The sanctuary had never felt so heavy. The light of the cracked moon bled into the sacred pool, painting the waters crimson as Iris stood waist-deep within it. Every ripple carried whispers of countless spirits—wolves long gone, gods long forgotten, all calling her name.Her hands trembled as threads of moonlight and shadow snaked around her wrists. The mantle was stirring.“Choose,” it hissed. “Your time is ending. The world will not wait.” A Rift Between Twins“Mother,” Caelum’s voice cut through the silence like a blade.She looked up. Her son approached, his cloak of shadows coiling behind him, his silver eyes darkened by some faint, lingering corruption.“You called for us,” he said, though his tone held no warmth.Liora appeared in a flash of golden light, her radiant aura forcing the wolves gathered nearby to shield their eyes.“You should have come alone,” she snapped at her brother. “This isn’t about you.”“It’s about us both,” Caelum shot back, his voice low and edged. “You
The sacred grove shimmered in the starlight, the air heavy with ancient power. The veil between life and death was so thin here that even Iris’s divinity seemed muted, as though this place belonged to something older and greater than gods themselves.Barefoot, Iris walked the narrow path of moonlit stones, her gown of living starlight rippling in the wind. Her golden hair, laced with threads of silver from her ascension, spilled over her shoulders. She felt it again—the faint tug on her heart that had drawn her here every year since Damon’s death.But this time was different. This time, the pull felt stronger.> “Damon…” she whispered.The Grove of MemoryAs Iris stepped into the heart of the grove, the air thickened. Then, a shimmer appeared before her—a faint outline forming into the shape of a man.“Still as stubborn as ever,” a deep voice said, laced with humor and sorrow.Iris froze, her breath catching painfully. “Damon…”There he stood. Not in his prime as the fierce Shadow Alp
The Sanctuary’s courtyard was awash in silver firelight. Wolves from every pack formed concentric circles around Aiden’s pyre, their eyes reflecting grief, reverence… and unease.At the center, Iris stood like a fallen star. Her presence was radiant yet heavy, her midnight gown trailing like living shadows. In her hands, she held the crescent-shaped pendant that Aiden had given her centuries ago.She raised her voice, and it rang out like the chiming of temple bells.> “Aiden was not merely my Alpha, nor just my mate. He was the bond that tethered light and shadow in a world so easily torn apart. His strength never wavered—not in battle, nor in love, nor in faith. Today, we return him to the moon that watches over us all.”The wolves bowed their heads. The flames licked higher as Iris placed the pendant onto the pyre, and the silver smoke curled upward like a mourning serpent. Selene’s Tribute: Voice of PeaceSelene stepped forward, her amber eyes wet with unshed tears. She wore whit
The moon was full and unyielding, bathing the Sanctuary’s courtyard in silver light that shimmered like liquid glass. All around, wolves from every pack had gathered—light, shadow, and those caught in between. Their wrist-marks pulsed faintly, mirroring the fractured balance in the world.At the center stood Iris, her gown a cascade of white silk and threads of starlight. The crescent scepter felt like molten iron in her grasp, heavy not just with power but with the weight of centuries. Her daughter, Liora, knelt before her, golden eyes downcast but burning with both resolve and fear.“You don’t need to be perfect, Liora,” Iris whispered, her voice carrying only to her daughter’s ears. “You just need to be true.”“But what if my truth isn’t enough?” Liora murmured back, her voice trembling.“It will be,” Iris said, lifting her chin. “Because I believe in you.”And then Iris raised the scepter high.“By the blessing of the moon and the sacrifice of those who came before, I name you Lio
The courtyard was deathly still except for Iris’s ragged breathing. Her golden aura flickered weakly around her as she cradled her son in her arms. The cold stone beneath them drank in her tears as she pressed her trembling hand to Caelum’s chest. His heartbeat was faint, irregular—as though every thrum was a battle against the darkness strangling him from within.“Stay with me, my little wolf,” she whispered, her lips brushing his ear. “Please, Caelum. Don’t leave me.”But even as she spoke, dark veins spread across his neck and jaw like creeping vines. His golden eye dimmed with every breath, while his other eye—once a soft shadowy hue—now glowed with the merciless intensity of Vaelor’s essence.Behind her, Aiden hovered in silence, fists clenched so tightly his knuckles cracked. His Alpha presence radiated barely restrained fury and despair.“Iris,” he finally said, his voice hoarse. “He’s losing. If we wait any longer, we’ll lose him and the world.”Iris turned on him, her face st
The sanctuary felt hollow at night. Moonlight poured over marble columns, yet the air was heavy, as though the world hesitated to breathe. Iris walked alone beneath the fractured sky, her silver hair catching in the breeze like threads of starlight. Each step across the cold stone courtyard echoed in her chest like a funeral bell.Aiden had begged her not to come here. Not alone. But she knew it was time to face him—the one shadow she could no longer outrun.Vaelor.She reached the sacred pool, the heart of the sanctuary. Its waters shimmered with unnatural stillness, a perfect mirror reflecting not her face but eyes like molten gold rimmed with endless darkness.“Iris.”His voice seeped through her mind like black oil, smooth yet heavy.“I didn’t come to talk,” Iris said, her tone like sharpened glass. “You’ve poisoned my family for too long.”Vaelor chuckled, low and resonant. “And yet here you are. You know why. You’re afraid, aren’t you?”Scene 1: The TemptationThe pool rippled.