AT THE LUNCHTIME
ZAVIER
Lunch was loud, it was not unusual, but louder than before, because now people were looking. Not ignoring, not whispering behind hands, but watching.
"Do you feel that?" Riko asked, mouth full.
"Yes." Ben said.
"It's attention." Riko grinned.
"It's judgment." Ben corrected.
"It's both." I said.
Leo was asleep at the table as usual. Adam sat across from me, quieter than usual, but his eyes kept flicking around the room like he was tracking every reaction.
"They are recalculating." Aiden said.
"I noticed." I muttered.
A few Alphas walked past slower than needed.
"They are staring." Riko whispered loudly.
"You are loud." Ben said.
"I'm interesting."Riko grinned.
"You are a problem."Ben sighed.
"Same thing." Adam added, visibly annoyed by their bickering. I ignored them because something shifted in the room. Not noise, not movement. I watched as the doors opened and General Kael walked in. At the same moment, the entire hall straightened. Conversations dropped, not silent, but controlled. He didn't look around much because apparently, he didn't need to. He walked straight toward us. Riko choked on his food.
"Oh no." He wheezed.
Ben sat up straighter instantly. Leo was still asleep and Adam didn't move. I exhaled slowly as Kael stopped at our table. Looked at each of us once.
"Stand."He ordered.
We stood as usual Leo did not. Riko kicked his chair, and Leo stood instantly.
"I was awake." He said.
"You weren't." I frowned.
"Details."He said.
Kael didn't comment. His gaze settled on me for half a second, then moved on.
"D-rank team." He said.
"That sounds official." Riko whispered.
"It is." Ben replied.
"You have been assigned." Kael continued, voice steady, controlled. "To your first wilderness training rotation."
"Already?"Riko blinked.
"That's early."Ben frowned slightly.
Adam's eyes sharpened as Aiden stirred.
"Fast progression."He said.
"Of course it is." I muttered.
"Instructor: Isabella."Kael continued.
"Is she nice?"Riko raised a hand.
"No."Kael looked at him.
"Understood."Riko lowered his hand.
"That tracks."Ben nodded.
Kael's gaze swept over us again.
"Rules are simple." He said. "You will each bring one item."
"One?"Riko blinked.
"One." Kael repeated.
"Define item." Riko said carefully.
"Not including clothes."Kael did not react.
"That ruins everything." Riko muttered.
"You will survive with what you carry." Kael continued. "No external support, no replacements."
Ben's expression shifted slightly, it seems he was thinking and planning. Leo yawned.
"I will bring myself." He said.
"That is not an item." Ben replied.
"It should count."Leo said.
"This is a test of preparation."Adam crossed his arms.
"Correct." Kael said.
"Choose carefully."Aiden hummed.
"I will." I said.
"You leave at dawn."Kael gave one final look and then he walked away.
Silence hung for exactly two seconds.
"ONE ITEM?"Riko slammed his hands on the table.
"Yes." Ben said.
"ONE?"Riko repeated.
"Yes."Ben said and sighed.
"THIS IS A TRAP."Riko gasped.
"It's literally a survival test." Ben replied.
"IT'S PERSONAL."Riko frowned.
"It's not."Ben said.
"It feels personal."Riko said.
"I choose sleep."Leo sat down again.
"You can't bring sleep." I said.
"I will try."Leo sighed.
Adam looked at me.
"What are you bringing?" He asked.
I didn't answer immediately. Instead, I reached into my pocket and pulled it out. A small pocket knife. Clearly worn and used, but reliable.
"I already have it." I said.
"That's it?"Riko stared.
"That's enough." I replied.
"Versatile."Ben nodded slowly.
"Smart." He said as his gaze lingered on it.
"I will bring him."Leo muttered from the table as he pointed at me.
"You can't bring people." Ben said.
"I can try."Leo said.
"I'm bringing chaos."Riko leaned in.
"That's not an item." Ben said.
"It is in spirit."Riko smirked.
"This will be interesting."Aiden's voice was calm.
The silence at our table didn't last long. It never did here because the moment General Kael left, the room slowly shifted back, but not the same way as before. And very clearly at us.
"Hey."One Alpha said.
Riko froze mid bite.
"Oh no." He whispered.
I didn't turn immediately because I already knew that tone. Mocking, interested and clearly looking for entertainment. I turned anyway. A group of higher rank trainees stood a few tables away B-rank, maybe, one of them had the kind of posture that screamed Alpha with opinions.
"You are the new D-rank joke, right?" He asked casually.
Riko gasped.
"We prefer the term 'emerging disaster'." He said.
"Please stop talking." Ben muttered.
The Alpha ignored them and looked straight at me.
"You got assigned Isabella?" He said.
"Yes."I said.
"Then you are dead."A slow grin spread across his face.
"WHAT."Riko dropped his food.
Another Beta leaned on the table behind him.
"Fifty five percent failure rate." He said. "That's the average."
"FIFTY FIVE?!" Riko looked like he might actually faint.
"More if she's in a bad mood." Someone added helpfully.
"She leaves people in the forest." Another one said.
"Not dead." The first Alpha shrugged. "Just… not passed."
"THAT DOESN'T HELP." Riko clutched his head.
Ben's expression tightened slightly.
"She tests adaptability." He said quietly.
"She tests if you deserve to stay." Adam added.
Leo didn't move.
"I will simply not fail." He mumbled into the table.
"That's not how this works." Ben said.
"It is how I cope." Leo replied.
The Alpha looked back at me.
"You should drop out now." He said. "Save yourself the embarrassment."
I stared at him for a second then I nodded once.
"Good to know."I said calmly.
"That's it?"Riko blinked.
"That's it."I said.
The Alpha frowned slightly.
"You don't seem worried." He said.
"I am not."I tilted my head just a little.
That got a reaction not loud, but noticeable.
"Not worried?" The Beta repeated.
"No."I said.
Riko turned slowly toward me.
"YOU SHOULD BE WORRIED." He whisper yelled.
"I am not." I repeated.
Ben studied me carefully now.
"You have done survival training before." He concluded.
"Yes."I said.
"Where?" Adam asked.
Aiden stirred as I leaned back slightly in my chair.
"Home." I said.
A pause as Riko blinked.
"Your pack trained you?"He asked.
I smiled, small yet emotionless.
"No."I said.
Silence spread again, but this time it was different.
"He means alone." Adam murmured.
"Yeah." I said quietly.
"Explain."Ben frowned.
I shrugged once.
"I had time." I said.
"That's not an explanation." Adam said.
"It is if no one is paying attention to you." I replied.
That landed hard. Riko didn't joke this time, and surprisingly Ben didn't interrupt. Even
Leo opened one eye slightly.
"My parents." I continued, voice calm, flat. "Were busy."
"With your brother." Adam said. "You once mentioned, if I am correct."
"Yes."I said and nodded.
A pause went through the room.
"I learned how to survive." I added. "Because no one taught me anything else."
The Beta from the other table scoffed lightly.
"That's dramatic."He said.
"It's accurate."I looked at him.
Riko leaned closer slowly.
"You are serious." He said.
"Yes."I said.
"You hunted alone?"Ben's voice was quieter now.
"Yes."I said.
"Tracked?"An Alpha asked.
"Yes."I nodded.
"Built shelter?"A Beta asked.
"Yes."I nodded.
"And no one noticed?"Adam exhaled slowly.
"No one cared enough to."I shook my head once. "After all I was the 'useless one'."
That one didn't just land, even Riko looked genuinely upset now.
"That's, that's actually terrible." He said.
Leo sat up slightly.
"Explains a lot." He muttered.
Ben adjusted his glasses, but his expression didn't fully hide it anger at something else. Adam's jaw tightened.
"Your family." He said slowly. "Sounds like a problem."
"They are irrelevant."I let out a quiet breath.
"Correct."Aiden hummed in approval.
The Alpha from earlier scoffed again, but quieter this time.
"Still doesn't mean you will pass Isabella's lesson." He said.
I looked at him then I smiled.
"I didn't survive them." I said. "To fail a simple forest."
Riko froze.
"Okay that was cool." He whispered.
"That was very cool."Ben nodded once.
Leo laid back down.
"We might not die." He said.
Adam huffed a quiet laugh, and the Alpha didn't reply this time because the room had already shifted again.
"They see it now."Aiden's voice was low, steady.
I picked up my food again as nothing had happened.
"Good." I said. "Time to see if being neglected all those years was worth it.