A month of training and bonding passed. Between grueling classes, constant sparring, and long conversations with Tessa, time flew by. Now, standing on the massive teleportation platform with hundreds of other students, Vale couldn't stop his heart from racing.
The instructors' shouts echoed across the field.
"Stay calm, follow instructions, and everything will go smoothly! You'll be teleported to the Nightworld city of Widow—a secure area under academy control. This will be your first real experience of what it means to be a Nightborn!"
Around him, Vale could feel it all. Anxiety rolled off some students in waves, sharp and electric. A few radiated excitement, their nervous energy buzzing like static. And then, there was the fear—the heavy, suffocating dread that hung in the air like smoke. It crawled under his skin, making his palms clammy and his breaths shallow.
He clenched his fists, trying to focus. This is just another step. I can do this. I have to do this.
The blue circle beneath his feet began to glow. But unlike the steady, unwavering light of the others, his flickered and dimmed sporadically.
"I think something's wrong with my—"
Before he could finish, everything went dark.
When Vale opened his eyes, he was on his back, the cold ground biting into him. The air was damp and thick, heavy with the scent of earth and stone. He sat up slowly, his head pounding and his breath shaky.
Reaching out, his fingers brushed against rough, uneven walls. He was in a cave. The darkness around him felt oppressive, pressing in from all sides.
His heart pounded in his chest, loud and insistent. For a moment, the familiar panic clawed at him, trying to take hold. Stay calm. Breathe. Think.
He forced himself to take a few steady breaths. The fear was there, but he shoved it aside. He'd been through worse. He could handle this.
Stumbling toward a faint glow ahead, Vale finally emerged from the cave. The light of the alien sun cast long shadows across the barren landscape. Rocks and twisted trees littered the ground, and the air felt... wrong. Heavy.
Then he saw it.
A creature stood about ten meters away. Its sleek black fur glistened unnaturally, muscles rippling beneath its skin. Its glowing yellow eyes locked onto him, full of hunger and malice. Drool dripped from its bared fangs, sizzling as it hit the dirt.
But it wasn't just a wolf. Its tail—long and segmented like a scorpion's—swayed behind it, the barb at the end gleaming like polished obsidian.
A chill ran down Vale's spine. He reached out with his senses and was hit with a wave of emotion so intense it almost made him stagger.
Bloodlust. Hunger. Rage.
The creature's emotions filled him, sharp and overwhelming. It wasn't just looking at him. It wanted him—his flesh, his blood. It wanted to kill.
His hands shook as he drew his blade. The weight of it felt heavier than ever.
"Shit..." he muttered under his breath, his voice trembling.
The wolf's growl rumbled low and deep, vibrating through the air.
It charged.
The speed was unreal, the distance between them vanishing in an instant. Vale barely had time to react, instinctively sidestepping and swinging his blade.
The sword bit into its side, a shallow cut. Blood sprayed across the ground, but the creature barely flinched.
Fear. Vale reached out with his ability, planting the emotion in its mind.
For a moment, the wolf hesitated, its movements faltering. But only for a moment. Its rage burned through the fear, intensifying.
"Shit, shit, shit!" Vale cursed, backing away as the creature lunged again.
This time, it was faster. Too fast.
The wolf's massive body slammed into him, pinning him to the ground. The impact knocked the air from his lungs, and his sword was wrenched from his grasp, skittering across the dirt.
Hot, rancid breath washed over his face as the wolf snarled, its fangs inches from his throat.
Panic surged through Vale like a tidal wave. His mind raced, every instinct screaming at him to do something—anything.
Fear. He pushed again, harder this time.
The wolf hesitated, its primal instincts warring with the sudden terror flooding its mind. It pulled back slightly, giving him just enough room to move.
Adrenaline surged through him. With a guttural roar, Vale reached up, his hands finding the creature's face. His thumbs pressed into its glowing eyes, digging deep.
The wolf let out a piercing howl, thrashing wildly.
"FUCK YOU!" Vale screamed, his voice raw and filled with rage.
With one final shove, he pushed the wolf off him and scrambled to his feet. Blood dripped from his arms and shoulders, his breaths coming in ragged gasps.
The creature was blinded now, stumbling and snarling in pain.
Vale didn't hesitate. He grabbed his sword and charged, his vision narrowing to a single point.
He slashed and stabbed, over and over, his blade sinking into flesh and bone.
"Die! DIE!" he roared, each strike fueled by desperation and fury.
When the creature finally stopped moving, its body a broken heap, Vale collapsed beside it.
His chest heaved, his hands trembling as he stared at the sky. Blood—both his and the wolf's—soaked his clothes and stained his skin.
He let out a shuddering breath, his vision blurring.
"I'm alive..." he whispered, his voice barely audible.
The words felt hollow. The pain in his shoulder throbbed, his entire body aching. But beneath the pain was something else.
A flicker of pride.
He had survived.