The camp's fires burned low, casting flickering shadows over the exhausted wolves. Aurora sat apart from the others, her blade resting across her knees. The glow of the Celestial Pact had dimmed after the fissure's collapse, but the weight in her chest remained, heavy and unyielding. Cassian approached quietly, his steps slow from lingering injuries. He lowered himself onto the ground beside her, his hand brushing hers.
"You should rest," he said, his voice low but firm.
"I can't," Aurora replied, her gaze fixed on the embers of the fire. "Every time I close my eyes, I see him. I see what he's doing to the Pact."
Cassian sighed, his fingers curling around hers. "You can't carry this alone. We're in this together."
Aurora met his gaze, the steady warmth in his eyes a balm against her turmoil. "Then tell me how we stop him."
Nathan and Anica joined them as the camp began to stir. The morning brought little comfort, the air thick with tension as the pack prepared for the Lycan King's inevitable retaliation.
"He's regrouping," Nathan said, his expression grim. "The fissures were a major part of his plan. Losing them will force him to change tactics."
"Which means he'll come at us harder," Anica added, their tone sharp. "He knows we're a threat now."
Aurora's jaw tightened. "Then we need to be ready."
Anica hesitated, their gaze flicking to Aurora. "There's something else. I've been tracking the energy flow since the last fissure collapsed. It's shifting-concentrating in one location." "Where?" Cassian asked, his voice hard.
Anica unfolded a map, pointing to a remote area deep within the forest. "Here. It's isolated, but if he's gathering his forces, it's the perfect staging ground."
Aurora studied the map, her chest tightening. "Then we take the fight to him."
The journey to the Lycan King's staging ground was grueling. The forest grew darker and colder the closer they got, the oppressive energy thickening with each step. Aurora felt the bond to the Celestial Pact stirring uneasily, its warmth flickering like a fragile flame. Cassian stayed close to her, his presence steady despite the tension in his movements. Nathan and Anica led the way, their eyes scanning the shadows for signs of danger.
As they neared the clearing, Anica held up a hand, signaling for them to stop.noveldrama
"Something's not right," they murmured, their golden eyes narrowing.
Aurora strained her senses, her chest tightening as she felt the faint hum of energy in the air.
"It's a trap," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.