The village felt smaller under the weight of the Council’s threat, as if the air itself had thickened with anticipation. Dawn broke with a muted glow, the sun struggling through a veil of clouds that hung low over the valley. Maya stood at the edge of the training field, her breath visible in the crisp morning air, her mind still tangled in the visions from the river. The chorus of the Echoed hummed faintly in her chest, a constant reminder that she was no longer just herself—she was a vessel for something ancient, something unstoppable.
Kade had called for a full assembly before the sun rose. The scentless gathered in the open square, their faces a mix of resolve and unease. Children clung to their parents, while the older wolves stood with squared shoulders, as if bracing for a storm th
