"Again?"
Kieran raised his wooden sword.
I tightened my grip.
"Again."
He came at me.
This time, I was ready.
Our swords collided with a sharp crack.
I stepped to the side, swung low, and forced him to retreat.
Kieran blocked.
He countered.
I ducked.
His sword passed over my head.
I spun around and struck toward his ribs.
He barely caught the blow.
"Better," he said.
I frowned.
"Don't compliment me while we're fighting."
"Why?"
"It distracts me."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Then I'll stop."
"Good."
He attacked again.
I blocked.
Another strike.
I moved.
Another.
I ducked beneath his arm and stepped behind him.
Kieran turned quickly.
Our swords met again.
The training ground had disappeared around us.
At least, that's how it felt.
There were no walls.
No village.
No forest.
No missing patrol.
Only movement.
Only instinct.
Only the sound of wood striking wood.
Neither of us noticed the figure standing at the edge of the training grounds.
Callen had arrived sometime during the spar.
He leaned casually against one of the wooden posts, arms crossed, watching the two of us with an expression that slowly shifted from amusement to disbelief.
He had originally come looking for Kieran.
He hadn't expected to find him sparring with Elara.
And he certainly hadn't expected what he was seeing.
Kieran wasn't holding back completely.
But he wasn't treating Elara like someone fragile either.
That alone surprised Callen.
Then Elara nearly swept Kieran's legs from beneath him.
Callen's eyebrows rose.
"Huh."
Neither of us heard him.
I lunged.
Kieran blocked.
I swung again.
He stepped back.
"You keep retreating," I said between breaths.
"I'm letting you come to me."
"That's what people say when they're losing."
Kieran's eyebrow lifted.
"Is that so?"
"Yes."
He smiled.
Then he attacked.
I barely blocked the first strike.
The second caught my shoulder.
I stumbled.
"You're distracted."
"I'm fine."
"You sure?"
"Yes."
He came at me again.
This time, I met him halfway.
Our swords crashed together.
The force rattled my hands.
I gritted my teeth.
Kieran pushed.
I pushed back.
Neither of us moved.
For a moment, we were completely still.
Then he twisted his sword.
Mine slipped sideways.
I quickly recovered.
Kieran stepped away.
"You're getting predictable."
I stared at him.
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"Then you're not paying attention."
His smile returned.
"Maybe I am."
I attacked.
He blocked.
I changed direction.
He followed.
I struck high.
He caught it.
I turned low.
He jumped back.
The rhythm became faster.
Harder.
More instinctive.
My wolf was awake now.
Not speaking.
Not guiding.
Just watching.
Feeling.
More.
I didn't know what she meant.
But I listened.
I pushed harder.
Kieran did the same.
The wooden swords cracked against one another again and again.
Callen slowly straightened.
"He's going to get himself killed," he muttered.
A warrior beside him glanced over.
"Who?"
"Both of them."
The warrior laughed.
Callen shook his head.
Then he called out.
"Kieran!"
We both stopped.
Kieran turned.
Callen grinned.
"Take it easy on her."
I blinked.
Kieran looked annoyed.
"She's fine."
Callen laughed.
"That's not what I meant."
Kieran rolled his eyes.
I lowered my sword.
"You think I can't handle him?"
Callen looked at me.
Then at Kieran.
Then back at me.
"I think my best friend forgets how much stronger he is."
I narrowed my eyes.
"I've been training longer than you think."
Callen smiled.
"Then prove it."
Kieran looked at him.
"Don't encourage her."
"Why?"
Callen shrugged.
"Because I want to see what happens."
I frowned.
"You're annoying."
"I've been told."
Kieran sighed.
"Can we continue?"
I raised my sword.
"Definitely."
Callen stepped back.
"This should be interesting."
I don't know what changed after that.
Maybe it was Callen watching.
Maybe it was Kieran pushing harder.
Maybe it was me getting tired.
Or maybe...
Something inside me simply decided it had had enough.
Kieran attacked.
I blocked.
He swung again.
I stepped backward.
He followed.
I blocked high.
Then low.
My breathing became heavier.
My arms were beginning to ache.
Kieran moved forward.
I stepped back again.
Then my heel caught the edge of the training mat.
I almost stumbled.
Kieran stopped his strike.
"You okay?"
"I'm fine."
He lowered his sword slightly.
"You sure?"
"Yes."
I straightened.
Something inside me shifted.
My wolf suddenly lifted her head.
Now.
I didn't understand.
Kieran moved.
So did I.
Our swords collided.
But instead of retreating—
I pushed.
Hard.
I don't know where the strength came from.
One second, Kieran was standing firmly in front of me.
The next—
The impact sent him backward.
His eyes widened.
His foot slipped.
He lost his stance.
And Kieran fell.
Hard.
The wooden sword flew from his hand.
Silence.
Complete silence.
I froze.
Callen's mouth dropped open.
Kieran stared up at the sky.
I stared at him.
Then at my own hands.
"What..."
My heart hammered.
"I didn't mean to—"
I dropped my sword and rushed toward him.
"Kieran!"
He groaned.
"I'm okay."
"Are you sure?"
I reached for his arm.
He took my hand.
"I'm fine."
I helped pull him upright.
He looked at me.
Neither of us spoke.
Callen finally found his voice.
"What the hell was that?"
I looked at him.
"I don't know."
Callen walked closer.
"Kieran?"
"I'm fine."
"You just got thrown across the training ground."
"I noticed."
Callen looked at me.
Then back at Kieran.
"She took you down."
Kieran looked at me again.
His expression wasn't angry.
It was confused.
Almost fascinated.
"I know."
I swallowed.
"I don't know how."
Callen shook his head.
"Neither do I."
I looked at my hands again.
Nothing was different.
They looked exactly the same.
No glowing marks.
No strange transformation.
Nothing.
Just my hands.
My wolf was unusually quiet.
What happened?
I asked her silently.
She didn't answer.
That scared me more than anything.
We stopped sparring shortly afterward.
Not because either of us wanted to.
But because tomorrow's assignment required everyone to be rested.
The new combined groups would begin their first official patrol together.
Warriors and patrollers.
No more casual pairs.
No more wandering alone.
Everything had changed.
Kieran retrieved his sword.
He rotated his shoulder.
"Still okay?"
I asked.
He nodded.
"You hit hard."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
I looked at him.
He smiled slightly.
"Maybe I needed to be reminded not to underestimate you."
Callen laughed.
"Definitely."
Kieran gave him an annoyed look.
Callen raised both hands.
"I'm just saying."
I smiled despite myself.
For a moment, things felt almost normal.
Almost.
Then I noticed someone standing near the healer's hut.
Lysandra.
She was watching us.
Not smiling.
Not laughing.
Watching.
Her eyes were fixed on me.
Something about her expression made my stomach tighten.
I had seen that look before.
She knew something.
"Elara."
I turned.
Lysandra was already walking toward me.
"Come help me."
"Now?"
"Yes."
I glanced toward Kieran.
He was speaking with Callen.
Neither seemed to notice.
I followed Lysandra.
She didn't say anything until we were far enough away that the others couldn't hear us.
"How long have you been training like that?"
I frowned.
"Like what?"
"Don't play innocent."
"I wasn't."
She stopped beside the storage room.
"You knocked Kieran Vale off his feet."
I looked down.
"I didn't mean to."
"I know."
"I don't even know how it happened."
"I know that too."
I stared at her.
"Then why are you worried?"
Lysandra studied me for several seconds.
"Because sometimes we discover things about ourselves before we're ready to understand them."
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
She sighed.
"It means there are things inside us we never imagine we have the ability to use."
I stared at her.
"Like what?"
"Strength."
She paused.
"Instinct."
Another pause.
"Things we don't understand yet."
I thought about what happened.
The moment I pushed Kieran.
The strange sensation.
The sudden surge of power.
"It was just adrenaline."
"Maybe."
She didn't sound convinced.
I looked at her.
"Lysandra."
She reached up and adjusted the basket in my hands.
"Just be careful."
I blinked.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
"You made it sound like something terrible."
"I didn't say anything terrible."
"You said there are things inside us we don't know how to use."
"And there are."
"Should I be worried?"
Lysandra looked at me.
"Not worried."
She gave me a small smile.
"Just careful."
I nodded slowly.
"Okay."
She patted my shoulder.
"Good."
I picked up the basket again.
"Is that why you made me come here?"
"Partly."
"Partly?"
"You still have work."
I stared at her.
She smiled.
I sighed.
"Of course."
I spent the rest of the afternoon helping Lysandra.
I tried not to think about what had happened.
I failed.
Every time I looked at my hands, I remembered Kieran falling backward.
I wasn't stronger than him.
At least, I shouldn't have been.
Kieran had trained for years.
He was one of the strongest young warriors in Silvercrest.
And yet, for one brief moment...
I had moved him.
Not because I was stronger.
Not because I had planned it.
It had simply happened.
Maybe Lysandra was right.
Maybe there were things inside us we didn't know we could do.
I didn't think much more about it.
I took her warning in the simplest way possible.
Be careful.
That was all.
It was probably nothing.
Tomorrow, I would join the others.
Tomorrow, the new patrol groups would begin.
Tomorrow, everyone would focus on the borders, the missing wolves, and the growing threat from Shadowfen.
Whatever happened during sparring could wait.
At least...
That's what I thought.
Because while I was helping Lysandra prepare medicines, far beyond the healer's hut, something moved between the trees.
A pair of pale eyes watched the village.
Watched the training grounds.
Watched the place where Elara had stood.
And for the first time, the creature in the forest seemed interested.
Not because of the patrols.
Not because of Shadowfen.
But because of the strength it had just witnessed.
The figure remained hidden among the trees.
Silent.
Patient.
Then it disappeared deeper into the forest.
As if it had finally found what it had been looking for.