Ren couldn't sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw it.
That claw.
That presence.
Watching him.
Fang remained near, quiet but restless.
Vale circled high above.
Tarin and Mira stood at the cliff's edge, murmuring.
Ren walked toward them.
"You felt it too," he said.
"Yes," Mira replied.
"That thing wasn't drawn randomly," Tarin added.
Before Ren could respond—
A streak of silver light shot across the distant sky.
Ren turned sharply. "What was that?"
"Signal flare," Mira said.
Another streak followed.
Red.
Tarin's expression darkened. "That's not kingdom standard."
Ren's stomach tightened.
"Renegade?"
Mira nodded once.
The forest rustled.
A figure stepped from the trees.
Cloaked.
Still.
Unhurried.
Not armored.
Not afraid.
Fang's growl rumbled low.
The stranger stopped at the clearing's edge.
"You caused the spike," the voice said calmly.
Ren swallowed. "I didn't mean to."
"Intent doesn't matter."
The air around the stranger felt heavy.
Dense, like standing near deep water.
"You are early," the stranger said.
"Early for what?"
A faint tilt of the head.
"For collapse."
Before anyone could move—
The air trembled.
Not violently.
But sharply.
Ren felt it through his chest.
Through his bond.
Fang froze.
Vale dropped from the sky.
And then—
For half a heartbeat—
Fang disappeared.
Ren's mind went empty.
No flame, no presence, no bond.
Just… gone.
"Fang?!" Ren gasped.
Flame burst back into existence.
Fang reappeared in front of him—
But his eyes were wrong.
Not molten gold.
Violet.
The same shade as the tear.
Fang looked at Ren.
Not with loyalty or recognition.
With confusion.
"Who," Fang said slowly,
"did you pull me from?"
The cloaked figure vanished.
Ren stood frozen.
His bond flickered again.