I am back!!!!
.....
I didn't feel normal after last night.
The wounds hadn't healed yet—not completely. Slower than they should have been, and that alone told me enough.
[Recovery Efficiency +0.03]
Alpha damage.
That explained it.
He wasn't trying to kill me.
He was testing me.
And I didn't like what that implied.
On my way to the preserve, I finally let the system surface properly. Not just a glance this time—I actually paid attention to it.
[Proficiency System — Status]
Strength: 17.8–– Muscle Efficiency: 6.0–– Grip Strength: 5.9–– Explosive Force: 5.9
Speed: 18.6–– Movement Efficiency: 4.8–– Balance: 4.6–– Reaction Speed: 5.8–– Hand-Eye Coordination: 4.4
Endurance: 17.3–– Pain Resistance: 5.4–– Recovery Efficiency: 6.0–– Stamina Control: 5.9
Control: 16.9–– Sensory Filtering: 4.4–– Body Awareness: 4.6–– Emotional Regulation: 4.3–– Perception: 4.6–– Self Awareness: 3.8
The numbers had gone up.
Not dramatically—but enough to matter.
Speed stood out the most. That explained why everything around me had started feeling slightly slower lately.
"Yeah… that explains a few things," I muttered.
Control was still the lowest.
That wasn't surprising.
I was still looking at the panel when something slammed into me hard enough to knock the air out of my lungs.
I hit the ground before I could react, and the system disappeared instantly.
"Still doing that?" Derek's voice cut in.
I pushed myself up, already annoyed. "You don't do warnings, do you?"
"You don't survive with warnings."
He didn't give me time to reset.
He moved again.
Fast.
This time, I saw it clearly—not late, not barely. I shifted to the side and avoided the first strike completely.
That surprised him.
Just slightly.
I stepped in immediately, faster than before, grabbed his arm, and pushed forward.
For a moment—
I had him.
Physically, I was stronger.
I could feel it.
Then he twisted.
Simple. Efficient.
And just like that, I was off balance. My leg was swept out, and I hit the ground again.
"Too direct," he said.
I pushed myself up, irritation building. "I had you."
"No," he said flatly. "You didn't."
He attacked again.
Faster.
I reacted—dodged, shifted, countered.
[Reaction Speed +0.04][Movement Efficiency +0.03]
This time I landed a hit.
Not clean—but enough to push him back a step.
That was new.
Derek's expression shifted slightly.
Not impressed.
Interested.
Then he came back harder.
I tried to match it.
That was the mistake.
He slipped past my guard, redirected my movement, and drove me back again.
"Stop trying to overpower me," he said. "You're not fighting a human."
"I'm faster than you," I shot back.
"You are," he said.
That caught me off guard.
"And stronger."
"…then what's the problem?"
"You don't know how to use it."
He proved it immediately.
I moved first—he adjusted.
I committed—he punished it.
And just like that, I was on the ground again.
"…okay," I muttered, pushing myself up. "That's getting annoying."
"Good," he said. "It should be."
He circled slightly before continuing.
"Last night, the Alpha didn't call you randomly."
"I figured."
"He's not trying to kill you."
"Yeah. I figured that too."
"He's trying to make you join his pack."
That made me pause.
"…what?"
"He's an Alpha. He builds a pack. That's how they get stronger. We are stronger in a pack."
"By attacking people on buses?"
"By testing them," Derek corrected. "Pushing you. Breaking you. Seeing if you're worth keeping."
That didn't sit well.
"And if I'm not?"
"He kills you."
Simple.
Straight.
"…great."
"There's more," Derek continued. "He'll push you through a rite of passage—something that forces you to lose control completely."
I went still.
"…and if I don't?"
"You won't get a choice."
Silence settled between us.
"Yeah," I said finally. "That's not happening."
"Then you need control," Derek said. "Not just strength."
"Yeah, I got that part."
"Clearly not."
He moved again.
But this time—
differently.
He disappeared from my line of sight.
I frowned, scanning.
Nothing.
Then I heard it.
Behind me.
I turned—
too slow.
He hit me from the side, and I staggered.
"Stop using your eyes," he said.
"…what?"
"You're not human anymore."
He circled again.
Completely out of sight.
"Then what am I supposed to do?"
"Listen."
Everything felt loud.
Too loud.
Wind.
Leaves.
My own breathing.
It all blended together into noise.
"I can't—"
"You can," Derek cut in. "You're just not filtering it."
I forced myself to focus.
Not everything.
Just one thing.
Footsteps.
There.
I turned—
just in time to block.
Not clean.
But better.
[Sensory Filtering +0.05][Perception +0.04]
"Again," Derek said.
We repeated it.
Over and over.
Each time it got clearer.
Less noise.
More signal.
By the end, I wasn't reacting late anymore.
I was anticipating.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
I exhaled, breathing heavier now.
"Okay… that's new."
Derek watched me for a moment.
"You're learning."
Not praise.
But not dismissal either.
I nodded once.
Because I felt it too.
Not stronger.
Not faster.
Better.
More in control.
I glanced toward the deeper part of the forest.
Toward where I knew he was.
Somewhere out there.
Waiting.
If this was a test—
then next time, I wouldn't just survive it.
I'd be ready for it.
To be continued…