Se connecterThe moment the Crescent Moon Pack gates creaked open, the night shattered.From the shadows where they had lain in wait, the Crimson Blood Pack warriors surged forward… silent no longer, moving with raw power and a thirst sharpened by restraint. Boots hammered the earth in a unified charge, the sound rolling like an oncoming storm. Hands locked around steel with lethal certainty, their eyes burned with a hunger sharpened by everything they had been denied. They poured through the widening gates in a dark tide, relentless and unstoppable.They had hidden nearby, waiting for this single, fragile moment.And now, there was no stopping them.…High above, in the Eastern watchtower, a lone Crescent Moon warrior leaned heavily against the cold stone, his weight sagging into it as if the wall itself were the only thing keeping him upright. Exhaustion weighed heavily on his limbs. His eyelids drooped. His thoughts drifted. He yawned deeply, stretching his arms overhead, rolling stiff shoulde
He took a few steps toward the bush, boots crunching softly against gravel and dead leaves. The sound carried farther than it should have… way too far.He didn’t notice. His eyes swept the shadows, irritation surfacing first… idiot’s taking his time… before thinning into something less defined. Not fear… Not yet. Just a faint sense of misalignment, like a step taken where the ground wasn’t quite there.“Where did he go?” he muttered.The bush ahead lay unnaturally still… no rustle, no sound of movement. No shifting leaves. No muttered curse from a man caught mid-relief.His hand drifted to his weapon, fingers resting against the hilt out of habit rather than intent. A reflex drilled deep enough to act without asking permission.He leaned closer. The darkness seemed deeper there… heavier. The air held no warmth of breath, no trace of movement. Even the insects had gone quiet.That should have warned him.A cold thread slid between his shoulders. He straightened slightly, drawing in a s
Ronan drew the scarf higher, masking his face until only his eyes remained… cold and unblinking.In perfect unison, Ira, Lyra, and the seven warriors followed suit. Black cloth erased flesh and features alike. Names were stripped away. Rank ceased to matter. There was only intent.Ronan raised two fingers.Two warriors broke away from the formation, their movements so precise they barely disturbed the air. One moment they were there then the next they were gone, absorbed by shadow as if the night itself had claimed them.Ronan remained still, his eyes fixed on the Crescent Moon Pack from the cover of tangled brush and shadow.Beside him, Ira crouched low, her focus sharp, her presence coiled and ready. Lyra stayed just behind them, breath controlled, gaze sweeping the same terrain with practiced awareness. The other five warriors held their positions without shifting, bodies pressed into concealment, as motionless as the earth itself.They watched… The walls. The distant patrols. The
The moment the sky darkened completely,the mission began.Night swallowed the land whole. There was no moon, no stars. Only shadows layered upon shadows, pressing in until the world felt reduced to breath and movement alone.Ronan moved first.Ira fell in at his side. Lyra led by half a step, with seven Crimson Blood warriors fanning out behind them in silent precision. They did not rush. They flowed… each step measured, deliberate and lethal. Weapons were wrapped and stripped of shine. Breaths were controlled and disciplined.They did not enter the dark. They became it.Within moments, they stood before the entrance to the underground pathway… half-hidden beneath tangled roots, thick vines, and slabs of ancient stone long reclaimed by the earth. Moss clung to it in heavy layers, damp and suffocating. Time itself had tried to erase this place… and nearly succeeded.Lyra stepped forward.She knelt, retrieved a dry stick from beside the entrance, and struck flame to it. The fire caught
Lucien drew a slow, measured breath, the kind taken only when holding everything together required effort.“I don’t know how to answer that,” he said at last. His voice was low, scraped raw by fatigue and the discipline of not breaking. “She’s in a state worse than death.”Ronan didn’t speak. He didn’t need to. He had learned long ago that some truths needed space, not interruption.“The poison is still there,” Lucien continued. “The healer managed to slow it… trap it between moments.” His jaw tightened. “She’s alive, but not living. Suspended on that thin, merciless edge between staying and slipping away.”A pause followed… heavy and fragile.“The healer has left,” Lucien added quietly. “Searching for a way to neutralize it completely.”Ronan stepped closer, closing the space between them until rank and command meant nothing… only years of bloodshed, survival, and loyalty that had never needed words. His hand settled on Lucien’s shoulder, firm and anchoring, a silent reminder that he
Lucien’s gaze shifted, moving from Lyra to Ira and then to Ronan.“From what you’ve described,” he said evenly, “a large force won’t move through that passage without trouble. The routes are narrow. Space is limited.” His eyes hardened. “Too much risk. Too much noise.”Neither Ira nor Ronan needed the conclusion spelled out. They felt it settle into place before he spoke it.“We go in light,” Lucien said. “Ten warriors. No more.” A brief pause…“That includes all of you.”Ira and Ronan inclined their heads at the same time, agreement immediate and unquestioned.“I’ll choose the remaining seven myself,” Ira said without hesitation. Her voice carried certainty, not pride. “Warriors trained under my command. They are quiet, precise and disciplined.”Lucien studied her for a moment, then gave a single, approving nod.“Good.”Lucien straightened slightly, his presence expanding until it filled the chamber. His gaze swept over them… Lyra, Ira, Ronan, binding them together with nothing but in







