The fires from the battle still smoldered along the walls of Nightfall Dominion, casting long shadows across the shattered stone. Wolves wandered the streets, some tending to the wounded, others scanning the treeline for returning rogues. The air was thick with smoke and tension.
Nyra and Kaelen walked through the main keep, side by side. Their bond, freshly sealed in the heat of battle, pulsed between them like a living thing. Yet even in this rare moment of quiet, Nyra felt a chill crawling across her spine.
Kaelen noticed her unease. "You sense something," he said quietly.
"Yes," she admitted. "Someone is moving within the walls. Watching. Waiting."
Kaelen's jaw tightened. "The council?"
Nyra shook her head. "No. Someone else. Someone who knew Ardyn's movements before we did… someone who had access to the inner chambers during the trial."
Kaelen's eyes narrowed. "We trusted the council to protect the Dominion while we fought outside."
"And we almost died because of that trust," Nyra replied.
Their footsteps echoed down the stone corridor, leading them to the inner council chamber. The doors were slightly ajar. Inside, Elder Rava stood over the council table, papers scattered, her expression unreadable.
Nyra stepped forward cautiously. "Elder Rava."
The elder's eyes flicked toward her, sharp and calculating. "Ah, Executioner. I wondered when you would come to see the aftermath."
Kaelen's hand tightened around Nyra's. "You knew," he said flatly. "You knew Ardyn would attack the Dominion. And you did nothing to stop it."
Rava tilted her head, a faint smile tugging at her lips. "I did not stop him because I had no orders to. The council is fractured, and I serve the Alpha who is… strongest. And right now, that is not you, Kaelen."
Nyra felt her wolf surge violently. "You betrayed us. You betrayed the Dominion."
Rava's smile widened, cold and deliberate. "I preserved it. The strong survive, Executioner. And the weak…" She gestured toward Kaelen. "…are tested."
Kaelen's eyes darkened, shadowed with fury. "You call this preservation?"
"I call it strategy," she replied smoothly. "Ardyn's attack revealed more than you ever could. His magic, his rogue army—it's bigger than the council feared. And it exposed weaknesses in the Alpha bloodline. I merely… accelerated the test."
Nyra's blade itched in her hands. She stepped closer. "Accelerated the test? You sent countless wolves to die!"
Rava's gaze flicked to Nyra, unflinching. "And yet, here you stand, Executioner. The bond is proven. The Alpha survived. You both survived. My methods are cruel, yes, but effective. The Dominion will endure because of it."
Kaelen's teeth clenched. "You're no ally of the Dominion. You're a traitor."
Rava shrugged elegantly. "Traitor or savior—it depends on perspective. Remember this, Alpha: I act for the survival of the pack, not for loyalty or love or bond. Those are luxuries that get wolves killed."
Nyra's wolf growled low in her chest. Something deep, instinctual, warned her that Rava's betrayal was only the beginning.
"And the rest of the council?" Kaelen asked, voice tight.
"Scattered," Rava said. "Some fled after the trial. Some hide in fear. But the true threat is not gone. It's closer than you realize." She stepped aside and gestured to a hidden passage behind the council table. "Follow the signs, and you may find who truly orchestrates the chaos. But beware—the Dominion has secrets older than the Alpha bloodline."
Kaelen looked at Nyra. Their eyes met, and in that silent exchange, they both understood: survival would demand trust in each other more than ever.
Nyra tightened her grip on her blade. "Then we find this puppet master. And we end this, before more blood stains the Dominion."
Rava's lips curled in a faint, almost imperceptible smirk. "Do try not to die, Executioner. I would be… disappointed if you failed so soon."
The passage behind the council table was dark, winding, and steeped in an air that seemed alive. Every instinct in Nyra's body screamed danger.
Kaelen's hand brushed hers. "Whatever is down there," he said, voice low, "we face it together."
Nyra nodded. Her wolf surged, coiling beneath her skin like a living blade.
And as they stepped into the shadows, the Dominion's walls seemed to shiver, as though they knew the true battle had only just begun.