Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Chapter 7 Chapter 7

Myla’s POV

The words died in my throat before they could even find a way out.

I looked up, and she wasn’t there.

For a second, I just stared at the spot where she had been standing with my mind refusing to catch up with what my eyes were clearly seeing.

It was empty, completely empty. And in a way that felt like I was hallucinating all along.

But I wasn't, I couldn't, not with the bag in hand.

My grip tightened slightly around the same bag in my hands as I blinked, once, then again, like that would somehow bring her back.

But nothing changed.

Then I pulled my brows together as I slowly turned my head, scanning the entire room to be sure I was alright.

But there was nothing here, only the beds, the walls, the door, and the bathroom.

No one else. Not even the sound of footsteps.

It didn’t make sense. She had been right there, close enough for me to take the bag from her. Close enough for me to hear her voice clearly.

So how—

I moved before I could stop myself, stepping towards the door and pulling it open.

The corridor and hallway stood.out in front of me, quiet and practically empty.

A few distant voices echoed faintly from somewhere further down, but everywhere around me had nothing.

No sign of her.

I stepped out fully this time with my eyes moving left, then right, scanning everywhere.

But still… nothing, no retreating figure, no closing door. No indication that anyone had just walked out seconds ago.

A strange feeling settled in my chest, this didn't feel right.

Something had just happened that I couldn’t explain, and my mind didn’t know where to place it.

I stood there for a moment longer, staring down the corridor as if she might suddenly reappear.

But she didn’t.

Slowly, I stepped back into the room, letting the door close behind me again.

Silence followed as I looked down at the bag in my hands.

It was real.

I lifted it and brought it down, it had weight. I dropped it and took off the zip, checking the clothes inside.

They were all real, so she had been here.

Right?

My fingers tightened slightly before I exhaled, shaking my head once.

It didn’t matter, not right now.

Whatever that was… I didn’t have the energy to figure it out.

I needed these clothes though, that part was real enough.

So I moved and changed quickly this time, going with a white top and trousers.

The clothes were a better fit than I expected.

Not perfect, but close enough that it didn’t feel like I was wearing some random clothe.

When I stepped back into the main room, I paused briefly, adjusting the sleeve of the shirt before glancing towards the window again.

Nothing, just other students or whatever going about their business.

It was all normal, so I forced myself to look away.

I wondered for a second how I'd find my way over to class, I began guessing and jumping between hallways.

I reached one but searched the window and couldn't spot Kyle anywhere.

My body still ached from the training earlier, a dull, constant reminder of everything I hadn’t been able to do.

But I kept searching, coming across another room but still couldn't find that spiky hair.

I took a few steps away from there then felt my tummy shake wildly. I gripped it hard, realizing then how hungry I actually was.

And I refused breakfast today.

I kicked at myself but kept going till I finally spotted Kyle in a filled up class but with an empty seat beside him.

For a second, I let myself believe he kept the seat for me.

The thought lingered as I immediately felt a warm feeling creeping in. He actually kept a seat for me even after I told him to go.

I smiled and reached for the door, pushing it open and walking in.

“Who are you?” The man at the front said to me the moment I walked inside.

I gulped and looked around. “Myla, Myla, sir,” I replied.

“Myla, Myla, why are you late?” He asked and the class chuckled.

I forced my eyes not to roll as I pushed my weight from one foot to another, not having anything to say.

He shook his head and gestured for me to walk in.

As I did, Kyle waved at me and I made my way to his side, sitting in the seat beside him.

“Thank you,” I muttered as I sat.

“You handled that smoothly,” he replied with a smile and I rolled my eyes this time.

“Fuck you,” I shoved him slightly just as the man at the front cleared his throat.

“Alright, settle down,” he said and the room slowly quieted.

I straightened slightly, folding my hands together on the desk as I focused forward.

“Today, we begin with the basics,” he continued, pacing slowly at the front. “Understanding what you are is just as important as learning what you can do.”

I listened. At least, I tried to.

“Wolves are not just creatures of instinct,” he said. “They are structured. Hierarchical and controlled.”

Controlled. That word remained.

“For centuries, packs have functioned under order with strength determining position, but control maintaining it.”

My eyes stayed on him all along, but my thoughts drifted far off, going in and out, catching pieces of whatever he was saying and losing others.

“Alpha leads. Beta enforces. The rest follow—”

My stomach tightened, sharply reminding me of my own foolish action.

I shifted slightly in my seat, trying my best to ignore it.

To just listen.

“—without control, power becomes dangerous. Unpredictable.”

That part stuck again.

Power. Control.

My fingers pressed lightly against the desk.

If that was true…

Then what did it mean for someone who had neither?

“Now,” the instructor continued, turning slightly. “Can anyone explain the difference between instinct-driven transformation and controlled shifting?”

Hands went up almost immediately.

I didn’t move, I didn’t even think about it. I did my best not to even blink or breathe, nothing should get his attention.

“Yes. You.”

A girl near the front got up and answered smoothly, her voice was steady, like she had said it a hundred times before.

I heard the words, understood them. But they left almost immediately.

“…good,” the instructor said with a nod. “Now—”

His gaze moved around the class and as I struggled to make myself look smaller, they landed on me.

“You. Myla, Myla,” he said, pointing at me.

My body stiffened.

“Stand,” he added and I did pretty slowly.

My chair scraped lightly against the floor as the room felt quieter. Too quiet.

“Answer the question,” he said.

My mind went completely blank. I knew I had heard it, I knew I should know something.

But all I could feel was the hunger and pressure inside me.

The weight of being watched.

“I…” My voice came out softer than I wanted.

Then I swallowed and tried again.

But nothing came out, not a single word formed properly.

Seconds passed, too many of them.

“I don’t—”

“Sit,” he said with a shake of his head.

I sat down quickly with my gaze dropping to the desk as heat crept up my neck.

Again. Not again.

When I looked up, his eyes were still on me, heavy and different.

A faint murmur moved through the room around me before fading, and the lesson continued.

I stopped trying to listen, or pretended to be. I just let my mind zone off.

By the time we were dismissed, I was literally the first to my feet.

Kyle tried to catch up with me and the moment I stepped into the dining hall, the smell hit me first.

Food. Warm and everything I needed.

My stomach reacted instantly and I didn’t hesitate.

I grabbed what I could, barely paying attention to what it was before sitting down and eating.

I took everything in fast, not caring how I looked with everything stuffed in.

I needed it.

Around me, conversations continued normally and that's when I realized Kyle wasn't here.

He must have skipped lunch today, I wonder why.

I didn't bother thinking much about it, choosing to focus on the plates ahead of me.

But every now and then, I felt it. Their glances around me, their hushed voices that lowered just slightly when I looked up.

I kept eating, ignoring them as much as I could, or pretending to.

I wasn’t here for them.

I reminded myself of that over and over again.

When I finally finished, I leaned back slightly, exhaling under my breath.

Better.

But the feeling didn’t fully go away, the awareness of what was happening around me.

The feeling that I didn’t fit.

Not yet.

I stood after a moment, taking my tray away before stepping back out.

The rest of the evening passed easily as we had a free schedule.

No training.

No classes.

I stayed in the room for a while, tried to sit, tried to relax. But my mind wouldn’t settle.

And I hadn't seen Kyle since class, hope he was alright.

I couldn't think about that much as my mind kept going back to training, to class.To her.

To the way she had just disappeared.

I stayed like that till everywhere grew dark, and when I couldn't take it any longer, I pushed myself up.

I couldn’t stay here.

The air outside was cooler now.

Quieter.

The academy felt different at night.

Less structured.

Less controlled.

Like something beneath the surface was finally allowed to breathe.

I walked without direction, going past buildings and along dark paths.

My steps slowed gradually as the noise faded further behind me.

It helped enough to keep me breathing.

The silence. The space. The absence of eyes watching.

I exhaled slowly as my s
houlders loosened just slightly.

Then, I felt the air shift as I got closer to a particular dark spot.

It wasn't a sound, just a heavy feeling that someone was there.

Like I wasn’t alone anymore.

My steps slowed. Then stopped completely as I turned to my side.

And there he was.