Chapter 27

• Zara’s POV
• We all stood at the forest loomed at the edge of campus, its black pines twisting into the winter sky like skeletal fingers trying to reach the clouds. Fog clung to the mossy ground, swirling in ghostly tendrils that slithered around my ankles as I stood with the rest of the students at the edge of the clearing.
• Professor Nima raised her lantern high, her robes reaching her ankles. “Welcome to the midterm Forbidden Forest Trial,” she said, her voice echoing off the silent trees. “This is your final assessment before term break. You will demonstrate your survival knowledge, pack tracking skills, and nocturnal orientation. Fail, and your rank drops to Class D.”