The darkness wasn't just around me—it was inside me, clawing at my mind, pulling me deeper into an abyss I couldn't escape. I couldn't see. I couldn't move. I couldn't breathe. It was as though the Old One's power had wrapped itself around my very soul, squeezing until nothing remained.
For what felt like an eternity, there was only silence. And then, a voice.
"Kael."
It was distant at first, barely a whisper, but it grew louder, more urgent. I knew that voice. Aria. Her words echoed in the void, pulling me back from the edge. I fought against the suffocating darkness, reaching out with everything I had, but the shadows were relentless, dragging me deeper.
Then, a flash—blinding light cutting through the black. The weight on my chest lifted just enough for me to gasp for air. My eyes snapped open, and I found myself back in the forest, lying flat on my back, gasping for breath. The stars overhead blurred as I struggled to pull myself together.
"Kael!" Aria's voice rang out again, closer this time. I turned my head, and there she was, kneeling beside me, her eyes wide with fear. "Are you alright?"
I tried to answer, but my voice failed me. All I could do was nod weakly as she helped me sit up. My head was spinning, and every muscle in my body ached, but I was alive.
Barely.
"What... what happened?" I croaked, my throat raw.
"You were losing," Tobias said, stepping out of the shadows, his face grim. "If we hadn't stepped in when we did..."
I looked around, my mind still struggling to piece together what had happened. The Old One was gone. The other wolves—his pack—had disappeared into the night. The ground where I had fought him was scorched and cracked, as if the earth itself had been poisoned by his dark energy.
"He left?" I asked, my voice hoarse with disbelief.
"He retreated," Tobias corrected, his tone heavy. "But he'll be back. He wasn't done with you."
A chill ran down my spine at the thought. I knew Tobias was right. This wasn't over. The Old One had tasted victory tonight, and he wouldn't stop until he had destroyed me—and everyone I cared about.
---
The walk back to camp was slow and silent. The weight of what had just happened hung over us like a storm cloud, and no one knew what to say. My thoughts were racing, trying to make sense of the fight, of the power the Old One had unleashed. I had been so close to losing everything.
When we finally reached camp, I collapsed onto the ground, my body too exhausted to keep going. Aria knelt beside me, her hand resting gently on my arm.
"You're pushing yourself too hard," she said softly, concern etched into her features. "You need to rest."
"I don't have time to rest," I muttered, my voice strained. "He's getting stronger. And I'm..."
I trailed off, not wanting to admit how close I had come to death, how powerless I had felt in the face of the Old One's magic. I had trained for this, prepared for it, but it hadn't been enough. I wasn't enough.
"You're not invincible, Kael," Aria said, her voice gentle but firm. "None of us are. But you're not alone in this. We're all fighting, too."
I looked into her eyes and saw the truth of her words, but it didn't make the fear any easier to bear. The Old One had made it clear—this fight was personal. He wanted me, specifically, and he wouldn't stop until he had me.
But I couldn't let that happen.
I sat up, wincing as the pain shot through my body. Tobias stood a few feet away, his arms crossed over his chest, watching me with a mixture of concern and frustration.
"You're not ready," he said bluntly, his voice cutting through the silence. "Not yet."
"I know," I admitted, the words tasting bitter on my tongue. "But I will be."
---
That night, sleep didn't come easily. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the Old One's face, his eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction as he almost ended me. I tossed and turned, my mind replaying the fight over and over, searching for a way I could have won, a mistake I had made.
But the truth was simple. He was stronger. His magic was darker and older than anything I had ever faced. And if I didn't find a way to counter it, to become stronger myself, he would destroy me.
Just before dawn, I gave up on sleep altogether and slipped out of the tent. The camp was quiet, everyone still resting after the long night. I made my way to the edge of the clearing, where the forest loomed dark and silent.
And that's when I felt it.
A presence—faint, but unmistakable. It wasn't the Old One, but it was something... similar. My senses went on high alert, every muscle tensing as I scanned the trees.
"Kael."
The voice was a whisper, carried on the wind. I spun around, my eyes searching the shadows, but no one was there.
"Who's there?" I demanded, my voice low and steady, even though my heart was pounding in my chest.
No answer.
For a moment, I thought I had imagined it. But then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw movement—a figure, cloaked in shadow, slipping between the trees. I didn't hesitate. Without a second thought, I shifted, the wolf taking over as I leaped forward, chasing after the mysterious figure.
They were fast, darting through the forest with unnatural speed, but I was faster. The ground blurred beneath my paws as I closed the distance between us, my heart racing with the thrill of the hunt.
But just as I was about to catch them, the figure vanished. One moment they were there, just ahead of me, and the next, they were gone, as if they had melted into the shadows.
I skidded to a halt, my eyes scanning the darkened forest for any sign of movement. My wolf's senses were on edge, every instinct screaming that something wasn't right. I had been so close—too close.
And then, the voice came again, clearer this time, echoing through the trees.
"Kael..."
It wasn't a threat. It was a call.
---
I shifted back into human form, my breath coming in ragged gasps as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Who—or what—had I been chasing? And why had they disappeared?
Before I could find any answers, I heard footsteps approaching from behind. I turned to see Tobias, his expression grim.
"You felt it too, didn't you?" he asked, his voice low.
I nodded, still trying to catch my breath. "It wasn't the Old One. But it was something... connected to him."
Tobias' eyes darkened. "I don't like this, Kael. There's more going on here than we realize."
I swallowed hard, the weight of his words sinking in. I had thought the Old One was the only threat, but now I wasn't so sure. Something else was out there, watching, waiting.
And whatever it was, it wanted me to follow.