Violet's heart raced, her pulse pounding in her ears as she fought to maintain control over the raging phoenix fire inside her. Lilith's dragon-like eyes gleamed with amusement as she struck, her movements fluid and fast, like a serpent coiling for the kill. Every time she lunged at Violet, the force of the attack sent a tremor of energy through the arena, shaking the stone floor beneath their feet.
The air between them crackled with tension.
"You're holding back," Lilith taunted, her smirk widening. "You think you can win this without unleashing your power? You're weak."
Violet's breath came in shallow bursts. She could feel the fire building inside her, the urge to burn everything in her path. It was so tempting—so easy to give in. All she had to do was let go. But if she did, she risked everything. The academy would see her as nothing more than a dangerous weapon, out of control, no better than the monsters they all feared. Worse, she might lose herself completely, just like her father had warned her.
"I'm not weak," she whispered under her breath, her voice barely audible over the sound of their clash. She blocked Lilith's strike, barely staying on her feet. "I'm not like you."
But even as she spoke, she felt the pressure mounting, the urge to rise—to let the flames of the phoenix within her burn everything to the ground. She clenched her fists, forcing the power back down. Just a little longer.
Across the arena, Ash was struggling with his own battle. Cassius was a behemoth, towering over Ash, his claws slashing through the air with an unnatural speed. The vampire-werewolf hybrid's movements were brutal, primal, and raw. But Ash wasn't the same boy he used to be. His body was shifting—tearing between his wolf instincts and the dragon inside him, two wild beasts fighting for dominance. The wolf wanted to run, to tear his opponent apart with ruthless efficiency, while the dragon inside demanded to burn the arena to the ground in an explosion of pure fire.
"Stay calm," Ash muttered to himself, barely dodging a swipe from Cassius. His body was trembling from the effort of holding back the surge of power within him. The wolf wanted freedom, and the dragon wanted chaos.
He felt his claws extend, sharp and lethal. "Just hold it together, Ash," he growled, his voice barely above a whisper.
But the more he fought, the more the blood of both the werewolf and dragon surged within him, making the pressure unbearable.
"Come on, boy!" Cassius roared, his fangs bared, and the sound of his monstrous howl echoed through the arena. "Fight me, or you'll never win!"
Ash's breath came in harsh bursts as the call of the wolf intensified, clawing at his sanity, while the deep, primal fire of the dragon burned hotter. He could feel the transformation coming. He was losing his grip.
Meanwhile, Violet blocked another strike from Lilith, her wings fluttering out of instinct, as if they, too, were urging her to release the fire. She could feel her heartbeat in her throat, each thud a reminder of how close she was to the edge. But even as the fire inside her began to burn brighter, she held it in, just long enough to dodge Lilith's next strike.
"You're so predictable." Lilith's voice was filled with contempt, and Violet felt a surge of anger. "You won't win if you don't trust your power. You're just a scared little girl hiding behind your control."
That stung.
Violet's eyes narrowed. She could feel the fire inside her pushing harder, clawing at her, demanding to be freed. "I'm not scared," she hissed, her voice cold, her fangs gleaming in the dim light of the arena. She stepped forward, blocking another of Lilith's attacks with more force than before.
"Prove it."
Without warning, Lilith launched herself forward, her claws extended and her mouth open in a vicious snarl. Violet's mind screamed at her to step aside, to avoid the impact. But something inside her snapped.
The fire inside her surged.
It wasn't a massive outburst, but it was enough. Enough to burn.
With a roar, Violet unleashed a blast of fire that came from deep within her—bright, hot, and consuming. Lilith's eyes widened as the flames shot toward her, but the dragon-shifter's reflexes were fast. She leaped backward, narrowly avoiding the flames, but not before the heat singed her skin.
Violet stood, chest heaving, watching the smoke rise from the arena floor. Her heart was pounding, her body trembling from the effort of holding back so much power.
Lilith's eyes flickered with irritation, but also something deeper—respect.
"Impressive," she muttered, her dragon-like voice tinged with grudging admiration. "But don't think you've won. This is far from over."
Violet took a deep breath, the fire still burning within her but now under control. "I'm not done yet," she said, more to herself than to Lilith. She wasn't going to let this academy break her. Not now. Not when everything she had fought for—her control, her strength, and her bond with Ash—was on the line.
Across the arena, Ash was on his knees, barely managing to hold back the shift. His muscles trembled as he fought the overwhelming urge to let his dragon take over, but the wolf side of him was stronger, more feral, clawing its way through the transformation. His breath came in short, jagged bursts as the air around him heated.
"Ash!" Violet shouted, her voice filled with panic. She could feel his struggle in their bond—the burn, the pull, the chaos. The bond between them was tugging at her like a thread about to snap.
Cassius stepped forward, sensing Ash's weakness. "Is that all you've got, wolf?"
The words were a challenge—one that Ash couldn't ignore.
In that moment, everything changed.
Ash's body trembled violently as the shift began. His wolf instincts screamed at him to fight, to tear Cassius apart, to end it all in a rush of primal rage. But beneath the surface, he could feel the dragon, pushing against the bars of his restraint. He was on the edge, his power at its breaking point.
"I won't lose control," he whispered to himself, his voice hoarse with effort.
But it was too late. The transformation had begun.
His muscles expanded as the wolf within him howled to be set free, but the dragon blood surged through him with even more intensity, burning in his veins like molten lava. His skin rippled as the transformation began to take on a terrifying, brutal shape. Ash's golden eyes burned brighter than ever, the animal within him unleashed in a blaze of fury.
The battle for control was lost.
In the center of the arena, Professor Kaelen stood watching, his eyes cold and calculating. The test was far from over. For some, this was the moment where their futures were decided. And for Ash and Violet, it was only the beginning of something far darker than either of them had expected.