Chapter 1: A storm is coming
The forest felt different after the temple.
Colder.
Quieter.
Like the world itself knew something had changed.
We had been traveling for two days since leaving the ancient ruins, heading back toward the Shadow Moon Pack territory.
But none of us were relaxing.
Not after what happened inside the temple.
Not after Malric.
Kael walked ahead of us, pushing aside low branches as we moved through the thick forest.
“If the Dark King really knows about Nicci now,” he muttered, “we’re going to have a lot more visitors.”
Lucien walked beside him calmly.
“Yes.”
“None of them friendly.”
Jandre stayed close to me as always.
“You’re quiet,” he said softly.
I looked down at my hands.
The energy inside me was still there.
Stronger than before.
Sometimes I could feel it moving under my skin like lightning.
“I can feel things,” I said.
Jandre frowned.
“What kind of things?”
I hesitated.
“Darkness.”
Lucien stopped walking immediately.
“What do you mean?”
I looked toward the distant mountains.
“It’s like… something out there is moving.”
Kael crossed his arms.
“That’s not comforting.”
Jandre studied my face.
“You’re sensing the Dark Realm.”
Lucien nodded slowly.
“The temple may have strengthened that connection.”
Before anyone could say anything else—
A wolf howl echoed through the forest.
Sharp.
Urgent.
Kael’s head snapped up.
“That’s one of ours.”
Jandre’s eyes darkened instantly.
“What’s wrong?”
Moments later a gray wolf burst through the trees at full speed.
The wolf shifted into human form as it reached us.
It was one of the Shadow Moon scouts.
His face was pale.
“Alpha…”
Jandre stepped forward.
“What happened?”
The scout was breathing hard.
“The pack territory…”
My stomach tightened.
“What about it?”
The scout looked directly at me.
“Something attacked.”
Silence fell over the forest.
Kael swore under his breath.
Jandre’s voice dropped into a dangerous growl.
“What attacked?”
The scout swallowed.
“We don’t know.”
“But whatever it was…”
His voice shook slightly.
“…it wasn’t human.”
I felt the Balance power stir again inside my chest.
And deep down…
I already had a terrible feeling about what we were about to find.
