The wolf without a howl

Episode 3:: Silence

Aurelia Vale's POV

My hands were over the cold crystal.

I held my breath.

This was what I was waiting for.

It was what I had been dreaming of every year that I celebrated my birthday.

And it was what everyone had been whispering about behind my back.

Please...

Just once...

Please.

The crystal didn't move.

There was a pause.

Another.

Another.

I could hear my heart beating in my ears.

There was not a sound in this hall.

Not even a breath.

Nothing.

No light.

No warmth.

No voice crying out my name.

No wolf comes to me.

The hall was so silent I could almost hear my own breathing.

I pushed harder against the crystal as if it would help.

Come on...

Please...

They said Blackthorn, that it awakened wolves that haven't awoken in centuries.

So why...

Why was it not doing anything?

"The crystal isn't working!"

"There's something wrong with it!"

"It isn't..."

A wave of murmuring filled the room and suddenly I was swallowing hard.

Please don't do this to me.

Not here.

Not in front of everyone.

The High Elder was watching the crystal closely and shooting a glance over at the other instructors.

One of them came forward and gently took my hand off the crystal.

He studied it before pressing his palm against it.

The crystal glowed instantly and his eyes went wide.

"It's working fine."

The High Elder shot a glance at me, then back at the crystal.

"The crystal is working fine..."

So why wasn't it working for me?

A wave of murmuring began.

"I knew it!"

"The rumors were true!"

"Her name is Seraphina Vale!"

"Poor girl."

"Imagine being the daughter of Seraphina Vale and becoming a failure like this!"

The words were burning in my ears as I stared down at the polished floor.

I had promised myself that I would not cry.

Not here.

Never in front of people like this.

"Enough already." The High Elder's voice silenced the room instantly and I looked up at him.

There was no pity in his eyes.

Only... disappointment perhaps?

"Aurelia Vale," he said at last.

I looked up at him and forced myself to meet his gaze.

"Your Awakening has... been uneventful."

I blinked.

That was not a word I was expecting to hear.

"Your classification will remain as provisional Omega until further notice."

Omega.

The lowest class.

Even though I was expecting this...

Hearing it was still a disappointment.

"You may return to your place now."

I nodded, and somehow my feet were walking away from the podium.

It was a long walk back.

Even longer with the muttering that followed me.

Some people looked sympathetic.

Most looked pleased.

A couple of them even laughed.

"The famous Seraphina Vale!" one boy said mockingly.

"Waste of space." Another one muttered.

I kept walking.

I couldn't stop.

If I did, I'd never start again.

Maya caught my wrist as soon as I reached the girls.

"Are you alright?"

I gave her a tight smile that didn't quite reach my eyes

"I've had better days."

She looked like she wanted to give me a hug, but thought better of it.

"I'm sorry."

"It's not your fault."

The ceremony was in full swing again and names were being called, wolves were awakening, and cheers were erupting throughout the Grand Hall.

I wasn't paying attention to any of it.

It all sounded like it was happening underwater.

By the time the ceremony was over, I was emotionally drained.

Groups of students were leaving the Grand Hall in excitement, chattering about their classifications and the new wolves that had awoken.

Maya was at my side the entire time, not leaving me be.

She didn't ask me how I was doing.

She simply walked with me side by side.

That was all I needed.

As we walked through the courtyard, people were stopping to stare at me.

"There she is."

"The wolfless girl!"

"She didn't awaken at all!"

"She's definitely staying an Omega."

I kept walking with my eyes forward.

Don't stop.

Don't look at them.

They'll only see what they want to see.

Maya shot a glare at a group of girls who were watching me.

"Do you all have nothing better to do?"

One of them smirked.

"We're just curious."

"Then go satisfy your curiosity somewhere else." I said flatly.

The girls rolled their eyes and walked away.

I let out a quiet sigh.

"You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to." Maya said simply.

"People can be such jerks."

"They're not wrong."

She stopped walking.

"They are."

I looked at her.

"They don't know you."

I smiled softly.

"I don't even know me."

For a moment we simply stood there in silence.

The wind was picking up, carrying the scent of rain through the courtyard.

Students were walking from building to building, lights flickering on one by one as Blackthorn prepared for nightfall.

Yet somehow, I never felt more alone.

When we reached our room, Maya opened the door for me.

Our other roommate was already there, sitting on her bed reading.

She looked up as we walked in.

"So?" Maya asked her, her smile fading as she looked at me.

"It didn't happen."

The girl looked at me for a long second before nodding.

She didn't laugh.

She didn't give me pity either.

She just went back to her book.

Curious.

Oddly enough, I preferred it that way.

Pity is much harder to deal with than silence.

"I think I'm going to take a shower," I murmured.

Maya nodded.

"I'll be here if you need anything."

I disappeared into the bathroom before she could see the tears trailing down my cheek,s.

The cold water felt wonderful as it cascaded over my skin, soaking into my clothes.

I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes.

Why me?

That was the question that was burning in my chest.

Why me?

What did I do to deserve this?

My mother had always believed Blackthorn would awaken my wolf.

I believed it too.

But apparently, it was not meant to be.

After a while, I turned off the water and wiped the tears from my face before walking back out to the room.

The lights were dim and Maya wished me goodnight.

I said nothing as I crawled into my bed, lying on my back and staring up at the ceiling.

The events of the night replayed in my head.

The crystal.

The silence.

The whispers.

The Omega classification.

My chest felt tight.

Perhaps they were right.

Maybe I was not meant to be a legend like my mother.

Maybe I was only meant to be her child.

Outside my window, the academy was quiet, sleeping for the night.

But inside my heart, it was still screaming.

Xavi Blackwood's POV

Another year.

Another awakening ceremony.

Another hall full of first years hoping their names would echo throughout Blackthorn.

I am Xavi Blackwood.

At Blackthorn Academy, my name carries weight.

Not because I was born into this position.

Not because blood runs deeper than loyalty or respect earned through sheer willpower.

But because I am the Student President of Blackthorn Academy.

Highest-ranked student in the school.

I leaned back in my chair at the front of the Grand Hall, one elbow propped up on the arm of the chair.

The ceremony had barely begun, and I was already bored.

Same thing every year.

Hope, fear, celebration, disappointment.

It was all the same except for the faces.

On either side of me sat the three Highborn, each one paying only half attention to the ceremony going on below us.

Kael was almost asleep, Rowan was twirling a pen between his fingers, and Luca had his eyes closed.

For all intents and purposes, he was also asleep.

Below us stood hundreds of new students, all waiting patiently for their turn to awaken.

"They look terrified," Rowan said.

"They should be," I replied easily.

"This isn't exactly a vacation spot."

Rowan smirked.

"I almost forgot you used to be one of them."

"I wasn't terrified."

"No," Luca said with a grin, "You terrified everyone else."

I said nothing as the High Elder ascended the stage, and the moment he opened his mouth, the murmuring in the room ceased.

Good.

At least someone else knew the importance of discipline.

He was giving his usual speech, about Blackthorn, about duty and honor, about strength and perseverance.

The new students were listening as if the words were law, as if they would dictate their future.

And in a way, they were right.

Names began to echo throughout the room, and one by one, the new students stepped up to the podium.

Some awoke powerful wolves, some put on incredible displays of power, and some received only a few polite claps from the crowd before returning to the waiting line.

None of them mattered to me.

It was all potential.

Not results.

Then the announcer called a name that sparked some interest in the room.

"Aurelia Vale."

There was a murmur as soon as her name was called.

"So that's her."

"The daughter of Seraphina Vale."

"I heard she doesn't have a wolf."

I finally looked up at the woman in question.

So that was Aurelia Vale.

She didn't carry herself like someone with the name she did.

She didn't look arrogant or like she expected everyone to kneel before her.

If anything, she looked as if she was walking towards her own execution.

Interesting.

She stopped before the crystal and fell silent for the briefest of moments.

The entire hall was hushed; even Rowan stopped playing with his pen.

Aurelia raised her hand and placed it against the crystal.

Nothing happened.

There was a pause.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three.

Then the whispers began.

"I knew it."

"The rumors were true."

"What a waste."

I watched the woman as she stood there, hand pressed against the crystal, and for the first time in my life I felt sympathy for her.

No tears, no anger, no excuses.

She just stood there, as if she was willing the crystal to do its job.

Finally, the High Elder spoke, ending her miserable performance and allowing her to return to the other students.

As she walked back to her place in line, I noted the looks on people's faces.

Pity, amusement, disdain.

Blackthorn never favored weakness, and it certainly wasn't going to start now.

Rowan whistled low.

"Seraphina Vale isn't going to be happy."

Kael crossed his arms over his chest.

"I expected more." So did everyone else," Luca said.

I stood.

My presence alone was enough to shut them up and make them all look at me.

"If you're finished judging first-years after five minutes..." I buttoned up my blazer

"...then remember you're representing Blackthorn." before speaking.

"It's not a game," I said simply.

They looked at me, with surprise in their expressions.

"It's not entertainment." I continued.

"We waste enough time as it is."

I turned away from them and walked towards the exit.

As I left, the ceremony was still ongoing, names being called, wolves being born, cheers erupting from excited crowds.

It all sounded wonderful.

Truly, it did.

But tomorrow classes would start.

By next week, these students would realize that awakening a wolf wasn't nearly as difficult as everything else Blackthorn had in store for them.

Discipline, combat, strategy, and missions.

That was where reputations were truly made.