The academy was never silent. Even late at night, muffled voices and distant footsteps echoed through the stone corridors, a constant reminder that danger lurked around every corner. Rai had grown used to it, adapting to the ever-present hum of alphas testing dominance, training, or simply existing in a space where weakness meant death.
She sat on the edge of her bed, methodically wrapping her bruised wrists. The fabric was old and worn, the edges frayed from endless hours of combat. Her muscles ached, but she had learned to push past the pain. Weakness was not an option—not when she was already walking the thinnest line between survival and exposure.
The door swung open, and she instinctively stiffened, muscles coiling in anticipation of a threat.
Khael.
He strode inside with his usua
