The celebration in the Eastern Claw fortress carried deep into the night. Fires blazed in the courtyards, and the sound of drums echoed across the cliffs. Yet beneath the revelry, a thread of unease wove through Elara's heart—a quiet warning she couldn't shake.
While the others feasted and drank, she slipped away into the shadows of the outer walls, Kael following at a silent distance. The air was cold, laced with mist and the faint scent of rain.
"What is it?" Kael asked quietly, catching up to her near a crumbling battlement.
Elara scanned the dark forest beyond. "I don't know. I just... feel something. Watching. Listening."
Kael stiffened, his instincts sharpening. "We've drawn attention. Not all of it good."
A low rustle stirred the trees. Then, from the darkness, a whisper slithered into the air—soft, almost impossible to hear.
"Moonborn..."
Elara's breath caught. She drew the Moonblade instinctively, its glow cutting through the gloom. Kael was at her side instantly, his own blade bared.
From the treeline, a figure emerged—cloaked and hooded, almost melting into the mist. Elara tensed, ready to strike, but the figure lifted a hand in peace.
"I mean no harm," the stranger rasped. "I bring warning."
Kael growled low in his throat. "Speak fast."
The stranger's hood fell back slightly, revealing eyes so pale they were almost colorless. His skin was marked with black sigils—wards of old magic.
"Elara Moonborn," he said, bowing his head. "The darkness knows your name. Vael's shadow spreads faster than you realize. Even now, he corrupts the councils meant to protect you."
"What councils?" Elara demanded, tightening her grip on her sword.
"The Keepers of Nightshade," the stranger said. "They have fallen into his grasp. If you seek their allegiance... you walk into a den of betrayal."
Kael stepped forward threateningly. "Why warn us? Who are you?"
The man smiled thinly. "A friend. Or perhaps just a gambler... who still bets on the light."
Before they could ask more, he melted back into the forest—vanishing like smoke.
Elara stared after him, heart pounding.
Kael touched her arm gently. "What do you want to do?"
She sheathed her blade slowly, her decision clear.
"We move at dawn. First to Shadow Ridge—then to Nightshade. If there's betrayal waiting... we'll meet it head-on."
Above them, the mist thickened, swallowing the stars.
The war for the soul of the wolves was already beginning.