Chapter 4: The forge of strength

The valley was unlike anything Elara had ever seen, nestled between towering cliffs and shrouded in mist, it felt like a world apart.

The air was alive with the hum of insects and the rustle of leaves, and the ground was carpeted with soft moss that cushioned her paws as she walked.

It was a place of peace, a sanctuary for those who didn't belong.

Selene led her to a cluster of huts built into the side of the cliffs, their walls woven from vines and branches.

Around them, other deviants moved quietly, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly light.

Some had fur that shimmered like starlight, while others bore markings that seemed to shift and change as they moved.

They were strange, yes, but there was a kindness in their eyes that Elara had never seen in her pack.

"This is your home now," Selene said, gesturing to the huts. "Here, you'll learn to embrace who you are."

Elara hesitated, her heart pounding. "But… What if I'm not strong enough? What if I fail?"

Selene smiled, her silver eyes softening. "Failure isn't the end, Elara. It's the beginning. Every stumble, every fall—it's all part of the journey. And you don't have to walk it alone."

Over the next few weeks, Elara began to settle into life in the valley. The deviants were wary of her at first, their gazes lingering on her small frame and timid demeanor but as the days passed, they began to open up, sharing their stories and their struggles.

She learned that each of them had been cast out for being different, for possessing powers that their packs feared or didn't understand.

There was Kael, a wolf whose fur glowed like embers, his touch capable of igniting flames. He had been exiled for accidentally burning down his pack's den.

Then there was Lira, whose voice could soothe even the most savage beast. She had been shunned for refusing to use her gift to control others.

And there was Finn, a young wolf who could blend into the shadows, his presence undetectable until he chose to reveal himself. He had been abandoned as a pup, left to die in the wilderness.

Elara found solace in their company, their acceptance a balm to her wounded spirit. But even as she began to heal, the memories of her pack lingered, their voices a constant whisper in the back of her mind.

The sun barely touched the hidden valley, yet Elara was already awake, standing before the training grounds.

Unlike the rigid discipline of the Moonfang pack, the Deviants' training space was a blend of nature and raw power—an open area where the earth itself felt alive, responding to those who wielded it.

Massive stones formed a natural ring around the grounds, their surfaces scarred from past battles.

Vines hung low from towering trees, their leaves rustling like whispers of forgotten warriors. A waterfall cascaded from a jagged cliff nearby, its mist cooling the air, while a river snaked through the far end of the training field.

It was beautiful and it was about to break her.

Selene stood beside her, arms crossed. "You survived Moonfang's rejection, Elara. But survival isn't enough. If you want to reclaim your place in this world, you have to fight for it."

Elara clenched her fists. "Then teach me."

Selene's lips curled in a knowing smile. "Not just me. You'll learn from all of us."

As if summoned, three figures emerged from the shadows—Kael, Lira, and Finn.

Each radiated something dangerous, something honed through years of hardship.

Elara swallowed hard.

"First lesson," Kael said, tossing a small wooden staff toward her. She barely caught it before he lunged.

Kael moved fast—too fast. One moment he was in front of her, the next he was behind, his wooden staff sweeping toward her legs.

Elara barely dodged.

The air crackled with his presence, a mix of sharp instincts and raw aggression. He didn't hold back, forcing her to react, to move.

"Too slow," he barked. "You're still thinking like a pack wolf—predictable."

Elara gritted her teeth, adjusting her stance. The staff felt foreign in her hands, unwieldy. Kael struck again—this time high. She raised her weapon just in time, but the impact jarred her bones.

Pain blossomed in her arms.

Kael smirked. "Better. Again."

The fight dragged on, each clash pushing her limits. She stumbled, fell, but always got up. Sweat dripped down her back, but something burned deeper—determination.

By the time Kael called a halt, her entire body ached.

He studied her, then nodded. "You're not completely hopeless."

Elara wanted to snap at him, but she was too tired.

Selene stepped forward. "Good… now, onto the next."

Elara's stomach dropped.

Finn stepped up next. Unlike Kael, his presence was quieter, but no less dangerous.

"Close your eyes," he said.

Elara hesitated. "Why?"

"Because your eyes won't always save you."

She exhaled sharply but obeyed.

The world plunged into darkness.

Then—silence.

Elara tensed. The sounds of the waterfall, the wind through the trees—all faded. The air turned heavy, pressing against her skin like unseen hands.

Her heart pounded.

"Listen," Finn's voice whispered—though she couldn't tell where it came from.

A rustle. A shift in the air.

Then—movement.

Elara spun, swinging blindly.

Nothing.

Then pain exploded across her ribs as something struck her.

She gasped, stumbling. "What—?"

Finn's voice was everywhere and nowhere. "You rely too much on sight. True hunters listen."

Elara grit her teeth. She forced herself to still, her breath shallow.

She focused.

A slight shift in the air behind her—

She turned, blocking just in time.

Finn's chuckle was barely audible. "Not bad."

Elara exhaled.

Her training was far from over.

Lira took the lead next. If Kael was a storm and Finn was a whisper, Lira was fire—unrelenting, merciless.

She handed Elara two stones, each no bigger than her palm. "Hold these."

Elara frowned. "That's it?"

Lira's lips curled. "Run."

Elara blinked. "What?"

Lira pointed to the river that wound around the edge of the valley. "Run. Follow the river until you reach the falls, then come back."

Elara hesitated. "Why the stones?"

"You'll see."

Gritting her teeth, Elara took off.

The first few steps were easy. The soft earth beneath her feet gave her traction, and her wolf instincts helped her move swiftly. But as she ran, the stones in her hands grew heavier. Not physically, but something… pulled at them.

It was like the weight of her own past pressing into her palms.

Each step became harder, her breath shorter.

She reached the falls, gasping the water roared beside her, mist coating her skin.

But when she turned to run back, her legs nearly gave out.

She had no idea how she made it to the training grounds again, but when she collapsed, Lira crouched beside her.

"Pain means nothing," Lira murmured. "Your mind gives out before your body does. Remember that."

Elara nodded weakly.

Then Selene stepped forward again.

"There's one more lesson."

Elara groaned. "Of course there is."

Selene only smiled.

Selene led her to the waterfall. Unlike before, there was no warmth in her expression.

She pointed at the water. "Get in."

Elara shivered. "It's freezing."

"Good."

Elara didn't move.

Selene's voice softened. "You are more than your pain, Elara but first, you have to face it."

Elara swallowed hard.

She stepped into the water.

The cold hit her like a dagger to the ribs.

Selene watched as the river swirled around her, her breath coming in short gasps.

"Good," Selene murmured. "Now stay."

Elara's muscles ached her body begged her to leave.

But she stayed.

And as the river pulled at her, as the cold sank into her bones, something inside her began to change.

She wasn't weak.

She wasn't broken.

She was still standing.

And she always would be.

Elara stood waist-deep in the icy river, her limbs trembling. The frigid water wrapped around her like an unrelenting grip, seeping into her bones, making every breath feel like a battle. She clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

Selene watched from the riverbank, arms crossed. "You're not just enduring the cold," she said. "You're fighting something deeper. What is it?"

Elara's teeth chattered. "I don't know."

Selene tilted her head. "Yes, you do. Close your eyes."

Elara hesitated but obeyed.

The world faded into darkness, and in its place came the ghosts of her past—whispers of Moonfang wolves laughing at her weakness, her mother's cold stare, Thorne's rejection, the night she was cast out.

The water grew heavier.

Selene's voice was steady. "Do you want to drown in their judgment, or do you want to rise above it?"

Elara gasped, her chest tightening. The river felt alive, tugging her downward.

She couldn't breathe.

Then—

A scream tore through her mind.

A young girl's scream.

Her own.

The memory hit like a dagger. She was a child again, huddled in the Moonfang den, surrounded by sneering wolves.

Someone had shoved her to the ground her ribs ached from the impact.

"You're nothing, Elara," a voice sneered. "A runt. A mistake."

Pain shot through her skull.

Back in the present, her breath hitched. The river wasn't just cold. It was suffocating.

Her past was trying to drag her under.

But then—

Another voice.

Selene's.

"Remember what I told you, Elara. You are not weak."

Elara's eyes snapped open.

With a sharp inhale, she forced her legs to move. Step by step, she pushed forward against the current. The water fought her, but she fought harder.

By the time she reached the shore, she collapsed onto the rocks, gasping.

Selene knelt beside her, nodding approvingly. "Good."

Elara shivered violently. "That was—"

"Necessary," Selene finished. "You faced your past today. Next, you face your future."

Elara swallowed hard. "How?"

Selene smirked. "Kael, Lira, Finn—bring the blindfolds."