Chapter 34: The Call of the Wild
Bram Adua stepped into the circle next.
The markings beneath his feet glowed the same way they had for Lena, and the ground beneath the arena stirred faintly again. His control was strong, though not as refined as hers. The earth cracked open in several places as thick roots forced their way upward.
Bram controlled them well, but the movement was rougher, less precise.
Still, the result was clear.
He too reached the stage of Awakened.
One by one, the remaining Adua students finished their trials.
The arena slowly settled again.
Then Master Ilyara raised her hand once more.
"The trial continues."
Her gaze shifted toward another group of students.
"The Kwofie bloodline."
A quiet murmur spread through the arena.
The Kwofie were always different from the other bloodlines.
They didn't transform like the Owase.
They didn't command metal or earth.
Their power came from something older.
The bond between human and beast.
Niko and Kala Kwofie exchanged a glance.
The twins had grown up together, trained together, and understood each other without speaking much at all.
Kala gave a small nod.
"You first."
Niko stepped forward.
The moment he entered the stone circle, the markings lit once again.
But this time something else happened too.
The wind shifted.
It was subtle at first.
A soft movement across the arena that lifted dust and rustled the tall grass beyond the training field.
Niko closed his eyes.
His breathing slowed.
Several students watched with confusion.
"What's he doing?" Jaro whispered.
"Listening," Amara replied.
Seconds passed.
Then a distant cry echoed through the sky.
High above the academy walls, a shadow circled.
The students looked up.
A hawk.
The bird glided lower, its wings cutting smoothly through the morning air.
But it didn't land randomly.
It descended directly toward the arena.
Gasps rose from the students as the hawk landed gently on Niko's raised forearm.
The boy opened his eyes.
The bird looked at him calmly.
Not wild.
Not afraid.
Connected.
Master Ilyara nodded slightly.
"Good."
Niko moved slowly, allowing the hawk to spread its wings.
The connection between them was clear.
He whispered something under his breath.
The hawk launched into the air again.
This time it didn't simply fly.
It moved with purpose.
Circling above the arena once, twice—
Then diving sharply toward one of the wooden training posts.
Its talons struck the wood with precise force before it pulled away and returned to Niko's arm.
Several students clapped quietly.
"That's impressive," Bram admitted.
"Wait until Kala's turn," Amara said.
Master Ilyara stepped forward.
"Niko Kwofie," she said.
"You stand at the stage of Awakened."
Niko smiled slightly as he stepped out of the circle.
The hawk lifted into the sky again, disappearing beyond the academy walls.
Then Kala walked forward.
Unlike her brother, she didn't look toward the sky.
Instead, she knelt slightly when she reached the center of the circle.
Her hand brushed the ground gently.
For several seconds, nothing happened.
Then a rustling sound came from the tall grass beyond the arena walls.
Heads turned.
A small shape slipped through the open gate.
Then another.
And another.
Three lean savannah wolves trotted cautiously into the training field.
The students stiffened.
But the animals showed no aggression.
They walked calmly toward Kala.
The moment they reached the circle, they stopped and lowered their heads slightly.
Acknowledging her.
Kala stood slowly.
She raised her hand.
The wolves moved instantly.
One dashed forward and leapt onto a nearby practice post, knocking it down with powerful jaws.
Another circled the arena with incredible speed.
The third stayed close beside her like a silent guardian.
Even Kairo looked impressed now.
"…That's control," he admitted.
Master Ilyara allowed the moment to settle before speaking.
"Kala Kwofie."
She nodded once.
"You have reached the stage of Awakened."
The wolves slipped back toward the tall grass soon after, disappearing as quietly as they had arrived.
The arena slowly fell silent again.
Four bloodlines had completed their trials.
Only one remained.
Master Ilyara turned toward the final group of students.
Her gaze stopped on Aren.
"The Djanah bloodline," she said calmly.
Aren felt every eye in the arena shift toward him.
The whispers inside his mind stirred immediately.
Stronger than before.
Waiting.
And for the first time since the trials began—
Aren realized something.
They weren't just reacting.
They were anticipating.