Chapter 22: The Beast That Answered the Moon
600 Words
The battlefield stood frozen in disbelief.
Hundreds of wolves—royal soldiers and rebels alike—watched the massive Shadow Beast with wide, fearful eyes.
Just moments ago it had been destroying everything in its path.
Now it stood perfectly still.
Its glowing red eyes remained locked on Aria.
Aria felt the strange connection again.
The Moon-Bound power inside her chest pulsed in rhythm with the moonlight above.
Her silver aura spread across the ground like mist.
The Shadow Beast lowered its head slightly.
The warriors nearby gasped.
One of the royal guards whispered in shock, “It… it’s bowing.”
Kael slowly stepped closer to Aria, his massive Lycan form still tense.
“Aria,” he said carefully, “don’t move.”
Aria swallowed nervously.
“I’m not doing anything.”
But even as she spoke, the silver glow around her hands brightened.
The beast lifted its head again and took a slow step forward.
The ground shook.
Several soldiers quickly backed away.
Magnus watched the scene with sharp interest from across the battlefield.
“Well,” he murmured to himself, “this just became much more interesting.”
His second-in-command stepped beside him.
“My Alpha… we should retreat. That creature will wipe out both armies.”
Magnus shook his head.
“No.”
His eyes never left Aria.
“That beast didn’t come here by accident.”
He pointed toward her glowing figure.
“It came for the Moon-Bound.”
Meanwhile, Aria’s heart was racing.
The creature was now only a few steps away from her.
Its enormous shadow covered the ground around her.
But strangely…
She didn’t feel fear anymore.
Instead, she felt something else.
Recognition.
The Moon-Bound power inside her surged again.
Without thinking, Aria slowly raised one glowing hand.
The warriors around her gasped in panic.
“Don’t!” one of them shouted.
But the Shadow Beast didn’t attack.
Instead, it stopped moving completely.
Its glowing red eyes softened slightly as it stared at her.
Aria felt the strange connection deepen.
Images suddenly flashed through her mind.
Ancient forests.
Old battles.
A time when wolves and mysterious beasts fought side by side under the moon.
Aria gasped as the visions faded.
Kael noticed immediately.
“What did you see?”
Aria looked up at him, still shaken.
“I think… it knows me.”
Kael frowned.
“That’s impossible.”
But before he could say anything else—
Magnus suddenly moved.
With incredible speed, he sprinted across the battlefield straight toward Aria.
His sword flashed under the moonlight.
“If the beast listens to the Moon-Bound…” he shouted,
“Then I’ll take the Moon-Bound!”
Kael reacted instantly.
The massive Lycan King lunged forward with a furious roar.
But Magnus was already mid-strike.
His blade swung toward Aria.
Time seemed to slow.
Aria’s eyes widened.
The Shadow Beast saw the attack.
And it reacted.
With a deafening roar, the creature slammed its massive claw into the ground between them.
BOOM!
The earth split open.
Magnus was thrown backward across the battlefield, crashing hard into the dirt.
Dust filled the air.
The beast stood protectively in front of Aria, its glowing eyes blazing with rage.
The message was clear.
No one would touch the Moon-Bound.
Not even Magnus.
Silence fell across the battlefield once more.
Kael slowly stepped beside Aria.
His voice was filled with awe.
“It’s protecting you.”
Aria looked at the enormous creature standing guard before her.
Her silver aura glowed brighter than ever.
And for the first time since this war began—
The rebels looked afraid.
Very afraid.
- Writer
