Chapter 21:The best from the Mountains
657 Words
The battlefield had gone completely silent.
Even the wounded wolves stopped growling.
Everyone was staring toward the dark mountains beyond the open field.
Another roar echoed across the land.
This time it shook the ground beneath their feet.
Aria felt the vibration travel through her body.
Her glowing silver aura flickered slightly.
“What… is that?” she whispered.
Kael didn’t answer immediately.
His massive Lycan form remained tense, golden eyes locked on the distant darkness.
Then he spoke quietly.
“A nightmare we hoped was gone forever.”
Across the battlefield, Magnus also turned toward the mountains.
For the first time since the war began, his confident smile faded.
From the shadows between the trees, something enormous moved.
Branches snapped.
The forest trembled as the creature stepped forward.
Then it emerged into the moonlight.
Gasps spread through both armies.
The creature stood taller than three wolves standing on top of each other. Its body was covered in thick dark scales, and massive claws dug into the earth as it moved.
Its glowing red eyes scanned the battlefield.
A long, jagged tail dragged behind it, tearing lines into the ground.
Aria’s heart nearly stopped.
“That’s not a wolf…”
One of the royal soldiers whispered in terror.
“It’s a Shadow Beast.”
Kael’s growl deepened.
The creature opened its massive jaws and released another deafening roar.
The sound shook the battlefield again.
Aria clutched her chest as the Moon-Bound power inside her pulsed violently.
The silver light around her grew brighter.
Magnus slowly lowered his sword.
“Well… this is unexpected.”
One of his rebel wolves stepped closer to him nervously.
“My Alpha… that thing will kill us all.”
Magnus narrowed his eyes at the massive creature.
“No.”
His gaze slowly moved toward Aria again.
“It didn’t come for us.”
The Shadow Beast suddenly lifted its head and sniffed the air.
Then its glowing red eyes locked onto one person.
Aria.
The creature released a deep growl and began moving toward her.
The ground shook with each step.
Aria’s breath caught in her throat.
“Why is it looking at me?”
Kael immediately stepped in front of her, placing himself between Aria and the approaching monster.
The massive Lycan King bared his fangs.
“You’ll have to go through me first.”
The Shadow Beast roared again and charged forward.
Its enormous claws slammed into the ground as it rushed toward them.
Kael lunged to meet it.
The impact when they collided sounded like thunder.
The giant beast knocked Kael backward several feet, its strength terrifying even for the Lycan King.
Aria gasped.
“Kael!”
The surrounding warriors tried to attack the creature, but their weapons barely scratched its thick scales.
The Shadow Beast swiped one massive claw.
Several wolves were thrown aside like ragdolls.
Magnus watched the destruction carefully.
Then he muttered quietly,
“So that’s why the prophecy feared her power.”
Aria’s silver aura suddenly flared again.
The moonlight above intensified.
The creature paused.
Its glowing red eyes fixed on Aria once more.
But this time…
It didn’t attack.
Instead, it lowered its head slightly.
Almost like it was recognizing something.
Aria felt the Moon-Bound power inside her surge.
The silver light around her expanded across the battlefield.
And a strange realization formed in her mind.
The beast hadn’t come to kill her.
It had come…
Because of her.
Kael slowly stood again, shaking dust from his fur.
He stared at the massive creature, then back at Aria.
His voice was filled with disbelief.
“The Moon-Bound…”
He took a slow breath.
“You can control it.”
The Shadow Beast lifted its head and roared toward the moon.
And in that moment—
The entire battlefield realized something terrifying.
The war between Kael and Magnus was no longer the biggest threat.
Something much older had awakened.
And it had chosen Aria.
- Writer
