The silence left after the battle felt more oppressive than the sound of explosions earlier.
The wind blew again across Shadowlands, yet it no longer carried the scent of battle.
Instead… a warning.
Aurelia still stood in the same spot.
Her eyes fixed on the crack in the ground that had now closed.
As if nothing had ever happened.
But the lingering energy.
Was still palpable.
Deep.
Dangerous.
And… alive.
"He retreated."
Kael's voice was soft beside her.
Aurelia did not turn around.
"Not because he was defeated."
Kael nodded.
"No."
He crossed his arms.
"He's just… not finished yet."
Ragnar walked closer, rubbing his shoulder which was still slightly stiff.
"Then next time we make sure he can't escape."
His tone was light.
But his eyes were sharp.
Orion stood a few steps behind.
His gaze still directed toward the horizon.
"He is no ordinary creature."
He said softly.
"And he is not part of the Wraith army."
Aurelia finally turned around.
"Then what is he?"
A moment of silence fell.
Orion answered in a low voice.
"Something that should have remained buried."
A few moments later.
They returned inside the palace.
The throne hall now felt different.
No longer a place of trial.
But the center of something larger.
More dangerous.
Kael walked toward the platform.
"If he could appear here…"
He paused.
"…it means his seal is weakening."
Ragnar raised an eyebrow.
"A seal?"
Orion stepped forward.
"This world was not always as it is now."
He looked at Aurelia.
"Once… there was something older than the pack system."
Aurelia crossed her arms.
"And that something was imprisoned."
Kael smiled faintly.
"Exactly."
Ragnar sat on the stone steps.
"And now they're emerging one by one."
Aurelia let out a soft sigh.
"The War of the First Blood…"
Orion nodded.
"It was not just a war between packs."
He stared at the stone floor.
"It was a war to seal away something far greater."
Silence descended.
Aurelia walked slowly to the center of the hall.
Her mind raced.
If that creature was part of something bigger—
Then what would come next…?
"How many more are there like him?"
Aurelia finally asked.
No one answered immediately.
Kael looked up at the hall's ceiling.
"No one knows for sure."
Ragnar scoffed.
"But even one is more than enough trouble."
Orion said softly,
"And usually… they do not awaken alone."
The words hung in the air.
Heavy.
Real.
Aurelia clenched her fists slightly.
The Blood Pact bond within her pulsed.
But this time—
It was not just a connection.
But… a push.
As if something inside her was beginning to respond to the threat.
"He called me a 'key'…"
Aurelia murmured.
Kael looked at her.
"Yes."
Aurelia lifted her head.
"It means he needs something from me."
Orion nodded.
"Or from your power."
Ragnar grinned.
"Then we'll make sure he doesn't get it."
Aurelia shook her head slightly.
"No."
All eyes turned to her.
Aurelia continued,
"We can't just defend ourselves."
She looked at each of them one by one.
"If we wait… we'll always be one step behind."
Kael smiled faintly.
"I like the way you think."
Orion said softly,
"You want to hunt them."
Aurelia nodded.
"Yes."
Ragnar stood up at once.
"Good."
He clenched his fist.
"Finally something interesting."
But Orion raised his hand slightly.
"We can't act recklessly."
He looked at Aurelia.
"If they are truly awakening again…"
He paused for a moment.
"…then the world beyond Shadowlands is also in danger."
Silence fell again.
Aurelia understood.
This was not just about them.
This was about the entire wolf world.
"Which means…"
She said softly.
"We need more than just strength."
Kael nodded.
"Information."
Ragnar grumbled.
"I'd rather destroy than investigate."
Orion glanced at him briefly.
"And that's why we need strategy."
Aurelia stared at the floor.
Then.
She closed her eyes.
Feeling.
Connecting.
The Luna energy within her slowly spread out.
Reaching across Shadowlands.
Feeling the flow of energy.
The cracks.
The traces left behind.
And.
In an instant.
She felt something.
A quick flash.
Very brief.
But enough.
Aurelia opened her eyes.
"He is not alone."
Kael immediately grew serious.
"Did you see something?"
Aurelia nodded.
"More than one."
She looked at them.
"And they… are awakening in different places."
Orion let out a soft sigh.
"As I suspected."
Ragnar grinned.
"Good."
But Aurelia shook her head.
"No."
Her voice was deeper now.
"This is not random awakening."
She narrowed her eyes.
"They… are connected."
Silence.
Kael slowly smiled.
"So we're not just facing creatures…"
He continued softly.
"…but a system."
Orion added,
"Or something even greater."
Aurelia took a breath.
"And if that's true…"
She looked at them seriously.
"…then we have to find the core."
Ragnar let out a small laugh.
"I like that plan."
Kael nodded.
"Dangerous."
Orion said softly,
"But necessary."
Aurelia stepped forward.
The energy within her began to stabilize.
Stronger.
More focused.
"If they awaken one by one…"
She said calmly.
"…then we will stop them one by one."
Silence.
Ragnar grinned widely.
"Now that sounds like a war."
Kael smiled faintly.
"And this time… we are the ones who start it."
Orion looked at Aurelia.
Deeply.
Assessing.
But this time—
There was no doubt.
"Today…"
He said softly.
"…we do not just survive."
He paused for a moment.
"We hunt."
Aurelia lifted her chin slightly.
Her eyes glowed golden again.
But this time.
Not just as Luna.
But as something greater.
Higher.
More… destined.
"Then…"
Her voice was calm.
But full of power.
"…we begin."
And far beneath Shadowlands.
In a place where even light had never reached.
Something moved.
Slowly.
But surely.
As if responding to that decision.
As if… welcoming it.
The real war.
Had finally begun.
Aurelia's steps stopped right in the center of the hall.
But not out of hesitation.
But because something… was pulling her.
Subtle.
But strong.
As if an invisible thread was connected directly to her soul.
Aurelia frowned slightly.
Her hand instinctively touched her chest.
The Blood Pact bond pulsed stronger than before.
But this time.
There was another rhythm.
Not Kael's.
Not Ragnar's.
Not Orion's.
Something foreign… yet felt familiar.
"What now?" Ragnar asked from behind, his tone impatient.
Aurelia did not answer immediately.
She closed her eyes.
Following that flow.
And in an instant.
A direction appeared.
Clear.
Sharp.
As if shown directly to her.
Aurelia opened her eyes.
"We go down."
Kael raised an eyebrow.
"Down where?"
Aurelia looked at the hall floor.
More precisely.
Beneath it.
"There is something under this palace."
Silence immediately enveloped the room.
Orion understood at once.
"The underground chambers."
Ragnar grinned.
"It's been a long time since I've been there."
Kael scoffed softly.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea."
But Aurelia had already started walking.
Without hesitation.
"If we want to find the core…"
She said softly.
"…we have to start here."
The underground corridors of Shadowlands were nothing like the upper parts of the palace.
Here.
The air was colder.
Heavier.
And every step felt like passing through a different layer of time.
Old torches burned dimly along the stone walls.
Their light was unsteady.
As if reluctant to touch the darkness that was too deep.
Aurelia walked ahead.
Her steps slow.
But sure.
The bond within her continued to guide her.
The deeper they went.
The stronger the pull became.
Ragnar walked behind her.
"Earlier you said there was something below."
He glanced around.
"Now I'm starting to feel it."
Kael nodded slightly.
"The energy… is different."
Orion added,
"This is not Wraith energy."
They stopped in front of a large door.
Made of black stone.
Covered in ancient carvings.
Symbols that not even Orion immediately recognized.
Aurelia stared at the door.
Her chest trembled.
"This…"
She raised her hand.
Without hesitation.
She touched its surface.
In an instant.
The symbols glowed red.
BOOOM.
A powerful tremor shook the corridor.
Ragnar immediately stepped back half a pace.
"Wow…"
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"This door… responds to you."
Orion looked more seriously.
"Not just responds."
He said softly.
"It recognizes you."
Aurelia took a breath.
Her hand still touched the cold stone.
But now.
She did not feel foreign.
On the contrary.
Like coming home.
"Open."
Her voice was almost a whisper.
But the door heard.
CRRRR.
The large stone door began to move.
Slowly opening.
Emitting a heavy sound that echoed throughout the corridor.
The air from inside.
Washed out.
Colder.
Older.
And carried the scent of… something long sealed away.
They stepped inside.
The room within was far larger than it seemed from the outside.
Like an ancient chamber.
Or…
A sealing place.
A large circle was carved into the floor.
Similar to the Assessment Circle.
But far more complex.
Darker.
And in the center.
A stone pillar stood.
Cracked.
Faint red light seeped out from within it.
Aurelia stopped.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"This…"
Orion walked closer.
His expression changed.
"A seal."
Kael let out a sigh.
"And it seems… it's already starting to break."
Ragnar moved closer.
He tapped the surface of the pillar.
"So this is where they were imprisoned?"
Orion shook his head slightly.
"Not them."
He stared at the crack.
"This… is one of many seals."
Aurelia stepped closer.
The energy within her resonated strongly.
Stronger than ever before.
As if something inside the pillar was… calling her.
Suddenly.
A flash appeared.
Stronger than before.
Aurelia saw something again.
But this time.
Clearer.
Longer.
She saw figures.
Not one.
Many.
Bound.
Imprisoned.
In darkness.
And among them.
A figure with the same red light as the creature earlier.
But larger.
Stronger.
More… whole.
Aurelia staggered back.
Her breath quickened.
"There are… more of them…"
Kael immediately moved closer.
"What did you see?"
Aurelia looked at the pillar.
"This is not just one awakening."
She said softly.
"This… is a chain."
Orion nodded slightly.
"If one seal breaks…"
He continued.
"…the others will follow."
Ragnar grinned.
"So we have to destroy all of them before they get out."
Aurelia shook her head.
"No."
All eyes turned to her.
Aurelia looked at the pillar.
"If we destroy it now…"
She said softly.
"…we will only accelerate their awakening."
Silence fell.
Kael nodded slowly.
"Makes sense."
Orion said,
"So we have to strengthen it."
Aurelia did not answer immediately.
Her hand touched the pillar again.
And this time.
She felt something different.
Not just dark energy.
But also.
A remnant of light.
Faint.
Almost extinguished.
But still there.
Aurelia took a deep breath.
"This seal… was not made with darkness alone."
She said softly.
"There is another power within it."
Orion narrowed his eyes.
"Luna power…"
Kael smiled faintly.
"So that's why he called you the key."
Ragnar grinned.
"Because only she can open… or close it."
Aurelia lifted her head.
Her eyes glowed golden.
But this time.
Deeper.
Older.
"Then…"
Her voice was calm.
"…we do not just hunt."
She looked at each of them one by one.
"We guard."
Silence.
Ragnar let out a small laugh.
"Hunting and guarding."
Kael nodded.
"An interesting combination."
Orion looked at Aurelia.
There was something more than just acknowledgment in his eyes.
There was trust.
"Then…"
He said softly.
"…this is not just a war."
He paused for a moment.
"This is guarding the world."
Aurelia looked at the pillar once more.
The red crack still pulsed.
But now.
She no longer saw it as just a threat.
But.
A responsibility.
She closed her eyes.
And within her.
Something began to awaken.
Deeper than Luna power.
Older than the Blood Pact bond.
Something that had long been asleep.
And now slowly… waking up.
A new chapter.
Had finally begun.