The Werewolf Trials

The Moon Goddess offered me her protection. If I died, I'd get one chance to be reborn through the werewolf trials.

I was born with "sensory impairment."

I wasn't an Omega, but I couldn't shift into a wolf. I couldn't see or sense wolves in their lupine forms or their power.

When I appeared alongside ninety-nine other trial candidates in an ancient rainforest shrouded in thick fog and darkness, everyone assumed I wouldn't make it past the first day.

But here I was, in the terrifying rainforest nests, treating a ghostly wolf pup, drowned for its unusual coat color, as my own little cub.

And, I flirted with a bloodthirsty vampire spirit who took pleasure in killing, treating him like a lover.

I even befriended the evil twin Hexenbiest, treating them like sisters.

The first time we met, I reached out and ran my hand over the vampire's abs. "Nice body," I commented, "just a bit on the short side."

He let out a humorless laugh, reattached the head he'd been holding to his neck, and gripped my chin.

"I'm six-foot-five," he said. "Want to take another look?"

The Moon Goddess offered me her protection. If I died, I'd get one chance to be reborn through the werewolf trials.

I've had lunar sensory impairment since birth. I wasn't an Omega, but I couldn't shift into a wolf. I couldn't see or sense wolves in their lupine forms or their power.

When I appeared alongside ninety-nine other trial candidates in an ancient rainforest shrouded in thick fog and darkness, everyone assumed I wouldn't make it past the first day.

I was a burden to my Pack—useless in battle because of my sensory impairment.

When a band of rogues attacked, my pack didn't hesitate to use me as bait.

Claws tore at my skin, fangs gnawed at my bones, and in the end, I was torn apart by a dozen rogue wolves.

Before I died, I heard my former pack members muttering: "What a waste of space. couldn't even slow them down for a minute."

Until my very last breath, I was the one they despised and abandoned.

A flash of white light, and the pain from being torn apart hadn't even faded when I regained consciousness.

When I came to, I was lying on my back on damp, earthy soil that smelled of decay.

The air was thick with the scent of blood, wet earth, and something wild—like musk from some beast.

I struggled to sit up, taking a moment to adjust to my surroundings.

My sensory impairment meant I couldn't recognize wolves by their scent or power.

Unlike other werewolves, I couldn't sense the strength of auras, the flow of power, or the terrifying presence of a wolf in lupine form—a death sentence in the werewolf world.

To me, the most fearsome alpha might just look like a large, fuzzy shadow.

There were many moving figures around me, accompanied by suppressed sobs, angry growls, and confused conversations.

As time passed, more and more people gathered.

There was no sun in the sky, only a large, ominous blood-red moon, casting an eerie light through the gaps in the rainforest's towering canopy.

"Where... where is this? I want to go home!" a young Omega's voice cried, trembling with fear.

"Who's messing with me? Let me go! I was at the tavern, and I'd already paid for my drinks," another Delta growled, his voice deep and menacing.

Then, two figures stepped forward—a man and a woman.

The man was tall and muscular with a steady presence, while the woman was agile and sharp-eyed, both radiating the aura of leaders.

From the murmurs around me, I learned they were both powerful alphas.

"Quiet!" the female alpha commanded, her voice cutting clearly through to each of us.

"My name is Safiya, and this is Tyne. We're both alphas, and you'd better follow our lead. We can share some information."

Under the powerful alpha presence, the restless crowd gradually calmed down.

Tyne spoke, his voice carefully soothing: "Listen up, everyone. You're all dead. You fell in battle or some other way. The Moon Goddess has given us a second chance."

Safiya's voice grew lower: "According to legends and Alpha Council records, we believe we're in the Blood Moon Trials—controlled by the Moon Goddess. We've been brought to this ancient, cursed Grayholle Rainforest. If we can survive here for seven days, we'll earn the Moon Goddess's blessing, reshape our bodies, and return to the world of the living."

A chance to be reborn? To return to the living? I nearly held my breath.

This meant I'd have a chance... a chance to face the pack that abandoned me? No, perhaps more importantly, a chance to live for myself.

"What do we need to do to pass the trials?" I couldn't help but ask, my voice hoarse with eagerness.

"I mean, there's a price for resurrection, right? Points? Or something else?"

Safiya glanced at me, seemingly surprised that I'd speak up, but she answered anyway: "Points. Resurrection requires 9,999 Moon Goddess points. The reward for each trial depends on your 'Lunar Fear' level when you complete it."

"Lunar Fear?" someone repeated in confusion.

Tyne explained: "As the name suggests, it's your level of fear toward this cursed land and the unknown dangers of the trials. If your Lunar Fear reaches 100, you'll be immediately consumed by the blood moon, and your soul will dissipate. If you complete the trials with a Lunar Fear of 99, you'll only get a pathetic 1 point."

"What if it's 0 then?" I pressed on, calculating in my mind. "If you complete the trials with zero Lunar Fear, would you get 100 points?"

At my words, the crowd fell silent for a moment, then a few suppressed snickers rang out. Safiya and Tyne looked at me as if I were a madman who knew nothing.

Unseen by me, my "trial footage" was being watched by certain entities, countless thoughts flowing through:

"This defective one sure talks big! The Blood Moon Trials might only be S-rank, but Grayholle Rainforest has never been completed due to its twisted rules!"

"The previous Alpha King, 'Silvermane' Kaelan, failed on the sixth day and can never be resurrected."

"Only two alphas in this batch—Safiya and Tyne. Together they wouldn't even stand a chance against Kaelan's claw. Looks like no one will pass the trials this time either."