The escape from the Darkness Below was chaotic but effective. Time jumped around them, visions of past and future flickered in their eyes, and behind them, they heard the metallic, monotonous sounds of automatons trying to pursue them. However, the new Song of Balance, which Lyra drew from the Crystal of Harmony, enveloped them, protecting them from the worst effects of the temporal collapse.
When they finally emerged onto the surface, they were greeted by crisp, nocturnal air and a gleaming Blood Moon. The entire pack breathed a sigh of relief. They were exhausted but whole. Seraphina, though still ethereal and emotionless, lay motionless on the ground, her silvery fur pulsating with a cold, blue light, but her eyes were closed. The moment of consciousness Lyra had awakened in her was too brief for her to regain control.
Lyra, barely standing, clutched the Crystal of Harmony. It pulsed in her hands, carrying with it the vast knowledge of the Ancient Sovereign. "We have it," she whispered, and Kaelan and Elara immediately rushed to her side, helping her maintain balance.
The return to the Source Cave was long and silent. The pack was too exhausted to speak. They placed Seraphina in a safe place, surrounding her with a delicate barrier of Primeval Magic to prevent re-activation by the Primeval Beings. Lyra felt that Seraphina was trapped but not destroyed. There was a chance to save her, but it required a new Song.
When Lyra returned to the Source of Primeval Magic, she placed the Crystal of Harmony on its edge. The two sources of power merged, and their light filled the entire cave. Aeris spoke to Lyra, her voice now pure and strong, free from her former limitations.
"Well done, Luna. You have found the full Song. Remember that the Song of Balance is not just a defense, but a bridge. It can connect what has been separated."
Over the next few days, Lyra spent hours in meditation, absorbing knowledge from the Crystal of Harmony. She learned about the cycles of the universe, about the rise and fall of worlds ruled by the Primeval Beings, about their pursuit of absolute order that always led to stagnation and emotional death. She also learned about "Anomalies" among the Primeval Beings – those who, despite genetic programming, felt emotions and tried to preserve the Song of Life. They were the ones who created the Crystal of Harmony.
She understood that the Primeval Beings, in their logic, could not comprehend or accept the chaos and complexity of emotions. Their attacks were an attempt to "correct" the Song of Life to fit their perfect, emotionless system.
Lyra convened the New Council. She presented them with the full truth about the Primeval Beings, their nature, and their purpose. The werewolves listened in silence, with growing unease. "They are not evil in the sense that the Shadow of Oblivion was," Lyra explained. "They are… indifferent. They see our Song as a defect. They want to transform us, not destroy us. And they are much more powerful than anything we have faced so far."
Lyra showed them how the Song of Balance worked. She performed a Song that did not destroy but enveloped, transformed, and even harmonized. She demonstrated how it could serve as a shield that absorbs the attacks of the Primeval Beings, transforming their energy into something that strengthens the Song of Life, rather than suppresses it.
"We must prepare the world," Lyra said. "We must teach all packs the Song of Balance. We must create a network of bastions that will resonate with the Song, forming an invisible barrier. We must also find a way to reach these 'Anomalies' among the Primeval Beings. They may be our only allies in their own world."
Kaelan, Varg, Boreas, and Karkan immediately accepted their new roles. The packs began intense training. Werewolves learned how their own emotions, even negative ones, could be part of the Song of Balance, as long as they were controlled and harmonized. Elara, using her ability to communicate with ancient spirits, began to look for ways to contact the "Anomalies" of the Primeval Beings, searching for loopholes in their logical world.
Lyra herself felt her Song evolve. It was no longer just a battle, but a dance, a melody that connected all aspects of existence. She knew that Seraphina was the key to understanding the Primeval Beings. Her liberation would become a symbolic battle over whether emotions could exist in the face of absolute logic.
One evening, as Lyra stood over the dormant Seraphina, surrounded by the Song of Balance, she felt a delicate tremor in the Crystals of Harmony. A vision. Brief, but clear.
She saw countless ships, gleaming and geometric, emerging from portals in space. They were targeting their world. At the head of the fleet stood a gigantic, pulsating crystal, resembling the Crystal of Harmony, but its light was cold and colorless. And at its center…
At the center of this mighty ship, Lyra saw Seraphina. But this time, her eyes were open and shone with a pure, icy blue. There was no trace of pain, hatred, or even indifference, only… emptiness. Seraphina was part of the ship, its controller, but completely devoid of free will. She was a tool. And in her mind, Lyra heard the echo of a familiar, metallic voice: "Target – Alpha-Zeta planetary system. Emotion suppression. Transformation into order."
The vision vanished. Lyra opened her eyes, her heart pounding with alarm. The Primeval Beings were coming. And they were using Seraphina as their vanguard.
This was not a prophecy. This was an imminent threat. The time for preparation was over. It was time to fight for the full Song of Life.