Chapter 131 Wake

Chapter 131 Lost
Another roar, closer this time. Trees shake. Birds scatter.

"The Alpha beast," I breathe.

"Run." Kade grabs my wrist. "RUN!"
We sprint through the forest, branches whipping our faces. Behind us, something massive crashes through the undergrowth.

'It's hunting us!' Cat screams.
"There!" KADE points to a rocky outcropping ahead. "If we can get high ground..."
The beast bursts through the tree line.
It's enormous. Easily twelve feet tall, with the body of a wolf but covered in scales instead of fur. Its eyes glow red, and when it opens its mouth, three rows of teeth gleam.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THAT?!" I scream.

"Alpha beast! They're not normal animals—they're Proving constructs!" kad eshoves me toward the rocks. "CLIMB!"
I scramble up the rocks, my hands scraping on sharp stone. Kade is right behind me.
The beast slams into the base of the outcropping. The entire structure shakes.
"It can't climb!" kade gasps. "We're safe up here!
The beast roars again, circling below us. It's the size of a small house.
"How are we supposed to kill that?!" My voice pitches hysterically.
"The trial says hunt and kill an Alpha beast. It doesn't say this Alpha beast." Kade points to the forest. "There are smaller ones. Bears, mountain cats, even wolves that count. We need to find something we can actually fight."

"So we just... wait for it to leave?"
"Unless you want to fight it?"
I look down at the beast. It's staring up at us with intelligent, malevolent eyes.
"Waiting sounds good."

The place shifts again. Forcing me deeper into the proving.
"ZEPHYRA, RUN!" Kael yells.
The wolf throws him off. Kade hits a tree with a sickening crack.
The wolf advances on me, grinning.
"They said to make it hurt. Said you deserve it for what your family did."
"My family did nothing..."
"LIAR!"
He shifts fully, a monstrous grey beast, and pounces.
I raise my hands.
Nothing happens

No light. No power.
No, no, no—
The wolf's jaws open wide, aimed for my throat

Time slows.

Van. I'm sorry. I tried.

Then something inside me cracks.
Not my priestess power.
Something deeper.
Ancient.

Golden light erupts from my entire body—not just my hands, but every inch of skin. It's blinding, hot, furious.

The wolf doesn't dissolve.

He burns.

His screams are cut short as his body turns to ash. In seconds, there's nothing left but a scorch mark on the ground.

I collapse.

The last thing I hear is Kael's voice, awed and terrified:

"You forgot You're a High Priestess?."

I wake in the safe zone.
Kade must have dragged me here. He's sitting across from me, bandaged and bruised, staring.
"How long was I out?" My voice is hoarse.

"Six hours. Thought you were dead." He passes me water. "What the hell was that?"

"I don't know." My hands shake as I drink. "It felt like... like something woke up."

"Yeah, well, it saved our asses." He winces, touching his ribs. "But word's going to spread. Every participant in here will know you have power now. You just became the biggest target in the Proving."

My vision begins to clear and sun hit my skin
"Zephyra wake up". I hear Evander's voice but can't seem to wake