The silence after Ikechukwu's words did not feel normal. It felt heavy… like something had just been confirmed that none of them wanted to admit.
Aria stared at her wrist again. The glow was steady now—but it no longer felt warm. It felt distant. Cold.
"…So what now?" she asked quietly.
No one answered immediately.
Because for the first time… they didn't have control of the situation.
Alpha Kael finally spoke.
"We don't wait."
Aria looked up at him. "Meaning?"
"We move before whatever this is moves against us."
Ikechukwu nodded slowly. "That one make sense."
He adjusted his grip on the staff. "Because if that thing truly wan control you…"
He paused, eyes narrowing slightly.
"…it no go wait too long."
Aria exhaled slowly, trying to steady herself.
"I just had a whole conversation with the moon like it was a person…"
She shook her head slightly.
"…and somehow that's not even the craziest thing happening right now."
Kael's lips twitched faintly, but his expression remained serious.
"You said it showed you something."
Aria hesitated.
Then nodded.
"Yeah."
She stepped forward slightly, her voice lowering.
"It showed me destruction… packs fighting… everything burning…"
She swallowed.
"And I was in the middle of it."
Kael's gaze sharpened. "Doing what?"
Aria looked away.
"…Causing it."
Silence.
Even the wind seemed to pause.
Ikechukwu spoke first this time.
"That one no be prophecy wey you must follow."
Aria frowned slightly. "You sound very sure."
He tapped his staff once.
Tok.
"Because I don see something like that before."
Both Aria and Kael turned to him.
Kael narrowed his eyes. "Explain."
Ikechukwu sighed lightly.
"Back home… there are stories."
Aria raised a brow slightly.
"Stories?"
He nodded.
"About power wey go show you your future… but no be your destiny."
Aria tilted her head slightly.
"What's the difference?"
Ikechukwu smiled faintly.
"Future na wetin fit happen."
He tapped his chest lightly.
"Destiny na wetin you choose."
Aria went quiet.
That hit deeper than she expected.
Kael looked at her again.
"Then the question is simple."
He stepped closer.
"Are you going to let it decide that for you?"
Aria's fingers curled slightly at her side.
Her gaze hardened.
"No."
The answer came instantly.
No hesitation.
Kael nodded once.
"Good."
But before the moment could settle—
A sharp howl cut through the night.
Loud.
Urgent.
Close.
All three of them turned immediately.
Kael's expression shifted.
"That came from the outer border."
Another howl followed.
Then another.
Not warning howls.
Not patrol calls.
Distress.
Kael's voice dropped instantly into command.
"Stay behind me."
Aria frowned.
"Kael—"
He didn't argue.
"Stay. Behind. Me."
For once… she didn't push it.
Because something about those howls…
Felt wrong.
They moved quickly through the forest.
The air grew heavier with each step.
The scent hit them before the sight.
Blood.
When they reached the border—
Everything stopped.
Several warriors were already there.
Frozen.
Silent.
Staring.
Aria stepped forward slowly.
Then she saw it.
Bodies.
Three of them.
Pack warriors.
Lying on the ground.
Unmoving.
Her chest tightened.
"No…"
Kael moved ahead quickly, dropping beside one of them.
He checked.
Then his expression darkened instantly.
"They're dead."
Aria swallowed hard.
"But… there's no fight marks."
It was true.
No struggle.
No claw wounds.
No signs of battle.
Just stillness.
Ikechukwu crouched beside another body.
His eyes sharp.
Observing.
Not missing anything.
Then—
He froze.
Kael noticed immediately.
"What is it?"
Ikechukwu didn't answer right away.
He slowly pushed aside the fur on the warrior's chest.
Then stepped back.
"…Ah."
Aria's heart dropped.
"What?"
Kael looked.
And his entire body went still.
Carved into the skin…
Deep.
Deliberate.
A symbol.
A crescent.
But not silver.
Not glowing.
Red.
And beneath it—
Words.
Aria stepped closer, her chest tightening as she read it.
"You cannot escape what you are."
The air turned cold.
Kael stood slowly.
His jaw tight.
His eyes dark.
"He was here."
Aria didn't need to ask who.
From the shadows beyond the trees—
A voice echoed softly.
Calm.
Controlled.
"Of course I was."
All heads snapped up.
Stepping out of the darkness…
Unbothered.
Untouched.
Watching them like it was all a game—
Was Magnus.
His red eyes landed on Aria.
Then her wrist.
And slowly…
He smiled.
"It seems…"
He tilted his head slightly.
"…the moon has started talking to you."
Aria's heart pounded.
But she didn't step back.
"Stay out of my head," she snapped.
Magnus chuckled softly.
"Oh, I'm not the one inside your head."
That line hit differently.
Kael stepped forward, placing himself slightly in front of Aria.
"Say what you came to say."
Magnus' gaze shifted to him briefly.
Then back to Aria.
"You've done something very interesting."
Aria narrowed her eyes.
"By not letting it control me?"
Magnus smiled wider.
"No…"
His voice dropped.
Lower.
Darker.
"By making it angry."
The wind howled suddenly through the trees.
And for the first time—
Even Kael felt it.
Something bigger than all of them…
Had just been provoked.