MARKED BY THE CURSED ALPHA

CHAPTER 9

Damon's POV

The Observation Hall remained silent except for the occasional clicking of keyboards and the soft hum of dozens of massive screens covering the walls from floor to ceiling. Every corner of the Maze of Shadows was displayed in real time, allowing the palace to monitor every contestant without their knowledge. Some screens showed frightened girls wandering aimlessly through the fog, while others captured contestants arguing over which path to take. A few had already fallen into hidden pits, their desperate screams echoing through the forest as palace guards silently marked their locations for retrieval after the trial ended. None of it stirred the slightest emotion within me. Seated at the head of the room in a black leather chair, I watched the unfolding chaos with my legs crossed, one hand resting lazily against the armrest. To everyone around me, this was a competition. To me, it was a test. A future Luna of Blackwood Palace could never be weak, careless, or dependent on luck. She needed intelligence, courage, discipline, and the ability to remain calm when fear consumed everyone else. Those who lacked those qualities had already lost before entering the maze. Around me, dozens of warriors, strategists, and palace officials observed the screens in complete silence, each waiting for my reaction. They knew better than to interrupt my thoughts unless spoken to first.

The large doors behind me opened quietly, and Ethan entered the hall carrying a black folder beneath his arm. Every guard immediately lowered his head in respect as he approached. "Alpha," he greeted before stopping beside my chair. I gave a slight nod without taking my eyes off the screens. "Report." Ethan opened the folder. "Thirty-eight contestants remain active. Two have already triggered elimination traps after ignoring the marked pathways. Medical teams have recovered them." He flipped another page. "Contestant Four attempted to steal another participant's supplies before abandoning her teammate. Contestant Eleven panicked after becoming separated from her group and has been walking in circles for nearly forty minutes. Contestant Nineteen ignored every warning written on her map and is currently trapped inside one of the maze's dead zones." Several officers quietly recorded every detail while I listened without expression. Human behavior fascinated me. Fear revealed people's true nature far better than comfort ever could. Some became selfish. Others became reckless. A few surprised even themselves. That was precisely why the Survival Game existed. It stripped away masks until nothing remained except the truth. Ethan closed the folder before speaking again. "Would you like the guards to intervene if more contestants become trapped?" His question caused every pair of eyes in the room to shift toward me.

For several moments, I said nothing. My gaze remained fixed on a screen showing two contestants desperately arguing over which direction to take. Their voices grew louder until one shoved the other to the ground before running away alone. I watched the abandoned girl slowly break down in tears before quietly turning toward Ethan. "No." My voice remained calm, yet the single word carried enough weight to silence the entire hall. "The moment we interfere..." I continued, "...the trial loses its purpose." Ethan nodded once, already knowing my answer before asking the question. "Mercy has no place in the Survival Game." No one dared disagree. Beyond the walls of Blackwood Palace, the world believed I was simply Damon Blackwood, the country's youngest billionaire and CEO of Blackwood Holdings. Inside these walls, however, I ruled by entirely different laws. Weakness endangered the pack. Hesitation invited betrayal. Only those capable of surviving under impossible circumstances deserved a place beside the Alpha King. My eyes slowly swept across the countless screens once more, searching not for the strongest contestant... but for the one who thought differently from everyone else. My attention shifted from one screen to another as contestants stumbled through the Maze of Shadows. Some rushed forward without thinking, triggering hidden traps that immediately eliminated them. Others wasted precious time arguing with teammates before eventually separating, convinced they could survive alone. One girl attempted to steal another contestant's food before abandoning her in a dead-end path, while another sat beneath a tree crying, too terrified to continue. Every decision, every mistake, and every act of betrayal unfolded before us in complete clarity. Around the Observation Hall, several officials quietly discussed the contestants' performances as scribes recorded every action. "Contestant Fourteen lacks composure," one strategist remarked. "Contestant Nine is physically strong but acts without thinking," another added. Ethan calmly listened before making notes inside his folder. To everyone else, these women were merely contestants. To me, they were being measured against impossible standards. A future Luna could not survive through strength alone. Intelligence, patience, leadership, and the ability to make the right decision under pressure mattered far more than swinging a sword. Most of the contestants had already disappointed me. They allowed panic to control them, exactly as I had expected.

Just as I was about to turn my attention elsewhere, one particular screen caught my eye. Five young women had stopped in the middle of the maze instead of blindly continuing forward. Rather than arguing, they gathered together and spread several pieces of paper across a large rock. "Zoom in," I ordered. One of the operators immediately adjusted the camera until the group filled the enormous screen before us. Silence settled over the Observation Hall. The brunette I recognized as Contestant Twenty-Seven studied the papers without speaking, allowing the others to voice their opinions first. One contestant pointed toward a corner of her map, another compared strange markings, while a third quietly placed hers beside the others. The brunette remained focused, her eyes moving carefully from one sheet to the next. Then, without hesitation, she rearranged the papers. One piece connected perfectly with another... then another... until all five formed a single complete map. A low murmur spread through the room. One of the senior warriors took an unconscious step forward. "Impossible..." he whispered. "They solved it." Another strategist adjusted his glasses in disbelief. "No team has completed the map puzzle that quickly before." Ethan slowly lowered the folder in his hands, unable to hide the surprise in his eyes. "Interesting..."

I remained silent, my gaze never leaving the screen. What caught my attention wasn't merely the solution itself. It was the way Contestant Twenty-Seven had reached it. She hadn't pushed herself to the front or demanded everyone listen to her. She observed first. She allowed every member of her group to contribute before making her conclusion. Even after solving the puzzle, she shared the credit instead of claiming it for herself. Leadership without arrogance... confidence without pride. Those qualities were far rarer than physical strength. "Contestant Twenty-Seven," I repeated quietly, my voice almost lost beneath the hum of the monitors. Ethan glanced toward me. "Yes, Alpha?" My eyes remained fixed on the screen as the five women folded the completed map and disappeared deeper into the maze together. "Keep watching her." Ethan gave a respectful nod. "Do you believe she could be the one?" he asked after a brief silence. For several moments, I didn't answer. Then I slowly leaned back in my chair. "No." The room remained silent