“Now! We’re leaving!” Joseph’s voice echoed through the cave. We quickly retreated, our footsteps clattering against the stone floor, leaving the suffocating darkness of the cave behind. I was at the very back, my eyes locked on the Alpha Wolf. The massive beast struggled to its feet, baring its bloody teeth with a furious snarl.

Wolves naturally had a strong instinct for revenge. The Alpha, already wounded and in pain, had become even more feral. We instinctively bolted. Even though my Silence Boots boosted my speed, the sound of pounding footsteps and guttural growls behind us confirmed the Alpha was giving chase.

“When we get outside, turn right! We’re heading out of the forest!” Joseph’s shout propelled us forward. We burst out of the cave, and the night air hit my face — cold and sharp. The dim light of the moon barely illuminated the forest ahead. For a fleeting moment, I felt relief, but it vanished when a ferocious howl echoed from behind.

The Alpha Wolf emerged at the cave’s entrance, its massive frame blocking the way. Its eyes gleamed with pure rage, and two steel-fanged wolves flanked it. This was bad.

“Run! Don’t stop!”

My heart pounded like a war drum. We raced into the forest, branches whipping against my face, my boots slipping on dry leaves. Yet, the pounding footsteps behind me kept growing louder.

I glanced back for just a second. The Alpha Wolf was closing the distance, its steel-clad claws tearing through the soil with each powerful stride. It felt like our every step was predetermined — this was our last chance to escape.

“The path is opening! Almost there!”

The dense forest began to thin out, revealing the outskirts. Hope surged in my chest, but then I heard a scream. I turned and saw Gareth sprawled on the ground, his leg caught in a twisted root.

“Gareth!”

I skidded to a stop and sprinted back to him just as the Alpha leapt. I barely dodged its lunge, drawing my blade in one fluid motion. Joseph and the others immediately turned back.

“Don’t split up! Get him up!”

I grabbed Gareth’s arm and yanked him to his feet. “Run!” I yelled, shoving him forward. The team accelerated, and we finally burst out of the forest.

But the Alpha hadn’t given up. The moment we reached the open field, our relief turned to horror. Behind the Alpha, seven more steel-fanged wolves appeared, their teeth bared in menacing snarls.

“Sh*t.” Roy’s voice trembled.

Joseph slowly unsheathed his sword. “No more running. We fight here.”

A heavy silence settled over us. Only the Alpha Wolf’s menacing breathing echoed across the field. We quickly took positions — I nocked an arrow, Gareth gripped his shield tightly, Joseph raised his sword, and everyone else readied their weapons.

The Alpha made the first move. It lunged forward with terrifying speed. Joseph met the attack head-on, the clash of metal ringing through the night. The other wolves pounced on us, and chaos erupted.

The dark field turned into a brutal battlefield. One steel-fanged wolf charged at me, and I instinctively let my arrow fly. It pierced the beast’s neck, but instead of retreating, the wolf pressed on. I dodged to the side, swiftly firing another shot. This time, the arrow buried itself in its eye, and the creature collapsed in a heap of blood.

Meanwhile, Gareth fought like a juggernaut, using his shield as both a defense and a weapon to bash wolves away. But when one wolf leapt onto his back, I spun around and loosed another arrow. It struck the creature’s ribs, and Gareth shook free.

Joseph and Roy battled the Alpha Wolf together. They moved with incredible precision, but the Alpha’s attacks were relentless and deadly. The rest of us held back the other wolves, but I knew we needed a plan.

Gareth, Isabel, and I seized the moment when the Alpha’s focus shifted away from us. While Joseph and Roy kept the colossal beast occupied, we repositioned ourselves. Yet more wolves emerged, their jaws snapping as they encircled us. Seven steel-fanged wolves, ready to defend their Alpha at all costs.

“Stay sharp. They may be weaker, but they move under the Alpha’s shadow,” Gareth muttered, tightening his grip on his shield.

Isabel shifted into a stance, kunai in both hands. I readied my arrows, my fingers steady against the bowstring.

The first wolf lunged at Gareth, its steel jaws clamping onto his shield. Gareth sidestepped and slammed the beast aside. Isabel reacted instantly, hurling one of her kunai. The blade lodged in the wolf’s throat, and it crumpled with a gurgling whine.

“One down!” Isabel shouted, but I knew better than to celebrate too early.

Two steel-fanged wolves leapt at me simultaneously — one from the right, the other from the left. I quickly rolled to the ground, but the wolf on the right immediately changed direction and pounced on me. My last arrow slipped from my hand just as the beast lunged, so I drew my dagger. As the creature opened its jaws to go for my throat, I swung the blade sideways, stabbing it into the wolf's neck. Warm blood splattered onto my hand as the creature convulsed and collapsed.

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Just as I was regaining my footing, I heard Isabel scream. A wolf was lunging at her. I jumped to my feet, grabbed the arrow I had dropped, and quickly nocked it onto my bow. The arrow flew, embedding itself in the creature’s side — but the beast still stood. Isabel drew her dagger and dodged to the side, but lost her balance. The wolf sprang after her, only for Gareth to step in and slam his shield into its head. A sickening crunch echoed, and the beast crumpled to the ground, unconscious.

But more were coming. Three additional wolves, driven into a frenzy by the scent of blood.

“We need to take one down fast! No retreat!” Gareth roared, charging forward.

He swung his shield horizontally, slamming it into the nearest wolf. The creature snapped its steel fangs toward Gareth’s arm, but he flipped his shield, jamming the edge into the beast’s jaw. Blood splattered, and the wolf fell limp.

Meanwhile, another wolf lunged at Isabel. She dodged to the side, but stumbled. The creature was mid-air, about to strike, when I hurled my poisoned dagger. The blade pierced the wolf's eye, and it dropped lifelessly to the ground.

Now only one wolf remained.

This last beast was larger than the others, its muscles visibly tense. Yet it stood alone. It growled, defiant, but slowly began backing away.

“It’s retreating… But we won’t let it go,” Gareth growled, gripping his shield tightly.

I clutched my glowing dagger, my last remaining weapon, while Isabel gripped her kunai with equal determination. We exchanged a glance, silently agreeing on our next move. At the same moment, we both held our breath and hurled our blades. The weapons struck true — one embedding in the wolf’s right eye, the other in the left. The beast let out a guttural whimper, and as it staggered, Gareth brought his shield crashing down on its skull.

I breathed heavily, my body trembling with exhaustion. The heat of battle still clung to me, but the fight wasn’t over. Joseph and Roy were still locked in combat with the Alpha Wolf.

“It’s not over yet,” Gareth muttered, his chest heaving as he turned his gaze toward the looming figure of the Alpha.

Now, it was time to bring down the leader.

The dark plains echoed with the remnants of battle. The lifeless bodies of the steel-fanged wolves lay scattered around me. My breath was ragged, my muscles strained, but I moved swiftly to recover my arrows and blades. My hands trembled, but my instincts remained sharp. I yanked one dagger from a lifeless eye socket, blood coating my fingers, then retrieved another from a wolf’s throat.

As I collected my arrows, Isabel silently approached, took my bloodied daggers, and quickly wiped them clean before handing them back to me. It felt like a sign — we were growing closer, fighting as one.

“This isn’t over,” she whispered, her gaze locked on the Alpha Wolf.

I nodded, securing my last arrow in its quiver, then sprinted to join Joseph and Roy. The Alpha Wolf’s massive silhouette loomed under the moonlight, its dark gray fur rippling in the wind.

Joseph gripped his sword tightly, teeth clenched. “This thing is stronger than we thought,” he muttered. “If we mess up, we die.”

Roy twirled his spear, never taking his eyes off the beast. “We won’t mess up.”

Gareth stepped forward, raising his shield. “I’ll take the front. I’ll try to draw its attacks.”

Isabel readied her kunai, her eyes sharp. “We need to find its weak points — especially the joints.”

I nocked an arrow and steadied my breathing. “We attack in coordination. If we get separated, we’re finished.”

The Alpha Wolf watched us — and then suddenly lunged.

Gareth lifted his shield just in time. The beast’s steel-like fangs crashed into the metal with a screech, the impact shaking Gareth to his knees, but he didn’t fall back. Joseph seized the opening, slashing from the side, but the Alpha dodged with unnatural speed, evading even Roy’s follow-up spear thrust.

“We need to be faster!” Isabel shouted, spinning and flinging her kunai. A few pierced the Alpha’s shoulder, but the beast barely flinched. It twisted, then leapt straight for Roy.

Roy barely managed to raise his spear, but the Alpha swiped with its claws, knocking him off balance.

I seized the opportunity. Drawing my bowstring with all my strength, I released my most powerful shot. The arrow whistled through the air and sank into the Alpha’s ribs.

The wolf threw its head back, howling in pain. Joseph immediately charged, sword flashing, but the beast dodged again — this time targeting Gareth.

“Hold on!” Joseph shouted.

But this time, the Alpha bypassed the shield entirely, clamping its jaws around Gareth’s exposed leg. Gareth screamed, collapsing to his knees as blood soaked the ground beneath him.

“Damn it! Get up!” I shouted.

Isabel swiftly leapt to the side, trying to gouge out the Alpha Wolf’s eye, but the beast turned its head at the last moment and swiped her away with its massive claw. Isabel’s body crashed to the ground, a painful groan escaping her lips.

The Alpha Wolf paused for a moment, its bloodshot eyes locking onto Gareth, who lay bleeding. As the beast lunged for the fatal blow, Roy charged forward, driving his spear into the creature’s chest!

But it wasn’t enough.

The Alpha Wolf howled, slashing Roy’s abdomen with its claws. Blood sprayed as Roy collapsed backward. Silence lingered for a few agonizing seconds before Roy, gasping, struggled to his feet.

“We need to retreat!” he shouted. “We can’t win this fight!”

Everyone froze.

Roy turned to look at Joseph and Gareth. “Do you want to die here? I’m leaving.”

Without another word, he turned and sprinted away from the battlefield, disappearing into the distance.

Gareth, his face drenched in blood, watched Roy go, his eyes burning with rage.

“Damn coward! Come back!” he roared, but Roy was already gone.

We didn’t know what to do. Isabel slowly rose to her feet, her voice barely a whisper. “What do we do now?”

Then, an idea struck me like lightning.

I frantically opened my bag and saw the Embercry stones. These stones ignited upon reaching a certain heat threshold. But what if... the Alpha Wolf’s stomach acid?

Without hesitation, I grabbed an arrow and tied an Embercry stone to its tip.

“What are you doing?” Joseph asked, struggling to stand.

“We have one chance,” I said.

The Alpha Wolf lunged toward me, jaws wide open. I held my breath, pulled my bowstring to its limit, and fired the arrow straight into the creature’s mouth!

Direct hit.

Everything went silent.

For a heartbeat, nothing happened. Then—

A muffled explosion echoed from inside the Alpha Wolf.

The beast’s eyes widened in shock, flames bursting from its maw. Its entire body convulsed violently, a guttural howl rattling through the air. And then—a massive detonation.

Fire and smoke erupted from the Alpha Wolf’s body, flames tearing through its flesh. The beast collapsed to the ground, blood and ash filling the air.

For several long seconds, no one moved.

Finally, Joseph, panting heavily, broke the silence.

“Is it over?”