The hunt was fierce. Twenty consorts scattered through the thick forest, and among them the outsider…. Serena. Twenty-one women, weapons drawn, hearts pounding, every eye set on a single prize.
The forest itself seemed alive. Shadows stretched long, branches tangled overhead, and every rustle in the leaves made their blood quicken.
Serena gripped her bow so tight her knuckles whitened. Every whisper of leaves had her arrow cocked and ready.
"Come out, deer," she hissed under her breath, eyes sharp.
She heard a sudden rustle and loosed her arrow instinctively.
"Watch where you aim, human!" a voice snarled.
Lirvana stepped out of the shadows, sword gleaming.
Serena groaned, rolling her eyes. "Great, Just my luck."
Lirvana's lip curled.
"I thought you were a deer," Serena said sweetly, lowering her bow. "Honestly, I'm not sorry. If the arrow grazed you, I'd have been satisfied."
Lirvana's growl rumbled low but she turned away. She had no time for Serena's games. Not when victory and the King were at stake. She vanished into the trees.
But then, another rustle. Both women heard it. Both moved.
They rushed through the thickets, branches whipping at their faces. And there it was…. the deer, its back turned, blissfully unaware of death stalking closer.
Lirvana surged forward, silent and swift, sword raised high. But just as she closed the gap….
The deer collapsed with a thud. Dead.
She froze. Her eyes snapped up.
Serena stood ten paces away, bow drawn, a smug smile curving her lips.
"What was it you said earlier?" Serena called, sauntering forward. "How was I supposed to win? Looks like I killed it first."
Lirvana's jaw tightened. "So what? Even if you killed it, how would you drag it back? By the time your weak human legs stumble across these forests, I'll have killed another and carried it to the arena."
Serena's smile faltered. Her arms ached just staring at the creature's size. She wasn't stupid….. Lirvana was right.
Lirvana smirked and swept away, her sword flashing.
Serena knelt beside the deer, tugging at its antlers. It didn't budge. With a frustrated groan she slipped, falling flat on her back.
She stayed there a moment, staring up through the branches, her chest heaving. "This is insane. My life is insane. Who would even believe this story?" she thought bitterly. "If I ever tried to explain this to anyone, they'd lock me up in an asylum."
Still, she pushed herself up and tried again. Sweat slicked her skin, muscles screaming. Then her eyes caught something half-buried beneath the leaves. A rope.
Hope sparked. She tied it quickly around the deer's neck, threw it across her shoulders, and began dragging it. Her steps were heavy, clumsy, but determined.
High above, the arena's magical screens displayed her struggle. The wolves watching leaned forward, amused.
"She won't make it."
"Pathetic thing. Look at her."
But Kaelen watched in silence, his cold silver gaze fixed on her, portraying nothing.
The sky darkened. The golden sand in the hourglass thinned, almost gone.
Elsewhere, consorts dragged their kills, some triumphant, others barely managing. Lirvana's blade had found its mark again; her deer hoisted high as she sprinted toward victory.
Serena pulled and stumbled, her back burning, palms raw. She bit her lip until it bled. Every step screamed failure.
Lirvana stormed into the arena first, dropping her kill before the crowd. They erupted in cheers, chanting her name.
Serena staggered in second, dragging the deer behind her, face flushed, hair plastered to her skin. The arena went quiet for a moment, stunned at her audacity, before the whispers began.
"She came second?"
"That human?"
Lirvana turned with a sly smirk.
Serena scowled, but when she spotted Naya cheering for her, her mood lifted.
Lirvana walks up to her. "You see?" she sneered, her voice dripping with venom. "Even as an omega, I'm still beyond you. You'll never stand anywhere close to me. I'll make sure disappointment and failure are all you'll ever know, rejected human."
The word hit Serena like a lash. 'Failure'. Her heart clenched, fury flooding her veins. The insult burned into her chest, awakening the sting of old wounds. Mockery from her world. Memories she'd buried deep. Something inside her was also triggered. That word 'Rejected' felt cursed , and she didn't understand why it infuriated her so much.
"How dare you…" Serena snarled. She stepped forward and slapped Lirvana across the face, the sound cracking through the arena.
Gasps tore from the crowd.
Lirvana's hand shot up to strike back…..
"Enough."
Kaelen's voice cut through, low and commanding. The arena fell silent, his power pressing down on every soul present.
Thayne's voice followed quickly. "Head Consort Lirvana wins the first round!"
The wolves erupted in cheers again, rallying to their victor. Lirvana lifted her chin, basking in the praise, though the sting of Serena's slap burned hotter than the glory.
Serena, despite her loss, couldn't stop the small, dangerous smile curling her lips. Satisfaction filled her chest, happy that she landed her strike.
Thayne's voice rose once more.
"It is time for the second round…."
"The hunt for magical ingredients!"
The arena stilled. Wolves cheered in anticipation.
A cold knot twisted in Serena's stomach as she braced for the next round.
"You will all be transported to the Encholf Forest. The first to gather all the listed ingredients will be returned here instantly. Only then can the cooking begin."
Symbols flared across the sky, glowing like fire…..the names of the rare ingredients flashing for all to see.
Moonveil Mushrooms.
Crimsonroot Spice.
Frostfern Leaves.
Ashen Berries.
Starshard Salt
And the rarest... Emberheart Blossom.
Without them, the magical moonblossom deer stewed dish could not be complete.
The giant hourglass turned again, golden sand pouring like liquid fire.
"Your time begins…" Thayne's voice boomed.
The world trembled.
"NOW."
Light exploded, swallowing the consorts whole, and one by one they vanished into the Encholf Forest.
The second round had begun.