A HUMAN IN THE SCHOOL OF WOLVES

The sky had turned the color of blood, and the stench of death and ash spread through the air, heralding the end of the Golden Age. Inside a secret refuge built among the roots of an ancient oak tree, Elaria .. the High Witch and the last Queen of Moonlight.. leaned against the stone wall, struggling to breathe through the agony of her deep wounds. Silver magic mixed with blood poured from her body, yet her eyes still burned with a terrifying radiance that even pain could not extinguish. Cradled in her arms was a pure white silk bundle containing a peacefully sleeping infant girl. Upon the child's tiny shoulder glowed a crescent-shaped mark the sacred sigil of the rightful heir to the Witches' Throne and the true Daughter of the Moon. The darkness within the shelter parted as the massive form of a man stepped forward. Though his body was covered in deep wounds, he stood tall and proud. Moments later, he shifted into a brown wolf. It was Felix, Elaria's loyal guardian and the leader of the Brown Wolves, a pack that had sworn allegiance to the Moonblood line and protected it for generations. He approached her, golden eyes overflowing with concern, and let out a low growl, silently pleading with her not to move. Then he planted his massive body in front of the exit, blocking her path to the battlefield. "Move aside..." Elaria whispered, her voice weak with pain yet unwavering. The brown wolf shook his head and released a muffled howl of refusal. Tears burned in Elaria's eyes as she spoke. "My sisters are all dead. Slaughtered through betrayal and cold blood. I will not hide here while those monsters celebrate their filthy victory." Then she looked down at her infant daughter and bent to kiss her forehead one final time. Her breath mingled with the child's as she whispered: "Before I set you free from me, I have one final request... Take her. Take my blood and my soul, and carry her far away from war and bloodshed. Protect her. Let her live a pure life, untouched by pain. And when the time comes, tell her that her mother loved her... and never abandoned her." Felix let out a mournful whine that sounded heartbreakingly like a farewell. A sad smile touched Elaria's lips. "I release you, my friend... I release you from me, Felix. By the Moon and its blood, our bond is dissolved." A hot tear slid down her cheek as she placed a hand upon his head and held the child out to him. "Go... Don't delay." The brown wolf lowered his head beneath her hand in respect, accepting the sacred burden. Then he stepped back, the silk bundle carefully held between his jaws. He cast one final glance toward her before vanishing into the darkness like an arrow. *** In the Valley of Bones, the scene was horrifying. The bodies of witches lay scattered across the barren earth, along with some of the brown wolves who had died protecting them. Standing proudly over the corpses were the invading wolf packs. At the center stood the Alpha of the Black Wolves, the supreme leader who had orchestrated the m******e, laughing in triumph. "Brothers! Today we have defeated the witches. Our pack shall live in strength and glory, never again fearing the spells of any witch!" His booming laughter echoed across the valley. But it did not last long. The heavens erupted with a silver storm of lightning, and Elaria descended into the battlefield like a fallen star from hell itself. She gave them no time to react. Driven by raging magic and unbearable grief, she began slaughtering every creature that had taken part in the murder of the witches and their wolf guardians. Bodies turned to ash around her. The screams of wolves filled the air with a terror they had never known before. She was wielding the most forbidden form of magic— Death Magic. A power only the High Witch could use, and only at the cost of her own life. She charged straight toward the Alpha. In a single movement fueled by Death Magic, her spectral claws pierced his chest and hurled him to the ground. The ancient leader collapsed as blood poured from his mouth. His body convulsed while his final breaths escaped him. The remaining wolf warriors froze in horror. Elaria knelt upon the dying Alpha's chest, her eyes now glowing with pure white light. "As you murdered my sisters, I have slain those who helped kill them. But that is not enough, Alpha of the Black Wolves..." she hissed through clenched teeth. "I swear I will destroy your bloodline... every last one of them." "Please... don't..." the Alpha whispered weakly, tears mixing with his blood. "My pack... my little son... he has done nothing wrong." A cold and terrifying smile spread across Elaria's face. "And what about my daughter? What about my bloodline, you monster? Even if you wept rivers of blood, I would never forgive you." Her claws dug deeper into his chest. He gasped in agony as he stared at her hair, which had begun turning white, and her eyes, blazing with terrifying power. "Listen carefully as you taste death," she said. "I curse your bloodline, and every wolf who stood beside you warrior or silent witness alike. I curse the old and the young." "My curse upon you shall be Eternal Slumber." "A stone sleep that devours your bodies and your minds forever." "Time will pass. Your bodies will grow. Yet you shall never see the moonlight again except through the tears of the Daughter of the Moon." "This curse shall only be broken by the tears of my heir the one true Lady of the Moon." "With my blood and my soul... I seal this curse!" A single tear fell from her eye. And as the final words of the curse left her lips, her body began to dissolve into silver dust carried away by the wind...