The first howl cracked the sky at midnight.
Emberlynn jolted from sleep, heart hammering. It wasn't a wolf's cry. It was deeper—older. A sound that rolled through the earth like thunder wrapped in agony. Birds exploded from trees. The fire flickered out. Even the stars above seemed to flinch.
Malphas was already standing, blade drawn.
"They've woken the Hounds," he said grimly.
Emberlynn scrambled to her feet. "What are the Hounds?"
He glanced at her, the firelight painting grim hollows on his face. "The ones who hunt without question. Created before the war of Heaven. Bound in stone until the Paragon Key reawakened."
"So… me."
"Yes. Your heartbeat must have echoed through the Veil. They're drawn to it."
She swallowed. "And what do they do when they find me?"
"They tear you apart and drag your soul into the Fold."
"Fantastic."
Malphas didn't smile. "They don't stop. Not unless they're destroyed."
"Can they be destroyed?"
He hesitated. "Not easily. And never all at once."
---
They traveled through the hollow woods by moonlight, every step quick and quiet. The silence was too perfect, like nature was hiding with them. Emberlynn kept a hand on her gauntlet, feeling it pulse like a second heart.
"Why are they after me now?" she whispered.
"Because now… you're glowing." Malphas motioned to her shoulder.
Emberlynn looked down.
The mark—the ancient rune of the Emberclaw—had begun to glow faintly, a golden-red shimmer beneath her skin. It pulsed every few seconds, matching her breath.
"I didn't activate it."
"You didn't need to. Surviving Lunaryn's trial unlocked another layer. You're getting stronger, whether you like it or not."
She wanted to feel proud. Instead, she felt hunted.
By dawn, they reached the edge of the Shattered Barrens—cracked earth stretching for miles, like something had tried to claw its way out from beneath. Sparse trees dotted the land like broken teeth. Wind howled endlessly.
"This place doesn't look safe."
"It's not. But it's empty. The Hounds won't expect you to come here."
Emberlynn raised an eyebrow. "We're playing hide-and-seek with demon dogs by hiding in a giant open graveyard?"
Malphas grinned slightly. "Would you prefer the forest?"
She glared, then stepped forward.
-------------------_----------------
They found a sunken cave beneath the bones of a long-dead titan. The stone skull arched over them like a forgotten throne. Inside, the air was cold, metallic.
"We'll rest here," Malphas said. "We move again at dusk."
Emberlynn sat, curling into herself. Her body ached from the inside out—like her blood was learning a new rhythm. She couldn't deny it anymore: something in her was waking. Something ancient.
Something hungry.
"What were the Hounds like?" she asked after a while. "Back then. Before the seal."
Malphas didn't look at her. "They were made to devour magic. Ripped it from anything that held it—people, beasts, even gods. The High Council made them as a failsafe, to clean up their messes."
"And now?"
"They've become messes."
She pulled her knees to her chest. "So they'll find me."
"Yes."
"And try to rip out my soul."
"Yes."
She exhaled slowly. "Good to know."
---
The first came at dusk.
It crept over the ridge like mist, head low, eyes burning violet. Its fur was made of smoke and thorns, its limbs stretched too long to be natural. No mouth—just jagged gaps where flesh had torn from itself.
It didn't howl.
It just stared.
Malphas stood between it and Emberlynn, sword glowing faint blue. "One of the scouts. They send them first."
Emberlynn stood beside him, unsure why her legs weren't shaking. Maybe because something in her chest… welcomed it.
The Hound lunged.
Malphas met it mid-air, blade striking like lightning. The sound was deafening—metal on bone, fire against darkness. Emberlynn staggered back as sparks flew.
But the Hound didn't die.
It twisted in mid-air, black ichor spilling, and circled for another strike.
Emberlynn reached for her gauntlet. The moment her fingers touched the rune, it flared—red-hot and pulsing with something alive.
She didn't think. She felt.
Fire exploded from her hand in a circular wave, knocking the creature off its feet. It hit the cave wall, shrieking in a sound like crushed glass.
Malphas turned, wide-eyed. "That was—"
"I don't know what it was," Emberlynn said, panting. "But it worked."
The Hound writhed. Its body began to dissolve—slowly, piece by piece. Not dead. Just delayed.
"They'll come faster now," Malphas said.
"Good," Emberlynn muttered. "I want to test this thing."
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From the shadows beyond the ridge, more eyes appeared.
Dozens.
And something bigger behind them.
Watching.
Waiting.
Smiling.
----------------------------------------------------------
Back in the demon cathedral, the one with the voice of ash spoke again.
"She has learned to use it."
"Too soon," whispered another. "She is still raw."
"But not weak," said the third. "And Malphas stands beside her."
A silence.
Then: "Should we send the Hollow King?"
"No," the voice of ash said slowly. "Send Herra. Let the girl face something she fears not from the past… but from the future."
A chill swept through the flames in the room.
The war was beginning again.
And this time, the Key was awake.