We moved quickly.

  The deeper we traveled, the stronger my unease grew. The forest was too quiet. The only sounds were the occasional crunch of leaves beneath our feet and the distant cries of unknown creatures.

  "Are we sure this is the right way?" Ethan asked, gripping his staff tighter.

  "We're close," I said. "Another few minutes, and we should reach the river."

  Reyn adjusted his glasses. "If Cedric's team got there first, we might have to fight for a water source."

  Lyra shivered. "And if we run into Aeris?"

  I didn't answer.

  We didn't have the luxury of changing our route. We needed the river.

  But as we approached, something felt… wrong.

  The First Warning

  A gust of wind rustled through the trees. It was subtle, but something about it felt off.

  I stopped. "Wait."

  Ethan nearly bumped into me. "What? What's wrong?"

  I knelt and touched the soil. It was damp. But not from water.

  It was sticky.

  Stolen story; please report.

  I raised my fingers. A dark crimson liquid coated them.

  "Blood," I muttered.

  Lyra gasped. "Blood?! Here? Already?"

  Reyn narrowed his eyes. "Did another team fight here?"

  I shook my head. The blood was still warm. This wasn't a simple clash between students.

  Something else had spilled it.

  And then I heard it.

  A low growl.

  The Hunt Begins

  The trees rustled. The shadows shifted.

  Then, in the blink of an eye, it appeared.

  A beast stepped out from the dense foliage.

  Its fur was pitch black, blending seamlessly into the darkness. Its eyes burned with a pale silver glow, and its claws dripped with fresh blood. It was a wolf, but twice the size of a normal one, with sharpened fangs that glistened like steel.

  It wasn't alone.

  More emerged from the trees—a pack.

  "These… aren't normal beasts," Reyn whispered.

  I gripped my sword. "No, they're not."

  The Ambush

  The lead wolf moved first.

  It lunged at me with unnatural speed, its fangs aiming straight for my throat.

  Clang!

  I barely raised my sword in time to block. The impact sent a shockwave through my arms, but I held firm.

  The second wolf leaped at Ethan. He barely dodged, falling backward.

  Lyra raised her hands, trying to conjure a fire spell—but nothing happened. She froze.

  "Damn it!" Reyn pulled out a small dagger, but his hands shook. "This isn't like sparring at the academy!"

  Of course it wasn’t.

  This wasn’t training.

  This was life or death.

  The Awakening Instinct

  The lead wolf snarled and lunged again.

  This time, I moved faster.

  I sidestepped at the last moment, twisting my blade. The wolf's momentum carried it forward—straight into my sword.

  A deep slash cut across its side. It yelped, blood spraying onto the dirt.

  But I barely had time to react before the others attacked.

  One came from my right. Another from behind.

  I didn't think.

  I felt.

  The air shifted. I could see the tiny particles of movement. The wolves' mana flickered like flames, revealing their paths before they even moved.

  I spun, blade flashing.

  Slash!

  The second wolf went down.

  The third hesitated.

  It saw the blood of its packmates pooling on the ground. And it saw me, standing firm, my blade dripping red.

  I wasn't just fighting.

  I was hunting them.

  And they knew it.

  The Wolves Retreat

  The pack leader let out a guttural growl before fading into the shadows.

  One by one, the other wolves followed, disappearing into the darkness.

  Just like that, they were gone.

  Lyra collapsed to her knees. "I-I thought we were dead…"

  Ethan wiped his forehead. "I couldn't even react fast enough."

  Reyn adjusted his glasses, still catching his breath. "You… you moved like you knew where they would attack."

  I exhaled, lowering my sword.

  Because, for a moment—I did.

  The Unnatural Forest

  I glanced at the trees. The unnatural stillness returned.

  This wasn’t just a survival test.

  Something else was in this forest.

  Watching us.

  Testing us.

  And I had a feeling…