The tunnel changed.
It was no longer rough stone carved by time and hidden hands.
It was precise.
Deliberate.
The walls became smooth, almost polished, etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly like a heartbeat. The deeper they moved, the brighter the symbols became—casting an eerie, shifting light across the path ahead.
Marcus slowed slightly.
"I don't like this."
Kael gave a humorless chuckle.
"You're not supposed to."
Leila walked at the front now.
Not because she wanted to—
But because she had to.
The First Bloodline was pulling her forward.
Stronger than ever.
Like something deep within the mountain was calling her.
Dominic stayed close, his presence steady and unyielding.
"If anything feels wrong," he said quietly, "we stop."
Leila nodded.
But she didn't slow.
Because something told her—
Stopping wasn't an option anymore.
The Chamber
The tunnel opened suddenly.
And what lay beyond—
Silenced every single wolf.
The chamber was massive.
Far larger than anything they had imagined.
It stretched high into the mountain, supported by enormous stone pillars carved with ancient symbols. At the center of the chamber stood a structure made of metal and stone intertwined—an unnatural fusion of magic and construction.
And surrounding it…
Were cages.
Dozens.
No.
Hundreds.
Inside them—
Wolves.
Some unconscious.
Some barely alive.
Some… not moving at all.
Leila's breath caught.
"…No."
Marcus clenched his fists.
"This isn't a lab."
Kael's voice was hollow.
"It's a factory."
Dominic's eyes darkened.
"They're mass-producing them."
Low growls spread through the Cursed Pack.
The air was thick with pain.
With suffering.
With something broken beyond repair.
Leila took a step forward.
And immediately felt it.
The Alpha Killers.
All of them.
Her body tensed.
"They're here."
Dominic's voice was calm but sharp.
"How many?"
Leila closed her eyes briefly.
"Ten."
Marcus blinked.
"Ten?"
Kael corrected him.
"We already fought two."
Marcus exhaled slowly.
"…Right."
Before anyone could move—
A slow clap echoed through the chamber.
"Welcome."
Malachar stepped out from behind the central structure.
His silver hair gleamed under the rune-light.
His expression calm.
Pleased.
Like a host welcoming guests into his home.
Dominic stepped forward immediately.
"End this."
Malachar smiled faintly.
"You're standing in the culmination of centuries of work."
Leila's eyes burned.
"You call this work?"
She gestured toward the cages.
"This is cruelty."
Malachar tilted his head slightly.
"Perspective."
His gaze swept across the pack.
"Every wolf here was weak."
Marcus growled.
"They were alive."
Malachar ignored him.
"And now…"
He spread his arms.
"They have purpose."
Dominic's wolf surged beneath his skin.
"You don't get to decide that."
Malachar's smile sharpened.
"Don't I?"
He turned slightly.
"Show them."
The ground trembled.
One by one—
Massive doors built into the walls began to open.
Heavy.
Slow.
And from each one—
A figure stepped out.
Alpha Killers.
Not two.
Not three.
Ten.
Each one different.
Some larger.
Some leaner.
All of them radiating terrifying power.
Marcus whispered.
"…We're dead."
Kael shook his head slowly.
"No."
He looked at Leila.
"Not if she can do what she did before."
All eyes turned to her.
Leila felt it.
The weight of the moment.
The First Bloodline surged violently inside her.
Ten Alpha Killers.
Ten broken minds.
Ten weapons.
Her breathing grew heavier.
"I can try…"
Dominic stepped beside her.
"You don't have to do this alone."
She looked at him.
"I know."
Then her eyes hardened.
"But I have to start it."
The Alpha Killers began to move forward.
Slow.
Coordinated.
Like an army of kings.
Malachar watched with interest.
"Go on, Eclipse."
Leila stepped forward.
Her hands lifted.
Silver and obsidian energy exploded outward.
The entire chamber trembled.
"STOP."
The word echoed like thunder.
For a moment—
Everything froze.
All ten Alpha Killers stopped mid-step.
The entire room fell silent.
Marcus's eyes widened.
"…No way."
Leila pushed harder.
Her entire body began to glow.
The First Bloodline surged to its limit.
"Kneel."
The command hit like a wave.
The Alpha Killers trembled.
Their bodies shaking violently.
One by one—
They dropped.
Knees slamming into the ground.
The chamber shook.
Kael whispered.
"She's doing it…"
Dominic didn't take his eyes off her.
"Hold on…"
But something was wrong.
Leila's body trembled violently now.
Her breathing unstable.
Her eyes flickering between silver and darkness.
The Alpha Killers began to resist.
Their muscles tensed.
Their heads lifted slightly.
Malachar's smile widened.
"There it is."
Leila gasped.
"I can't—"
Dominic stepped forward.
"Yes you can."
She shook her head.
"It's too much!"
The First Bloodline surged wildly.
Uncontrolled.
The Alpha Killers roared.
Half-kneeling.
Half-rising.
Fighting her control.
Malachar watched calmly.
"You're forcing power your body cannot contain."
Leila dropped to one knee.
Her energy flickering violently.
Dominic's voice cut through everything.
"Leila."
She looked up at him.
"You're not controlling them."
He stepped closer.
"You're connecting to them."
Her eyes widened.
"Feel them."
The First Bloodline pulsed.
And suddenly—
She understood.
Not force.
Not domination.
Connection.
Her energy shifted.
Softer.
Deeper.
Reaching instead of commanding.
The Alpha Killers froze again.
This time—
Not resisting.
Not fighting.
Just… still.
Their glowing veins dimmed slightly.
Their eyes flickered.
Leila's breathing steadied.
"I can feel them…"
Tears filled her eyes.
"They're still in there."
Malachar's smile faded.
"That shouldn't be possible."
Leila stood slowly.
Her power stabilizing.
"They're not your weapons."
The Alpha Killers lowered their heads.
Fully.
Completely.
The chamber fell silent.
Dominic stepped beside her.
"You just turned his army."
Marcus let out a shaky laugh.
"…We're definitely not dead anymore."
Malachar's expression darkened.
For the first time—
He looked angry.
"You think this is victory?"
His voice dropped.
"You've only just begun to understand what you are."
Leila met his gaze.
"Then explain it."
Malachar smiled again.
But this time—
It wasn't amused.
It was cold.
"Gladly."
The runes around the chamber flared brightly.
"The First Bloodline…"
His eyes locked onto hers.
"Was never meant to belong to wolves."
Silence.
Dominic's expression hardened.
"What do you mean?"
Malachar's voice echoed through the chamber.
"It was created."
Leila's heart stopped.
"Created… by who?"
Malachar's smile widened.
"By us."