Chapter Four
The dawn light barely pierced the dense stone and moss of the forest surrounding the clan's territory. Adria's small paws pressed against the cold earth as she crouched, watching the older foxes train. Their movements were sharp, precise, perfected over the years, while she stumbled and fell again and again.
"You will never be ready," hissed one of the older foxes, baring her teeth. "You are a waste. A shadow of what a true fox should be."
Adria's chest burned with humiliation. The words echoed the betrayal she had survived in her past life, the knife twists of love and trust she had given too freely. Rage flared inside her, mingled with fear, and for the first time, she refused to let it control her entirely.
Her tails twitched, a faint glow flickering along the base of them. She had not noticed it before because she had been too afraid. Now, heat and energy surged through her small body. A whisper, a murmur from somewhere deep within, told her that she was more than the weakling they claimed she was.
She leapt again, paws skidding against the rough stone. The older foxes laughed, sharp and cruel, but she did not hear it this time. Her focus narrowed, her senses stretched. She felt the energy, the warmth in her chest, responding to her intent. For a fleeting moment, she landed without faltering.
The crowd of foxes fell silent. A murmur passed through them. Adria's ears twitched. She had done it. Just a small success, but enough to make them notice.
"You are lucky," an elder sneered. "This does not mean you are strong. It only means we will enjoy breaking you more."
Adria's stomach twisted, but the fire inside her refused to dim. She would not be broken again. She would survive, no matter the cost.
Hours passed, and she retreated to the edge of the territory when the elders' attention wandered. Alone, she experimented with the warmth she had felt before. A spark of light, faint as moonlight, arced along her tails. She had control over it, subtle but undeniable. The glow pulsed with her heartbeat, growing stronger when she focused.
A sudden rustle in the shadows froze her. Eyes, sharp and calculating, watched her from the tree line. Not another fox, not part of her clan. Something bigger, predatory, and dangerous. Her fur bristled. Her instincts screamed to flee, but the spark inside her chest flared again, feeding courage into her limbs.
A low growl rumbled from the shadows, deep and resonant. She crouched, trembling, yet ready to act. Whatever it was, it had noticed her. And somehow, she knew this was not the end of her suffering but the beginning of a far darker danger.
Her eyes narrowed. Her tails glowed faintly. She would not be weak again.
And whatever was watching her, she would make them see that even the smallest fox could bite.