Aria's POV
Monday morning arrived with the kind of crisp clarity that felt like destiny announcing itself. I woke before dawn, not because of nerves—though there were plenty of those—but because my body seemed to understand that today was different from every other day I'd spent at the Academy.
Today was the day I proved myself worthy of becoming the first female Alpha in generations.
Even if no one would know that's what I was doing.
"Ready?" Caspian asked as we made our way to the Academy training grounds at 7:45 AM.
"As ready as someone can be for a performance that has to be perfect but not too perfect, impressive but not suspiciously impressive."
"You'll find the balance."
"I'd better. Because if I mess this up, everything I've worked for becomes meaningless."
The training gro
