THE AUREUM TRIAL: BLOOD OATH

The forest was alive with whispers. A hush that wasn't quite silence, as though the trees themselves were breathing, watching. Shadows slithered between the gnarled branches, twisting and stretching beneath the silver glow of the moon. My bare feet pounded against the earth, my breath ragged, sharp, burning.

I was running. From what, I couldn't say. But I knew, with every frantic beat of my heart, that if I stopped, if I stumbled, I would die.

The growls came first, rolling through the night like a warning. Then, the snap of jaws, the thudding of heavy paws against the ground. They were close...too close.

I pushed harder, and the cold air sliced through my lungs. My legs ached, my skin stung where brambles tore at me, but I didn't stop, I couldn't. But then my ankle twisted and I fell, and the ground was suddenly gone, a sheer drop beneath me. My scream caught in my throat as I tumbled, crashing through tangled vines and dead leaves before landing on my back, the impact knocking the breath from my lungs. Pain flared through me, sharp and unforgiving.

I barely had time to gasp before the wolves emerged from the shadows above.

Their eyes gleamed like embers in the dark, their low snarls reverberating through my bones. I was trapped. I scrambled back, and my hands clawed at the damp earth, but the moment I moved, the largest of them leaped forward towards me but... then everything shifted.

Out of nowhere, a figure emerged from the darkness, moving faster than my eyes could follow. A blur of black, and the wolf never landed.

One moment, it was mid-air, fangs bared, death imminent-the next, the beast was wrenched away, slammed into the ground with a force that cracked the earth. The creature whimpered, stunned, before scurrying back into the shadows. The others hesitated, their snarls turning to uncertain whines before they, too, slunk away into the night.

And then there was silence.

I could feel him before I even saw him, his presence overwhelming, all-consuming. A shadow against the moonlight, towering above me, broad shoulders wrapped in darkness. My pulse thundered, but I wasn't sure if it was from fear or something else. He was close.

I was still sprawled on the ground, my breathing uneven, my skin burning with awareness. Slowly, I lifted my gaze and met his eyes and his eyes were a storm and a forest, a clash of elements trapped in a single gaze. In the deep at the center of his iris, was a piercing blue, sharp as ice, endless as the ocean, a secret hidden beneath frozen waters. But at the edges, where the light kissed his irises, emerald green bled through, wild and untamed, like leaves trembling in the wind. A paradox of fire and frost, control and chaos-his eyes were a battlefield where two worlds met, and I was hopelessly lost within them.

For a moment, I couldn't move. Couldn't breathe. My heart pounded so violently I thought he could hear it. I opened my mouth to speak, to ask who he was, but before I could...

My eyes snapped open, and my body felt tense, as if I were still lying on that cold forest floor. But I wasn't... I was sitting.

The damp scent of the woods was gone, replaced by the lingering aroma of stale cigarette smoke and worn leather. My surroundings came into focus and the cracked vinyl seat beneath me, the rhythmic hum of an engine, the dull glow of streetlights flickering through the rain-splattered window.

The taxi.

A voice so gruff, laced with impatience, broke through the haze of my lingering dream.

"Miss?"

I turned my head sharply, my heart still racing. The taxi driver was watching me through the rear-view mirror, and his brows furrowed.

"We've arrived. Ashwood Academy."

I exhaled shakily, and pressed my fingers to my temples. My skin was clammy, my pulse erratic, the ghost of his touch still lingering on my wrist. It felt so real...the wolves... him... but it was just a dream, wasn't it?

I forced my attention to the window. And as I looked outside, my breath caught.

"THE ASHWOOD ACADEMY"

Ashwood Academy rose from the mist like a forgotten masterpiece, its weathered stone towers etched with centuries of history. The architecture was a marriage of gothic grandeur and timeless elegance, with intricate archways that framed soaring stained-glass windows, their jewel-toned hues casting dappled light across the cobbled courtyard. Ivy draped itself like silk over the aged walls, softening the fortress-like presence of the academy, while towering oak doors, engraved with ancient sigils, stood as a testament to its storied past. The air carried the faint scent of old parchment and rain-soaked earth, mingling with the distant toll of the academy's bell-a sound both welcoming and foreboding.

It was hauntingly beautiful and familiar. A shiver coiled down my spine, every hair on my arms rising. I had never stepped foot here before. And yet, I felt like I had seen this place before, but can't pinpoint where?

I glanced at the taxi driver, who was still waiting. I nodded stiffly, reaching for the door handle, and the air was cold the moment I stepped out, the scent of rain-soaked earth and pine thick in my lungs. A heavy feeling settled in my chest like something someone was watching.

FLASHBACK

The hospital room was dimly lit, the beeping of the monitor filling the silence between us. The scent of antiseptic clung to the air, but beneath it, I could still pick up traces of chamomile tea, my aunt's favorite. She looked frail against the crisp white sheets, her skin pale but her eyes still bright with warmth as they met mine.

"Aubrey," she murmured, "Come sit with me."

I obeyed instantly, and took her hand in mine. "You should be resting," I whispered, squeezing her fingers gently.

She gave me a tired smile. "Rest is for when you have the luxury of time, sweetheart." A small cough rattled her chest, and I felt my throat tighten. "We need to talk."

"Don't do this," I pleaded. "Don't talk like...like you're saying goodbye."

She shook her head. "I'm not going anywhere, stubborn girl. Not yet." Her fingers tightened around mine. "But things are changing. And you... you need to be ready."

"Ready for what?" My voice cracked. "I don't understand."

"You know, I don't have much time," she had whispered, her voice rasping, like paper-thin glass on the verge of shattering. "You need to go, Aubrey. You need to start over... from where you belong."

I had shaken my head, refusing to accept what was happening. "This is my home," I had pleaded, my throat thick with unshed tears. "You're my home."

A sad smile tugged at her lips, "No, my love. Your home is out there, waiting for you. I kept you safe, but I can't keep you hidden anymore." She had brushed a trembling hand against my cheek, "Promise me, Aubrey. Promise me you'll go."

I had swallowed past the lump in my throat and nodded, because what else could I do? I had felt the truth in her words.

PRESENT

Now, standing at the gates of Ashwood Academy, the memory burned behind my eyes. The weight of her words settled in my bones, in the marrow of my being.

"From where I belong."

A shudder passed through me. I wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the feeling that, despite never setting foot here before, I felt like I'd been here before...

I swallowed hard and adjusted the strap of my bag, my boots clicking softly against the cobblestone as I took my first step towards Ashwood Academy. My new home for the next four years.