Night slowly settled over the forest, and with it came a strange tension in the air.
The wind moved gently through the tall trees, carrying distant sounds that made the wolves of the pack uneasy.
Howls.
Not one.
Not two.
But many.
Standing near the training grounds, Aria wrapped her arms around herself as she listened to the eerie chorus echoing across the mountains.
It felt like the entire forest was waking up.
"Tell me I'm imagining that," she muttered.
Beside her, Alpha Kael stood with his arms crossed, his sharp silver eyes scanning the dark tree line.
"You're not."
Another long howl echoed in the distance.
Then another answered it.
Aria sighed.
"So wolves are just… showing up now?"
Kael nodded slightly.
"The full moon calls them."
Aria frowned.
"That seems very inconvenient."
Before Kael could respond, the sound of a wooden staff tapping against the ground approached.
Tok.
Tok.
Tok.
Ikechukwu walked toward them slowly, looking unusually serious tonight.
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Let me guess."
She pointed toward the forest.
"More wolves?"
Ikechukwu nodded calmly.
"Plenty."
Aria rubbed her face.
"Of course."
Kael looked at the old man.
"How many?"
Ikechukwu tilted his head as if listening carefully to the forest.
Then he answered quietly.
"Too many."
Aria blinked.
"That's not comforting."
Another deep howl rolled across the hills, closer this time.
The crescent mark on Aria's wrist suddenly pulsed faintly.
She stiffened.
"Uh…"
Kael looked down at her wrist immediately.
"It's reacting again."
The silver crescent beneath her skin glowed softly, like moonlight trapped under glass.
Aria exhaled slowly.
"Why does it always do that when things get worse?"
Ikechukwu studied the mark carefully.
"The moon dey answer."
Aria glanced at him.
"That doesn't make me feel better."
More howls echoed around the territory.
They were no longer distant.
They were close.
Very close.
Kael's expression darkened.
"They're gathering around the borders."
Aria looked up sharply.
"Wait… around the territory?"
Kael nodded.
"They're circling us."
Aria stared at the forest in disbelief.
"Fantastic."
She gestured toward the dark trees.
"So the wolves are forming some kind of creepy moon cult meeting outside our house."
Ikechukwu chuckled quietly.
"Something like that."
Aria turned to him.
"Do they usually do this?"
The old man shook his head slowly.
"No."
Aria's stomach tightened.
"So this is new."
Ikechukwu nodded.
"Yes."
Kael looked toward the northern ridge.
"The Moon Vessel is attracting them."
Aria pointed at herself.
"Again with the attention."
Kael didn't look amused.
"They feel your power."
Another howl rose from the forest, this one deeper than the others.
Aria felt the crescent mark burn again.
Her breath caught.
"That one sounded… different."
Ikechukwu's eyes narrowed.
"Because it be Alpha wolf."
Aria blinked.
"Wait… another Alpha?"
Kael's jaw tightened.
"Yes."
Aria slowly turned toward him.
"And that's bad, right?"
Kael answered calmly.
"Very."
The forest suddenly went silent.
All the howls stopped at once.
The quiet that followed felt unnatural.
Aria whispered.
"Why did everything stop?"
Ikechukwu tapped his staff lightly against the ground.
"Because something strong enter."
Kael's eyes locked onto the dark tree line.
Then—
A tall figure stepped out of the shadows.
Behind him walked three enormous wolves.
Aria stared.
"Oh great."
The stranger stopped a few meters away.
His eyes glowed faintly in the moonlight.
Another Alpha.
Kael stepped forward slightly, his presence immediately dominating the clearing.
"What do you want?"
The newcomer smiled calmly.
His gaze moved slowly toward Aria.
"I came to see the Moon Vessel."
Aria muttered under her breath.
"Why does everyone suddenly know who I am?"
The Alpha ignored her comment.
Instead, he spoke directly to Kael.
"The forest is changing."
His eyes flicked toward Aria's glowing wrist.
"And she is the reason."
Kael's voice turned cold.
"You should leave."
The Alpha chuckled.
"Oh, I will."
Then his gaze returned to Aria again.
"But tomorrow night…"
His smile widened slightly.
"…the entire world will come looking for her."
A cold chill moved through the clearing.
Because deep in the forest…
More howls were starting again.
And this time—
There were far more of them.