Chapter thirteen

“How did you do?” Helda asked, dabbing at Arya’s nose with a piece of cotton wool.

Arya gestured to her bleeding nose and the deep purple bruises forming on her stomach. “What do you think?”

Helda smirked. “Well, don’t forget—it’s your first day. Some don’t even get on the mat their first day.”

Arya gave her a flat look. “That doesn’t really make me feel better.”

Helda chuckled but didn’t argue.

Arya hesitated before speaking again. “Something weird happened… I’m not sure what it was.”

Helda’s expression shifted. “What happened?”

“During the fight, I heard Noctis’ voice in my head,” Arya said slowly, trying to put it into words. “It wasn’t like a thought—it was like he was actually speaking to me. In my head. Is that… a normal werewolf thing?”

For a moment, Helda didn’t react. Then, her entire posture stiffened.

“Have you told anyone else about this?” she asked, voice dropping to a whisper.

“No,” Arya admitted, uneasy at Helda’s sudden change in demeanor.