center stood the F4.
Darius paced like a predator, his amber eyes molten in the torchlight. Kael leaned lazily against a pillar, sharp grin promising violence. Valen looked positively feral, still thirsting for revenge. Cassian alone stood silent, gaze flicking between Elara and Darius.
"Welcome," Darius said, voice carrying through the night. "The Blood Oath Game is simple. We call a name. That wolf steps forward. The circle challenges them. They endure until they break, or until they bleed."
The crowd howled approval.
Elara's heart raced. This wasn't a game....
it was a hunt.
"But," Darius added, his voice silken, cruel, "this year we add a new tradition. Our transfer." His eyes pinned her, unblinking. "Elara."
The circle shifted, opening like a maw.
"Elara Vale," he said, savoring the name. "Step forward."
Her breath caught. Every instinct screamed to run, but there was nowhere to go. The crowd pressed too close, too eager. With her chin high, she forced her feet to move, stepping into the torchlit ring.
Laughter rippled. Whispers hissed.
"Half-blood."
"She'll last seconds."
"Darius will break her himself."
Elara ignored them. She couldn't show fear.
Darius stopped before her, towering, dangerous. His presence swallowed the space between them.
"Kneel," he commanded.
Her jaw clenched. She refused to bend.
A low murmur rippled through the students. Defiance. Unthinkable.
But Darius only smiled faintly, as if amused by her resistance. He leaned in, voice low enough only she could hear.
"You will kneel for me one day, little wolf. But not tonight."
Straightening, he addressed the crowd. "The rules. Survive three challenges. Fail, and you bleed. Pass, and you live to stay."
The wolves roared.
"First," Darius declared, "Kael."
Kael stepped forward, his grin vicious. "With pleasure."
He circled her, movements slow, deliberate, savoring her unease. Then, with lightning speed, he struck...claws flashing toward her arm.
Elara barely dodged, his swipe grazing her sleeve. The crowd jeered. Kael lunged again, relentless, forcing her back. She ducked, rolled, scrambled to her feet. Her heart pounded like thunder.
"You're quick," Kael taunted, his grin widening. "But you'll tire soon."
Elara's chest burned, her legs aching. But she remembered the fight with Valen...the surge of darkness, the power in her veins. She reached for it, felt it stir like coals under ash.
Kael lunged once more, claws outstretched.
And this time, Elara didn't run. She pivoted, catching his wrist, twisting. A dark spark shuddered through her veins, and Kael hissed in pain, forced to stumble back.
Gasps erupted.
Kael's grin faltered. For the first time, his eyes narrowed with something like suspicion.
Darius's smile sharpened.
"Second," he said smoothly, "Valen."
Valen leapt into the ring before the words had finished, his fury unleashed. He attacked with savage speed, claws flashing, teeth bared. Unlike Kael, he didn't toy with her....he wanted her destroyed.
Elara ducked and dodged, barely surviving the onslaught. Each strike came closer, each dodge more desperate. Sweat stung her eyes. Her lungs burned.
Valen cornered her against the stone wall, claws poised for her throat. "You should have died yesterday," he snarled.
Fear spiked...but beneath it, something darker roared awake. Her vision blurred, veins thrumming black.
She moved without thought. Her hand shot up, gripping Valen's throat with inhuman strength. For an instant, shadows coiled from her fingers, searing his skin.
Valen choked, eyes wide, clawing at her grip.
The crowd fell silent, stunned.
Then Elara released him, stumbling back, horrified at herself. The shadows retreated, leaving only the echo of their power.
Valen collapsed, gasping. Rage burned in his eyes, but fear lingered too.
The silence shattered with howls and shouts.
"What was that?"
"She's not a half-blood....."
"Something's wrong with her!"
Darius raised a hand, silencing them all. His gaze burned into her, sharp and hungry.
"Impressive," he murmured. "Unexpected."
Elara's chest heaved. Her secret had slipped again. Too much.
"Final challenge," Darius said. He stepped forward, golden eyes locking on hers. "Me."
The crowd erupted into frenzied roars.
Elara's blood went cold. Facing Kael had been survival. Facing Valen had been near death. Facing Darius… was impossible.
He circled her slowly, predator calm. "Show me, Elara," he said softly, though every wolf heard. "Show me what you are."
Her hands trembled. The darkness within clawed to be free, whispering promises of strength, survival, blood.
If she unleashed it, she might win. She might survive.
But if she did… they would all know the truth.
And the truth was more dangerous than death.
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