The chamber of judgment burned with ancient power. Aria had thought she had grown used to the atmosphere of the Council's halls, the way the carved wolf statues seemed to breathe as though alive, the way the air hummed with the weight of centuries. But this...this was different. The Trial by Fire wasn't just a ritual. It was a crucible. A stage where life and death blurred, where even the strongest could be reduced to ash.
The circular arena lay sunken into the floor, a pit surrounded by tiers of stone seating where wolves, both human and half-shifted, crowded close to witness. Torches lined the walls, their flames wild and restless, casting jagged shadows across the ground. The stone floor bore old scars cracks, burn marks, faint stains of battles long past. It smelled of smoke, sweat, and iron.
At the far end of the circle, Damien stood stripped of his black jacket, his chest bare beneath the flickering torchlight. Every muscle was taut with tension, his golden eyes locked forward, unflinching. He looked carved from shadow and fire, but Aria could see the storm brewing inside him. His fate wasn't his own it was theirs. If he failed, she would be lost. If he broke, everything between them would shatter.
"By decree of the Council," intoned Elder Kaelen, his voice booming from the stone balcony above, "the Alpha Damien will face the Trial by Fire. His strength, loyalty, and right to lead shall be tested before the pack and the spirits. He shall endure combat until either his challenger yields… or death claims one."
A murmur rippled through the crowd. Wolves howled low and guttural, their voices vibrating in Aria's bones. She clenched the rail at the edge of the gallery, her nails digging into the stone.
Lila was at her side, her face pale. She whispered, "The Trial isn't meant to be fair. They'll choose the fiercest of warriors. They want blood."
Aria swallowed hard. "He'll survive. He has to."
The first challenger entered the circle, a mountain of a wolf, half-shifted with claws like daggers and fur bristling across his arms. His yellow eyes burned with hunger. He cracked his neck as though preparing to break Damien's in the same motion.
A roar from the crowd signaled the fight's start.
The wolf lunged, faster than his bulk should allow. Damien sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the swipe of claws that carved sparks into the stone. He countered with a blow to the ribs, his fist landing with a crack that echoed, but the wolf only snarled, unfazed. They circled, two predators measuring each other, every movement laced with lethal intent.
Aria's breath caught as the wolf charged again, slamming Damien back against the wall. Stone cracked beneath the force. Damien's head snapped sideways, blood smearing across his temple. For one terrifying heartbeat, Aria thought he'd fall.
"Damien!" she cried, her voice lost in the chorus of howls.
But he pushed back. Golden fire blazed in his eyes as he slammed his palm against the wolf's throat, twisting, forcing him down. The crowd roared as Damien wrenched the challenger's arm until bone snapped like brittle wood. The wolf howled in agony before Damien slammed him into the ground, pinning him until he yielded with a whimper.
The victory was Damien's, but there was no time to breathe. Another challenger leapt into the ring, then another. The Trial was not a duel it was an onslaught. Wolves came at him one after another, some half-shifted, some fully transformed, their teeth flashing under the torchlight.
Blood sprayed, muscles tore, claws raked. Damien fought like a storm given flesh, each strike fueled by something deeper than survival fueled by her. Every time his body staggered, every time blood darkened his skin, his gaze found Aria. And she knew: she was the fire in his veins. He was fighting for her.
But the strain was showing. His breath grew ragged, his movements slower, his body heavy with wounds. Three challengers had already fallen, their broken forms dragged from the arena. The fourth prowled in now, smaller but quicker, his eyes sharp with cunning.
The wolf darted around Damien in a blur of claws, slashing, retreating, slashing again. Damien swung, missed, staggered. His chest rose and fell with labored breaths. The crowd began to shift, their howls eager for his fall.
Aria's heart clenched. She wanted to scream, to leap into the pit, to tear the Council apart for letting this happen. But Lydia grabbed her arm, whispering harshly, "Don't. If you interfere, they'll condemn him outright. Trust him. He has to finish this."
Trust. The word stabbed at her. She could see Damien faltering, but she forced herself to believe. To hold his gaze and pour her strength into him, even from afar.
As though he felt it, Damien straightened. His eyes burned brighter, his snarl low and deadly. He caught the quick wolf mid-leap, twisting with brutal precision, slamming him against the ground so hard the arena shook. A sickening crack rang out. Silence followed… then the crowd erupted as the wolf lay motionless, defeated.
Damien staggered, bloodied, panting. But he was still standing. The Trial was his.
Elder Kaelen raised his hand, silencing the arena. His voice thundered: "The Alpha has proven his strength. The Trial by Fire is complete. His bond, however…" His eyes flicked to Aria, sharp and cold. "…remains a matter of concern."
The crowd muttered, whispers sharp as knives. Aria's skin prickled. She knew what they were thinking what the Council wanted. Her presence was the anomaly, the threat. No matter how hard Damien fought, it would never be enough for them.
Damien wiped the blood from his mouth and looked up at the Elders. His voice, hoarse but unwavering, carried through the chamber: "I fought for my pack. I bled for my pack. And I will protect what is mine. Test me again, and again, and again it will not change the truth. She is mine. And I will burn this world before I let you take her from me."
The torches flared as though answering his rage. Gasps rippled through the crowd. Even the Elders shifted uneasily.
Aria's heart pounded, torn between terror and pride. He had won the Trial, but at what cost? His body was broken, his enemies multiplied, and the Council was far from finished.
As the chamber emptied, Damien swayed on his feet, his strength finally giving way. Aria rushed to his side, catching him before he fell. His blood soaked her hands, his breath shallow.
"Damien, stay with me," she whispered fiercely, tears pricking her eyes. "Please."
He forced his eyes open, golden light flickering faintly within. His lips brushed her ear as he murmured, "No fire can break me… not while you're here."
And then his body went limp in her arms.