Chapter 5 Five

ADESSA / ELIS POV

I groaned as my arm throbbed, my feet itching from the dried blood splattered across it. As Tobias walked away, another man stepped onto the platform, and unlike Tobias, he looked less terrifying. 

“My name is Rune Ateos.” His deep voice echoed across the courtyard as he rolled his shoulders and revealed the massive ruin mark  carved across his arm, the dark symbol stretching from his wrist toward his elbow.

“And I am your Fang Captain.” His eyes travelled across the hundred of us before he pointed toward the massive building on the eastern side of the academy.  “You’ll head toward the Fang Wing once I’m done speaking.” Nobody moved.

“First rule,” he continued. “You will be in your assigned rooms before curfew. Curfew is at ten.”

He raised one finger. “If you’re caught outside after ten, you will be punished. I don’t care if you’re bleeding, dying or being chased by a fucking monster. You should have thought about that before leaving your room.”

A few students exchanged glances. “Second rule. Fighting outside designated training grounds is forbidden.” His eyes narrowed. “If you have a problem with another student, take it to the combat yard. You want to break someone's nose? Fine. You want to knock their teeth out? Be my guest. But do it where the instructors can see you. Don’t keep the fun to yourself.”

Someone snorted. Rune’s eyes immediately snapped toward the sound. “Unless you want to spend your first week cleaning the latrines with a your tongue. Please dare me.”

The student immediately stopped smiling. “Third rule. Weapons stay where they belong.” He pointed toward the weapons strapped to several students.

“You are allowed to carry them during training and approved missions. You are not allowed to walk into the dining hall with a sword hanging from your waist because you suddenly decided you want to be a fucking fool and show off..”

A few nervous laughs escaped.Rune’s expression didn’t change, it remained cold as ice. Maybe it was a thing here.  Laugher was a disease. 

“Fourth rule. No unauthorized shifting inside the dormitories.” He said loudly  That got everyone’s attention. “Your wolf is your responsibility. If you lose control and tear through a wall, a door or another student, you’ll pay for the damage and you’ll spend the next month wishing you hadn’t.”

He paused before adding, “And yes, we’ve had students destroy their own rooms.”

I lowered my gaze.That was probably something I needed to remember. I can’t afford to throw stuff around here when I’m  upset. 

“Fifth rule. Do not enter another Wing without permission.” He pointed toward the distant towers.

“The Claw Wing is not your playground. The Alpha Wing is not your playground. The Arcane Wing and Crimson Wing are definitely not your playground.”

My eyebrows lifted slightly. So the witches and vampires really did have their own sections. The Claw Wing and the Alpha Wing I had read about them in the Blackfang school guide. Blackfang was divided into Wings, each one meant for a different level of training and a different kind of supernatural being.

The Fang Wing was where every new shifter started, regardless of their bloodline or how powerful they believed they were. It was the largest of the three shifter wings and was basically where Blackfang decided whether you were worth keeping or not.

The Claw Wing was for shifters who had already proven themselves, students who had survived their first year and earned enough points to advance. They were stronger, more experienced and trained for more dangerous missions.

Then there was the Alpha Wing.

The strongest shifters in the academy lived there, including future pack leaders, royal warriors and students who had earned elite ranks through years of training. It was also where Tobias Vane belonged.

The three wings were connected to each other but The Claw and Alpha Wing are heavily guarded, and students weren’t allowed to wander between them without permission. Then there were the two wings completely separated from the shifter division.

The Arcane Wing belonged to the witches. Unlike shifters, witches didn’t need to survive a physical massacre to enter Blackfang. Their entrance trials tested their magical ability, control and endurance because a witch with powerful magic but no control could be more dangerous than a trained warrior.

The Crimson Wing belonged to the vampires. Their training focused on speed, strength, blood abilities, tracking and stealth, and their entrance test was designed to determine whether they could control their instincts while under extreme pressure.

“Anyone caught wandering into another division without authorization will answer to me.” Rune voice grew louder as folded his arms.

“Sixth rule. Attendance is mandatory.”His eyes hardened. “You miss training, you lose points. You lose enough points, you lose your rank. Lose your rank enough times and you go home.”

A murmur moved through the crowd.Rune waited until it died down. “Seventh rule. Respect your instructors.”

He smiled faintly.“You don’t have to like us. You don’t have to agree with us. But you will respect our authority.”His gaze swept over us. “And if you decide to challenge an instructor, make sure you’re ready to explain your decision from the infirmary.”

Nobody laughed this time.“Eighth rule. No stealing.”

He pointed toward our bags. “Your belongings are your responsibility. If another student steals from you, report it. If you steal from someone else and I find out, you’ll wish you’d never survived the entrance trial.”

He took a slow breath.“Last rule.”The entire courtyard became quiet.“Blackfang does not care who you were before you came here.”

His eyes moved from one student to the next.“Some of you are princes. Some of you are heirs. Some of you come from powerful bloodlines. Some of you were nobody before today.”

His gaze stopped briefly on me.“None of it matters here.”I swallowed hard. “You earn your place every single day.” Rune stepped away from the platform and gestured toward the Fang Wing.

“Now pick up your bags and move.”He paused.“And try not to die before breakfast tomorrow.”

I stared at him.

Was that supposed to be a joke? Judging by the completely serious expression on his face, I decided it probably wasn’t.

I grabbed my bag and followed the others toward the Fang Wing. This sure damn wasn’t going to be an easy ride.