The ground split open—
and the second wave burst into the battlefield like a storm of teeth and bone.
These weren't malformed creatures.
These were perfected Devourer hybrids.
Taller.
Faster.
More coordinated.
Eyes glowing the same gold-black as their king.
They moved with terrifying purpose.
And they only had one target—
Kanah.
Owain sensed it first.
He snapped around, eyes blazing.
"They're heading for her—ALL OF THEM—!"
Before Kanah could breathe, he shoved her behind him, claws out, body coiled like a loaded spring.
"WOLVES—FORM ON ME!"
Rhaegor roared, "SHIELD THE QUEEN!"
The wolf pack surged, forming a living wall of fur and muscle around Kanah.
Dragons dove.
Elves cast barriers.
Leopards ambushed from above.
But the perfected hybrids tore through the first wave of defenses like fire through dry grass.
Kanah's skin prickled.
Their resonance…
It was more focused.
More organized.
More dangerous.
Gerrin's face paled.
"He's training them directly through his aura—no hesitation—no fear—this is a true Devourer army!"
Helion landed beside Kanah, claws dripping black blood.
"Stay DOWN, princess!"
"Stop calling her princess—!" Owain snarled, slamming into a hybrid so hard the ground cratered.
Vaeryn swooped down, flames blasting a path.
"THE SKY WILL COVER YOU!"
And still—
The hybrids advanced.
Kanah's heart pounded in her throat.
They moved like a single mind—
a single hunger—
a single command:
Seize the seed.
OWAIN — WOLF KING UNLEASHED
A hybrid lunged at Kanah—
taller than Owain, armored in bone plates.
Owain met it mid-air.
His roar split the air.
He slammed his shoulder into its chest, claws ripping through bone armor.
The hybrid screeched.
Owain tore its throat open and spun to block another.
Every instinct in him was feral, violent, overwhelming.
Not for dominance.
Not for glory.
For her.
He fought with a brutality Kanah had never seen.
Helion yelled over the chaos, "He's gone full instinct—!"
"No," Yllas corrected, unleashing flame.
"He's gone full KING."
Owain ripped apart the third hybrid trying to flank Kanah.
He didn't speak.
He didn't think.
He just protected.
KANAH — RESONANCE AWAKENS MID-BATTLE
Kanah pressed her back to the living wall of wolves, shaking.
She felt something strange—
a warm pressure beneath her ribs
spreading outward
responding
reacting
awakening.
"Gerrin—something's happening—!"
Gerrin grabbed her wrist.
"Your resonance—Kanah, it's reacting to their resonance—!"
Kanah gasped.
"I can feel them—
their hunger—
their fear—
their pain—"
Helion slashed a hybrid's arm and yelled, "BLOCK IT OUT—YOU CAN'T TAKE THAT RIGHT NOW—"
"I'm not taking it—" Kanah screamed over the battle.
"I'm PUSHING BACK!"
The air vibrated.
A shockwave—warm, gold-tinted, human—burst from her palms.
The nearest hybrids staggered.
Several froze.
One collapsed completely.
Owain whipped around in shock.
"KANA—WHAT DID YOU DO?!"
Kanah trembled.
"I—I found the part of them that doesn't want to be like this—
and I pulled it forward!"
Gerrin's eyes widened.
"You're stabilizing them—MID-BATTLE—?!"
Helion blinked.
"Okay that's actually insane—"
Owain ripped apart a hybrid trying to reach her.
"DON'T OVERUSE IT—YOU'LL COLLAPSE—"
Kanah swallowed.
"I don't know how to stop it—!"
Her resonance pulsed again—
and three more hybrids stumbled, eyes flickering from black-gold to…
something softer.
Kanah choked.
"I think… I can save them."
Owain snarled.
"KANA—NO—FOCUS ON LIVING—"
But she couldn't help it.
She reached out again—
and a hybrid screamed, collapsing as its aura destabilized.
Yllas caught it mid-fall and dragged it away from the fight.
"This one is trying to shift—she triggered instinct recovery!"
Kanah covered her mouth.
"I didn't mean to—"
Owain blocked another hybrid with his entire body.
"KANA—stop trying to save them and STAY BEHIND ME—"
Kanah grabbed his arm.
"Owain—listen—
I can weaken them."
He froze.
"What?"
"If I push their original instincts forward—
even for a second—
they lose the Devourer control."
Owain's eyes widened.
"Meaning they stop responding to him."
"Yes."
Owain's jaw tightened.
"Kana… you could turn the tide."
Gerrin shouted, "But she'll burn out!"
Helion added, "Her body is still human—she can't channel that much resonance—"
Owain growled.
"She won't.
I'll regulate her flow."
Kanah blinked.
"You can do that?"
Owain pulled her close, one hand on her waist, one on her sternum.
"I can dampen your spikes.
But you have to stay with me."
Kanah nodded.
"I trust you."
Owain inhaled sharply.
His voice cracked.
"Kana—
don't say things like that right now—
I can't—"
But there was no time.
The second wave surged again.
Kanah pressed her palms forward—
and Owain wrapped his arms around her from behind.
"Breathe with me," he whispered.
"Three…
two…
one…"
Kanah exhaled.
Her resonance burst outward—
not wild
not consuming
but guided by Owain's steady presence.
Hybrids staggered in a wide arc.
Dragons used the opening.
Wolves surged forward.
Leopards struck from the trees.
The elves unleashed a blast of mana.
The forest shuddered with the force.
Kanah gasped, collapsing onto her knees.
Owain caught her instantly.
"Kana—Kana, look at me—"
She panted, vision blurry.
"I—I'm okay. I just—"
Gerrin appeared beside them.
"She's exhausted. She needs to retreat—"
Owain shook his head.
"She stays with me."
Kanah swallowed.
"I can keep going.
I have to."
Owain lifted her chin.
"No.
You do not HAVE to do anything."
She cupped his cheek with trembling fingers.
"Owain…
if I don't help…
you'll all die."
He froze.
His eyes softened—
broke—
then hardened with determination.
"Then you stay at my side," he whispered.
"Not in front.
Not alone.
With me."
Kanah nodded.
"Always."
Owain pulled her up.
"Then let's end this wave together."
THE DEVOURER KING MOVES
On the ridge, her father raised one hand.
The ground split again.
Kanah's breath vanished.
No.
Not another wave.
Not now.
But the energy that poured out wasn't soldiers.
It was something worse.
Gerrin whispered in horror:
"He's…
He's summoning the perfected brood."
Owain snarled.
"No—she's too tired—she can't take another pressure—"
Kanah clutched his arm, shaking violently as her father's presence pressed against her bones.
Her father's voice rolled over the battlefield.
Deep.
Cold.
Final.
"Kanara."
She whimpered.
Owain wrapped both arms around her, shielding her body with his own.
The Devourer King pointed at her.
Not at the armies.
Not at the tribes.
Her.
The ground cracked—
and something massive began to crawl out.
Not a malformed beast.
Not a hybrid.
Something far, far worse.
Owain's fur bristled.
Kanah's vision swam.
The tribes froze.
Her father whispered:
"Come see what you should have been."