Chapter 592: The Voice Before the Ranks

"Shorty, I have something to ask."

Sophia tilted her head slightly, her brows lifting as she looked up at Orion.

"What is it?" she asked.

Orion didn’t answer immediately.

For a brief moment, his gaze drifted past her—to the training grounds, to the people still wrapped in celebration, to the remnants of a day that had already carved itself into memory.

Then he looked back at her.

"Normally," he began, his tone calm, steady, "after the results have been seen, the trainees who passed gather."

Sophia listened, her attention fully on him.

"They stand together," Orion continued, "and their earrings are given to them... or any piece of jewelry of their choice. It’s the symbol that they’ve been accepted into the ranks."

Sophia’s eyes flickered slightly at that.

A quiet understanding settled in.

Orion went on.

"I usually give a speech," he said. "Something short. Then the captains hand out the jewelry, and Garron calls out the names."

He paused briefly.

"...Or I do."

Sophia nodded slowly.

It all made sense.

It fit.

Then Orion’s gaze sharpened slightly as it settled on her.

"But today," he said, "I was wondering..."

Sophia stilled.

"If you’d like the honors."

There was a beat of silence.

Orion lifted his hand slightly, instinctively resting it against her arm as if grounding her in the moment.

"Giving the speech," he clarified. "Calling out their names."

Sophia blinked.

"...Me?"

Orion nodded once.

"Yes."

She shifted slightly, stepping back just enough that his chin slipped from where it had rested on her head. She turned fully toward him now, searching his face.

"Are you sure?" she asked.

There was no hesitation in his answer.

"I am."

Ronan let out a sound beside them.

"You have every right to do it, sister-in-law," he said, folding his arms loosely across his chest. "You took the test with them. Bled with them. Nearly died with them."

His tone softened just slightly.

"It’s only fair you get to stand with them when it matters."

Sophia glanced at him, then back at Orion.

Something warm flickered in her chest.

Her lips curved into a small smile.

"...I’d like that," she said.

Orion’s expression didn’t change much—but the faint approval in his eyes was unmistakable.

---

It didn’t take long for the trainees to gather—the ones who passed.

Straight lines formed across the training grounds.

Their postures weren’t perfect.

Some still shifted slightly.

Some still whispered under their breath.

Some still looked like they couldn’t quite believe they were standing there.

But they stood together.

Families gathered around them, forming a loose circle—watching, waiting, pride written across faces both tearful and smiling. Those who failed watched from where their families stood. After this, the main celebration would start.

They may have passed, but some who wanted to be hunters would be guards; some who wanted to be guards might end up being hunters too.

Orion stood at the front.

Beside him, Brynhild stood with quiet composure, her presence steady.

Ronan stood on the other side, arms loosely crossed, his expression unreadable but his attention sharp.

Gregory stood next to Brynhild, Kevin standing next to him, and Ethan right next to Kevin.

Behind them, the examiners took their places.

Sophia stood at the center, slightly apart from them.

Silence settled.

Until even the wind seemed to quiet.

Sophia turned her head slightly toward Orion, who gave her a nod.

Every eye focused on her, and for a moment she felt the weight of their attention.

Her chest rose as she took a slow breath.

Then she let it out.

And began.

"I’m sure everyone knows who I am," she said.

Her voice carried clearly across the grounds—steady, despite everything.

A few quiet chuckles rippled through the crowd.

Sophia’s lips twitched faintly.

"And in case anyone doesn’t," she continued, tilting her head slightly, "I’m the same person who knocked over a weapons rack without even touching it on my first day here in the training grounds. My friends still joke about it to date."

Laughter broke out at that. Nia and Laia exchanged glances. They had made jokes about that numerous times, after all.

Sophia nodded once.

"Yes," she added dryly. "That’s me."

She shifted her weight slightly.

"And I’m also the same person who tried to help cook in the kitchens... and somehow ended up fighting chickens."

More laughter. 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

Louder this time.

"Vicious chickens, by the way," she added, raising a finger slightly. "I maintain that I was attacked by them."

Ronan snorted quietly behind her.

Sophia glanced briefly to the side—toward Orion—then looked back at the gathered trainees and their families.

The humor softened.

Her voice remained steady—but something deeper threaded through it now.

"But I’m not just that," she said.

The laughter died down.

"I’m also Orion’s mate."

Sophia didn’t hesitate.

"The same one some people didn’t want standing beside him," she added plainly.

Orion watched her quietly.

A faint smile resting at the corner of his lips.

Sophia continued.

"I’m also someone who trained on these same grounds. Who ran until her legs felt like they’d give out, given how trashy my stamina was when I first started training," she said with a glance at Dren, who smiled.

"I’m still someone who fought until her hands shook."

Her voice softened just slightly.

"I laughed with some of you."

A few smiles appeared among the trainees.

"I argued with some of you too," she added.

That earned a few more quiet laughs.

Sophia nodded once.

"But I also made friends here."

Her gaze lingered briefly—just briefly—on familiar faces.

Then she straightened slightly.

"And I took the test with you all too."

Silence settled again.

"I saw beasts I’ve never seen before, fought against them with what little knowledge we had from books, and the fact that we would always depend on each other in the forest, friend or not."

The wind picked up slightly, brushing against cloaks and hair.

Sophia’s fingers curled slightly at her sides.

"I also saw what happens when things go wrong. And I saw what happens when people choose to stand together anyway."

Sophia paused, then exhaled slowly.

"I’m going to speak from experience now," she said.

Her gaze sharpened slightly.

"From the little I’ve learned since I became a trainee..."

She paused.

Just for a heartbeat.

"...and encountered beasts in Nirvana."