The sun hung low in the sky as the first-years gathered on the training grounds, each student filled with a mix of excitement and nerves. It was the day of the group hunt, an annual test designed to assess the potential of the students. Each group would be tasked with hunting down a designated creature in the nearby forest, and their performance would be evaluated based on teamwork, strategy, and combat prowess.
I stood at the back of the crowd, my hands tucked into the pockets of my robes, eyes scanning the familiar faces. Reynard Vale, the noble's son; Dain Ashford, the strongman with a tendency to underestimate others; and of course, Ilya Ferros, the sharp-eyed archer. They were all there, and it was only a matter of time before they would be thrust into the center of the academy's greatest conflicts.
I wasn't meant to be part of their story. I wasn't meant to be involved in their struggles. But as the instructor called out the groups, I felt a sinking feeling in my stomach when my name was called alongside Ilya's.
It seemed the world had other plans for me.
Ilya didn't look at me as she walked past to take her place at the front of the group. Her eyes were fixed ahead, her expression unreadable. I couldn't help but wonder if she had sensed something was off about me. Or if she was just as intent on completing the hunt as anyone else.
We moved toward the edge of the forest, where the shadows began to stretch long under the fading light. The trees whispered above us, their branches creaking with the wind. For a moment, I felt an almost unnatural stillness, as if the world itself were holding its breath.
I walked quietly behind her, keeping my distance. The others chatted quietly among themselves, discussing their strategies for the hunt. I didn't have a plan. My only goal was to get through this without drawing attention to myself. I wasn't here to prove anything to anyone.
But even as I tried to ignore them, I could feel their presence—the weight of their expectations, the subtle pull of their storylines, intertwining and pulling at me, like threads woven too tightly together.