There was a consistent nightmare that plagued my sleep ever since my father died. A wolf-like beast, not a werewolf…something much more sinister. I always found myself running through the woods, its ominous red eyes watching my every move, taunting me until I was breathless and my bones grew weary.
That's when it would attack.
I woke up abruptly, my body drenched in sweat. I looked at my phone, its alarm blaring beside me, and the words on the screen were in a luminous font.
'Register for the Ascension trials today.'
Forgetting about the nightmare, I sprang up from bed, excitement coursing through my veins. In no time, I was fresh, clean, and ready for school.
Glancing at my reflection in the mirror, I let my wavy raven hair cascade down my back, and applied dark eyeshadow that made my green eyes pop, and pink gloss.
I ate cereal for breakfast. When I was at the door, about to leave, my mom's voice rang from behind me, halting my feet.
"Dahlia," her tone was hushed and gentle.
What now?
Sighing, I turned around to meet her gaze.
She leaned against the wall splitting the living room from the sitting room, her raven hair pulled into a messy bun.
One thing we had in common, was our resemblance.
Everything down from our long raven hair, fair skin, face shape, and body stature were the same. Our only differences were our eyes. While hers was a burning amber, mine was an earthy green; just like Dad's.
"I don't wanna be late for school," I muttered. "Whatever you have to say can wait till I get back."
I turned to walk away.
"You're applying for the Ascension trials aren't you?" her voice cut through the air, and my eyes widened. Our eyes met.
"How did you know that?" I got defensive, and when she didn't answer, I realized she'd read my private journal. I always kept it in my panties drawer and the fact she had to snoop that far burned my nerves.
"You went through my stuff, didn't you?"
When she didn't respond, I snapped.
"Don't ever go through my stuff or you're banned from my room, I bit out and her amber eyes narrowed, anger swirling through her orbs.
"I'm your mother, Dahlia. I need to know what goes on with you," she bit out.
"Then maybe you should just ask!"
"Like you'd ever want to engage in a conversation with me!" she snapped back as hard.
"And whose fault is that? You blamed me for Dad's death when it happened!" Tears slid down my eyes, "I was just a kid, and you shut me out!"
She looked like she was biting the inside of her cheek as a guilty expression contorted her features. When she looked back at me, her eyes were damped with tears.
"Like I said, I'm late for school."
Before I could leave, she moved towards me with startling speed and grabbed my arm.
"Don't get into the ascension trials. They're brutal! You can't even shift," she worded desperately, "The wolves would do anything to tear you apart."
I wasn't even surprised she was trying to discourage me. I ripped my arm from her grasp and shot her a glare.
"At least pretend to have some faith in your daughter. I'm not just doing this for myself… I'm doing this for Dad."
She said nothing. Not when I turned to walk away, not when I walked out of the house. Not a single word.
Outside, I took a deep breath, wiped away the tears that clung to my lashes and headed to school.
Lectures passed in a blur. I couldn't focus, my mind was elsewhere— the trials. Excitement buzzed beneath my skin as I scribbled my details onto the form.
When the time to submit came, Mira went with me.
We were on the line, holding onto our filled forms as it moved. Mira submitted first, then finally, the line cut to my turn. I stepped forward, ready to drop the form into the box.
"Dahlia!"
The shrill voice cut through the wall like nails on glass.
I clenched my jaw as I rolled my eyes.
What does the bitch want now?
Astrid strode towards me, her ever-present minions trailing at her side. Her gaze dropped to my form and a slow, sadistic smile stretched across her lip before she let out a manic laugh.
Crossing her arms over her chest, she glared at me with a mocking look that made my skin crawl. "You're seriously considering getting into the Ascension trials?"
Beside her, the blonde one—Jessica—giggled. "It seems like it."
My grip tightened on the form, as I held Astrid's gaze. I wanted her to see I was the least intimidated by her.
"And what if I am?" I shot back.
Astrid smirked, tilting her head like she was watching a wounded animal struggle. "Then you're even more stupid than I thought."
By now, a crowd had already gathered, like vultures that fed a fresh fight. Snickers and whispers rippled through the hallway, eager eyes watching as the scene unfolded.
Mira cut into my front, shielding me with her body.
"Look, Astrid. Just leave her alone. She doesn't get into your business, so don't get into hers."
Warmth pooled in my chest. I turned to drop my form into the box when suddenly, I was yanked back with so much force it sent me sprawling to the floor. Pain shot through my back, but my grip never left the form, making sure it hadn't touched the floor.
This was the one thing I wasn't going to let go of. Never.
Astrid grabbed my hair, yanking my head to meet her gaze.
"The trials aren't for weak and lowlife mutts like you. If you want a challenge, you should play with the kindergartens."
"You bitch!" Mira growled and knocked into Astrid, the both of them crashing to the ground.
I was conflicted between helping Mira and submitting my form first. I rushed to Astrid's side, trying to pull her off Mira.
Her minion grabbed the collar of my dress and flung me back. I lost my balance and Astrid rushed to me. She gripped my face, her fingers digging into my skin.
"This might be a joke to you but it means everything to us," she hissed, her tone venomous and her eyes filled with a spiteful rage. "We won't let you ruin this for us."
Rage surged through me, my chest heaving as scorching heat ruptured in my heart.
"You think this doesn't mean anything to me? This is my life and I won't let you get in the way!" I bit out, through gritted teeth. "You're the fucking lowlife who doesn't deserve to compete in the trials."
I spat on her face, and gasps echoed through the halls.
What came next happened in a haze. Astrid gripped my head, then kneed me in the nose. Searing pain stabbed at my nose, as a wave of dizziness surged through me. But my resilience didn't falter.
"You're going to regret this!" She hissed, her claws digging into my skull.
From the corner of my eyes, I watched in horror as the minions ganged up on Mira, beating her.
I tried to free myself to help but a slap to my face came first, followed by another until I was spread out on the floor, blood trickling down my nose. A kick to my gut disoriented me, and another kick to my spine made me cry out in pain.
Nausea and dizziness surged through me as I tried to fight Astrid off me while grasping tightly at my form.
But this wasn't a fair fight. Three against two, and they were winning by a huge margin.
I was suddenly lifted from the ground and pressed into the wall. Astrid reached for my form, trying to yank it off but I held onto it. This continued for a short moment until the ripping sound of paper cut through the air.
Everything went still as I looked at what was left of my form. A cry lodged in my throat. I still stood there in shock, even when the rest of the form was yanked off my grip.
Astrid shredded it into more pieces, my heart shredding away with it. She gripped my cheek, forcing my mouth open, then began to force the shredded remains down my throat.
Tears burned in my eyes as I struggled, but the paper was pushed deeper into my throat.
"Enough!"
Astrid immediately froze and my body crumpled to the ground. I spat out the paper in my throat. Jessica and Freya immediately let go of Mira.
That voice.
From my hazy, teary vision, I caught sight of Rhydian standing not so far away from us, with Kayden and Tavian at his side. I watched each of their eyes fall on me, not a hint of emotion flickering them.
Astrid immediately scooted back, twirling her hair as she turned towards them.
"She was trying to register for the ascension trials. I only did what was necessary."
Rhydian walked up to her, each step he took commanding order and control. Silence hung in the air as we all watched to see what would happen next.
In one swift motion, he seized Astrid's throat, his large wrapping around it like a vice.
My breath hitched.
What the hell is happening?
Astrid choked, her nails clawing at his wrist as he squeezed, her desperate gasps echoing through the hall.
I watched, frozen, my pulse pumping in my ears.
"Don't ever touch her again without my consent," he growled, his voice a low, menacing rasp. "Or I'll kill you."
Astrid's eyes bulged, looking like they were about to pop out of their sockets.
"Have I made myself clear?"
She managed a frantic nod, and just like that, he released her. She dropped to the ground, coughing violently as she clutched at her bruised neck. Even in her weakened state, she glared at me, her fury searing through her pain.
Then with a flick of her hair, she scrambled to her feet and hurried off with her minions following behind, their heels clanking loudly against the tiles.
I forced myself to stand, my knees barely holding me up as I met Rhydian's cold gaze.
It pinned me in place, dark and unreadable, rendering all my bones into jelly.
"Look at you, beaten to a pulp," Kayden sneered, his mismatched eyes glinting with amusement. "Are you that desperate to get into the trials?"
"You can't even beat Astrid," Tavian scoffed, his tone dry and mocking.
I lifted my chin high, wiping the blood trickling down my nose.
"Do you underestimate me," I paused, tilting my head. "Or are you just afraid I'll wipe the floor with your asses?"
Kayden chuckled, while Rhydian's gaze darkened.
"Well, we'll never find out. There's your chance to get in," Kayden motioned to the crumpled paper on the ground. My heart sank, but I didn't let it show.
"I'll find a way to get in," I retorted, my voice unwavering.
Just when I was about to walk away, Rhydian grabbed my arm, yanking me back until our faces were inches apart. His grip was bruising, his presence suffocating.
"It disgusts me how much you think you have a place here," his tone was eerily calm, but his words were cut deeper than any dagger. "You're nothing. A waste of space. A pathetic little slave… our slave."
My breath caught in my throat, but I forced my expression into a mask of indifference. I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of seeing how deeply his words sliced into me.
I jerked my arm, trying to pull away, but he didn't let me go.
He dragged me in closer and I gasped. Being this close to him sent a rush of heat from his touch on my arm down to in-between my legs.
Why is my body reacting this way?
"Our place. After school," his voice didn't waver. "It needs cleaning."
My stomach twisted. What?!
I narrowed my eyes. "Just in case you might've forgotten, I'm a student. I have homework to do when I get back home." my voice was firm but laced with annoyance. "You're rich. I'm sure you can afford a maid."
His grip tightened, pain shooting through my wrist.
"I wasn't asking." He leaned in close and whispered in my ear, my heart thumping. "Don't be late, unless you'd like to find out what more I'm capable of."
He let me go, shoving me aside as if I were nothing more than gum under his boot.
Without another word, they walked away, leaving me furious and humiliated.