Chapter 15: The Darkening
The forest felt colder than usual, as though the night itself had grown thicker, more oppressive. Catherine walked quietly through the woods, her footsteps barely making a sound on the soft earth. She could feel the weight of the stone in her pocket, its presence a constant reminder that something was about to change. Something big.
Beside her, Jake walked silently, his hand brushing against the rough bark of the trees. The two of them had been traveling for days, ever since their encounter with the aliens. The pack had scattered, each member taking on a different task. The aliens were still a threat, but the larger threat—the darkness that had been growing for so long—was the one that was truly haunting them.
Catherine didn't fully understand it, but she could feel the pull of the darkness, like an invisible hand gripping at her heart. She had felt it in her dreams, had seen glimpses of it in the stone. It wasn't just the alien force. It was something much older, something ancient that was awakening.
"They're getting closer," Jake said, his voice breaking the silence. "The aliens. They won't stop until they have the stone."
"I know," Catherine replied, her voice distant. "But I think there's something else going on. Something we don't fully understand yet."
Jake glanced at her, his eyes filled with concern. "What do you mean?"
"I've been having dreams," she began, her voice quiet. "Dreams of my parents. But they're not the parents I remember. They look different. Older. And in those dreams, they're always... always near the stone. I think they're tied to it somehow. And they're trying to keep me from it."
Jake's expression softened, but there was an edge of worry in his gaze. "You're not alone in this, Catherine. We'll figure this out together. We'll protect you. We'll protect the stone."
Catherine didn't respond. She knew Jake was trying to reassure her, but deep down, she wasn't sure how much more reassurance she could take. The stone had a power she didn't fully comprehend, and with every passing day, it was pulling her further into its web. She could feel it deep inside her, like an unsettling whisper that tugged at her very soul.
Ahead, the sound of rustling leaves broke through the tension between them. A figure emerged from the shadows—a tall man with sharp features, his eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. He was dressed in tattered clothes, his face worn with age, though there was an unnatural strength about him. Catherine's heart skipped a beat. She knew who it was.
"Jake," she whispered urgently, grabbing his arm. "It's him. It's my father."
Jake turned toward the figure, his eyes narrowing as he took a step closer to Catherine. "Are you sure?" he asked, his voice low.
Catherine nodded, her chest tight with emotion. Her father's presence was unmistakable, even after all these years. She had spent so much of her life in the woods, raised by the wolves, that she hadn't truly thought of him or her mother. But now, standing before her, she could see the similarities. The same sharp features, the same haunting gaze.
The man—the one she had once called father—looked at her with a strange mixture of sadness and something darker. His lips curled into a tight smile, but it didn't reach his eyes.
"I've been waiting for you, Catherine," he said, his voice cold. "We've waited for this moment for so long."
Catherine's pulse quickened. "What do you want from me?" she demanded. "Why did you leave me in the woods all those years ago? Why—"
"Because you were never meant to be with the wolves," her father interrupted, his voice sharp. "You were always meant to be something greater. The stone has chosen you, Catherine. It's time for you to embrace your destiny."
Catherine felt a chill run down her spine. "Destiny?" she echoed, her voice barely audible. "What destiny? What do you mean?"
Her father stepped closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "The stone isn't just a weapon. It's a key. A key to unlocking the power of the darkness. And you, Catherine, are the key's guardian."
"No," Catherine whispered, shaking her head. "I can't... I don't want this. I don't want the stone."
Her father's smile faltered for a moment, then returned with a flicker of something more menacing. "You don't have a choice. The darkness is coming, and you are the one who will either control it... or be consumed by it."
Catherine's heart raced as the weight of his words sank in. She had known the stone was dangerous, but this? This was something else entirely. She wasn't just holding a powerful artifact—she was the one who would determine whether the world would survive or fall into darkness.
"I don't believe you," she said, her voice trembling with anger and fear. "You're lying. I won't help you."
Jake stepped forward, standing protectively between her and her father. "If you think you can intimidate her, you're wrong. She's not going to be controlled by anyone, least of all you."
Her father laughed, a hollow sound that echoed through the trees. "You still don't understand, do you? It's not about control. It's about fate. And fate doesn't give you a choice."
Catherine took a deep breath, her hand tightening around the stone in her pocket. She didn't know how much more she could take, how much longer she could keep running from the truth. But standing there, in front of her father, she realized something. She wasn't alone in this fight. She had Jake, she had the pack, and she had the wolves who had raised her. She wasn't going to let the darkness win. Not without a fight.
"I will stop you," Catherine said, her voice strong now. "I don't care what you think I am. I won't let you bring the darkness to this world."
Her father's eyes flashed with something unreadable—was it regret? Anger? Something else? But then, in the next instant, his gaze hardened.
"We'll see, Catherine. We'll see."
Without another word, he turned and disappeared into the forest, leaving Catherine standing there, breathless and trembling. She didn't know what the future held, but she knew one thing for certain: the battle was just beginning.
And she would fight for it, with everything she had