The Tiger’s Trial

The hunt fears what refuses to run. The Rat exposed the records. The Ox exposed the law. Now the Tiger will make the punishment public. After surviving hidden doors and impossible oaths, Lian Su is dragged into the Tiger’s Trial—a brutal academy spectacle designed to measure fear, judge blood, and prove that the forbidden Fox Seal is too dangerous to exist. Every House is watching. Every flinch becomes evidence. Every wound becomes a verdict. Zhao Huan, heir to Tiger House, has been trained to hunt weakness and destroy it before anyone can see his own. But as the arena heats and Tiger magic turns fear into hunger, Lian’s refusal to run begins to fracture both the Trial and the boy who believes courage means never being afraid. Ren Longwei can no longer protect her from the shadows. Standing beside Lian now would mean defying procedure before the entire academy—and revealing a dangerous loyalty the Dragon heir cannot afford. To survive, Lian must do more than escape the hunters. She must expose the truth behind the spectacle without becoming the monster the Calendar needs her to be. A dark academy romantasy inspired by the Chinese zodiac, featuring ritual combat, political intrigue, dangerous magic, hostile attraction, and a slow-burn romance under public pressure. The Tiger’s Trial is Book Four of The Thirteenth Seal Academy. The series is best read in order.