Chapter 32: The Frostline Breach

The massive ramp of the gunship slammed down forcefully onto the helipad of the Obsidian Ridge Citadel, which lay covered in rain.

As Lyra made her way through the magnificent stone hallways of the royal fortress, Caelum guided her. The War Room, which was located underground, was entered by heavy iron doors that opened. Inside, thirty of the most powerful pack generals and elders were seated around a glowing stone table.

Elder Vance was a large, weathered wolf with white-silver hair who wore the regal robes of the royal house. He was serving as the head of the table. It was a massive silver signet ring that pulsated with a faint, corrupted black glow, and it was sitting on his thumb.It is Caelum! There you are, at long last! Elder Vance yelled out while bending his head ever-so-slightly, yet his dark eyes continued to fixate on Lyra with a lustful gaze. Moreover, you brought the Sun Princess! That is truly remarkable. This is the last piece of the puzzle that we require.

As Caelum moved directly between Elder Vance and Lyra, his towering nine-foot Alpha aura immediately filled the room. As a result, several younger generals were compelled to drop their heads in a sign of instinctual submission.Caelum rumbled "Watch your eyes, Uncle," as his claws extended an inch more than they had before. "Speak in less time. Marcus has stated that you possess the vulnerability of the Void Emperor.

Elder Vance brought up a tiny box that was lined with velvet. An antique silver dagger that was covered in black crystals was found within. It was an exact replica of the dagger that Victor had used at the Velvet Den on the previous occasion.Elder Vance made the announcement with a silky voice, "This is the Sun-Crest Key." It was forged ten thousand years ago with the purpose of enclosing the Emperor. However, in order to unleash its divine edge, it demands a sacrifice, namely the blood collected from the heart of the final Sun Princess.

The room fell into a suffocating silence.

SPLASH!

In a haze of complete darkness, Caelum disappeared before anyone could respond to his disappearance.

A THUD.

"Caelum smashed Elder Vance fiercely against the reinforced stone wall, his dark shadow-claws clamping around the older wolf's throat, raising Elder Vance's gigantic frame approximately three feet off the ground!Having the audacity to offer touching my partner? He growled, his voice doubling into the horrific, resonant howl of his inner beast. Caelum's voice increased in volume. As a result of the pressure, the stone wall that was located behind Vance broke apart into spiderweb fissures.Caelum, please hold on! Lyra yelled out as she hurriedly moved ahead. Her eyes, which had been sharpened by the sun, focused on Elder Vance's hand. "Look at his ring!"

The ring that Elder Vance wore as a signet was not silver. It was seen that the top surface had melted away, revealing a dark-purple vacuum parasite that was writhing and burrowing more and further into his skin!

The terrible, mechanical chuckle that came out of Elder Vance's throat was accompanied by a sudden rolling back of his eyes, which turned completely black.This voice that was coming from Vance was not his own; rather, it was the hollow, ancient shriek of the Void Emperor. "It is too late, little Alpha King!" his voice said. "The border attack was never meant to breach your walls... it was meant to draw you home!"

The right arm of Elder Vance suddenly jerked up with an unnaturally rapid speed, and he slammed the void dagger into his own chest for the first time!