The moment the rogue champion stepped into the clearing, the world seemed to tilt.
A towering figure, shrouded in darkness, its massive form barely resembling a wolf. It was something older. Twisted. Its fur matted with blood and smoke, eyes twin pits of crimson hate. The thing’s presence made the ancient runes flicker, the power in the clearing recoiling from it. A suffocating darkness seeped from its form, swallowing the very light of the moon, leaving the world awash in an eerie gloom. Every breath Isla drew felt like inhaling ice and ash.
The air thickened, clinging to her skin like a second, oppressive weight. Isla’s pulse roared in her ears, drowning out everything except the heavy scrape of the beast’s claws against earth and the erratic pounding of her own heart. Fear clawed at h
