The Balance
The cave was silent, save for the drip of water from the ceiling. My body still ached from the last trial, but Lucien gave no reprieve. He stood at the center of the stone floor, shadows curling lazily at his feet like waiting predators.
“You’ve proven you can fight,” he said, voice low and commanding. “You’ve proven you can kill. But strength without balance is chaos. And chaos will consume you faster than Derrick ever could.”
I swallowed hard, the memory of my wolf facing me in the circle still sharp. “What do you mean?”
Lucien’s coal-dark eyes fixed on me. “Your wolf and the shadows both crave dominance. If you favor one, the other festers. If you submit to both, they’ll tear you apart. You must make them one—or you will never defeat him.”
The words sank deep.
He lifte
