The wind carried the scent of danger long before anyone spoke.
Aria walked beside Alpha Kael as the warriors led them toward the northern border of the territory. The deeper they moved into the forest, the quieter everything became.
Even the night insects had gone silent.
That silence made Aria uneasy.
Behind them, Ikechukwu followed slowly, his calm eyes studying the trees as if he were reading a hidden language written in the bark and shadows.
Finally, the lead warrior stopped.
"Alpha… it's here."
Kael stepped forward.
Aria followed carefully.
Then she saw it.
Carved deep into the trunk of a massive tree was a symbol glowing faintly red beneath the moonlight.
A crescent moon.
But unlike the gentle silver symbol on Aria's wrist, this one looked violent.
Sharp.
Threatening.
Aria felt a chill crawl down her spine.
"That's it," the warrior said nervously.
Kael's eyes hardened as he studied the mark.
"This was done recently."
Aria looked closer.
The edges of the carving were still fresh, the wood splintered as if the mark had been carved with claws instead of a blade.
"What does it mean?" she asked quietly.
Kael didn't answer.
Instead, he looked toward Ikechukwu.
"You said you recognized this symbol."
Ikechukwu stepped closer to the tree.
For the first time since arriving, the calm expression on his face had completely disappeared.
He touched the mark lightly.
Then he sighed.
"Hmm."
Kael crossed his arms.
"Don't 'hmm' me. Explain."
Ikechukwu straightened.
"In the old wolf world," he began slowly, "this mark belonged to one man."
Aria's stomach tightened.
"Who?"
Ikechukwu looked up at the moon before answering.
"A warlord."
Kael's voice turned cold.
"Name."
The forest seemed to hold its breath.
Then Ikechukwu spoke.
"Alpha Magnus."
The name felt heavy in the air.
One of the warriors gasped quietly.
Kael's jaw tightened.
"I thought he disappeared years ago."
"He did," Ikechukwu replied calmly.
"But men like Magnus do not disappear."
"They wait."
Aria felt the mark on her wrist grow warm again.
"What kind of warlord is he?"
Kael answered before Ikechukwu could.
"The worst kind."
Aria looked at him.
"He doesn't build packs," Kael continued. "He conquers them."
The cold wind rustled the trees again.
Ikechukwu nodded.
"In my homeland of Nigeria, elders tell stories about wolves like him."
Aria looked at him curiously.
"What kind of stories?"
He folded his arms.
"Stories about men who believe the moon belongs only to them."
Kael scoffed.
"Magnus believes power should be taken, not given."
Aria glanced at the red crescent carved into the tree.
"So this is a message."
Kael nodded.
"Yes."
"A message to who?"
Before Kael could answer, Ikechukwu looked directly at her glowing wrist.
"To you."
Aria felt her chest tighten.
The mark on her wrist suddenly pulsed again.
Bright.
Hot.
A strange whisper echoed faintly in her mind.
The hunter has awakened…
Aria froze.
"What is it?" Kael asked immediately.
She swallowed.
"The moon… it said something again."
Ikechukwu stepped closer.
"What did it say?"
Aria hesitated before answering.
"It said the hunter has awakened."
Kael's expression darkened instantly.
"That confirms it."
Aria looked confused.
"Confirms what?"
Kael turned back toward the symbol on the tree.
"This isn't just a warning."
His voice lowered.
"It's a declaration."
The wind grew stronger, rustling the forest around them.
Ikechukwu spoke quietly.
"Oga Alpha…"
Kael sighed.
"Translate."
"It means the game has started."
Aria looked between them.
"What game?"
Ikechukwu's eyes became serious again.
"The hunt."
A distant howl suddenly echoed through the forest.
Not close.
But not far either.
Aria's heart began racing again.
Kael's silver eyes burned with determination.
"Magnus wants the Moon Vessel."
Ikechukwu nodded slowly.
"And he will not stop until he finds her."
The whisper returned in Aria's mind again.
Soft.
Cold.
Run…
She looked up at the moon.
But this time, she didn't feel guided.
She felt warned.
And for the first time since becoming the Moon Vessel—
Aria realized something terrifying.
She wasn't just part of the coming war.
She was the reason it had begun.