The night was unnaturally still. Even the river seemed to hold its breath, reflecting the Blood Moon in eerie silver and crimson. Nyra stood atop the cliffs, her silver constructs forming around her, guardians of light against the creeping darkness.
Kael shifted into wolf form beside her, muscles coiled and ready, fangs gleaming in the moonlight. "They're coming," he murmured, ears twitching.
From the mist beyond the forest edge, the shadows began to take form. A massive figure, larger than any wolf Nyra had seen, rose like a living nightmare. Its eyes glowed with crimson fire, and its body shifted constantly, blending into darkness as if the night itself had given birth to it.
"The True Shadow," Nyra whispered, pulse surging. "It's… ancient. Older than Lucien. Stronger. Smarter… and it wants Shadowfang."
The Shadow Wolf at the enemy's side let out a low, almost reverent growl. Even it recognized the threat's magnitude.
Nyra raised her hands, silver constructs exploding into life — colossal wolves, armored warriors, and shields of lunar energy, pulsating with ancestral power. "Shadowfang stands!" she declared. "We will not fall tonight!"
The Shadow Wolf lunged forward first, testing her defenses. Kael intercepted, claws and teeth flashing in perfect coordination with Nyra's attacks. The pack followed instinctively, forming defensive and offensive lines, moving as one living force.
The True Shadow advanced, its dark energy warping the terrain, twisting trees into grotesque shapes and raising jagged roots to strike at the pack. Nyra's constructs countered with precision, her Blood Moon power now flowing seamlessly through every maneuver.
"This is it," Nyra said, voice steady despite the roar of battle. "Everything we've trained for… everything we've endured… leads to this moment."
Kael growled beside her. "And we face it together. Always."
The first clash was cataclysmic — silver constructs against shifting shadows, claws against twisted darkness. Sparks of energy erupted with every strike, the forest trembling under the sheer force of power.
Nyra's heart synchronized with the Blood Moon relic, ancestral guidance flowing into her every movement. She could anticipate the enemy's attacks before they happened, countering with lethal precision.
The pack moved like extensions of her will, Kael at her side, their bond unbreakable. Yet the True Shadow adapted with terrifying speed, testing them, probing for weaknesses.
Nyra's pulse surged. "Focus on unity! Trust your instincts!" she commanded, voice carrying across the battlefield. "This is our strength!"
The shadow force faltered slightly under the coordinated onslaught of Nyra's constructs, the pack's attacks, and Kael's relentless strikes. But Nyra knew — this was only the beginning. The True Shadow had not yet revealed its full power, and the night was far from over.
From the mist, a whisper reached her mind — a voice ancient and cold. "You cannot control what is older than bloodlines, heir of the Moon."
Nyra's silver eyes blazed brighter than ever. "I don't need to control it," she said, heart steady. "I need to master it… and we will master it together."
The first wave of battle had begun, but the storm of the Blood Moon and the True Shadow was only growing stronger, promising a confrontation that would test every ounce of power, unity, and courage within Shadowfang.