The war did not begin in the city.
It began in the forests.
Miles away, far from shattered streets and falling buildings, the wind moved through towering trees that had stood for centuries.
But even the forest felt wrong.
Birds had stopped singing.
Animals had fled.
The earth itself trembled faintly beneath the roots.
At the center of the forest stood the territory of Nightfall Pack.
Once the strongest pack in the northern territories.
Now… quieter.
More cautious.
Because the wolf who had once ruled it Lucien was long dead.
And the world had never quite healed.
Inside the pack grounds, dozens of wolves were gathered in the training clearing.
The sky above them looked sick.
Golden fractures spread across the clouds like cracks in glass.
Everyone could feel it.
Something was
