Chapter 167: The Crimson Signal
As the Alpha and Omega descended from the ruins of the Crystal Spire, the golden glow of the Barrens began to flicker. It wasn't fading because of the Void, but because something from above was casting a shadow.
The Alpha stopped, his gaze fixed on the darkening sky. "The Ancestor mentioned a signal. I thought she meant a metaphor, but look at the stars."
The Omega looked up, and her breath hitched. One of the stars—the brightest one in the northern constellation—had turned a deep, pulsating crimson. It looked like a bleeding eye staring down at the world.
"The Star-Eaters," the Omega whispered, the ancient name feeling heavy on her tongue. "They aren't just coming; they are already watching."
Suddenly, the Ancestor stepped between them, her presence still radiating a faint silver aura. "The signal was the resonance you created. To the entities of the deep dark, a world that can heal itself is a world that is ripe for harvest. You have traded a tyrant king for a celestial predator."
"We won't let them harvest our people," the Alpha growled, his hand tightening around the Omega's. "If they want a fight, they'll find the same fire that broke the High King."
"The fire of a wolf is not enough for a star," the Ancestor warned. "You need more than strength. You need the Lost Map of the First Pack. It is hidden within the archives of the Iron Citadel, buried under layers of the High King's lies. Only that map can show you how to shield the world from what comes next."
With the crimson star pulsing above them like a ticking clock, the journey back to the Citadel became a race against time. The victory celebration would have to wait; a new, deadlier war had just begun.