CHAPTER 359: 359-IT GOES WAY BACK IN TIME

Author’s POV:

Many Years Ago

The weather had turned cold without a warning.

Winter was arriving earlier than expected, and the alphas planned to celebrate it in the way they preferred.

The ground sat in the center of the open field.

Rows of cushioned seats circled it, rising upward in wide curves.

These seats were restricted to the alphas, royal betas, higher-ranked gammas, their families, and the council members.

The sky was cloudy, but daylight still fell across the field in pale patches.

Every alpha and luna from the North, South, East, and West had taken their places in the front rows.

Behind them sat the royal betas with their families, and behind them were the royal gammas with theirs.

On the far side, the warriors’ gate opened. A line of orphans walked out.

Their clothes were loose and old.

They tried to keep their pace steady, but their legs trembled as they stepped onto the dirt.

Each carried a sword. The months of training showed in their tired faces.

Their sunken eyes revealed they had not slept properly, likely thinking about this day.

Their bodies looked thin from long hours of practice and poor meals.

Some spectators leaned forward, stretching their necks to see the orphans more clearly.

On the opposite side, another gate rose. Screeches and sharp howls echoed from within the tunnel.

This sound earned a louder response from the crowd.

People began to cheer as if they supported the creatures still hidden in the dark.

Lord William Stark, alpha of one of the South packs, stood near the railing.

He wore a clean coat with the symbol of his pack stitched near the collar.

His eyes moved across the other alphas with a satisfied expression.

Alpha Raze of the Magical Fangs Pack approached him in a white coat.

He gave Lord William a wide smile.

The two shared a brief hug, pleased with the match they had arranged.

They were the ones responsible for planning the entire event this time.

Lord William stepped forward and took hold of the microphone.

"I hope everyone has their food and their comforts," he announced through the speakers. "I hope you have been served well."

Murmurs rose from the crowd as people settled into their seats.

"Today we have new creatures," Lord William continued. "They will fight the orphans we trained over the past few months."

Cheers erupted from the spectators.

The orphans exchanged nervous glances and took small steps closer to one another, as if the closeness could offer protection.

Then the creatures were released.

Everyone gasped at the sight of them. This was their first introduction to the audience.

Alpha Raze raised his chin and called out, "We will call them Carapamingus Rex."

The name spread through the seats quickly.

The creatures stepped into the light. Their bodies looked strange and uneven.

Their backs were shaped like turtle shells. Their legs were scaled like crocodile limbs.

Their necks stretched long, resembling those of ostriches.

Their heads ended in sharp parrot-like beaks.

Their movements were jerky, and they screeched in a way that echoed across the field.

They had no eyes at all.

The audience watched them with surprise and excitement.

The orphans gripped their swords harder, but their hands remained unsteady as the creatures advanced.

"Let the match begin," Lord William announced before walking back to his seat.

Alpha Raze also returned to his place.

The monsters moved first. They charged across the dirt with fast.

One raised its beak high and lunged at the nearest orphan.

The boy tried to strike, but the creature caught him by the shoulder and bit down.

Blood splattered across the ground.

A collective gasp spread through the seats, but the crowd’s shock turned into laughter.

A few people pointed at the boy as if the sight entertained them.

Another monster rushed forward and struck the same boy on the head.

His body hit the dirt and stayed still.

An orphan standing nearby stepped back.

His fingers curled around his sword tightly, but his hand trembled too hard to lift it.

The monster caught him by the front of his shirt with its beak and dragged him forward.

The crowd cheered. Some laughed louder and even mimicked the boy’s fall.

There was no compassion in their faces.

They watched the orphans as if they were watching a performance.

A girl tried to slip behind one of the creatures, but the creature turned and drove its beak into her back.

The sharp beak came out through the front of her shirt.

She fell to the ground and looked toward the crowd.

They continued to cheer and eat their food while blood spread around her.

A quiet cry slipped from her lips. No one moved to help her.

The match continued. More orphans fell.

Their bodies dropped one after another until none were left standing.

Lord William lifted his hand.

"Finish the Rex," he instructed the guards.

His expression showed disappointment.

Even though the spectators had enjoyed the fall of the orphans, many still looked irritated that the orphans had failed to kill the creatures.

The guards entered the field and killed the monsters quickly with advanced weapons.

As the creatures collapsed, the crowd grew upset again.

"Are we going to have another match with these creatures and new orphans?" a woman from the West asked.

She wore fine clothes and carried herself like the wife of a royal gamma.

"We will have more matches," one of the alphas replied. "But we will need to prepare the orphans better next time."

Several alphas nodded in agreement.

It was not only Lord William who controlled these events.

Many shared the responsibility. Today the attention stayed on William and Raze.

The next time it would be on the other two alphas.

As the guards cleaned the ground and the creatures lay dead, the alphas prepared to close the event.

Lord William stepped forward and opened his mouth to announce that everyone should head back.

But before he could speak, a firm voice echoed through the arena.

"This is brutality!"

The shout was loud enough to cut through the crowd completely.

The entire field fell silent. The cheering stopped.

The people in the seats turned slowly and stared toward the direction of the voice.

Several alphas exchanged surprised glances, asking each other with their eyes what he thought he was doing.

The man who had stood up was the new Alpha of the North.

He kept his back straight as he looked down at the ground filled with blood.

The expressions of every alpha and luna shifted from surprise to confusion.

It was the first time someone had spoken against the tradition.

It was the first time someone had objected at all.