CHAPTER 24 — VILLAGE STRATEGY AND NIGHT (EXPANDED)
The village hall smelled of smoke, old wood, and something faintly metallic—like blood long dried. Lanterns hung from the ceiling, casting flickering shadows over the gathered faces: hunters, villagers, and a few familiar allies, including Elias, Mira, and Dalton. Selene stood at the edge, notebook in hand, trying to absorb everything.
At the center sat the old man, his back stooped but eyes sharp, gleaming with knowledge that had taken decades to accumulate. He studied Kael as if measuring the wolf-shifter’s very soul.
“This creature you chase,” he began, voice gravelly yet commanding, “is no ordinary predator. Not a shifter born from the moon or the forest. It was—” He paused, letting the weight of his words sink in. “—an experiment.
