Chapter 15. Shadow Fang Ruins

Samantha stood at the entrance of the Shadowfang Ruins, her breath coming in shallow gasps, her heart racing as the weight of the moment settled upon her. The ancient ground before her seemed to stretch into infinity, the stones covered in a thick blanket of moss, their surface worn by the passage of centuries. The ruins rose like sentinels, their jagged edges piercing the sky, shrouded in an eerie silence that pressed in on her. The air was heavy with the scent of earth and decay, yet there was an undeniable feeling of power—of something old, something vast, watching her from the shadows.

The Shadowfang Ruins were more than just ancient; they were alive with the echoes of the past, their very stones pulsating with the memories of the wolves who had come before her. The spirits of ages long gone seemed to whisper on the wind, their voices murmuring beneath the stillness, almost as if they were waiting for her. The air around her grew colder, and she felt a chill crawl up her spine. She was standing at the threshold of something far beyond her comprehension—something that could either give her the answers she so desperately sought or break her.

Tears welled in her eyes as she clenched her fists at her sides, trying to steady herself. Her pulse thrummed in her ears, and the overwhelming sensation of isolation hit her like a wave. Was she ready for this? The thought of stepping into the ruins, of seeking answers from an ancient spirit, terrified her. She had come this far, but now that she was here, doubt gnawed at her. What if this journey had been a mistake? What if she wasn’t meant to find the truth about herself?

“Ancient spirit,” she cried out, her voice breaking the silence, carrying her fear and her longing into the heart of the ruins. “Please let me in! I need to know—I need to know who I am!”

The words felt hollow as they left her lips, swallowed up by the vastness of the space around her. Her voice echoed back to her, distorted and strange, as if the ruins themselves were rejecting her plea. She felt small, insignificant, standing before the mighty remnants of a forgotten world, and yet something inside her stirred—a flicker of courage, no matter how faint.

Her knees shook as she wiped the tears from her face, her chest tight with the weight of her emotions. “I only seek answers,” she continued, her voice stronger now, laced with desperation. “I might not have the blood of a wolf, but I’ve lived with them. I’ve grown with them. And now… now I’m exiled by them. But I need to find my own path. I need to know who I am. Please, ancient spirit, show me the truth.”

She waited for a response, her heart hammering in her chest. The air around her seemed to hold its breath, and for a long moment, there was nothing—no reply, no movement. Just the endless, oppressive silence. The quiet stretched on, growing unbearable, until she couldn’t stand it any longer. Her voice cracked again as she shouted into the emptiness, “Please! I need answers! I deserve to know!”

But no answer came.

Samantha felt a deep pang of disappointment, her hopes unraveling in that moment. She had imagined that coming here, that standing before the ruins, would somehow bring her the clarity she so desperately sought. But now, with no response, she felt more lost than ever. She was left alone in the face of this ancient place, surrounded by history but unable to grasp it.

She sank to her knees, her mind spiraling with questions. What had she expected, really? The Shadowfang Ruins were ancient, yes, but they were not going to give her easy answers. Nothing was going to give her an easy answer. She had come this far, and still, there was nothing. Her heart heavy with doubt, Samantha glanced at the darkened entrance of the cave. There was something inside her, a strange pull, urging her forward. But fear held her back.

What if it’s a trap?

Her hands trembled as she looked up at the towering stones. The silence felt suffocating now, almost oppressive, and yet… that pull inside her, that undeniable feeling, remained. It was like a whisper, distant but clear. Take the next step.

She could hear the words as if they were spoken by a voice in her mind, the same voice that had pushed her forward ever since she had been exiled. The same voice that had refused to let her give up. It was the voice of the courage she had buried deep inside herself, the courage that had kept her moving through the pain and the heartbreak.

“I have to go inside,” she whispered to herself, her voice trembling with fear and determination. “I have to face this… whatever it is. I will not run. I will not hide.”

She stood, wiping the dirt from her knees, and took a deep, steadying breath. “Ancient spirit,” she shouted one last time, her voice rising with a fierce intensity. “I will come in! Even if I have to go blind, even if I lose my mind, I will step into this place! I will find my family. I will find my answers!”

The air around her seemed to shift, a gust of wind kicking up around the ruins, but it was only a whisper—a fleeting sign. Yet it was enough to push her forward. She didn’t know what would happen once she crossed the threshold, but she couldn’t let fear hold her back. She had come this far. She needed to know who she was.

With a final, breathless cry, she stepped into the cave, her footfall echoing in the hollow, cold space.

Back at Black Ridge,

Ronan and Alex walked side by side through the Pack’s central grounds, the familiar landscape feeling more alien than ever. They were both lost in their thoughts, their minds heavy with the same unspoken question: Where was Samantha now?

“Have you heard anything?” Ronan asked quietly, glancing sideways at Alex. “Anything at all? There’s no way we can contact her. No way to know if she’s okay.”

Alex shook her head. “No. But I feel it, Ronan. She should have reached the Shadowfang by now. It’s been days. I just hope… I hope she finds what she’s looking for.”

Ronan’s jaw clenched as he fought back the gnawing worry that threatened to consume him. “The night of her journey should be ending,” he murmured. “If she made it there, she’ll find the answers she needs. But… I still don’t like it. I don’t like the idea of her going in there alone.”

“I don’t like it either,” Alex said, her tone sharp. “But she’s the only one who can do this. She has to go inside the Shadowfang. It’s the only way.”

“Let’s just hope she doesn’t lose herself in there,” Ronan said, his voice filled with a strange mixture of hope and dread. “Let’s hope she doesn’t lose her mind or…” He didn’t want to say the words out loud, but they hung heavy between them.

Before Alex could reply, a figure appeared ahead of them in the distance—Derek, the son of the Alpha. His tall frame was silhouetted by the fading light, and his expression was unreadable as he approached.

“Ronan, Alex,” Derek greeted them, his voice low and steady. “Have you heard anything about Samantha?”

“No,” Ronan replied, his voice tight. “There’s no way for us to hear anything. We just have to wait and trust that she’s getting the answers she needs.”

Derek nodded, his gaze flickering with something unreadable. “I hope for all our sakes that she does. But the journey she’s on… it’s not something any of us should take lightly.”

Shadowfang Ruins

Inside the cave, the air was thick with a strange pressure. The walls pressed in on her, and the shadows seemed to grow darker, more menacing. Every step Samantha took felt heavier, as though the very ground beneath her was testing her resolve.

With each breath, the world seemed to close in tighter. Her vision began to blur, and a strange sense of dizziness washed over her. Was this the price she had to pay? Was this the beginning of the madness that had been whispered of in the old tales?

She kept moving forward, the pull of the place stronger than ever. And then, as she reached the heart of the cave, the darkness around her grew deeper. Her heart raced. She couldn’t see anymore. The world around her was consumed by pitch-black shadows.

“Please,” she whispered. “I don’t want to lose myself. I need to know who I am…”

And then, everything went still.