Chapter 28: The Depths of the Shadow

Pinakabagong kabanata

• Moonbound: The Rise Of The Alpha   Chapter 111: Wolves Without Masters

  The embers had faded, but the fire Lyla had lit would never go out.The Elders were gone.Their rule, their control nothing but dust on the wind.But the world would not stay empty for long.Power did not die.It waited.Eli stood beside her, watching the Bloodmarked gather. "They’ll expect a leader."Jorah nodded. "The packs will want answers."Dani smirked. "They’re not gonna like what they hear."Caelum studied Lyla carefully. "Are you ready for what comes next?"She already knew what came next."We don’t give them a new ruler."The Bloodmarked listened."We give them something better."The wind stirred, carrying her words across the battlefield."A world without masters."The warriors bowed their heads.The torches burned low.And the new world one without kings, without thrones, without chains began.The wind howled through the ruins, carrying the last traces of the Elders’ rule into the past.The Bloodmarked stood waiting.For a command.For a future.For her.Eli’s voice was lo

• Moonbound: The Rise Of The Alpha   Chapter 110: The Price of Power

  The ruins were still.The Elders were gone, their empire reduced to ash and memory.But Lyla knew that victory came with a cost.And that cost had yet to be paid.Eli stood beside her, his blade still in hand. “This isn’t over.”Jorah surveyed the battlefield, golden eyes sharp. “The Elders ruled through fear. But fear doesn’t die with them.”Dani exhaled, rolling her shoulders. “No, but we sure as hell gave it something to be afraid of.”Caelum remained silent, his silver gaze locked on Lyla. Waiting. Watching.Because this was where most conquerors stumbled.Not on the battlefield.But in the moments after.Lyla had taken power.And now, she had to decide what to do with it.The Bloodmarked waited.For her next move.For her next command.For the future she had fought to create.She lifted her chin, her voice steady."We didn’t fight to take their place."A hush fell over the warriors."We fought to make sure no one ever does."The wind stirred, carrying her words beyond the ruins.

• Moonbound: The Rise Of The Alpha   Chapter 109: Ashes of an Empire

  The ruins still smoldered.The Elders were gone, their stronghold reduced to rubble, their rule shattered beyond repair.But the world did not know it yet.And Lyla?She would make sure they did.The Bloodmarked stood behind her, their silver eyes reflecting the first hints of dawn.Eli watched the horizon, his expression unreadable. “Word will spread soon.”Jorah exhaled. “Some will call this justice. Others will call it treason.”Dani scoffed. “Let them call it whatever they want. It doesn’t change the fact that we won.”Caelum remained silent, his gaze fixed on Lyla. Waiting.Because this was her moment.The Elders had fallen.But their shadow still stretched long.There would be others who sought to rebuild their power.Others who would challenge what she had done.And if she hesitated now if she faltered someone else would step forward to claim the throne she had just destroyed.Lyla lifted her chin."We move before they do."The Bloodmarked warriors straightened."We don’t just

• Moonbound: The Rise Of The Alpha   Chapter 108: The Fall of Kings

  The fortress shattered.Magic clashed, slamming into stone and sky, shaking the very foundation of the Elders’ rule.Lyla moved first, silver energy erupting from her hands, cutting through the spells meant to destroy her.She was beyond them.Beyond their control. Beyond their reach.The Elders had ruled for centuries.But now, they were afraid.Caelum fought at her side, his power twisting through the battlefield like living moonlight.Dani danced between shadows, her daggers striking like lightning.Jorah held the line, his golden eyes flashing as his blade cut through the chaos.Eli fought with precision, his strikes sharp, fast, lethal.But Lyla?She was the storm.One of the Elders raised his hands, summoning a barrier of ancient magic, thick as steel.Lyla laughed.And tore it apart.The Elder’s eyes widened.For the first time in centuries, they were losing.Eli’s voice rang out over the battle. "Take them down before they regroup!"Lyla lifted her hand, silver fire crackling

• Moonbound: The Rise Of The Alpha   Chapter 107: When Gods Wake

  The night air hit Lyla’s skin like a blade.Cool. Sharp. Alive.The Bloodmarked moved behind her silent, waiting, ready.She had led them out of the dark.Now, they would remind the world who they were.Eli walked beside her, his jaw tight. “We hit them first. But how?”Jorah’s golden eyes flickered. “We cut off their influence. Their strongholds, their enforcers.”Caelum nodded. “We do more than weaken them. We make them fear us.”Lyla exhaled slowly, scanning the moonlit forest.The Elders had ruled for too long.They had built their power on lies, fear, control.And now?That power was cracking."We start with the oldest stronghold." Her voice was steady, final. "The one they thought could never fall."The Bloodmarked warriors straightened.Dani smirked. “I like this plan already.”Jorah tightened his grip on his weapons.Eli met Lyla’s gaze steady, unwavering."Then let’s burn their kingdom to the ground."The torches blazed.The wolves moved.And the war began.The forest breathe

• Moonbound: The Rise Of The Alpha   Chapter 106: The Forsaken Moon

  The cavern shuddered.Lyla could feel them.Not just the Bloodmarked warriors standing before her but the ones still buried beneath time.The ones who had been locked away. Forgotten.Not anymore.She stepped forward, her silver eyes burning."I woke first," she said, her voice steady. "But I will not wake alone."Caelum watched her, unreadable."Then break the seal."The torches flared, casting flickering shadows against the walls.The others, the warriors, Eli, Dani, Jorah, held their breath.But Lyla wasn’t afraid.Because she knew what she had to do.She lifted her hand, palm open. The mark on her skin burned white-hot.This was what the Elders had tried to stop.Not just their power their return."Rise," she commanded.And the world obeyed.The cavern split apart, cracks racing across the stone.A pulse of magic, sharp and electric, rushed outward like a storm.And thenFrom the depths of the earth, the lost began to wake.The first tremor was small.The second shook the ground b