Night fell over Kerrville, but the darkness was different now—thicker, more oppressive, as if the

world itself sensed the terror looming on the horizon. Word of the tower and the demonic

proclamation had spread fast, reaching every corner of the town, the state, and beyond. News

reports tried to explain it, government officials scrambled to respond, but no one had any real

answers. The voice had spoken, and its message was clear: humanity’s trials had begun.

For Wolf, the world had changed in an instant. He had fought countless battles, but this—this

was something different. This was a threat unlike any he had ever encountered, and it struck at

the heart of his resolve. The tower’s appearance, the voice’s announcement of “Azura

Sanctuary,” and the selection of 10,000 warriors—the Vanguard—all pointed to a trial that would

push humanity to its limits.

In the shadows of his small cabin on the edge of town, Wolf sat sharpening his ancient blade, the

sound of metal scraping against stone grounding him. He was preparing, his mind and body

slipping back into the warrior’s discipline he had mastered over centuries. But this time, there

was more than survival at stake. He was no longer alone in this world, and he could not shake the

image of Selene and Elias from his mind.

As he worked, he heard a familiar voice behind him. “You’re planning to leave, aren’t you?”

He looked up, meeting Selene’s gaze. She stood in the doorway, her expression a mix of fear and

understanding. She knew what he was, and she knew that he was bound to protect. That had been

part of the burden he carried when he let her into his life.

“This is different, Selene,” he replied, his voice low and steady. “I’ve never seen anything like it.

The world is going to change, and I don’t know how much time we have.”

She took a step toward him, her hand reaching out to touch his. “But Elias…he’s so young, and

he needs his father.”

Wolf’s eyes softened as he looked at her, then down the hall to where their son was sleeping

peacefully, blissfully unaware of the coming storm. “That’s why I have to go,” he said quietly. “I

need to be part of the Vanguard. I need to see what we’re up against.”

“But the voice said it would choose 10,000,” she replied. “How do you know you’ll even be

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chosen?”

A faint smile crossed his face, a hint of the confidence he rarely allowed himself to show.

“Because I know they’re looking for people like me,” he replied. “And if I’m not chosen, I’ll find

another way. I’ve fought my entire life to protect humanity from threats like this. I won’t stop

now.”

Selene’s eyes filled with worry, but she nodded, her grip tightening around his hand. “Promise

me you’ll come back.”Wolf looked into her eyes, his own fierce but filled with the tenderness he had never known he

was capable of until he met her. “I will. No matter what happens, I’ll come back for you and

Elias.”

The following morning, Wolf made his way into the heart of Kerrville. The town was a frenzy of

fear and chaos; rumors of disappearances and strange occurrences were already circulating.

People whispered about friends or family who had vanished overnight, and as Wolf passed by, he

could feel their stares, the tension that gripped the community.

Near the town square, he saw a group of people gathered around a tall, hooded figure. The

stranger’s voice was calm, resonant, somehow cutting through the fearful murmurings of the

crowd.

“Those who have been chosen to join the Vanguard,” the stranger announced, “will find their

way to Azura Sanctuary by instinct. A trial awaits, one that will determine the future of

humanity.”

The crowd shifted, their faces filled with awe and confusion. Some looked as if they were hoping

they’d been chosen; others looked terrified by the thought.

Wolf studied the figure carefully. Beneath the hood, the stranger’s eyes gleamed with an

unnatural light, and he seemed almost otherworldly—an emissary, perhaps, of the beings

responsible for the tower and its proclamation.

As Wolf approached, the stranger’s gaze turned to him, a faint smile playing across his lips.

“You,” the stranger said, voice barely above a whisper but carrying an undeniable authority.

“You are one of them.”

Wolf met his gaze with calm resolve. “And where do I go?”

The stranger’s smile widened, his eyes flickering with a strange intensity. “Azura Sanctuary will

call you, Immortal Reaper. When the time is right, you will know the way. Until then, prepare

yourself. You will face trials that even you have never encountered.”

With that, the figure turned, his form seeming to blend into the shadows of the street until he

vanished completely. Wolf remained, his jaw set, his mind racing. He knew he would be chosen,

but he hadn’t expected to be called out in front of everyone. His reputation had traveled through

whispers and myths, not public proclamations.

But the crowd around him looked on with newfound awe. They didn’t know his name or his past,

but they sensed he was different. And as he walked away, he could feel the weight of their hopes

pressing down on him. He had been fighting alone for centuries, but this time, he would not just

be a warrior. He would be a symbol, a hope for a world thrown into chaos.That night, Wolf sat alone, staring into the firelight. He knew that at dawn, he would leave for

Azura Sanctuary. The call was already pulling at him, a subtle tug in the back of his mind,

guiding him toward whatever awaited. He would need every ounce of his strength, every skill he

had honed over the centuries, and something more—something that would drive him to survive

against all odds.

Selene came to sit beside him, placing a hand on his shoulder. She didn’t say anything; she didn’t

need to. In her silence, he felt her love, her fear, and her unspoken trust. He reached up, placing

his hand over hers, feeling the warmth and steadiness she offered him.

As dawn broke over Kerrville, Wolf stood by the doorway, Selene and Elias by his side. Elias,

still sleepy, looked up at his father, his young face full of innocence and wonder.

“Are you going away, Papa?” he asked, clutching a small wooden toy Wolf had carved for him.

Wolf knelt, his hand resting on Elias’s shoulder. “Just for a little while, son. But I’ll come back. I

promise.”

Elias nodded solemnly, his small hand reaching out to grip his father’s finger. It was a gesture

both simple and powerful, a reminder of what Wolf was fighting for.

He rose, his gaze meeting Selene’s one last time. She didn’t speak, but he saw the words in her

eyes, the strength she was lending him as he turned and left.

As Wolf stepped into the morning light, he felt the pull intensify. His path lay ahead, leading him

toward the unknown trials of Azura Sanctuary. But he carried with him the memory of Selene’s

love, Elias’s trust, and a vow that no force in the universe could break.

The journey had begun, and the Immortal Reaper was ready.