CHAPTER SIX:THE BEAST BENEATH THE MOUNTAIN
615 Words
The earth continued to tremble violently.
Trees cracked.
Flames died beneath waves of dark energy spreading from the shattered mountain in the distance. The giant crimson eyes hovering within the darkness burned like twin suns beneath the blood moon.
Fear spread across the battlefield instantly.
Even the hunters stepped backward.
Aria could barely breathe.
“What… is that?” she whispered.
Darius’ face hardened.
“The original beast.”
Kael’s wolves lowered themselves uneasily, their instincts screaming in terror.
For centuries, every werewolf had heard the forbidden legend.
Before the moon created the first true wolves, there existed only one creature—a monstrous immortal born from rage, darkness, and endless hunger.
The Beast King.
The father of cursed bloodlines.
And now… he was waking up.
Commander Lucien immediately raised his silver blade.
“All Crimson Order forces retreat!” he shouted. “Now!”
The hunters quickly began falling back through the forest.
Panic filled their ranks.
But it was already too late.
A deafening roar exploded across the sky.
Then darkness itself moved.
A massive shadow burst from the broken mountain, crossing the forest faster than the eye could follow.
One of Lucien’s hunters screamed.
The darkness grabbed him instantly.
Blood sprayed across the trees.
The screaming stopped.
Silence followed.
Aria’s entire body shook.
Something huge was standing beyond the smoke now.
Slowly, the creature stepped forward into the moonlight.
It was enormous.
Far larger than any werewolf.
Black fur covered its monstrous body while glowing crimson veins pulsed beneath its skin like lava. Its claws were long enough to tear through stone, and its glowing eyes radiated endless hatred.
The Beast King.
The creature inhaled deeply.
Then its gaze landed directly on Aria.
The world seemed to stop.
The beast tilted its head slowly.
Almost curiously.
Then—
It smiled.
Kael immediately stepped in front of Aria.
“Run,” he ordered.
But Aria couldn’t move.
Something strange happened inside her chest the moment the creature looked at her.
Not fear.
Recognition.
The Beast King suddenly spoke in a deep monstrous voice that shook the forest itself.
*Moon child…*
The wolves whimpered painfully.
Even Darius looked stunned.
“It remembers her,” he whispered.
Aria frowned weakly. “Remembers who?”
But before anyone answered, the Beast King lunged forward.
The ground exploded beneath its weight.
Kael shifted instantly into his massive black wolf form and collided with the creature midair. The impact shattered nearby trees like glass.
The battle was terrifying.
Kael clawed at the beast’s chest while the monster slammed him violently into the ground.
Darius joined seconds later, crimson energy exploding from his hands as he attacked from behind.
Yet the Beast King barely reacted.
It was too powerful.
Far too powerful.
Aria watched helplessly as the creature grabbed Kael by the throat and threw him through three trees.
“Kael!” she screamed.
Darius attacked again, his claws slicing across the beast’s shoulder.
Black blood spilled onto the ground.
The creature roared furiously and struck Darius hard enough to send him crashing into the rocks nearby.
Aria’s breathing became uneven.
Everyone was losing.
The Beast King slowly turned back toward her.
*You carry her soul,* the creature growled.
Aria froze.
Selene.
The previous Blessed Luna.
The beast knew her.
Then another memory suddenly flashed inside Aria’s mind—
Selene standing before the Beast King centuries ago.
Not fighting.
Crying.
And the beast… kneeling before her.
Aria gasped painfully.
“No…” she whispered.
The Beast King stepped closer.
Its monstrous eyes softened slightly.
*You promised to return.*
Silence filled the burning forest.
Then the creature lowered its giant head before Aria.
Like a servant bowing before its queen.
- Writer
