As the sun crept over the horizon, the battlefield lay still. The air was thick with smoke and the bittersweet scent of blood and burned earth. Elara stood quietly at the edge of the clearing, her sword sheathed, her eyes on the fading trail of black ash where the mutated rogue had fallen.
They had won the skirmish — but not the war.
Kael approached her slowly, wiping blood from his hands. His silver eyes, though weary, were still sharp. "The scouts report no more rogue movement for now. Whatever Vael planned… this was the opening move."
Elara didn't answer immediately. She stared into the dying embers of a fire, her thoughts turning. "That rogue… it wasn't just bigger. It was tortured. Twisted. That's not strength. It's something darker."
"Magic," Kael said. "Forbidden blood rituals. Only one kind of wolf tampers with those."
Elara turned toward him. "Bloodcasters."
Kael gave a grim nod. "Vael's working with them. Maybe even letting them lead."
Her stomach churned. Bloodcasters were ancient — and nearly wiped out — for their cruel experiments and dark enchantments. If Vael was truly allied with them, their fight was about more than territory.
It was about the survival of their kind.
Before she could respond, a voice echoed from behind them.
"You'll need more than brute strength to win this war."
Elara and Kael turned to find an old woman standing at the edge of the treeline, cloaked in deep indigo. Her eyes were milky white, but her posture spoke of power and clarity.
"Elena," Kael murmured, surprised. "I thought you vanished after the last war."
The elder seer stepped forward, her staff tapping softly against the ground. "I vanished because the vision ended. But now, a new one burns." She looked directly at Elara, her gaze piercing despite her blindness. "You carry the mark of the Moonblood. But your fate is entwined with fire. And fire, child, does not ask permission before it consumes."
Elara's breath caught in her throat.
"What does that mean?" Kael asked, tense.
The seer smiled faintly. "It means your enemies are not your only danger. The flame inside you… will either save us all — or destroy everything."
And with that, she vanished into the mist.