I drop onto the couch, rubbing my forehead as it's starting to hurt. “It’s real. It starts Monday night.”
Milo whistles. “They gave you the invite?”
“Not given. Forced. Tradition.”
Marco flips the coin, frowning. “Five trials?”
“Strength. Silence. Loyalty. Strategy and chaos. The last one’s tailored to us.”
Milo lets out a sharp laugh. “Yours is going to involve blood, fists, and psychological warfare and maybe some poetry.”
“Shut up,” I mutter.
Rosa walks in, catching the tension. “What’d I miss?”
Milo waves the coin. “Big bro’s chosen.”
“The Ring?” she asks.
I nod.
Her smirk fades. “That’s no joke.”
“I’m not laughing.”
Marco leans forward. “You good?”
“I’m ready,” is all I can say; what else is there?
Inside, something twists. This isn’t a game. It's a legacy. Power. Becoming who I’m meant to be. I’d rather burn than fail.
I open the black seal, and as I unroll the paper, my brothers gather around me, ready to read it.
Five trials. Five nights. Scattered through the term.
No set dates. No pattern to follow.
The summon arrive without mercy.
The Ring calls when it wants.
It watches. Waits. Strikes when it sees your weakness.
Each trial mirrors what you hide.
1. Strength:
Brutal. Physical. Power—and restraint. Winning matters, but so does knowing when to stop.
2. Silence:
Forty-eight hours in darkness. No sound. No light. No escape. Your mind is the arena.
3. Loyalty:
Your words are weapons. And ruin. Silence betrays. What do you protect—and who do you sacrifice?
4. Strategy:
