LOGIN“You need to know who I am.” The words barely left Varis’ mouth before the mountain exploded. A deafening crack tore through Nightfall territory as the massive silver fracture split open beneath the courtyard. Everyone lost footing instantly. Stone collapsed. Warriors were thrown backward. Suppression pillars detonated one after another across the territory in violent bursts of dark resonance. Then something roared beneath the mountain. Not wolf. Not human. Ancient. The sound alone froze the battlefield. Even the corrupted wolves stopped moving. Althea felt ice crawl down her spine. Because the resonance inside her answered it. The First King. “No…” Seraphine whispered. Real fear crossed her face now. Not controlled concern. Fear. The courtyard floor exploded upward. A massive surge of black-silver resonance erupted from the fracture like a volcanic blast, forcing everyone backward. Lucien caught Althea before she hit the ground. The counterpart bond flared viol
The courtyard exploded into motion. Nightfall warriors immediately surged forward, forming a wall between Althea and the Council execution squad. Claws extended. Fangs bared. Instinct overriding fear. Every suppression weapon in the courtyard remained aimed at Althea. Not the corrupted wolves. Not the spreading storm. Her. Lucien stepped directly in front of her. The counterpart bond flared violently around him, silver resonance pulsing beneath his skin like living lightning. Dorian’s expression remained cold. “Move aside.” Lucien’s answer came without hesitation. “No.” Another scream echoed from the northern ridge. Closer now. The corrupted wolves were advancing fast. But Dorian did not even look toward the storm. His focus remained entirely on Althea. “She is the breach point,” he said calmly. “If she dies, the network destabilizes.” Varis’ head snapped sharply toward him. “That theory was never confirmed.” Dorian finally looked at him. “It was confirmed the
Tavian charged again. This time— everyone moved. Ronan intercepted him head-on, claws flashing as the Alpha slammed into the corrupted wolf with enough force to crater the courtyard stone beneath them. But Tavian did not fall. He laughed. A broken, distorted sound that did not belong in a living throat. Black-silver resonance erupted from his body violently. Nightfall warriors nearby staggered backward as corruption pressure rolled across the courtyard. “Do NOT let him bite anyone!” Seraphine shouted sharply. The warning hit instantly. Because everyone understood what that meant. Lucien’s eyes narrowed. “It spreads through contact?” Varis answered grimly. “If the corruption fully stabilizes—yes.” Kael blinked slowly. “…Fantastic. We’ve officially upgraded to supernatural infection.” Tavian lunged at Ronan again with unnatural speed. Ronan blocked the strike— but Tavian twisted mid-motion and drove corrupted claws across Ronan’s side. Blood sprayed across the court
The courtyard went silent. Even the wind seemed to stop. Ronan stepped forward immediately. “What did you see?” The injured guard struggled to breathe, blood running down his arm. “I—I don’t know.” Fear shook his voice badly enough to unsettle every wolf listening. “It wasn’t a wolf.” That changed everything. Dorian’s expression sharpened instantly. “Describe it.” The guard swallowed hard. “It moved inside the resonance storm… like the shadows were alive.” A pause. “And it was hunting.” Another distant scream echoed across the northern ridge. Closer this time. Nightfall warriors immediately shifted positions around the courtyard. Weapons drawn. Instincts screaming. Kael looked toward the darkened northern cliffs. “Well. That sounds deeply terrible.” For once, no one ignored him. Ronan turned sharply toward his commanders. “Seal the inner territory. Move civilians into the lower halls.” Nightfall warriors scattered immediately. Training took over where fear th
The child’s mother reached him first. She dropped to her knees in the middle of the courtyard, pulling the trembling boy against her chest as silver light flickered uncontrollably beneath his skin. Fear spread through the gathered wolves instantly. Not battle fear. Something worse. Fear of the unknown. “He’s only nine…” The woman’s voice cracked. “He doesn’t even know how to control a full shift yet—” Another pulse surged through the boy. He cried out in pain. Nightfall warriors immediately backed away instinctively. Not because they wanted to. Because the resonance coming from him felt unstable. Dangerous. Althea took another step forward. And the moment she did— the silver light beneath the child’s skin reacted. Brightened. Dorian saw it instantly. “So the source can influence activation directly.” Lucien’s expression darkened. “She’s not doing anything.” “She doesn’t need to,” Dorian replied coldly. That answer sent tension ripping through the courtyard. Be
The courtyard fell into stunned silence. Not because of the explosion. Because of Mira. Silver resonance crackled violently around her body, surging in unstable waves that shattered stone beneath her feet. And Mira looked terrified. “I can’t stop it—” Another pulse burst outward. Nearby Council soldiers were thrown backward across the eastern ridge. One suppression pillar cracked straight through the center. Dorian’s expression hardened instantly. “All units reposition.” The execution squad moved immediately. Not toward Althea this time. Toward Mira. Seraphine stepped forward sharply. “No.” The single word carried enough force to halt even the nearest executioners briefly. Dorian looked toward her calmly. “The activation is spreading exactly as predicted.” Kael frowned. “You say terrifying things way too casually.” Ignored again. Althea stared at Mira in disbelief. “She’s awakened because of me?” Varis answered before anyone else could. “Yes.” The word came q







