The moon hung high in the starlit sky, casting a silvery glow over the dense forests of Maya. The air was thick with the scent of pine and the whispers of ancient trees. In the heart of this majestic wilderness lay a city known only to werewolves and Beastkin—a city where strength ruled, and the weak were but shadows.

Damian Savage stood on the edge of his family's vast estate, staring out into the dark woods. His reflection in the calm waters of the nearby river showed a young man with wild, stygian black hair and an athletic build. His eyes, a deep amber, glowed faintly in the night.

Tonight was the night of his eighteenth birthday, and with it came a destiny he had neither asked for nor wanted.

"Damian!" The voice of his mother, Erin Savage, pierced through the night. She was a gentle soul in a world that demanded ferocity. Her eyes, filled with both love and worry, met his as she approached. "It's time. Your father is waiting."He sighed, the weight of unspoken fears pressing heavily on his shoulders. "I know, Mother. Let's go."They walked together to the grand hall of the Savage estate, where Lykan Savage, the Alpha wolf, awaited.

Lykan was a towering figure, his presence commanding and his aura intimidating. He was everything Damian aspired to be and yet feared to become.As they entered the hall, a hush fell over the gathered werewolves.

Lykan's gaze, cold and calculating, locked onto Damian. "My son," he began, his voice a rumble that echoed through the hall, "tonight, you become a man. But there is something you must know—something that concerns your future and the future of our pack."Damian's heart pounded in his chest as his father's words hung in the air. The room seemed to close in around him, and he could feel the eyes of the pack boring into him."A prophecy,"

Lykan continued, "foretells that you will rise to become the Alpha and dethrone me. This cannot be allowed to happen."Murmurs spread through the crowd like wildfire. Damian felt a chill run down his spine. "Father, I would never—"

Lykan raised a hand to silence him. "It does not matter what you would or would not do. The prophecy is a threat to my reign and to the stability of our pack. Therefore, you must leave. You are banished from this city, effective immediately."

The shock of his father's words left Damian reeling. Banished? The world he had known all his life was being ripped away from him. His mother's grip on his arm tightened, her eyes pleading."Go now, Damian," she whispered urgently. "There is no time. They will come for you."

As if on cue, the doors to the hall burst open, and a squad of elite werewolf soldiers entered.

Their leader, a ruthless enforcer known as Korrin, stepped forward. "By order of the Alpha, you are to be taken into custody and escorted out of Maya."Damian's instincts kicked in. He couldn't fight them—not here, not now. He turned to his mother, who pressed a small, intricately carved pendant into his hand. "Find your uncle, Iver Moonclaw," she whispered. "He will help you."With a final, desperate look at his mother, Damian bolted. The soldiers lunged after him, but he was fast, his lithe form darting through the hallways and out into the night. The cold air stung his face as he ran, his heart pounding not just with fear but with a burgeoning resolve.

The chase through the forest was a blur. Branches whipped against his face, and the sounds of pursuit grew louder. But Damian knew these woods well. He leaped over a fallen log, veering sharply to the left and disappearing into a narrow, hidden path. The soldiers, larger and less nimble, struggled to follow.Finally, he reached the edge of the forest. Ahead lay the unknown world beyond Maya—dangerous and unforgiving. He paused, catching his breath, and looked back one last time. The soldiers had fallen behind, their shouts growing fainter.Damian clenched his fists, the pendant his mother had given him pressing into his palm. His father's words echoed in his mind, but so did his mother's final plea. He had to find Iver. He had to grow stronger. And one day, he would return to claim what was rightfully his.With a determined breath, Damian stepped into the shadows of the outside world, his journey just beginning.