The air was thick with anticipation, the faint hum of power vibrating through the earth as wolves from every corner of the world gathered in the sacred Circle of Ancients. The ground was etched with glowing lunar runes, pulsing in harmony with the fractured moon above. The celestial body hung heavy and ominous, its silver light fractured into beams of gold and shadow. Iris stood at the center of the Circle, the twin infants in her arms—one bathed in radiant light, the other cloaked in swirling darkness.Aiden was at her side, his hand gripping the hilt of his blade, eyes darting across the circle at the assembled alphas. Damon’s presence lingered like a phantom, his sacrifice still raw in the hearts of those who loved him. Selene’s voice echoed softly in Iris’s mind: “This moment defines all moments. The prophecy lives through your children.”The celestial scribe emerged from the mist—an ethereal being, neither wolf nor human, with skin like parchment and eyes glowing with stars. The
The air in the Silver Moon Valley was thick with a hush that felt almost holy. Every creature—wolf or otherwise—seemed to sense the tremors of destiny unfolding. The great cracked moon loomed above, glowing faintly gold and black, casting an eerie light over the world below. The stars shimmered as though holding their breath, and all life waited for the culmination of prophecies written in celestial blood.Iris lay on a bed of woven leaves and silken furs in the Heart of the Hollow Star temple, her skin slick with sweat, her golden-black eyes glazed but burning with determination. Her breaths came out shallow and labored as her body trembled under the weight of divine forces pressing in from all sides. Damon stood by her head, holding a bowl of glowing silver water, a mark flaring wildly on his wrist. Aiden grasped her hand, his face pale but resolute, alive.“You’re almost there, Iris,” Aiden murmured, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. His voice cracked under the strain of watch
The night sky wept. Silver beams of moonlight fractured through heavy clouds, casting an ethereal glow over the ruins of the battlefield. The air was thick with the stench of blood and ash. Wolves, battered and broken, limped across the clearing, their eyes glistening with grief. The twin marks on their wrists flickered faintly, as if mourning too.Iris stood still in the center of the devastation, her body shaking. The cold wind bit through her thin robe, but it wasn’t the chill that made her tremble—it was the hollow ache in her chest where Damon’s presence had once been. She could still feel the warmth of his last embrace, the weight of his sacrifice pressing against her soul.Her knees buckled, and she fell to the ground, her hands clutching the earth as if it could anchor her in place. The ground beneath her seemed to pulse in time with her grief. Aiden was at her side in an instant, catching her before she could collapse completely.“He’s gone,” she whispered hoarsely, her voice
The battlefield was a chaotic symphony of light and shadow, where screams and snarls tangled with the sound of clashing steel. Wolves darted through the smoke, their fur singed, their eyes wild with desperation. Above it all, the moon—now split between gold and black—bore silent witness, casting down a fractured light that made everything feel like a nightmare painted in silver and ash.Iris stumbled across the shattered ground, her body aching, her soul screaming. The ritual had gone horribly wrong. Nadra’s dark energy pulsed like a living heartbeat in her chest, threatening to devour her from within. Golden vines tried to hold the darkness back, glowing faintly on her arms, but each pulse of Nadra’s power sent searing pain through her.Damon was at her side in an instant, his breathing ragged, his eyes fierce even as blood dripped down his temple. “Iris, stay with me! Don’t let it take you!”“I… I can’t…” she choked out, her knees buckling as the shadows twisted around her legs like
The astral plane stretched endlessly around Iris like a swirling sea of light and shadow. Here, reality and illusion merged, creating a disorienting battlefield where her mind, heart, and soul were laid bare. She floated, weightless yet burdened by a crushing presence, as two other figures materialized before her—Nadra, her corrupted soul fragment, and Lyra, possessed by the Shadow God Vaelor.Nadra's form rippled like a dark mirror of Iris, her golden eyes dulled to smoky amber, her body wreathed in black flames. “You can’t destroy me,” Nadra whispered, her voice hauntingly like Iris’s own. “I am you. The rage you suppressed, the pain you buried. Without me, you are incomplete.”On the other side, Lyra’s possessed form flared with terrible power. Vaelor’s presence emanated from her like a choking miasma. His deep, guttural voice echoed through Lyra’s mouth. “Child of the Moon, you think yourself strong? You are nothing but a vessel. Submit, and I shall grant you mercy. Resist, and I
The air in the sacred grove felt like it was laced with fire. It crackled with an energy so potent it made Iris’s skin crawl. Her breath came in shallow bursts as she stood at the edge of the summoning circle, the runes glowing in angry red and black tones. She gripped the talisman tightly in her palm, feeling its jagged edges cut into her skin. The Soul Reforge Ritual had failed, and Nadra’s laughter still rang in her mind.But that wasn’t the worst of it. Damon’s scream echoed in her ears, and though his body was gone, she felt the sharp void where his essence had been moments ago.Aiden stood at her side, his face pale but his jaw set with unyielding determination. “He sacrificed himself for you,” he whispered hoarsely.Tears stung her eyes. “No,” she said, her voice shaking. “Not like this. Damon can’t—he can’t be gone.”But before either could say more, a deep rumble split the earth beneath them. The summoning circle flared violently, and from the center rose a column of black sm