Sylvara Pov
The training ground fell quiet when Kaelen stepped forward.
It wasn't sudden. It was the kind of silence that spread slowly, like everyone felt him before they saw him. Conversations died. Laughter faded. Even the restless shifting of wolves eased as attention turned toward the raised stone platform.
He stood tall, dark armor catching the light, presence heavy enough to press against my chest from across the arena.
I straightened without thinking.
Kaelen lifted one hand, and the last sounds vanished.
"Today," he said, his voice carrying easily over the grounds, "we begin the second stage of the trial."
His gaze moved over the crowd, the clans, the competitors waiting below. Calm. Cold. In control.
"The first stage tested endurance," he continued. "It s
