ke sentinels as they passed. Liora could feel the energy shifting, less alive, more uncertain

ayed close to Liora, eyes scanning every rise and shadow. The

going?" Liora

em. There's a Wasteland pack out there, rogues, ou

k they'll

price is

scorched, like the earth itself had screamed and never recovered. Jagged stone spires rose lik

ds. No

And bones. Scattered across th

he Wastelands

oil. Liora felt exposed here. Every instinct screamed

oss the flatlands.

ther. An

he mist. Five... then

leam of creatures who'd long since abandoned rules. Shifters, but darker. Their

forward, shou

o speak to

e and sinew twisting until a man stood in its place baref

the Ash-grove f

aid. "And you can either drown in it,

k, no doubt grin

. But boldness doe

aze shifte

second, sh

t of bein

Regime's golden experiment. They said you were br

s stare. "Th

stirred, some growl

k murmured. "I felt it. When she sp

" Fenrick said coldly. "Because we seve

for obedience. She's offering

behind them, thunder cracked

forward. Her v

eral. It doesn't matter. They want our extinction.

rmur

to lead?" F

I was made in their cages. And now I

her dagger, its

it... they'll come for you too. With drones. Fir

his head. "Yo

pack. A nation. A fury tha

ence st

ilt into a laugh, harsh, cru

aid. "Maybe the s

d to his

e. If she bleeds t

d. "The Waste

d. "We can

t flinch. "

nge sigils that pulsed with old power. Fenrick sli

aid. "And show

tered th

ed around her, dark, primal, wi

ss her palm, and let her blood drip

rld sh

moons, broken chains, wol

ancient and fem

are the echo of the first howl

eyes, the circle bla

back, awestruck.

ike he was seeing he

a whispered. "And sh

phecy," Fe

d, blood dripping

with me?"

ropped to

ar

ne, the wolv