In a quiet corridor far from the main hall, Killian had Draven pressed against the wall.
"You’re ready," Killian murmured against his ear. "You know what to do."
"The trap is set," Draven breathed. "The marked location. I lead him there, and the terrain does the rest."
"And if he doesn’t follow?"
"Then I make him follow." Draven’s voice was hard. "I’m stronger than him. He’s still weak from the poison. It won’t be a fight it’ll be an execution."
Killian smiled. He cupped Draven’s jaw and kissed him slowly, the way you kiss someone you’re rewarding.
"Good. When this is over, we’ll celebrate. Just the two of us."
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Draven believed him. Draven always believed him. That was what made him so useful.
Killian pulled back and smoothed the front of Draven’s tunic. "Don’t disappoint me."
"I won’t."
Killian walked away. His expression, once he was out of Draven’s sight, was utterly cold.
Valeria stood alone in the senior lecturer’s wing, staring at the cloth in her hands.
It was a binding cloth the same one she’d found in Soren’s suite. She had stolen it that morning, slipping into his room while he was at the assembly. Now she held it up to the light, examining the faint stains, the way the fabric had been worn soft from repeated use.
Binding cloth. The kind a woman used to flatten her chest.
"A prince who never changes in front of others," she murmured to herself. "A prince who flinches when touched. A prince who fights like a dancer and bleeds like the moon." She folded the cloth carefully. "What are you, Thorne Astrlyn? What secret is worth hiding in a den of wolves?"
She didn’t have the full answer yet. But she was close. And the Mistwood would give her the opportunity she needed.
She tucked the cloth into her robes and smiled.
"Soon," she whispered. "Soon I’ll know everything. And when I do, Soren will have no choice but to see you for what you really are."
The recall bell rang an hour later.
Students flooded back into the main hall, confusion rippling through the crowd. Nyra pushed through the bodies, Finn and Marek close behind her. Jasper was already near the front, his sharp eyes fixed on the dais.
"What’s happening?" Finn demanded. "Why are they calling us back?"
"I don’t know," Jasper said. "But it’s not good."
Proctor Kane took the dais once more. His expression was grimmer than before, and when he spoke, his voice carried an urgency that silenced the room instantly.
"There has been a change of plans."
The murmurs died. Every eye fixed on the old Proctor.
"Intelligence has reached the academy board that rogue wolves have been spotted in the Mistwood. These are unaffiliated shifters dangerous, unpredictable, and hostile. They have been attacking travelers and encroaching on academy territory. The board has determined that the standard trial format is no longer viable under these conditions."
He paused, letting the weight of his words settle.
"Effective immediately, the Shadow Trials are restructured. You will no longer be competing in individual pairs. Instead, you will be organized into teams for a mission-based trial. Your objective is to enter the Mistwood, track the rogue wolves, neutralize the threat, and secure the forest perimeter. This is no longer a competition. This is a real mission with real danger. Teamwork will be essential. Combat skill will be tested. And survival is not guaranteed."
The hall erupted. Voices rose in shock, in protest, in fear. Proctor Kane raised his hand, and silence fell again.
"Teams have been assigned. They are non-negotiable. Listen carefully."
He unfurled a scroll and began to read.
"Team Alpha — Soren Thornridge, Lead."
Nyra’s heart stopped.
"Senior members: Orion Hale, Silas Fogwalker, Elias Nightveil. First-year members: Draven Grimscar, Thorne Astrlyn. Instructor in Charge: Senior Lecturer Valeria Morvane."
The names crashed over her like a wave. Soren. Draven. Valeria. Elias Nightveil a senior she barely knew, quiet and watchful. All of them together in the Mistwood.
"Team Beta — Corvin Eldritch, Lead.
Senior members: Lucian Crowe, Kael Ironfang. First-year members: Jasper Reed, Brock Grim, Nicholas Halvik. Instructor in Charge: Master Aldric."
Jasper’s expression didn’t change, but Nyra saw his fingers tighten on his book.
"Team Gamma — Ragnar Blackfang, Lead. Senior members: Mason Ashford, Vesper Kane’s Apprentice. First-year members: Finn Harlan, Marek Stone, Tomas Greer. Instructor in Charge: Senior Lecturer Valdis."
Finn exhaled sharply. "Ragnar. That’s... that’s good, right?"
"Ragnar’s solid," Marek said quietly. "We’ll be fine."
"Team Delta — Senior Lecturer Marrow, Lead. Senior members: Patton Ironwood, Sable Voss, Xavier Reid. First-year members: , Nikolai Voss, Killian Drak. Instructor in Charge: Proctor Vesper Kane."
Other teams were listed out
Nyra’s eyes scanned the final team. Under the Proctor’s direct supervision. She didn’t know whether that made her safer or more afraid.
"These teams will depart at dawn," Proctor Kane concluded. "Use the remainder of today to prepare. Pack light. Train hard. And pray to whatever gods you believe in that the rogues are fewer than we fear. Dismissed."
The hall exploded into chaos.
Nyra stood frozen in the middle of the noise, the names repeating in her head.
Soren. Draven. Valeria. Elias Nightveil. Orion. Silas.
She was on Soren’s team that was the only comfort. But Draven was there too, the boy who had tried to poison her. And Valeria, the woman who wanted her destroyed, was their instructor in charge. And Elias she didn’t know him well, but something about his quiet, watchful presence made her uneasy.
"This is insane," Finn said, appearing at her elbow. "Draven on your team? Valeria in charge? It’s like they want you dead."
"Maybe they do."
"That’s not funny."
"It wasn’t a joke."
Marek pushed through the crowd toward them. "Finn. We need to go. Team Gamma is meeting in the east corridor in ten minutes."
"I’m not leaving her—"
"Go," Nyra said. "I’ll be fine. Soren’s my lead."
"Soren. Right." Finn didn’t look reassured. "And Valeria’s your instructor. And Draven’s on your team. And I’m supposed to just go to my own briefing and pretend everything’s fine?"
"You’re supposed to survive," Nyra said. "That’s all any of us can do."
Finn pulled her into a sudden, fierce hug. "Come back. You hear me? Whatever happens in that forest, you come back."
"I will."
Marek clasped her shoulder. "Watch yourself."
"Always."
Jasper appeared beside them, his face unreadable. "Corvin’s team. I’ll keep an eye on Brock Grim. Make sure he doesn’t try anything."
"Thank you."
"It’s not a favor. It’s strategy." But his eyes were warm.
They dispersed Finn and Marek toward the east corridor, Jasper toward the senior wing where Corvin was gathering his team. Nyra stood alone in the emptying hall.
Across the room, Valeria was watching her. Their eyes met, and Valeria smiled. It was a cold, knowing thing.
Nyra touched the pendant at her throat. Soren’s mother’s pendant. A promise she intended to keep.
She walked toward the west corridor, where Team Alpha was assembling.
Soren was waiting at the door. His arms were crossed, his expression hard.
"You’re on my team," he said.
"I noticed."
"This changes things."
"Does it?"
He didn’t answer. But his eyes dropped to the pendant at her throat, and something in his expression softened just for a moment.
"Stay close to me in the forest," he said. "Whatever happens, don’t wander off. Don’t let Draven get you alone. And don’t trust Valeria."
"I wasn’t planning to."
"Good." He pushed open the door. "Briefing starts now. Let’s go."
Nyra followed him into the room, where Draven sat smirking in the corner, Valeria stood with her arms crossed, and three seniors she barely knew waited to see if she was strong enough to survive.
The Mistwood was waiting.
And somewhere in its depths, so was the trap.