The night deepened, heavy with the howls of wolves.
Kael leaned against the tree, every breath ragged, while the stranger sharpened his axe on a stone. Sparks leapt in the moonlight, cold and hungry.
"You'll die out here if you keep panting like prey," the man said flatly.
Kael glared at him. "Then why don't you finish me yourself?"
The man chuckled. "Because I'm curious. The way the shard hums inside you… it sings. Like it's calling to me." He tilted his head, smile wolfish. "Name's Varic. You can call me hunter. Or monster. Either fits."
Kael's eyes narrowed. "What do you want from me?"
"Want?" Varic's laughter echoed through the trees. "To see if you're strong enough to live. Nothing more."
As if on cue, the forest fell silent. No wind. No rustling. Just a low growl rolling through the dark.
Then the shadows moved.
Wolves slinked from the underbrush—massive, their eyes glowing faintly blue. Not natural beasts. Corrupted. Their fur shimmered as though laced with starlight, their fangs long as daggers.
Kael's blood went cold. "Aether-wolves…"
Varic rose smoothly, hefting his axe with one hand. "The wilds test us. Let's see if you're prey… or predator."
The first wolf lunged.
Varic met it head-on, his axe cleaving through fur and bone in a spray of silver blood. He didn't hesitate, didn't falter—he laughed as he killed. Another wolf darted in, only to be caught by his free hand, slammed into the earth with bone-shattering force.
Kael staggered back, heart hammering. He had no weapon, no shield. Just the glow under his skin, whispering—Use me. Devour them.
"No…" He clenched his fists, teeth grinding. "I won't."
Another wolf lunged. Kael dodged clumsily, claws raking across his arm. Pain flared hot, blood spilling. His legs buckled. The shard pulsed. The whispers grew louder.
Take its Oath. Tear it apart. Survive.
Kael screamed, driving his fist into the beast's jaw. Light burst from his knuckles, ripping through the wolf's skull in a flare of stolen power. The creature collapsed, twitching, its glow sinking into Kael's veins like venom.
His vision blurred. His pulse roared. His body felt stronger. Hungrier.
When the last wolf fell, silence crashed over the forest again. Only silver blood stained the earth, steaming in the night.
Varic leaned on his axe, grinning wide. "Not bad, boy. Not bad at all. You're fighting it, but the shard eats for you anyway. That's what makes it beautiful."
Kael panted, trembling, his fists still glowing faintly. "Beautiful? That wasn't me—it was the shard. It's… using me."
Varic's grin sharpened. "Then let it. Power is power. Only cowards refuse the gift when it's handed to them."
He stepped closer, his eyes gleaming with something feral. "You and I… we're the same. Outcasts. Predators. The gods threw us away, but the wilds will crown us kings."
Kael's breath caught. Somewhere deep inside, he knew—Varic wasn't just some mad exile. He was a glimpse of what Kael could become if he surrendered.
And the thought terrified him more than any wolf.
⸻
➡️ Cliffhanger: Kael survives his first trial, but Varic plants the seed of corruption — showing him the path of surrender. The wilderness is not just survival, it's temptation.