"AOOOUUUUUUU!"
The piercing howl echoed through the night.
"Damn it," Caspian muttered under his breath.
His body tensed as he spotted the source of the sound—a massive lupivore pushing its way through the dense forest.
It was nearly twice the size of the others.
It was around 20 meters away.
"Fuck it," Caspian whispered to himself, his mind racing.
The river flowed behind him, its wide expanse a potential escape route, but the waters churned dangerously. He glanced back, the roar of the current filling his ears.
"Should I jump in?" Caspian asked aloud.
{It's foolish. He will catch you before you even hit the water.} Bloodmoon's replied.
"Then what?" Caspian muttered, looking at the open area around him.
His voice was steady.
{Running won't save you this time. This isn't like before when he wasn't on his senses. You'd be caught in seconds,..... even if you run with the help of your reanimated lupivores.}
"Then what the hell am I supposed to do?" Caspian hissed through gritted teeth.
The massive lupivore stepped closer, its Red eyes locked on him.
"Unleash," Caspian muttered, summoning his remaining strength.
From his crimson aura, the two recently evoked lupivores materialized.
They flanked Caspian, their hackles raised as they faced the alpha predator.
Caspian's team was ready: himself, battered and bloodied, alongside three lupivores.
The alpha lupivore halted its approach briefly, its piercing Red eyes narrowing as they fell upon the three lupivores standing by Caspian's side.
Its gaze softened, almost imperceptibly.
A low, rumbling growl emanated from its chest, but it wasn't one of anger—it was grief.
It seemed to recognize them.
The alpha's gaze shifted, locking onto Caspian.
Its eyes hardened instantly, fury blazing within them.
Caspian's breath hitched.
He could feel the weight of the alpha's intent, an overwhelming sense of justice—no, vengeance.
The alpha lunged.
It was like a boulder had been launched through the air.
Caspian raised Bloodmoon instinctively, the blade's purple aura sparking to life as he braced himself for impact.
But he was utterly powerless.
The alpha's charge was too fast, too fierce.
Just as the enormous jaws were about to close on him, one of the evoked lupivores threw itself into the alpha's path.
KA-SMASH!
The two collided mid-air with a thunderous crash, the impact throwing Caspian backward.
"Ugh!" Caspian grunted as he hit the ground, his head spinning.
The evoked lupivore, smaller but just as ferocious, dug its claws into the alpha's fur, forcing it away from Caspian.
"Grrrrr"
The alpha growled, a mixture of anger and frustration.
It tossed the smaller lupivore aside effortlessly but didn't attack it further.
"Why isn't it attacking them?" Caspian thought.
{It's because they were once its pack. The alpha sees them as its own.} Bloodmoon's replied.
{But it sees you as the enemy. You're the one who defiled its kin.}
Caspian staggered to his feet, his mind racing.
"That's it," he muttered, realization dawning on him.
The alpha wasn't attacking the other lupivores. Even when provoked, it refused to harm them.
It wasn't fighting for dominance.
It was fighting for revenge.
Bloodmoon's voice echoed in his mind.
{The alpha is their guardian, child. To it, you're the one who corrupted its family. It doesn't care about the others—it wants you.}
Caspian gritted his teeth.
The alpha turned its gaze back to him, ignoring the other lupivores completely.
"Grrrr,"
It growled low, a warning, before beginning its slow, deliberate approach.
Caspian swallowed hard.
His legs trembled, not from fear—he'd sacrificed that long ago—but from the weight of his injuries.
Blood trickled down his side, his ribs burning with every breath.
"I need time," he muttered, his voice hoarse.
"Shield me," he commanded the evoked lupivores, his voice rising with urgency.
The three lupivores came forward.
They stood between him and the alpha, their low growls mixing with the rushing sound of the nearby river.
The alpha paused, its eyes flicking to the trio.
It didn't attack. Instead, its gaze softened, sorrow pooling in its crimson red eyes.
"Is it crying?" Caspian thought.
{The alpha sees them as its kin, even now. It won't harm them. But you...you're the intruder, the one who turned its pack against it.} Bloodmoon's voice was steady but grim.
'I know you repeated this several times now,'
'Should I sacrifice something then,'
{Wait....if there is no way then, Sacrificing should be your last decision,}
The alpha lunged suddenly, bypassing the lupivores with a terrifying burst of speed.
Caspian barely had time to react.
"Move!" he shouted.
One of the evoked lupivores threw itself in front of the alpha, taking the brunt of its charge.
CRASH!
The impact sent the smaller lupivore skidding across the ground, whimpering but still alive.
The alpha didn't follow up.
It didn't attack the fallen lupivore.
It only stared at Caspian, its eyes blazing with an unyielding fury.
Caspian's mind raced.
His body screamed for rest, but he couldn't stop.
The alpha charged again.
This time, two of the evoked lupivores moved in unison, clamping onto its legs to slow it down.
The third went for its neck, but the alpha shook them off effortlessly.
The sheer power difference was staggering.
Caspian used the opening to reposition himself, dragging his battered body a few steps closer to the riverbank.
He coughed, tasting blood.
"One chance," he muttered. "I only get one chance."
The alpha turned its gaze back to him, its breaths heavy but controlled.
The lupivores had regrouped, standing protectively in front of Caspian.
But the alpha was relentless.
It lunged again, this time slamming into the trio with brutal force.
Two were flung aside, yelping as they hit the ground. The third clung to its side, biting down with all its strength.
The alpha didn't even flinch.
It shook the smaller lupivore off and continued forward, its crimson eyes locking onto Caspian.
Caspian's body felt like lead, but he forced himself to move.
He raised Bloodmoon with trembling arms, its purple aura flickering weakly.
The alpha leapt at him.
Caspian braced himself, but at the last second, one of the evoked lupivores intercepted the attack, its body slamming into the alpha mid-air.
THUD!
The two hit the ground with a sickening thud.
The alpha rose first, its movements slower now, its breaths labored.
Blood dripped from a gash on its side.
Caspian saw his opening.
With a guttural roar, he pushed his broken body forward, using every ounce of strength he had left.
He swung Bloodmoon in a desperate arc.
The alpha moved backward to dodge the attack, but the tip of the blade shifted, morphing into the shape of a wolf's gaping maw.
SLASH!
With a swift, predatory motion, it sank deep into the alpha's neck, slicing through flesh and sinew with ruthless precision.
SPLASH!
Blood sprayed across the forest floor as the alpha stumbled back, its eyes wide in shock.
THUD!
Caspian collapsed to his knees, gasping for air.
His vision blurred, his body screaming in agony.
The alpha staggered, blood pouring from the wound.
Its breaths came in ragged gasps, each one slower than the last.
Its crimson eyes softened again, and this time, tears welled up.
Caspian watched, helpless, as the alpha's massive frame shuddered.
"It's… crying," he muttered, his voice barely audible.
The alpha's legs gave out, and it collapsed onto the ground, its chest rising and falling with shallow breaths.
Caspian's body gave out completely, and he fell back against the ground, staring up at the night sky.
But there was one thing Caspian didn't notice…
BOOOOOOOOOMM!
The alpha lupivore's body detonated in a deafening explosion, sending shockwaves rippling through the forest.
Caspian's body was flung through the air like a ragdoll, the searing heat of the blast singing his skin.
The river loomed behind him, its fast-moving waters glistening under the pale moonlight.
{Child! Sacrifice something fasttt.....}
But Caspian was already unconscious, his body limp and unresponsive.
Gravity took hold.
SPLASH!
With a final, muted thud, his body struck the surface of the river.
The icy water bit into his skin, a stark contrast to the blistering heat of the explosion.
The river roared, carrying his broken body downstream.
Blood trailed behind him, staining the water a deep crimson
The moonlight danced on the river's surface as Caspian disappeared into the night, his fate now in the hands of the relentless current of River - "VITALIS"