Melina POV
The next morning, I woke up feeling… different.
Not tired.
Not weak.
Not drained like I used to feel back at my foster parents' house.
I sat up slowly, frowning. Usually, my body would ache, my head heavy like I hadn't slept at all. But today… I felt light. Energized. Like something inside me had finally woken up.
Weird.
I brushed it off and got ready, heading to the training hall.
When I got there, Mason wasn't around. Instead, a man stood in the center of the room, arms folded, watching me like he had been expecting me. He was tall, but not as intimidating as Mason. There was something calmer about him.
"Good morning," he said. "I'm Darius. I'll be your trainer today."
I blinked. "Where's the Alpha?"
"Busy," he replied simply. "So you're stuck with me."
I didn't know why, but I felt… relieved.
Training started immediately.
"Punch," he instructed.
I did.
"Again."
I threw another one—stronger this time.
Darius paused, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Good," he said slowly. "Again."
We moved through drills—punches, kicks, dodging. But something felt off…
I wasn't struggling.
My body moved faster than before.
Lighter. Stronger.
Even my breathing felt easier.
I stopped for a second, staring at my hands.
That wasn't normal.
Back home, I could barely last a full day without feeling exhausted. The drinks Lina used to give me every morning…
A thought hit me hard.
What if those drinks were the reason I was always weak?
"Melina," Darius called, pulling me out of my thoughts. "Focus."
I snapped back. "Sorry."
But he was still watching me. Closely.
"You're improving too fast," he said.
I forced a small shrug. "Maybe I'm just a fast learner."
He didn't look convinced.
We continued, and this time I pushed harder. If this strength was real… I needed to use it.
Because next time…
I wouldn't fail.
And if I was really getting stronger…
Then escaping this place might not be impossible after all.