The sun was barely up when Seraphina found the scroll again, tucked beneath her pillow like a whisper from another world. Her fingers traced the strange symbols and the name Ruvan—her mother's secret, the key to everything. But who was Ruvan? A friend? An enemy? Or something far darker? She knew the forest had changed her, but the real danger was only beginning. The village was restless. Parents kept their children inside, and even the bravest hunters avoided the woods. The wolves—normally silent at dawn—were howling, calling out to something unseen. Seraphina's nights were haunted by dreams of silver eyes staring through the darkness, and a voice warning her: "You must find Ruvan before the next full moon, or all will be lost." The weight of that promise pressed heavy on her heart, but she couldn't run. Not now. Not when the blood of the Moon Queen flowed in her veins.
Kael was both her shield and her torment. He stayed close, watching her with eyes full of questions and something she couldn't name—regret? Fear? As they walked through the village, whispers followed them like shadows. "She's changed." "That power isn't natural." "What if she brings destruction?" Kael's presence made some feel safer, but others still looked at Seraphina with suspicion. The Alpha tried to protect her, but he was losing ground, even to his own doubts. That afternoon, by the old well, Kael confessed, "I've heard stories—dark stories about Ruvan. They say he was a warrior who betrayed the Moon Queen, someone who hunted wolves with a fire no blade could kill." Seraphina's heart clenched. Could Ruvan be the enemy? Or the key to her survival? She didn't know. But if the forest's secrets were true, then Ruvan's warning was a challenge she couldn't ignore. Time was running out.
Night fell fast, and the village gathered around the bonfire, trying to shake the fear that wrapped tight around their throats. Seraphina stood apart, feeling the power thrumming beneath her skin, the moonstone necklace warm like a heartbeat against her chest. Suddenly, the flames flickered, and shadows stretched unnaturally. A howl shattered the night—closer this time—followed by footsteps racing through the trees. From the darkness emerged a figure cloaked in midnight, eyes glowing like embers, moving with the grace of a predator. The villagers froze. Kael stepped forward, muscles tense. Seraphina's breath caught. The stranger stopped at the edge of the firelight and spoke in a voice both soft and sharp, "Seraphina Nwosu, the forest speaks your name. Ruvan is coming. And he brings a storm you are not ready for." The crowd gasped. Seraphina's blood ran cold. The hunt had begun—and the choices she made next would decide who lived, who died, and what kind of legacy she would leave behind.