The carriage finally arrived at the location that the Lycanis had sent to every one of the targets to meet up.
The rule had been, if they refused to come, they would forcefully make their entrance and get what they wanted.
What she saw almost made her puke, and also lowered her energy.
These men didn't look ordinary and normal like the world that she had grown up in. From their appearance and energy, it was easy to see that they were entirely different. They exuded a cold vibe that could make anyone weak to their knees.
One of them noticed her and approached her while holding a weapon in his left hand.
"Are you here to report?" He asked, and Valen almost swore at him. She was contemplating going back now, but there was no way that she could do that.
"Yes."
"From which family are you reporting from?"
"Alpha Draegon's."
"You are Draegon's son?"
"Yes, I am."
The man eyed her from the top of her head to her feet. It was hard for Valen to decipher his thoughts because his expression didn't change one bit. Maybe he wasn't impressed, or maybe he was? It was hard to know.
Valen wanted him to get done with the investigative questions. She could feel her father coming here, and she didn't want to create a scene.
"So, are we going to stand here and stare at each other or get this over and done with?"
"Watch your tone, young man!"
Valen gulped visibly but shook it off. The man pointed at the last carriage for her to enter, and she did, ignoring the slanderous gazes that she was getting. Pretending that she wasn't affected by these people was hard.
When she entered the carriage, she noticed other young men too, from different families. They looked frightened and even younger than her.
Were these Lycanis so horrible and disgusting that they would pluck out young boys from the midst of their families? What did they know they were going for or getting themselves into? They didn't even look strong enough to fight a war. Poor kids.
"He said he is Draegon's son." She heard the murmurings outside from the men.
"I thought he wouldn't allow his son to be here. I was already prepared for some action."
"He didn't allow him to come. He came here of his own will."
"Huh?"
"Let's leave. Close the carriage."
Valen didn't quite understand this until the shout for the carriage to be closed was given and the movement started. At the corner of a little window, she saw that some of the men remained. She wondered what they were still waiting for, and it turned out to be—her father. He was pulled off the horse and dragged back mercilessly while preventing him and his guards from interfering with the journey.
Valen didn't realize that she had started crying as the horrible scene only got farther away from her view. One of the young boys passed her a napkin.
"Thank you." She collected it but didn't use it.
"Why are you here when your father doesn't want you to? You are the prince after all," One of the boys asked.
"It seemed like a stupid decision to me." The boy beside her spoke up.
"I don't think I would have even been here if my parents had just at least put up a fight or resisted them. They just put me up like a lamb for slaughter."
Valen continued to listen to them speak one after the other, but she was too weak to speak. Instead, she closed her eyes, her mind wandering around, thinking of the situation her parents would be in. She offered words of prayer to the moon goddess to kindly protect her father against their attacks.
There was no point in going through this ordeal if they were going to kill him.
She didn't know when she fell asleep.
.
.
.
.
A few hours later, she was woken by consistent taps on her arms.
"Brother, we have arrived." One of the young boys announced, and she squeezed her eyes shut before reopening them. How long did it take? She wondered. She looked out the window, but what she saw instantly made her skin crawl.
Dark smoke was everywhere. The men that she saw were tall and mighty, including their women too.
It was so clear that this world was different from hers. They were pushed out of the carriage and asked to stand in a line of ten each. Another man came out this time around with an eye patch on his left eye and a scar mark across his chin. His eyes were colder than the other men and the weight of his presence could still be felt.
"Welcome," the word was cold. Nothing was welcoming about that.
"All of you here will be tested to show your strength and whether or not you will be worthy of being here. These tests comprise three major ones. The first one is the blood test, the second one is the test of war, and the third one is the Wolf Bane Test. This is also to let you know that you might not survive these tests to the end. You might lose your life if you can not withstand the pressure from these tests. If you end up dying, your body will either be disposed of or sent to your family, if we remember their names," one of the huge men announced.
"You all will be sent to a room. The three tests will run from morning till nighttime, when the decision will be held. The blood test will be in the morning, the war test will be in the afternoon, and the Wolf Bane test will be in the evening. The bell will be rung loudly. If you fail to arrange yourselves, you will be punished. I hope you ate before coming. Your family should have done so before releasing you. Good night!" The instructions were over, and they were led to the hall where they were to sleep.
.
.
.
Valen didn't close her eyes. She wasn't able to sleep. Immediately the bell sounded, she woke the boys up so they wouldn't get punished, and they were arranged in a straight line and taken to an open wild field where the tests were to begin.
The Blood Test began as said last night.
In the wild field, the air was sharp and silent, heavy with anticipation. Each initiate was made to slash their palm and drop blood into a sacred silver bowl.
Some of the young boys could not even dare to. They all cried in pure agony as they watched their blood rush out. When it got to Valen's turn, she bore the pain by biting her lower lip hard.
The elders chanted over it, watching for signs of impurity or betrayal in the lineage. For many, their blood burned upon contact, revealing hidden truths and secrets they couldn't even explain. By the time the test ended, a quarter of the young men were already gone—some collapsed, others dragged away, screaming.
Valen was horrified by what she was seeing.
The War Test came under the harsh sun. Those who passed the first test were thrown into combat. It wasn't just a test of strength, but instinct, control, and savagery. Blades clashed, bodies crashed against the hard earth, and the scent of sweat and blood thickened the field. Some could transform into their wolf form. The man had already announced that it wasn't just a mere fight — it was a fight for survival, so if you didn't want to end up getting killed, then the available option was to kill the other.
They fought in pairs, then in teams, and finally alone against trained warriors. Screams filled the air as the weak were broken. By dusk, only half remained standing. They were either bloody, bruised, and trembling from exhaustion.
Then came the Wolf Bane Test.
As the moon began to rise, the survivors were lined up and forced to inhale smoke from the burning leaves of the wolfbane plant, deadly to werewolves, testing their resistance to pain and poison. The moment the bitter smoke filled her lungs, Valen staggered. Her breath caught, and her body trembled. One by one, others began to fall, some foaming at the mouth, others paralyzed by the pain. Valen held on, barely. Her vision blurred, her knees buckled, but she clenched her jaw and endured.
This was their plan? Wouldn't it have been easier for them to just behead them than make them go through this life-threatening process? She looked at the young men around whom she had once pitied. They were on the floor already.
Only a few of them were still standing.
Her eyes began to fade when a figure emerged and everyone shifted back and bowed their heads. Tall. Calm. Powerful. That was what set him apart.
Valen could hardly get a clear sight of what he looked like.
He walked through the chaos and rows of lifeless bodies like it meant nothing to him, his dark aura parting the haze. He stopped before her, tilted her chin up with a single finger, and looked into her weakening eyes.
"This one, he is mine."
And Valen fell, losing consciousness helplessly.