Chapter 6 The First Clash

• It should have been a spar. Instead, it became a battle.
• The next morning, the Academy's training grounds shimmered with oppressive heat, dust rising in golden clouds beneath the merciless sun. The combat arena stretched wide and circular, its packed sand stained with the blood and sweat of countless previous battles. Ancient stone seats carved with pack symbols surrounded the ring, filled now with eager students whose enhanced senses could detect the electricity of impending conflict.
• Combat training was sacred at Crescent Hollow Academy—a ritual that separated the strong from the weak, the leaders from the followers. Students gathered in tight circles around the main ring, excited chatter buzzing through the air like static before a storm. Their wolves pressed close to the surface, anticipating violence with the hunger of predators denied their natural prey.