The howls grew louder.
They rolled through the forest like thunder, echoing across the mountains and sending a chill through every warrior standing in the clearing.
Aria's heart pounded violently.
The mark on her wrist burned brighter than ever before.
Kael stepped forward slowly, placing himself between Aria and the dark forest.
"Stay behind me," he said firmly.
His silver eyes glowed as his wolf pushed closer to the surface.
The warriors of the pack formed a defensive circle around them.
But the shadows in the forest kept moving.
Dozens of glowing red eyes appeared between the trees.
Rogue wolves.
Too many.
Aria felt her breath tighten.
"Why are there so many?" she whispered.
No rogue pack ever gathered like this.
They were wild, unpredictable, and rarely worked together.
But tonight…
They moved like an army.
Kael's voice dropped into a dangerous growl.
"They're being controlled."
Aria's stomach twisted.
"Controlled?"
Before Kael could answer, a massive wolf stepped out of the forest.
It was twice the size of the others, its dark fur scarred and its eyes burning with unnatural red light.
The rogue leader.
The wolf let out a terrifying roar.
And suddenly—
The entire pack charged.
"ATTACK!" Kael roared.
The clearing exploded into chaos.
Warriors shifted into their wolf forms instantly, colliding with the rogue wolves in a violent clash of claws and teeth.
Aria stumbled backward, her pulse racing.
The battle was brutal.
Kael moved like a storm.
His massive silver wolf tore through the rogues with terrifying strength, sending two wolves flying with a single strike.
But more kept coming.
Too many.
Aria looked around desperately.
Where was—
Her eyes found him.
Ikechukwu.
He had not moved.
He stood at the edge of the clearing, watching the battle calmly as if he were observing a lesson.
Aria stared at him in disbelief.
"Why isn't he helping?"
A rogue wolf suddenly lunged toward her.
Aria froze.
Before the wolf could reach her—
A warrior slammed into it, knocking it aside.
But three more followed.
Fear surged through her chest.
She backed away quickly.
"Ikechukwu!" she shouted.
The tall Nigerian man finally looked at her.
His expression was calm.
Almost thoughtful.
Then he sighed softly.
"Hmm… wahala don too much."
Kael, fighting nearby, growled.
"Translate!"
Ikechukwu stretched his shoulders slowly.
"It means…"
His calm eyes turned toward the charging rogues.
"…the trouble has become too much."
Another group of rogues burst through the trees.
The warriors were beginning to lose ground.
Kael's wolf roared furiously, but even he could not fight an endless swarm.
Aria felt panic rising.
If this continued…
They would be overwhelmed.
She looked at Ikechukwu again.
He still looked strangely relaxed.
"Are you going to help or not?" she asked breathlessly.
Ikechukwu finally stepped forward.
The ground seemed to grow quiet beneath his feet.
Even the rogue wolves slowed.
He cracked his neck gently.
"My grandmother used to say something," he said calmly.
A rogue wolf rushed toward him.
Without even looking—
Ikechukwu raised his hand.
The wolf suddenly froze mid-charge.
As if an invisible force had slammed into it.
The entire clearing fell silent.
Warriors stopped fighting.
Rogue wolves backed away slightly.
Ikechukwu's aura changed.
The calm traveler was gone.
Something far more powerful stood in his place.
He looked at the rogue leader.
"You people don miss road."
Kael's deep voice came from his wolf form.
"Translate."
Ikechukwu's eyes glowed faintly under the moonlight.
"It means…"
His voice dropped with quiet authority.
"…you have come to the wrong place."
The rogue leader snarled and lunged.
Faster than anyone could see—
Ikechukwu moved.
A single strike.
The massive wolf crashed into the ground like it had been hit by a falling tree.
Dust exploded into the air.
The rogue leader struggled to stand but collapsed again.
The other rogues hesitated.
Fear spread through their glowing red eyes.
Ikechukwu dusted his hands slowly.
"My people say another thing."
He looked at the trembling rogues.
"When a hunter walks into the forest…"
He paused.
"…he must be sure he is not the one being hunted."
The rogue wolves suddenly turned.
One by one—
They fled back into the darkness.
The forest became quiet again.
The battle was over.
Kael shifted back into human form, breathing heavily.
He stared at Ikechukwu carefully.
The warriors looked shocked.
No one spoke.
Finally, Aria broke the silence.
Her voice was soft but filled with awe.
"Who… are you?"
Ikechukwu smiled faintly.
He looked up at the moon.
Then back at her glowing mark.
"I told you already."
He tapped his chest gently.
"My name is Ikechukwu."
He paused before finishing.
"And tonight…"
His calm eyes shone with quiet power.
"…the moon asked me to protect you."
The wind moved softly through the forest again.
But this time—
Aria knew something had changed.
Because if a man like Ikechukwu had come for her…
Then the destiny of the Moon Vessel was far greater than she ever imagined.