Aria
The forest around us was eerily quiet. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. My hands tingled with residual energy from the last battle, and my wolf coiled inside me, restless and alert. The rogue leader had retreated—but his warning echoed endlessly in my mind: "The Starborn Blood will demand its due."
I shivered. The bond pulsed violently between Kael and me, alive and insistent. My wolf growled low, sensing the unseen danger, coiling tighter around my instincts.
"Kael… what happens now?" I asked, voice trembling. Part fear, part anticipation.
Kael's silver eyes were sharp, calculating, but also… distant. "Now, you prepare. Fully. The Starborn Blood inside you is powerful—but it's volatile. You need control. Precision. Mastery. There's a trial you must face."
I swallowed. "A trial?"
He nodded. "Yes. Alone. The bond will guide you, but the path is yours to walk. This is how the Starborn awaken fully. This is how you survive the hunt that's coming."
I felt a shiver run through me. My wolf growled, coiling tighter, protective, impatient. Alone?
Kael's gaze softened slightly. "I'll be nearby, guiding. But this trial… is yours."
Kael
I watched her, chest heaving, wolf coiled, energy humming faintly around her. She had survived the rogue leader, battled the shadow scouts, and faced the true enemy—and yet she trembled now. The trial was necessary. Without it, she wouldn't master her Starborn Blood.
The bond pulsed violently, alert and insistent. My wolf mirrored hers, protective, coiled, ready. I could feel her hesitation, her fear—but also her resolve. She would not falter.
"Aria," I said, voice low and commanding. "You trust the bond. You trust your wolf. You trust yourself. This trial is a test, not a punishment. Walk it. Survive it. Awaken fully."
She nodded, trembling but determined. I felt the bond tighten, pulsing violently, as if agreeing with my words.
Good. She is ready. But so is the danger that lies ahead.
Aria POV—Entering the Trial
The clearing ahead shimmered with strange energy, faintly glowing under the pale moonlight. The air felt heavy, charged with power. My wolf growled, coiling tight, sensing the unseen presence that awaited me.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward. The ground beneath me seemed to ripple, responding to the Starborn Blood pulsing through my veins. The bond flared violently, warning me, urging me forward, whispering of dangers unseen.
Then I saw them—phantoms of my parents, shadows of the past, flickering and whispering. Memories I didn't recognize, yet somehow felt intimately mine, surged through my mind.
"Face your fear… control your power… claim your destiny…"
I gasped. My wolf surged violently, energy flaring around my hands, but I forced control. Precision. Intent. Mastery. The bond pulsed violently, guiding, correcting, protective.
I can do this. I must do this.
A shadow lunged at me—a test. My hands glowed brightly, energy coiling, wolf leaping instinctively. The phantom attack hit the barrier of my control, but I redirected it, energy striking back with precision.
The trial had begun.
Kael POV—Guiding from Afar
I remained at the edge of the forest, wolf coiled, energy forming protective waves around the trial area. The bond pulsed violently, alive, screaming warnings and guidance.
I could feel her fear, her determination, her frustration. The phantoms were tests, echoes of the past designed to push her limits. And the Starborn Blood… it was hungry. It demanded control, intent, and survival.
"Focus, Aria," I whispered through the bond. "Control the wolf. Control the energy. Strike with purpose. You are Starborn. You will survive this."
Her hands glowed brighter. I could feel her energy pulsing through the bond, synchronized with mine. Each movement precise, deadly, beautiful. My wolf mirrored hers, coiling, protective, lethal.
Good. She's learning. Faster than I expected.
Aria POV—Trial Escalates
Phantoms continued to attack, each one more aggressive, more cunning, reflecting fears I didn't know I had. Memories of failure, loss, and doubt surged through me.
You are not ready.
You will fail.
Your parents' sacrifice was meaningless.
I clenched my fists. My wolf growled, energy coiling around me. The bond flared violently, reminding me of Kael, of survival, of strength.
I am ready. I am Starborn. I will survive.
With a roar, I unleashed a controlled surge of energy, precise and deadly. The phantoms shattered, leaving only whispers and smoke. But the trial was not over.
A final shadow emerged—taller, darker, more imposing than the others. It radiated power, fear, and ancient knowledge. My wolf roared, coiling fiercely. The bond pulsed violently.
This was it—the final test.
Kael POV—Sensing the Danger
The bond screamed, alive, warning me. This shadow was not just a phantom—it was real. Ancient. Predatory. Feeding on fear, on the Starborn Blood, on her instincts.
I growled low, coiling around her through the bond. "Aria… this is the last wave. Strike with intent. Trust the bond. Trust yourself. Trust me."
The shadow advanced, energy crackling like lightning. I could feel the Starborn Blood inside her pulsing violently, responding to the threat, feeding on fear and courage alike.
Good. She is ready. She will survive. But the cost… the cost is always high.
Aria POV—Final Confrontation
I stepped forward, hands glowing, energy coiling like fire. My wolf surged, leaping, claws sharp, fangs bared. The shadow attacked, energy twisting, reality bending, fear incarnate.
The bond screamed. Kael's presence anchored me, guiding, protecting, amplifying. I moved with precision, striking, dodging, countering. Each movement perfect, intentional, controlled.
The shadow faltered, but only slightly. It was testing me, pushing me to the limits. I could feel the Starborn Blood surging, hungry, demanding, whispering secrets of power I didn't yet understand.
I clenched my teeth. I control it. I am Starborn. I am alive.
With a roar, I unleashed a final surge—wolf and energy coiling in perfect synchronization, striking the shadow squarely. It disintegrated in a burst of light and sound, leaving only whispers and echoes behind.
I collapsed to my knees, chest heaving, wolf coiled, energy humming faintly. The trial was over. I had survived. I had awakened fully.
Kael POV—Aftermath
I stepped forward, coiling energy protective around her. "Aria… you did it," I said, voice low but full of pride. "You survived. You've awakened fully. The Starborn Blood… you control it."
She looked up at me, trembling, exhausted, glowing faintly. "I… I did it," she whispered. "I survived… the trial."
I nodded, wolf coiling, protective. "Yes. But the trial was only the beginning. The true hunt is coming. The prophecy… it's real. And the enemies we face will not wait."
Her eyes narrowed, determination replacing exhaustion. "Then I'll be ready. I'll survive… and I'll protect the bond. Protect you."
I felt the bond pulse violently, alive, hungry, protective. It echoed her words—trust, protection, unity. Together, we were stronger. But the danger… the prophecy… was only growing.
Cliffhanger
As we left the trial clearing, the forest seemed darker, heavier. Shadows moved in the distance, ancient predators watching, waiting.
Then a whisper cut through the air, low and chilling:
"The Starborn has awakened… and now the hunt begins. No bond can protect you from what is coming."
The bond pulsed violently between Kael and me, alive, warning, insistent. My wolf coiled, claws sharp, energy humming. Kael mirrored me, wolf protective, lethal, and ready.
The prophecy was no longer a warning. It was alive. And the true enemy… had begun to move.