The training ground remained heavy with unspoken judgment long after Victor announced the end of the trials, and the wolves lingered in loose circles beneath the open sky while the dust of the sparring ring settled slowly across the worn earth as if the land itself had paused to watch what would happen next.
Elara stepped away from the center circle.
Her boots pressed lightly into the dirt.
She could still feel their eyes.
Some curious.
Some respectful.
Some uncertain.
"Hmm."
She rubbed the scar on her wrist again.
"Ouch."
A habit she had never quite managed to break.
The murmurs behind her shifted.
Low voices.
Fragments of conversation.
"…she stood her ground…"
"…not weak…"
"…still human…"
Elara exhaled slowly.
"Yeah."
"Still human."
She muttered the words softly as she walked toward the edge of the field where the tall pine trees cast long shadows across the grass.
The wind moved through the branches with a soft whisper.
