Chapter 8: First Uncontrolled Shift Attempt
(Aria’s POV )
The hunters’ howls grew into a terrifying chorus outside the academy walls, closer and angrier than before.
Kael’s hand tightened around mine as we stood in the glowing training circle. “They’re getting bolder. Your light and Max’s spark are calling them like never before.”
My stomach twisted. Max was safe in the younger dorms for now, but how long would that last? My silver light was still glowing softly in my hands, no longer wild thanks to Kael’s touch, but I could feel the unstable power simmering underneath, ready to explode again.
Mara stood at the edge of the circle, arms crossed. “Training her now is risky. If her power backfires during a shift attempt, it could tear a hole in our defenses.”
Kael shot her a sharp look. “We don’t have a choice. The longer she stays uncontrolled, the more hunters she attracts. We start now.”
He turned to me, his golden eyes serious but kind. “Aria, shifting is the fastest way to ground your power. Your wolf side can help balance the silver light. But it’s going to hurt the first time. Are you ready?”
I swallowed hard. “Do I have a choice?”
“Not really,” he admitted. “But I’ll be right here with you. The whole pack will.”
Lila stepped forward and gave me an encouraging nod. “We’ve all been through this. Breathe through the pain. Let the moon guide the change.”
I nodded, even though my legs felt weak. The red alarm kept chiming in the distance, reminding me that every second counted.
Kael positioned me in the center of the glowing stones. “Close your eyes. Feel the moon above you. Picture your wolf inside; strong, fast, part of you. Let it rise.”
I closed my eyes and tried to focus. The silver light in my hands grew warmer. Deep inside my chest, something stirred… a wild, restless energy that felt both scary and exciting.
At first, it was just a tingle in my bones.
Then the pain hit.
It started in my spine, sharp and burning, like every bone was cracking at once. I gasped and doubled over, clutching my stomach.
“It hurts!” I cried out.
Kael’s hands steadied my shoulders. “That’s normal. Push through it. Don’t fight the change, embrace it.”
The pain spread to my arms and legs. My fingers ached as they tried to lengthen. My teeth felt too sharp in my mouth. A low growl escaped my throat without me meaning to.
Lila’s voice came from nearby. “She’s fighting it too hard! Her light is clashing with the shift!”
The silver light in my hands flared wildly, mixing with the shift energy. Instead of a smooth change, my body jerked violently. Fur started sprouting on my arms in uneven patches, then disappeared. My legs buckled as claws tried to form on my toes.
“I can’t… control it!” I gasped, tears stinging my eyes.
Kael dropped to his knees in front of me, cupping my face with both hands. His warm touch sent that strong spark through me again, cutting through some of the chaos.
“Look at me, Aria,” he said firmly. “You are not just the light. You are not just the wolf. You are both. Let them work together.”
His golden eyes held mine. The warmth from his hands flowed into me like steady moonlight. The wild silver light and the shifting pain started to balance.
For a moment, I felt it the wolf inside me rising smoothly.
My bones shifted. Fur rippled across my skin. My hands became paws. I dropped to all fours as the world tilted and changed around me.
I was a wolf.
The feeling was incredible powerful, free, alive. I could hear every leaf rustling, smell the pine and the distant hunters. My silver light still glowed faintly along my fur, making me look like a wolf made of moonlight.
Kael smiled, pride in his eyes. “There she is. Beautiful.”
But the moment didn’t last.
The pain returned, sharper than before. My body jerked violently. The shift reversed too fast. Fur disappeared in patches. My bones cracked as they tried to go back to human form while the wolf side fought to stay.
I screamed… a mix of human and wolf sound as I collapsed on the ground, half-shifted and shaking.
Kael caught me before I hit the stones. “Aria! Hold on!”
Lila rushed over. “Her light is clashing with the shift! It’s tearing her apart!”
Mara’s voice cut through the panic. “I told you this was too dangerous. She’s not ready.”
The red alarm chimed louder. Outside the walls, the hunters’ howls turned into excited snarls they could sense my struggle.
Kael held me tightly, his warm hands trying to steady the chaos inside me. “Fight it, Aria. You can do this. You’re stronger than the pain.”
But my body wouldn’t listen. The silver light flared wildly again, sending sparks flying across the training circle. One spark hit a nearby stone and made it crack.
Max’s voice suddenly rang out from the edge of the clearing. Leo must have brought him back when he heard the commotion. “Aria! Stop! You’re hurting yourself!”
Seeing my little brother there, watching me in pain, made something snap inside me.
The wolf and the light clashed one final time.
A massive burst of silver energy exploded out of me.
Kael was thrown backward. Lila’s shield barely held. The training stones around me cracked and glowed too brightly.
When the light faded, I lay on the ground in human form again, exhausted and shaking. My arms and legs felt like jelly.
Kael crawled back to me, his face pale. “Aria… are you okay?”
I could barely speak. “It… hurt. So much.”
He helped me sit up, his warm touch the only thing keeping me grounded. “Your first shift was too soon. The Key power is fighting the wolf side. We need more time.”
But there was no time.
The red alarm suddenly turned into a piercing siren.
Marcus ran into the clearing, breathing hard. “The outer barriers are failing! The hunters sensed the power surge from Aria’s shift. They’re breaking through!”
Kael’s face hardened. He helped me to my feet, still holding me steady.
“Then we fight,” he said. “Tonight.”
I looked at my trembling hands, the silver light now dim and unsteady.
My first shift had been a disaster.
And because of it, the hunters were coming faster than ever.