Champ's POV

  The abandoned building we hid in was crumbling, its walls cracked and hollow. Dust swirled through the air, disturbed only by our hushed movements. Though sunlight still seeped through the broken windows, the eerie silence made it feel as if the darkness had already crept in.

  (Sniff!)

  "All clear," I whispered, my voice barely above a breath. "No signs of any Alphas in the vicinity. Jiggs, this is actually a solid hiding spot to start the competition."

  "Heh! Of course it is!" Jiggs smirked, tapping his temple. "I may not be as strong as you guys, but with my brains, I'm leagues ahead."

  I let out a small ugh. "Ugh! You're lucky we're friends."

  Marsh leaned in, his voice tinged with concern. "What's the pn, Master Champ? Are we staying put for now?"

  I nodded, my expression turning serious. "Yes. Rushing in without a pn is suicide. Compared to other Alpha cns, our numbers are limited. One wrong move, and we won't make it out alive. We need to let them thin each other out before we strike."

  Daryl folded his arms and nodded. "That's a smart approach, Master Champ."

  "But how long are we supposed to wait?" Gem asked, shifting uneasily.

  Jiggs flipped open his ptop, his fingers flying across the keys as he accessed his data. The screen flickered with numbers and figures.

  "The Alpha cn count hasn't changed," he reported. "Which means everyone else is holding back too. No one's making the first move."

  I frowned. "That makes sense. If an Alpha cn blindly charges into another's territory, they're walking straight into traps."

  Martin sighed. "So we just... wait?"

  "It's boring, but necessary," I admitted. "Still, we have to stay on high alert. There's no telling when the tides will shift."

  Jiggs adjusted his hair, a smug grin on his face. "Well, my location choice was top-tier, but yeah, you're right, Champ. We can't let our guard down."

  And so we waited.

  Hours crawled by. The sun dipped beneath the horizon, swallowing the world in darkness. The air grew thick with tension.

  Then—

  "What the hell?" Jiggs muttered, staring at his ptop. His fingers trembled slightly.

  "What is it?" I asked, moving closer.

  "The counter! It hasn't changed all day... but now it's dropping fast."

  A chill ran down my spine.

  "They've started fighting," I murmured. "This is our best chance to move—under the cover of night, when they're too distracted to notice us."

  But Jiggs' hands shook as he refreshed the screen.

  "Wait, wait, wait... this isn't normal!" he excimed. "An entire Alpha cn just got wiped out in seconds! This isn't an ordinary battle. Something is hunting them down."

  My stomach twisted. "Are you saying—"

  "Another cn is vanishing—no—being erased!" Jiggs' voice cracked. "This isn't strategy. This isn't war. This is a massacre! And whatever's doing it... it's not human."

  Silence fell over us, thick and suffocating.

  Then, in the distance—screams.

  Loud. Terrified. Desperate.

  "CH-CHAMP! I THINK I'M GONNA SHIT MYSELF!" Jiggs blurted out, gripping his ptop like it was a lifeline.

  My breath hitched. The enemy—whatever it was—was close.

  A voice shrieked from beyond the ruins.

  "MONSTER! RUN! HIDE!"

  We all went rigid. We didn't need to see it to know.

  We knew who they were talking about.

  "...Silver," I whispered.

  The name alone was enough to send a cold dread settling into my bones. I turned to my team. Their faces mirrored my own fear.

  Jiggs swallowed hard. "Champ... remember what he said earlier? About coming for my bag because I stuffed it with food and drinks?"

  I inhaled sharply.

  A scent reached my nose—sharp, distinct, unmistakable.

  "...Cinnamon," I muttered.

  Silver is nearby.

  "Champ! What do we do?!" Jiggs' voice cracked in panic.

  I clenched my fists, my mind racing.

  "We weren't prepared for him. We have to change our pn," I said, forcing myself to stay calm.

  "Master Champ," Gem's voice was barely a whisper. "What now?"

  Jiggs let out a strangled yelp. "FOUR CLANS! FOUR CLANS GONE! AND I BET MY ASS IT'S ALL SILVER!"

  "Tch!" I gritted my teeth.

  My brain whirred at a hundred miles per hour.

  Think, Champ. THINK!

  I scanned my surroundings, my eyes locking onto Jiggs' bag.

  Aha!

  "I know Silver's next move," I announced.

  Martin's head snapped toward me. "What is it, Master Champ?"

  "It's te. Silver needs food and water to restore his energy. He's not coming for me—we all know that—but for Jiggs' bag."

  Jiggs paled instantly. "Champ! What's your pn?! Please tell me it doesn't involve me dying! I still have dreams! Goals! I haven't even had a proper first date yet!" He clutched his bag like it was his newborn child.

  I smirked. "Rex. None of you will get hurt. Silver's tracking us through scent, specifically, mine. He knows I'm with you all, and if I stay, he'll find this pce without a doubt. Which means..."

  "We leave! Right now!" Jiggs practically screamed.

  "No." I shook my head. "You stay. I leave."

  The room fell silent.

  "I'll lead him away," I continued. "He's after my scent, so I'll make sure he follows. That way, you'll all be safe."

  "But Master Champ, what about you?" Gem asked, his face filled with concern.

  "Don't worry about me. I can handle myself," I reassured them. "Your job is to stay hidden." I turned to Marsh, Gem, Daryl, and Martin. "Protect Jiggs at all costs."

  "Yes, Master Champ!" they answered in unison.

  Jiggs swallowed hard. "When will you be back?"

  I hesitated, then gave him a firm nod. "I don't know. But I will come back. I promise."

  Jiggs clenched his fists. "Alright... just... be careful, okay?"

  I gave him one st nod before slipping away into the darkness.

  ...

  The night was eerily quiet. The wind whispered through the trees, and the full moon cast long, haunting shadows over the forest floor. I moved swiftly, ensuring that Silver wouldn't be able to trace Jiggs and the others.

  Right now, Silver was the biggest threat.

  I hadn't expected him to join the battle. I thought our biggest opponents would be average Alphas and... Deux.

  Deux...

  Where was he?

  Was he already locked in battle? Fighting for territory?

  No. I couldn't afford to think about him now. My cn comes first.

  I stopped in a clearing, taking a deep breath. The air was crisp, the night still.

  "Please... keep my friends safe." I whispered to the sky.

  Then—

  Rustling.

  I tensed.

  (Sniff!)

  Not Silver.

  The scent was different.

  An average Alpha.

  My lips curled into a smirk. "Come out and face me."

  A low chuckle echoed from the trees. Slowly, figures emerged—members of an Alpha cn, their numbers far greater than my own. At the center of them stood their leader, grinning, a massive chainsaw resting on his shoulder.

  "Where's your team?" he sneered. "Did you get lost?"

  I didn't answer.

  He stepped forward, tilting his head. "You know what this means, right? Once we take you out, your cn is done."

  "I know." My voice remained steady.

  The Alpha leader let out a ugh. "You're bold, I'll give you that. But from the looks of you, I doubt you can take us all on." His eyes flicked over me, unimpressed. "You're smaller than most Alphas. You even look tame. I won't waste my energy on you." He motioned to his men. "Betas, take care of him."

  I didn't move. I didn't speak.

  I waited.

  One of the Beta males rushed forward, screaming as he charged, his entire body weight thrown into the attack.

  I inhaled deeply, exhaled.

  Then—

  (SMACK!)

  My foot met his chest in a devastating kick.

  His body soared through the air before crashing violently into a tree.

  Silence.

  Every other Beta male froze.

  The Alpha leader's smirk faltered.

  Then—chaos.

  The rest of the Betas roared and charged, weapons raised, eyes burning with fury.

  I rolled my shoulders.

  "Fine." I smirked. "Let's dance."

  The first enemy swung a baton at my ribs. I twisted my body just enough to let it skim past, grabbing his wrist and snapping it backward. He howled in pain before I pnted a knee into his stomach, sending him crumpling to the ground.

  Another Beta lunged with a dagger—too slow. I sidestepped, grabbed the back of his neck, and smmed his face into my knee. His nose shattered instantly.

  Someone swung a chain at my head. I ducked, catching it mid-air, yanking the attacker toward me before smming an elbow into his jaw.

  More came.

  I weaved through them, fists and feet moving faster than their eyes could track. Every punch I threw nded with precision. Every kick sent bodies flying.

  One.

  Two.

  Three.

  More bodies hit the ground, groaning in agony.

  I felt blood trickle down my arm—not mine.

  The Alpha leader stood still, watching. His grip tightened around the chainsaw.

  "You..." he hissed. "You're stronger than you look."

  I cracked my knuckles, my heart still steady. "And you talk too much."

  He let out a deep growl. "Fine. I'll deal with you myself."

  "Now... it's just the two of us."

  I exhaled sharply, hoisting the unconscious Beta male over my shoulder before dropping him unceremoniously to the ground. My lips curled into a smirk, making sure my opponent saw it. I wanted him to know—I had wiped out his entire Alpha cn alone.

  I wasn't as monstrous as Silver. I didn't have that unnatural, terrifying presence.

  But that didn't mean I couldn't win.

  The Alpha leader narrowed his eyes. "You've defied all expectations. But let's be real—you're exhausted. You won't st much longer."

  I rolled my shoulders and straightened up.

  "Come," I taunted. "Be my guest."

  His face twisted in rage. "I hate being insulted!"

  With a roar, he charged.

  The unmistakable sound of a chainsaw filled the air. The bde gleamed under the moonlight, vibrating with deadly intent. If that thing so much as sharp grazed me, it's over.

  (Swoosh!)

  (Swish!)

  Each swing sliced through the air with a horrifying screech, like it was splitting reality itself.

  One hit.

  That's all it would take.

  I ducked. I twisted. I narrowly avoided the bde each time, my breath coming out in sharp bursts.

  "What's wrong?" the Alpha leader taunted. "Are you just going to dodge all night?"

  Damn it. He was right.

  If I kept evading, he'd corner me. My back was already inches away from the thick, towering trees surrounding us. One more step, and I'd have nowhere left to run.

  I scanned my surroundings—quick, precise. Think. Think.

  There!

  Beside me, lying near the body of a fallen Beta, was a baseball bat.

  I lunged for it, fingers wrapping around the familiar grip just as the Alpha leader snarled.

  "Pathetic!" he spat. "That won't do anything against me!"

  Then, without warning—he struck.

  The chainsaw came down in a blinding arc.

  I barely had time to react. I raised the bat just in time, intercepting the attack.

  CLANG!

  The impact sent a brutal shockwave up my arms, rattling my bones.

  Now we were locked in a test of sheer strength—his chainsaw pressing against my bat, the bde vibrating dangerously close. He was trying to overpower me, forcing me back with every ounce of strength he had.

  I dug my heels into the dirt. I pushed back with everything I had.

  But...

  Crack.

  The wooden bat trembled.

  No.

  Crack.

  No, no, no!

  The chainsaw's raw power was splintering the bat, splitting it apart inch by inch.

  A twisted grin spread across the Alpha leader's face. "This is the end for you."

  Crack!

  The bat snapped.

  Move, Champ. MOVE!

  At the very st second, I twisted my body, dodging just as the bde came down.

  The Alpha leader had put too much force into his strike—he couldn't stop his own momentum. His body lurched forward.

  And in that instant, I saw my opening.

  I spun behind him.

  And then—

  I kicked him straight in the balls!

  Hard.

  A sharp, high-pitched gasp escaped his throat. His entire body froze.

  His grip loosened. The chainsaw slipped from his hands.

  Then—colpse.

  The towering Alpha fell to his knees, eyes wide, mouth gaping in pure, agonizing silence. The pain had shut his whole system down.

  Seconds ter, he passed out.

  I exhaled, wiping the sweat from my brow.

  "Wow," I muttered, nudging his unconscious body with my foot. "That's all it took, huh? Good thing I don't balls anymore like him."

  Then I smirked.

  "One Alpha cn down."

  I let out a breathy chuckle, feeling something foreign bubble inside me—pride.

  I had done it. I had actually done it!

  I wasn't just surviving—I was winning.

  But then—

  (Sniff!)

  My smile vanished.

  Wait.

  Where was it?

  Where was Silver's scent?

  A creeping dread slithered up my spine. Even during that fight, I hadn't smelled him anywhere nearby.

  No.

  No, no, no—

  He hadn't followed me.

  Which meant—

  He was still tracking Jiggs and the others.

  I felt my stomach drop.

  Had I just made a huge mistake?

  I had taken down an Alpha cn, yes, but—at what cost?

  I clenched my fists.

  "Jiggs... guys... please be okay."

  Then I ran.

  Faster than I ever had before.

  ...

  ...

  ...