Novel & Cerita Golden Wind Requiem

The golden tether blazed, swallowing the shadows, burning them away until only light remained—searing, blinding, undeniable. The chamber shuddered violently. The carved wolves cracked, stone splitting under the force of their bond. Flames leapt from the runes, consuming the circle in a blaze of crimson and gold. Wolves cried out, some shielding their eyes, others howling in awe. When the fire died, Elaria and Draven still knelt together, their joined hands dripping blood onto shattered stone. The golden tether pulsed steady and strong between them, unbroken. Silence fell.

Eva Blackthorn stood at the edge of the golden bridge, her heart pounding in rhythm with the soft roar of the crowds below. The ceremonial silk she wore shimmered, concealing the datapads and hidden poisons sewn into its folds. The air smelled faintly of incense, and the distant echo of trumpets signaled the approach of a new peace—one that would come at a steep price.

The shades she had on hid her tears from the world. Crystal walked to the decorated arena outside the barracks. They didn't hold a requiem mass inside a church, they had thought it honourable to do it here. She took a seat after most of the eyes on her had settled. The new commander was talking on the podium at the front while the priest stood behind, looking like they had just stolen his shine—looking out of place. She identified the twentieth sitting apart from the crowd and couldn't believe her eyes. He didn't look scarred. For someone who survived death, Crystal felt he should have at least tried to look worse for wear.

The pain of losing his mother, the last of his family, was like a wound that would never heal. As the priest stepped forward, the pack fell silent. The ancient rites of the werewolf burial began, a sacred tradition passed down through generations. The priest's voice was a low, rhythmic chant, calling upon the Moon Goddess to guide Luna Light’s spirit to the eternal hunting grounds. A pyre had been built, adorned with fresh pine branches and wildflowers, symbols of life and rebirth. The pack members circled the pyre, heads bowed, their collective howl a mournful, haunting melody that echoed through the forest.

Yet standing still would expose them to a different kind of peril. Suddenly, a thunderous roar filled the air. Tremors shook the ground as waves of terrifying power surged through the blood-stained light in the distance. Adrian’s gaze grew colder, knowing the spirit treasure he sought must be at the heart of that deadly glow. His mind raced with calculations. If he could find the right moment, the treasure would be his. As Adrian stood at the edge of this deadly scene, a fierce wind howled, carrying beams of oppressive golden light. His expression darkened, filled with cold, murderous intent.

The phrase echoed deep inside me, striking a place I thought long dead. I looked at them—these wolves who had been cast aside, hunted, broken, forgotten. Every scar, every hollow stare, was a story of survival. The air seemed to stir, whispering faintly through the trees. It wasn’t divine. It was older than gods. "Duskwind." The word slipped from my tongue before I could think. Cassian frowned. "What?" "Duskwind," I repeated, louder. "The wind that carries dusk into night. The last breath before darkness, and the first before dawn. That’s what we are."

I said in a low tone. Phoenix turns back to the golden creature. “I will leave here just as I came as the revealed golden wolf of Shadowpine. I will fight without divine intervention.” I exhaled a shaky breath. Relief and fear mixed in my chest. The golden creature’s eyes gleamed as if it had expected this answer. “Then, so be it.” A sudden wind rushes through the sacred region, making the trees whisper with an otherworldly hum. The creature’s massive form began to glow brighter, its outline shimmering like a star about to explode.

"Go on then. Take care of yourself." Alpha Ethan, or rather just Ethan now, walked out. We went before the Sacred Stone and completed the rejection ritual. "I, Maya Ortega, reject you, Ethan Warner, as my mate." As the vow was spoken, the excruciating pain of the bond rejection washed over me. However, I gritted my teeth and didn't utter a sound. Ethan, on the other hand, turned deathly pale and staggered several steps. "Deep down, I never truly thought it would come to this between us, Maya," he suddenly said.

She rolled over onto her back, her dark eyes widening as she looked up through the dense treeline. The Gilded Fortress was gone. The massive, multi-million-dollar Bedford estate was a towering inferno of orange flames and black smoke, the dark stone structures collapsing into a massive crater of burning rubble. Everything Dominic had used to cage her, everything she had fought against for weeks, had been completely erased from the face of the earth in a single, calculated stroke of treachery. "Vivian..." A low, ruined groan drifted from the dark shadows beside a massive pine tree.