The fire crackled softly in the cave's hearth, casting dancing shadows across the stone walls. Lyra sat cross-legged, her hands resting on her knees, trying to still the buzz of energy under her skin. Her magic was volatile tonight, uneasy, like it sensed something approaching.
Kael stood near the mouth of the cave, bare-chested, his arms crossed, eyes scanning the dark woods beyond. His wounds had healed with unnatural speed, but he hadn't spoken much since the transformation.
Not about what he remembered.
Not about how close he'd come to losing himself.
"You were right," Lyra said, finally breaking the silence. "The curse isn't just in your blood. It's woven into something ancient. Something bigger."
Kael didn't turn. "Tell me."
She pulled a small, cracked leather journal from her satchel and opened it to a marked page. The handwriting was slanted, old. Her mother's.
"I translated this after she died," Lyra said. "It speaks of a prophecy passed down through the bloodline of moon-witches. One that tells of a child born of wolf and witch, marked by flame, fated to awaken the First Alpha."
Kael's gaze finally snapped to her. "The First Alpha? That's a myth."
"No," Lyra said, meeting his eyes. "It's not. It's a warning."
She placed the journal between them. Scrawled in her mother's hand was an illustration: a crescent moon pierced by a blood-stained fang. Beneath it, a name, Kael Thorne,written in fresh ink.
"You were named in the prophecy," she said.
Kael's jaw tightened. "That's not possible. This was written before I was born."
"Exactly," Lyra whispered. "And you're not the only one."
She reached for her arm and pushed back the sleeve of her tunic, revealing a mark just above her wrist, a small, faint crescent surrounded by flame.
Kael stepped closer, frowning. "I've seen that mark before."
Lyra nodded. "The witch-blooded are born with it. We're supposed to remain hidden, because the old council feared what we'd become."
Kael's eyes darkened. "And the council… they're still watching."
"They're more than watching," she said. "They're hunting us. You. Me. Anyone tied to the prophecy. Because the awakening of the First Alpha means change, means the end of the current order. And they'll do anything to stop it."
Kael turned from her and paced the length of the cave. His movements were restless, predator-like.
"If I'm part of this," he said finally, "then we need answers. Real ones. Not just myths and scraps of prophecy."
"We'll find them," Lyra promised. "There's a seer in the Stormshade Mountains. She was once part of the inner circle, before she turned against the council. If anyone can tell us what's coming, it's her."
Kael gave a sharp nod. "Then we leave by sunrise."
As the fire burned low, Lyra stared at the flickering coals, heart pounding. The path ahead was dangerous, filled with enemies, old bloodlines, and secrets that had shaped her entire life without her knowing.
But for the first time, she wasn't alone.
And that made all the difference.
Outside, the wind howled like a warning.
In the ashes of the fire, the crescent mark on Lyra's skin shimmered softly, glowing with a power that had only just begun to awaken.
They left before first light, traveling along forgotten trails that wove through the ancient woods like scars. Mist clung to the earth, and the scent of pine and damp moss wrapped around them like a cloak. Kael walked ahead, silent but alert, his every step calculated.
Lyra followed close behind, her hand never far from the satchel of talismans and moonstones at her hip.
They didn't speak much, not until the silence became a weight neither could ignore.
"You've been this way before," Lyra finally said.
Kael nodded. "Long ago. I used to run here when the curse first showed signs."
"Alone?"
He didn't answer right away. Then: "Not always."
Before she could ask more, Kael halted. His nostrils flared.
"What is it?" Lyra asked, fingers already glowing faintly.
"Smoke," he muttered. "But not from a fire."
A heartbeat later, a figure stepped into the path ahead, tall, cloaked in gray with a silver insignia pinned to his chest. A fang crossing a sunburst.
The mark of the Inner Council.
Kael bared his teeth. "Ronan."
Lyra's magic surged. The name tasted like danger.
Ronan's hood fell back, revealing sharp cheekbones, sun-kissed skin, and eyes that gleamed silver. "Still running, Crimson?" he asked with a cool smile.
Kael stepped protectively in front of Lyra. "I don't run from traitors."
"Funny," Ronan said. "You did once. When your pack needs you."
The air between them tensed like a drawn bow. Lyra could feel the pain radiating off Kael, buried but not forgotten.
"This isn't your land anymore," Kael growled. "The council has no right to send hunters here."
Ronan's eyes flicked to Lyra. "We didn't send hunters. They sent me."
In a blur of motion, his hands flared with energy, dark blue, violent. Lyra barely raised a shield in time to absorb the brunt of the blast. The force knocked her back, tumbling through the underbrush.
Kael was already moving.
He met Ronan head-on, claws flashing, strength colliding with magic. The forest trembled with the violence of their clash, trees splintered, the ground cracked, and the air pulsed with energy.
Lyra pushed herself up, blood in her mouth. She saw Ronan press a silver blade to Kael's throat, too close too fast.
"Ignis Lunara!" she shouted.
Moonfire erupted from her palm, striking Ronan square in the chest. He screamed as the light seared through his cloak, burning into the council sigil. Kael shoved him away and lunged, claws raking across Ronan's ribs.
The council agent staggered, snarling.
"This isn't over," Ronan hissed, backing away into the mist. "The moon-born witch will fall. And Kael, when your mind breaks, I'll be there to end you."
Then he vanished, nothing but smoke and silence.
Lyra ran to Kael. His arm bled freely, but his focus was on her.
"You're hurt," he said.
"Not badly," she replied. "You?"
"Wolfsbane in the blade," he muttered, breathing shallowly. "It's slowing me."
She cursed under her breath and dug into her pouch. "I need to draw it out, hold still."
As she pressed glowing fingers to the wound, Kael winced. "Ronan used to be… my second. Before the curse. He believed the council could save me."
"They never wanted to save you," she said, eyes fierce. "Only control you. Or kill you."
Kael met her gaze. "He'll be back. And next time, he won't be alone."
Lyra nodded grimly. "Then we'll be ready."
The journey to the Stormschade Seer would have to wait. The council wasn't just watching.
They were striking.
And war was coming.