Chapter 12: ¹²: the meeting!

Louis stared at the stage, his hands slowly curling into fists.

"Louis! H-how is this possible?" Maria’s trembling voice reached his ears. "Is the announcer insane?"

He paid no attention to her. His eyes remained fixed on the stage. Gradually, all the noise around him faded into nothingness.His gaze drifted toward the back of the auditorium.

There, from the very last row, a girl slowly rose from her seat and began walking toward the stage. The girl who had taken the Dravera from him.

Her long ebony hair cascaded gracefully down her back, while a few shorter strands framed her delicate face. Her deep brown eyes were so captivating that, for a brief second, Louis found himself completely mesmerized.

He blinked and subtly pinched himself, forcing his mind to return to reality from the spell like attraction he was feeling from them.

What the hell...

Why was he so captivated by a stranger?

She was breathtakingly beautiful. It was as though the Moon Goddess herself had descended to earth.

Yet alongside the strange attraction growing inside him, another emotion burned just as fiercely.

Hatred.

She had taken something he had worked years to achieve. The Dravera had always belonged to him. And Louis Dreven had never been good at accepting defeat.

Whenever someone took something that belonged to him...

He made sure they regretted it and when that "something" happened to be this beautiful...

Breaking it would be even more satisfying.

Standing beside him, Maria watched Athena approach the stage. A strange feeling tightened around her heart.

Insecurity- she was feeling insecure looking at the girl who looked like a walking compitition.

Also she wasn’t merely intimidated because Athena had defeated Louis. No. It was because of the way Louis was looking at her. He wasn’t simply watching, he was staring and that scared her more than anything.

Maria knew exactly why Louis had allowed her to stay by his side all these years. She had managed to hold his interest, nothing more nothing less. That fragile thread was the only thing connecting them.

But now...

She saw that same curiosity that was binding her to Louis, reflecting in his eyes.

Only this time...

It wasn’t directed at her. It was directed at another woman and that terrified her.The insecurity inside her slowly twisted into something far uglier.

Hatred.

A hatred that wished Athena Moonvel had never existed.

"This year," the announcer declared as Athena reached the center of the stage, facing the whole auditorium filled with students who were looking at her like she was something out of the world, something impossible to happen.

"we actually had two students whose performances qualified them for the Dravera."

A wave of murmurs spread throughout the auditorium.

"The second student..."

The announcer unfolded another paper.

"...is Louis Dreven."

The crowd immediately turned toward Louis. Some looked shocked, others looked sympathetic.

"But," the announcer continued, "the Dravera can only be awarded to one student."

He smiled toward Athena. "And in every measurable category, Miss Athena Moonvel surpassed the competition."

The entire auditorium erupted into whispers still unable to digest the fact that someone has actually defeated Louis Dreven.

"Since the Dravera will be given a decade after the last one was given, we thought it would be most fitting for this year’s recipient to receive it from the person who last earned the same honor."

His voice echoed proudly throughout the hall.

"Please welcome today’s respected chief guest..."

"Alpha Kael Dreven!"

Thunderous applause erupted. Every single student immediately rose to their feet to welcome their Alpha respectfully.

The massive doors of the auditorium slowly opened, silence fell.

Then...

Alpha Kael entered.

The atmosphere itself seemed to change.Kael’s commanding presence alone was enough to make the entire hall hold its breath. He was the strongest Alpha the werewolf world had ever known.

The ruler of the Dreven Empire.

The man countless Alphas feared.

And now he was in front of them, nobody dared to blink. It felt almost disrespectful to look away, even for a second.

Kael walked calmly toward the stage while the academy principal hurried forward to greet him.

After exchanging greetings, the principal led him toward the podium to adress the students.

Kael’s sharp gaze swept across the auditorium, everyone was still standing not daring to move until they were said to do so.

"Please, sit." His deep voice carried effortlessly through the hall. Instantly, everyone obeyed and sat on their seats looking foward to hear from him.

"It is my honor," Kael began, "to stand before the brightest young minds from every pack under the Dreven Empire."

His calm voice filled every corner of the auditorium.

"You represent the future of our community."

"I hope each of you continues to work hard, not only to make your families proud, but also to become the leaders who will shape the future of our world and take the legacy of the Draven Empire forward."

His gaze slowly moved across the crowd.

"Congratulations on earning your place in the most prestigious academy in the werewolf world."

The hall exploded into applause as soon as Kael ended his speech, everyone feeling like they were filled with new enthusiasm and determination, even the professors looked inspired.

Only after the applause settled did the announcer continue.

"We now invite Alpha Kael Dreven to present the Dravera to Miss Athena Moonvel."

Led by the principal, Kael stepped toward the center of the stage where Athena stood.

His eyes naturally settled upon the young woman waiting there.

The moment he had entered the auditorium, she had caught his attention. Not because she was beautiful, beauty alone never interested him.

It was the composure in her eyes, the confidence. The strange calmness she carried despite standing before thousands of people.

’A perfect score in the most difficult entrance examination Dreven Academy has ever conducted.’ He thought remembering the happiness filled voice of the principal who had informed him about it.

His eyes lingered on hers for a brief moment.

’You’re quite interesting, Miss Athena Moonvel....’ he thought and then stopped in front of her.

"Nice to meet you, Alpha," he heard her say with a slight smile that did not reach her eyes

And for reasons he couldn’t explain...

Kael smiled back.