"This is about the pack not about you."
Speaking to Luca and me in the council room, the older man's voice was piercing and relentless. His sharp eyes swept between us, clearly disapproving.
"You survived a few challenges, so you believe you have proved yourselves? Elder Marlon went on with his sharp tone. "Survival is just one aspect of leadership. It's about consistency, selflessness, and winning the respect of those you oversee.
With his grey eyes ablaze with anger, Luca continued, "We have done everything you have asked." "What more are you hoping for?'''
Marlon said, looking at me, "To see if your bond can hold under pressure.
The pack is still divided, and unless you prove that you're worthy of their trust, this bond will tear us apart."
The weight of the pack elders' judgement pressing down on us made the room's tension intolerable. I tightened my hands; my brand burned weakly beneath my sleeve.
And how do you suggest we do that? "I inquired, my voice calm amid the tempest of emotions whirling within me.
Though it did not reach his eyes, Marlon grinned slightly. "A test. One that will compel you to face not only your shortcomings but also your strengths. Should you be successful, the pack will be obliged to follow you. Should you falter...
Luca's voice strong, "We won't fail," he said.
The older eyebrows but refrained from arguing. Rather, he motioned for us to follow him, his long robes swinging as he walked us out the room into the jungle.
The test started at the brink of the woodland, where the pack had assembled in quiet tension. In the middle of the clearing, a big circle had been cleared; its edges pulsed slightly in the moonlight from brilliant marks.
"This circle is enchanted," Marlon said, his voice echoing over the audience. "It will highlight the truth of your bond—the strength, the cracks, and the sacrifices you must make to keep it whole."
"What does it imply? My chest tightened as I asked.
You will see, he replied vaguely, his eyes keen. "Enter both of you, step inside."
Luca and I looked at one other then entered the circle silently. The air got thick with an intensity I could not place as the instant we passed the barrier the rune blazed with light.
As the environment changed, the whispers of the pack vanished into quiet. The woodland vanished, then a great swath of dazzling light emerged.
The necklace around my neck throbbed in time with the mark on my wrist, and I felt a draw deep within me dragging me towards Luca.
"This is what is happening. "My voice shook as I whispered.
"The test," Luca muttered, his mouth stiff.
The first difficult obstacle arrived fast. From the light shadows emerged, their shapes changing and amorphous. Their voices low and eerie surrounding us.
You will never be strong enough.
The relationship is a curse, not a gift.
Like everyone else, you will fail.
I staggered at their words, my fears surfacing like poison. But suddenly Luca's voice emerged from the cacophony, consistent and unbroken.
"They're wrong," he continued, staring squarely at me. You are more robust than this. We outweigh this.
His words helped me to ground me; I inhaled deeply and used pure will to drive the shadows backwards. Though they vanished into the light, the strain persisted.
The second difficulty was harsher. Before us emerged a clear, relentless vision. With angry and betrayed eyes, it depicted the pack turning against us.
"This is your fault," one of them said with venomous voice. "The bond brought us only disaster."
"No," I answered with shaking voice. "That isn't true."
Surely it is. The vision sought for. Look at the things you have lost.
Examine the things you have given up for something never intended for you.
Panic starting in my chest, I looked to Luca. "What would happen if they were right?''
"They're not," he insisted, approaching closely. "This link transcends mere test value." That is a promise. Neither are we breaking it.
His comments warmed me, and the vision broke and we were left by ourselves in the sunshine once again.
The last test was unlike anything I had anticipated. Before us emerged a man covered in darkness but definitely recognizable.
Luca said, "Father," his voice tinged with both astonishment and loss.
The darkness moved towards us, its voice low and resonant. "Luca, you failed this pack. You have allowed your emotions distort your judgement, and now you are guiding them towards disaster.
"That's not true," Luca muttered, his hands closing. "I have done everything I could to keep them safe."
"Has you? The shadow retorted. "Or have you allowed your relationship with her sidetrack you from your obligation?„
The charge cut right away, and I moved ahead, simmering with resentment. "The bond doesn't weaken him," I remarked, voice calm.
"It gives him more strength. We strengthen each other.
The shadow stopped, its shape flitting. Then prove it, it said, then vanish into the light.
One last time the runes blazed, and the light around us darkened. Back in the jungle, the pack watched in nervous quiet as the illumination of the circle darkened.
"What did you notice? "Marlon broke the quiet with a question.
"Enough to know we passed," Luca answered, his voice calm but somewhat tired.
The older examined us for a long time before nodding. For now, you have proved yourself. Still, leadership is not a one-test phenomenon. One lifetime of decisions is involved. Keep in mind.
The brand on my wrist burned weak as the pack scattered and the jewelry around my neck flashed with brightness. In my head, a gentle murmur repeated:
"Still to come is the toughest test."
Heart thumping, I looked at Luca. "What do you suppose this suggests?— "
"I'm not sure," he responded, his face bleak. We will, however, confront it together.