The entrance examination

The Apex Trials Academy was built into the side of a mountain, in a town called Iserenth, located in the North.

The school gate was made of heavy iron—and it was lined with real skulls.

Raine's breath caught in her throat when she saw them.

Those were real werewolf skulls.

Her stomach turned.

"Welcome to hell," Tobe said quietly beside her.

A bunch of new students were already standing in front of the gate. Most looked tall and strong. The others looked bold and ready. No one looked small, shy, or scared like Raine.

"Step forward," the guard said, stopping in front of her.

Tobe nudged her with a grin. "This is where I leave you. Remember, you're pretending to be a boy now. If you slip up, they'll kill you. And your mother wouldn't want that."

Matteo had instructed Tobe to make sure she got to the academy safely. That part was done now and he had to leave.

Raine turned to him, her chest tight. "That's it?"

He nodded. "Now it's up to you. Either make it in as a candidate—or die trying. Your choice, Rowan Vale"

She swallowed hard, nodded, and stepped forward.

"Name?" a huge man asked, not looking at her as he held a pen over a sheet of paper.

"Ra… Rowan Vale," she said, twisting her feet nervously on the floor. She was trying her best not to let her voice shake.

"Vale?" The man finally looked up, his eyebrows raised.

"You don't mean Alpha Vale's son? Oh my moon! What an un-striking resemblance"

She looked down at her feet, unsure. She didn't even know who Alpha Vale was. Or Rowan. Matteo didn't tell her anything more than that he was dead.

"Yeah…" she said softly. It was better to just agree. After all, she had stolen Rowan's name.

"Looks like the gods sent another talented one. I hope you don't disappoint your late father. You're a pretty boy, I'll give you that."

She gave a weak smile.

She was supposed to be only worried about passing the test and staying alive. Now she had a new problem—living up to the name of someone she didn't even know.

The man made a mark on the paper and stepped aside. "You can go in."

Raine stepped forward. The iron gates groaned as they opened and slammed shut behind her. The loud noise made her jump.

She was in.

There was no turning back now.

It was simple—pass the test, or die trying.

The new students stood around in groups, whispering and looking around. Some stood alone, quietly watching the others like preys

"Form a line!" a loud voice shouted.

Raine looked up.

A man stood on a raised stone platform. He wore a perfectly ironed black suit.

"Alpha Gabriel," someone whispered behind her. "He's the Alpha of Black Hollow Pack."

"Tonight begins your trial," Alpha Gabriel began without waiting for the noise to die down. Meanwhile, his was voice strong and deep enough to shut every other mouth up

"You are here for a reason. The moon goddess must have chosen you." He rolled his eyes at the new recruits

"Only the strong will pass the entrance exam. If you die you fail. Try not to fail"

Nobody said a word, but fear spread through the recruits.

"You've already entered the gate," he went on. "There's no going back now. You will all enter the Gauntlet Hall"

He pointed to two large doors at the other end of the courtyard.

"Inside, you'll face tests that separate the weak from the strong. If you survive, you'll become students here."

The doors creaked open. It was dark inside.

"Step forward—all of you."

The students started walking into the dark hallway.

Raine moved with them, her heart pounding.

She had no training. No powers. Just the stolen name of a boy.

But she had no choice.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist.

She turned and saw a tall guy with black hair, dark eyes, and a cold look on his face.

"You're really Rowan Vale?" he asked in a quiet voice.

Before she could answer, he smirked.

"Guess you are. Try not to die too soon, princeling. It would be a shame. And watch your back—I plan to kill you."

He let go and pushed past her roughly.

"This place is hell!" Raine clenched her fists and kept walking, even though she was scared.

The hallway led to a huge room. In the middle was a giant stone arch with glowing marks on it.

A loud, deep voice came from hidden speakers.

"The first test is called The Hunt. You all know and played the game hide and seek, right? It's just like that—except if you're found, you die. It's a maze. The goal is simple: don't die before the bell rings."

Behind them, the big doors slammed shut.

Raine had no time to think. The ground shook, and a loud howl echoed in the air.

She turned and saw the others running but she was still lost. She knew that running was never going to be the solution. It's hide and seek game for crying out loud.

As a child, she had spent most of her life locked in a basement. She had never played games like this. She once hoped her first game would be with her father.

But here she is witnessing her first game ever with bunch of strangers.

A loud scream came from behind her. Then a crunching sound.

Her stomach flipped.She didn't bother looking to find out what it was

She just ran.

And tripped—but quickly rolled to the side.

A huge creature jumped at her. It looked half-wolf, with glowing red eyes and sharp teeth. It smirked as it came closer.

Raine dodged just in time, hitting the wall as its claws missed her by inches.

She wasn't strong.

But she was fast.

She turned and ran, pushing herself into the dark maze without looking back.

She couldn't win by fighting.

She had to survive by thinking smart.

Up ahead, she saw the black-haired guy from earlier. He moved fast, almost like he knew the way.

He reached a corner, pressed something on the wall—and a secret passage opened.

Without thinking, Raine followed him inside.

And the wall closed behind them.