The rain fell harder the farther they moved through Granule. By now it no longer looked like weather. It came down in thick red sheets that hammered rooftops, flooded the streets, and washed blood through the cracks between the stones. Wind tore through the city hard enough to shake signposts loose and send lanterns crashing into the ground.
And beneath the storm—
the howls continued.
They echoed from different parts of the city, sometimes distant, sometimes close enough to feel real. Some sounded like wolves. Others sounded almost human before twisting into something animal halfway through. Every time one rose above the storm, the students flinched instinctively.
Even Elira looked shaken now.
Military officers surrounded the group as they moved through the streets, rifles raised, eyes constantly searching the alleys and rooftops around them. Some of the soldiers looked barely older than the students they were protecting, but none of them complained. They kept moving, forming a barrier around the evacuation group as they pushed toward the Luminant Spire.
"Stay close!" one of the officers shouted over the storm. "Nobody falls behind!"
Aurelain ran near the center of the group, his clothes soaked completely through. The red rain kept getting into his eyes, warm enough that it didn't even feel like water anymore.
Another howl ripped through the streets.
Closer this time.
Aurelain turned instinctively toward the sound.
Something lunged out from a narrow alley to his left.
The wolf howling hit the ground on all fours before launching itself straight at him. Its body was lean and twisted, patches of skin torn away to expose dark muscle underneath. Its jaw hung too wide, saliva and blood dripping from rows of broken teeth.
Aurelain froze.
A gunshot exploded beside him.
The creature's head snapped backward violently, bone and dark flesh spraying across the wet street before the body collapsed and slid through the rainwater.
One of the soldiers stepped in front of Aurelain immediately. "Keep moving!"
The group didn't stop.
More howls answered from deeper within the city.
Then—
a crack split through the air.
Not thunder.
Something bigger.
Everyone looked up.
Far in the distance, one of Granule's tallest skyscrapers had started to collapse.
At first only the upper floors cracked apart, glass bursting outward in glittering waves. Then the entire center of the structure caved inward like something inside it was forcing its way out.
Students stopped running.
Even the soldiers stared.
The building split apart completely.
And something emerged from inside it.
A howl rolled across the city the moment it stood upright.
The sound was so loud nearby windows shattered instantly. Street lanterns burst apart one after another, spraying sparks across the flooded roads.
The thing standing in the ruins barely looked alive.
Its body resembled a massive ape, thick arms hanging low enough to scrape against the broken remains of the building beneath it. Large black wings unfolded slowly from its back, wide enough to cast shadows across entire streets. A long tail dragged behind it, moving like a serpent through the wreckage.
But its head—
its head was that of a wolf.
Elongated jaws.
Rows of uneven teeth.
Eyes glowing red beneath the storm.
Electricity crawled across its body in violent bursts, jumping between its claws and wings before exploding outward in bright flashes.
The creature roared again.
The shockwave shattered nearby buildings instantly.
Windows burst.
Walls cracked.
One smaller structure collapsed entirely into the flooded streets below.
Several students screamed.
"Move!" Cassian shouted. "MOVE!"
That finally broke the paralysis.
The group started running again, faster this time, some nearly slipping in the flooded roads as the military forced them forward toward the Spire.
Behind them, the massive howling stepped out from the ruins completely, its claws crushing stone beneath its weight as smaller wolf howlings gathered around the destroyed skyscraper like a growing army.
By the time the students reached the Luminant Spire, many of them were shaking too hard to speak.
The massive doors shut behind them with a deep metallic thud.
Inside, the atmosphere was tense but controlled. Soldiers moved through the halls carrying supplies, weapons, and injured civilians while officers shouted orders across communication lines. The sound of distant explosions occasionally rumbled through the tower.
Kael Drazin stood near the center chamber waiting for them.
His coat was soaked from the storm, but his expression remained calm in a way that almost felt unnatural considering what was happening outside.
"You're safe for now," he said as the students gathered inside.
Some of them immediately started crying from relief alone.
Kael looked toward the officers nearby. "Get their family locations. Any surviving civilians close to this sector are to be escorted here immediately."
Several soldiers nodded and moved at once.
Kael turned back toward the students. "Listen carefully. Ships are already being prepared in the Aqueous Channel. Once they arrive, all of you will board them."
"The ships are leaving?" Lysa asked weakly.
Kael nodded once. "You'll be transported to the Town of Cristae. It's farther inland and easier to defend."
"What about everyone else?" someone asked.
Kael didn't answer immediately.
A military officer suddenly rushed into the chamber holding a bloodstained report tablet. "Sir, eastern defensive line collapsed. We're losing men faster than we can regroup."
Another officer followed behind him. "Standard rounds aren't stopping them. Even when the bullets pierce through, it's not enough."
Kael's expression hardened slightly.
Everyone in Granule already knew the problem with howlings.
Their skin alone was difficult to pierce, but their hearts were far worse. Dense beyond reason. A normal bullet could barely damage them unless it struck the exact weak point with enough force.
And stronger howlings possessed more than one heart.
Cassian entered the chamber moments later, breathing heavily from exhaustion after escorting more civilians through the city. Sweat mixed with rainwater across his face as he approached Kael.
"Sir," he said quietly, "you understand what this means, right?"
Kael looked at him.
Cassian glanced toward the distant windows where the enormous creature could still occasionally be seen moving beyond the storm. "That thing out there isn't normal. This is a war."
Nobody in the room argued with him.
Cassian continued, lowering his voice slightly. "There are only two active ichor users left in Granule capable of fighting something like that. You're at the Fifth Phase of Nuclear Ichor, but even then…"
He stopped himself before finishing the sentence.
"And I'm only Second Phase Echo Ichor," he admitted. "I can barely keep up with the smaller ones."
Kael walked toward the large window overlooking the city.
Far away, through the rain and lightning, the giant wolf howling stood among the shattered buildings while hundreds of smaller howlings gathered beneath it.
An army.
"Howlings aren't mindless," Kael said quietly. "The higher their class, the smarter they become."
He looked toward the students briefly before continuing.
"Class I. Single Heart. The weakest type."
"Class II. Dual Core. Faster regeneration. Higher aggression."
"Class III. Polycardiac. Multiple hearts. Capable of commanding lower howlings."
His eyes shifted back toward the giant creature in the distance.
"And Class IV. Aberrant. Fully mutated."
The room stayed silent.
"That thing outside…" Cassian said carefully.
Kael nodded once. "Class III."
A low rumble shook the tower again as another distant explosion echoed through the city.
Cassian clenched his fists. "Even if we fight it, how are we supposed to win?"
Kael stayed quiet for a moment.
Then he answered simply.
"We buy time."
Cassian looked at him.
Kael's voice remained calm, but firmer now. "If the children can leave safely, then this city still has a future."
Outside, lightning flashed again, illuminating the massive creature standing over the ruined skyline of Granule.
Kael's red eyes reflected faintly against the glass.
"My Nuclear Ichor still has abilities I haven't used yet," he said. "I'm not dying here."
Cassian stared at him for a second before giving a small nod.
Then alarms suddenly erupted across the chamber.
One of the officers shouted from the communication desk.
"Sir! The Wolf King is moving!"
The massive creature spread its wings outside the city ruins.
And Kael Drazin stepped forward toward the tower exit.
The storm outside roared louder.
The city of Granule trembled beneath the red moon.
And somewhere beyond the rain, the King of Howlings waited.
Kael Drazin versus the Wolf King. Who would survive the night?