Chapter 48 - The Silent Pull

One Month Later

Time had a way of healing wounds, even if the scars lingered beneath the surface.

The past month had been one of rare peace—a warm, golden stretch of days where laughter had replaced battle cries, and rebuilding became more than physical. It was emotional, spiritual. The land itself seemed to breathe easier beneath the padding of paws and quiet crackle of fires at night.

Children raced through the pack territory with wooden swords and foam spears, reenacting the great battle with dramatic flair and plenty of face plants in the dirt and grass. The training fields had taken on a different energy—still intense, still driven—but fueled now by purpose and pride, not desperation.

Darian had recovered from his cookie-overdose incident and was often seen strapped to Ben’s back like a little koala, while his mother, Chelsea, trained new warriors against magical attacks. There was no shortage of teasing when