The Beginning of Her End
1062 Words
"I should take a bath." I mumbled as I locked the door firmly and began to take off my clothes.
My anger disappeared after I closed the bathroom door and removed my underwear.
What I saw made me feel shock.
I found blood on my underwear.
I stood there staring at it.
My mind became completely empty.
No.
No, no, no—
Not at this moment.
I walked forward with trembling hands because my chest felt tight with every step.
My menstrual period had begun.
Panic attacked me because I breathed out a sharp breath.
The blood.
The odor.
The spell.
All the information Morveth had warned me about returned to my memory.
“The spell will lose its power when your body enters a heat cycle.”
Excessive blood loss will result in complete spell failure.
I needed to hold the sink edge tightly to stabilize my body.
I needed to concentrate my thoughts.
The slightest odor would result in my complete loss.
The complete loss would happen to me.
I breathed in an irregular pattern while I moved forward to gather cloth and resolve the problem. My hands worked fast, but my mind was racing faster.
This situation existed beyond my capacity to conceal.
Not here.
Not surrounded by wolves.
I forced my jaw to tighten while I attempted to concentrate my attention.
I needed to control the situation.
I had no alternative choice.
I quickly changed my clothes by removing my current outfit and placing it in a different location. The scent clung to them. I could smell it now that I was paying attention.
The odor became excessive.
The hazard level reached extreme limits.
My eyes searched the room for any objects which could provide assistance.
And then I remembered.
Zevarion.
His clothes.
I hesitated for only a second.
Then I moved.
—
Back in the dorm, I went straight to his side of the room.
I acted without thinking about the situation. I acted without doubting the situation.
I opened his storage to take one of his shirts.
The shirt contained his scent.
The scent was strong. The scent was sharp. The scent was dominant.
The item would conceal my scent completely.
I hoped the item would accomplish this task.
I quickly put it on, but the fabric hung loosely on my body. The scent surrounded me immediately, stronger than anything else.
Good.
That was good.
I tightened the cloth under my clothes while I took a step back to control my breathing.
Calm down.
You’ve handled worse.
But that wasn’t true.
Nothing had ever felt this dangerous.
My entire body froze when someone knocked suddenly on the door.
My heart jumped into my throat.
"Kaiven Dorne."
I didn’t move.
"Open the door."
I walked toward the door, but I moved in slow, controlled motions. A junior staff member stood at the door waiting for me to open it.
"Yes?" I asked.
"The academy heads have requested your presence," he said.
My stomach dropped.
"Now?" I asked.
"Yes. Immediately."
Of course.
Always immediately.
I nodded once. "I’ll be there."
He left without another word.
I stood there for a moment after the door closed.
I looked down at my body.
I looked down at my hands.
The way my body felt slightly… off.
The spell.
I could feel it.
Not broken.
But not stable either.
Flickering.
The chest area of my body suddenly became tight again.
If they smell even a trace…
I swallowed hard.
Then I stepped out. The walk to the council chamber felt longer than it should have.
The guards opened the doors when I arrived at the entrance without speaking.
I entered the room.
The space was occupied.
The academy leaders maintained their serious expressions while they took their seats in the front. Some instructors stood nearby.
“Kaiven Dorne,” one of the heads said. “Step closer.”
I approached the front.
I maintained straight posture while my facial expression remained peaceful.
My inner feelings were completely different.
“We’ve heard certain… discussions about you,” another head said.
I remained silent.
“Rumors,” the first one added. “That you are… weaker than expected.”
I maintained a neutral expression while saying, “Rumors are common.”
Some of them shared glances with each other.
“Yes,” one said. “They are.”
The group paused.
Then—
“There are also suggestions that you may be… an omega.”
My heart pounded inside my chest.
But I didn’t react.
I remained completely still.
“I am,” I said.
“All students must meet a certain standard,” he continued. “Those who fall below it are removed from the academy.”
“I understand,” I said.
“Good,” he replied. “Then we begin with the first test.”
I confirmed with a nod.
“The transformation.”
I experienced a complete internal shutdown.
“Shift,” he said simply.
The room became completely silent.
My throat became dry.
“I can’t,” I said.
The words came out before I could stop them.
A few of them frowned.
“Explain,” one demanded.
I forced myself to meet their gaze.
“I don’t have a wolf.”
The look on their faces told me all I needed to know.
Murmurs spread through the room.
“That’s impossible,” one of them said.
“It’s not,” I replied quietly. “ I have no wolf.”
Another head leaned forward. “You are telling us that the heir of Ironclaw has no wolf?”
“Yes.
The room became silent.
The space between us became heavy with unspoken tension.
I could feel eyes on me from every direction.
“Okay, in that case,” the man began. “We will use alternative methods to assess your abilities.”
The space became still for a moment.
“The River Trial.”
The words landed in the space between us like a heavy object.
I didn’t know what it was.
But I could tell it wasn’t easy.
“It will determine endurance,” he continued. “Strength. Survival.”
“What will happen if he does not pass?” someone inquired.
“Then we have our answer.” The man replied.
I swallowed slowly. “When? When is the test?”
“Now,” he said.
- Writer
