ELLIE’S POV
The storm came like a living thing, swallowing the sky whole and twisting it into a churning mass of slate and shadow. The air thickened, pressing down like a heavy hand. Rain lashed the earth in furious sheets, soaking me to the bone in moments, turning the forest floor into a slick mosaic of mud, shattered leaves, and water-filled hollows. Lightning split the sky in jagged, blinding arcs, and each rumble of thunder shook the ground beneath my feet until it felt like even the trees were holding their breath.
The training clearing was a hollowed space between towering pines, their branches bending under the storm’s relentless weight. I stood in the center, the world blurring at the edges, my heart a drumbeat too fast to control. The wolf inside me was restless, prowling the l
