The Hollow Wolves
1294 Words
IRIS’ POV
The silence that followed my words was heavy. No one spoke. Even the rattling breaths coming from the man chained inside the cell seemed louder than before.
"Black magic?" Darius muttered beside me, his brows furrowing. "I thought it was eradicated centuries ago."
"Apparently, I think it wasn't." My gaze shifted toward the man inside the cell. His black eyes stared at nothing, and those bulging veins beneath his skin continued to pulse unnaturally.
"He's exhibiting the classic signs of black magic corruption. The violent behavior, the hollow consciousness, and the physical deterioration. Everything points to it."
"Black magic?" Alpha Ken repeated, his voice trembling slightly. He looked between me and Darius in confusion. "What exactly is that?"
Darius answered him.
"An ancient practice." His expression darkened. "Centuries ago, dark witches and warlocks used it to manipulate and corrupt living beings. It feeds on life force and twists everything it touches. People thought it disappeared long ago because those who practiced it were hunted down and wiped out."
I nodded.
"When it corrupts a wolf, it doesn't just affect the body. It invades the mind and slowly hollows out both the wolf and the person. Eventually, what's left is nothing, but a shell driven by rage and violence."
Silence returned.
Alpha Ken swallowed hard. "Are you sure? Could it be something else? Maybe… maybe you're mistaken?"
Before I could answer, Darius stepped forward.
"She doesn't make mistakes."
I pursed my lips. The image of the symbol I had seen inside the man's consciousness surfaced in my mind again, and a chill ran down my spine. The moment I saw it earlier, I immediately understood why it had looked so familiar.
The years I spent in the Lunaris weren't devoted solely to training and combat. I had also spent countless hours studying old records and reading ancient texts. Among the dozens of books I had read, there was one I could never forget. It spoke of a war that had nearly destroyed the continent centuries ago—a war born from black magic.
And the symbol I had just seen…
I remembered it clearly.
It was the same symbol I saw in that book.
"I am almost certain that this is it," I said calmly, I turned and faced everyone in that cramped corridor.
"Whether you believe me or not is your choice."
My gaze swept across everyone, letting the weight of my next words settle.
"But since this is what I've found, it means this is a grave matter. If we don't respond properly and quickly, the whole Northern territories could be at stake."
Kael had been silent the entire time.
He stood with his arms crossed, his expression grave and thoughtful. There wasn't even the slightest trace of disbelief on his face. Instead, he looked like he was already considering what came next.
As if sensing my gaze, he looked up.
Our eyes met briefly. There was no hesitation there. No doubt either. Only seriousness.
Before either of us spoke, Alpha Ken's anxious voice broke the silence.
"So what do we do? How do we get rid of it?"
I thought for a moment.
"Black magic doesn't appear out of nowhere. Someone cast it. Which means there's a source. We need to find where all of this originated and destroy it. Otherwise, this will continue spreading."
Darius nodded alongside with me.
"She’s right. Treating the symptoms won't solve anything. We have to cut off the root."
I turned to face Kael directly. "And this information stays between us for now."
Everyone looked at me.
"If word gets out that black magic is involved, panic will spread faster than the corruption itself."
Kael held my gaze for a moment before nodding.
"No word shall get out about this." His gaze swept to everyone around present, and the authority behind it left no room for disagreement.
Alpha Ken lowered his head immediately. "Understood."
Then he hesitated.
"Then, what are we supposed to do now?"
A thought suddenly crossed my mind.
"Which pack has recorded the most cases?"
Luis immediately answered.
"If I remember correctly, it’s the Nightveil Pack. A territory about four hours from here. Their reports are the worst."
"Then that's where we're going." I said.
We left Frostclaw pack immediately.
By the time we reached Nightveil Pack, evening had already settled. But the moment we crossed their borders, something felt wrong.
There was no one at the border post. No patrols. No scent markers fresh enough to indicate recent activity.
We moved deeper into the pack grounds, and the unease in my chest grew with every step. There were signs of inhabitants. Cooking fires that had gone cold. Clothes left on lines. Doors hanging open. But no people. It was like everyone had just vanished.
"Where are the people here?" Darius muttered beside me, his eyes scanning the empty settlement.
The pack houses stood in rows, silent and dark. A child's toy lay in the middle of the dirt path. A pot of food sat on an outdoor stove, long since cold and covered in flies. People had been here just days ago. Maybe less. And now there was nothing.
We reached the heart of the pack, and I felt it before I saw anything. A dark, surging aura enveloped the place like a thick blanket. It pressed against my skin, cold and rotten, and my Aether Sight flickered on instinctively. The energy here was vile. It was the same corruption I had felt in the dungeons, but magnified a hundredfold.
In front of me, Kael stopped.
He stood rigid, his shoulders tensing, his head tilting slightly as if listening to something none of us could hear. Then his deep, thunderous voice resonated through the silent settlement, his eyes turning sharp and dangerous.
"They're here."
Only a second passed before the rustling started. It came from everywhere at once. Behind the houses, from the tree line, from the shadows between buildings. Hundreds of wolves emerged, their massive forms stepping into the fading light.
My heart dropped.
There were so many of them. Hundreds. Their fur was matted and their bodies moved with a stiff, unnatural gait. And their eyes. Every single one of them had those same black, hollow eyes. They were snarling, lips pulled back, teeth bared, all fixed on our group like we were prey.
"They're under the influence of black magic too," I said, my voice cutting through the tension.
In the middle of the horde stood a man. The only one still in human form. His eyes were just as black and hollow as the rest. I guessed he was the Alpha.
The man stared directly at Kael. A slow, eerie smile spread across his face.
"I didn't expect the Alpha King would come visit himself."
The sound of his laughter sent chills down my spine. It sounded wrong. Twisted. Like something imitating a person.
Kael remained unmoved.
"Alpha Marcus."
Recognition flickered in his eyes.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Alpha Marcus spread his arms.
The man’s smile widened, his black eyes gleaming with something that wasn't quite sanity.
"Power," he said, spreading his arms wide as if presenting the corrupted pack members around him like a trophy.
"You have no idea what kind of power is out there. What it feels like to become stronger, to transcend what we are as wolves." The sound echoed throughout the empty settlement.
His black eyes swept over each of us slowly. Then he shook his head, almost pityingly, as though he was disappointed by what he saw.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Then he slowly raised his hand.
"Kill them."
The wolves behind him didn't hesitate. Hundreds of black-eyed wolves surged forward, snarling and charging straight at us.
- Writer
