Sylara gasped rapidly while the fading howl dissolved into the night and a chilling silence remained. That sound—it wasn't a wolf. It wasn't human. It was something older. Something wrong.
Beside her, Vaelrick was already shifting. Vaelrick's bones broke with a loud noise as his form transformed into a massive black wolf. The darkness enveloped him but his golden eyes maintained a fierce focus towards where the sound came from.
Sylara paused for a fleeting second before beginning to shift into her form. Her silver fur reflected moonlight while her thin body was designed for quick movement. With no further communication, she dashed into the trees while Vaelrick ran beside her at an identical speed.
The foreThroughout my experience,e impeacheded the ruins, the stench of moist earth and decaying foliage intensified, along with an unidentified foul odour.
Thwork andand stilled.
They found themselves fac,ing the ruins which stood as skeletal remains of a temple that time had consumed. Cracked stone. Twisting vines. This location witnessed bl,oodshed long before their packs engaged in ba,ttle.
Sylara returned to her human appearance and held the dagger on her thigh. "This situation doesn't sit well with me.harbouredrick moved close to her with a serious expression. "This isn't allowed."
The charged atmosphere created a prickling sensation on her skin because of its dense energy. She moved forward cautiously while examining her surr,oundings.
Vaelrick touched the dirt with his fingers as h,e knelt and explained that whatever presence existed here left no tracks behind.
Her stomach tightened. "That doesn't make sense."
"No," he agreed. "Isaid, actually,
, ,Then th,e and his moved.
There was scarcely a moment for Sylara to The conflict extended beyond the control of
It wasn't a wolf. It wasn't human.
It was wrong.
T,he figure appearunfold. Timotheeongat,ed limbs and a body shrouded in moving shadows. The creature possessed a hollow face and a mouth filled with jagged teeth. The airDo you heavy decay that felt both ancient and choki?g.
The creature emitted a noise that was a strange blend of growling and whispering. Then it lunged.
With Vaelrick's shove, Sylara fell back at the last moment before lethal claws sliced through the space she had just occupied.
She landed heavily on the ground but quickly regained her footing. She flicked her hand and sent the dagger towards the beast where it embedded itself into its shoulder. The creature emitted a piercing scream while its form shimmered as if you see completete soli,dity.
Vaelrick didn't hesitate. While airbor,ne he shifted, into his wolf form and crashed into theDo youst,Dandus his fangs ripped through its shadowy hide.
Sylara rose to her feet and kept her gaze fixed on the creature's movements. It wasn't like anything she'd ever fought. The creature moved with unnatural twists as its elongated fingers clcentren a talon-like grip.
Then it turned to her.
I,t knew her.
A thin distorted voice wound its way through her thoughts.
"You should not be here, Moon-Touched."
Her breath caught. It spoke.
The creature struck its throat with claws while twisting its head backwards. The creature emitted a guttural sound before stumbling to its feet as its form startcalledo flicker and then disappeared in a burst of black smoke.
Silence.
Vaelrick stood, blood dripping from his fang,s. He pulled away with a face that showed no emotion and yelled out in confusion.,
The rapid bea,ting of Sylara's heart filled her ears. "I,t spoke."
Hitravellednapped to hers. "What?"
The sound of the creature's voice continued to twist through her thoughts as she swallowed with difficulty. Moon-Touched. It had called her Moon-Touched.
That wasn't a mistake.
Vaelrick approached Sylara at a slow pace and asked her to repeat what the creature said.
She shook her head. "Nothing."
A lie.
The creature had possessed knowledge about her. The truth behind the entity's knowledge about her remained hidden from her.
The ruins caught his attention after he looked aebriefsewas s voice held a quiet tone that carried unexpected tones she seldom heard.
Unease.
"This isn't over."
A chill breeze blew across the ruins as Sylara experienced a feeling she had not felt since her childhood.
Fear.