The air was thick with the scent of rain and earth, the kind of storm that carried both promise and peril. Drex stood alone in the clearing, his yellow hair damp from the mist, his animal ears flicking restlessly in the gusting wind. Korrak's presence loomed just behind him, a silent guardian.
The journey had taken them farther than he'd ever intended. But there was no turning back now. Not after everything they had discovered. Not after the truth about the Ancient Pact had been revealed.
"Ready yourself," Korrak's voice rumbled low, its deep tone vibrating in the air. Drex barely turned, his focus split between the looming storm clouds and the hidden dangers that waited in the shadows.
It was here. The Heart of Amon, the fabled sanctuary that had once housed the most powerful tamers in history. What was meant to be a place of healing had become a prison, sealed away by a force beyond Drex's understanding. But now, that force was weakening, and Drex's bond with Korrak was the key.
"I'm ready," Drex said, the words firm but betraying a trace of uncertainty. The path ahead was uncertain, and each step felt heavier than the last. This wasn't just about him anymore. It was about the future of all beasts—and the fragile thread that connected them to humanity.
The first signs of movement came as a ripple in the wind—a distortion in the air, barely perceptible. Drex's fingers tightened on the handle of his blade, the ancient weapon forged from the scales of a creature long extinct. It was both a tool and a symbol. A reminder that he had a responsibility beyond his own survival.
The Echoing Wolves were close now. They had tracked him for days, and Drex could feel their eyes on him even now. These weren't normal wolves. Their eyes glowed with the same eerie light as the beasts Drex had once been sworn to protect. But these… these were different. They had been corrupted.
"Stay close," Drex murmured to Korrak, though he knew the beast was already at the ready, his immense form blending seamlessly with the shadows.
As if on cue, the first wolf leapt from the trees, its shadowy form like a wisp of smoke, so fast that it almost seemed to materialize out of nothing. Its fangs gleamed like shards of obsidian, and the dark energy around it buzzed with an unnatural hum.
Drex's heart pounded in his chest, but his hands moved like clockwork, drawing on the bond he shared with Korrak. The beast surged forward, crashing into the wolf with the force of a landslide. The ground shook as the two collided, but Drex knew better than to wait. His focus shifted to the other wolves—there were more coming.
He reached into his mind, feeling the heartbeat of the forest. The beasts weren't his enemies. Not all of them, anyway. But these… these wolves were no longer just creatures of the wild. They were something more dangerous, twisted by the corruption that had spread from the heart of Amon.
His eyes narrowed, and the sound of his heartbeat quickened. He'd fought creatures like this before, but this was different. This wasn't just a test of strength. It was a test of his resolve.
He stepped forward, calling on the last of his power. The ground beneath him trembled as the connection between him and the world's ancient forces snapped into place.
"Return to the wild."
A pulse of light erupted from him, sweeping through the air like a wave. It was a command—one that cut through the darkness, a bond forged in the fires of an oath he had taken long ago. The wolves screeched in agony, their bodies writhing as the energy consumed them, drawing them back to their primal forms.
But it wasn't enough. Not yet.
Behind him, Korrak snarled, teeth bared, his enormous body casting a shadow that seemed to stretch across the entire forest. Drex could feel the beast's strength surge, an echo of his own power that filled the clearing.
And then, from the heart of the storm, something larger stirred.
A massive figure broke through the tree line, its silhouette barely visible through the thick rain. But Drex knew it immediately. It was the Alpha, the one who had been leading the corrupted wolves, the one who had seen the fall of the old world and sought to rebuild it in its own image.
This would be the fight that defined everything.