THE PRICE OF CHOICE
The northern node did not fall silent after the Warden spoke.
It listened.
The stone formation vibrated beneath Lykos’s feet, a low, constant hum that resonated with his bones, his blood, his wolf. It wasn’t pain—it was recognition. The land itself acknowledged him as something more than Alpha… and something less than free.
Aria stood close, her silver fire still flickering unpredictably, no longer just reactive but anticipatory. Every pulse from the node sent ripples through her, like echoes searching for a source.
“The Warden said rewrite,” she said quietly. “Not destroy.”
Lykos nodded grimly. “Because destruction leaves a vacuum. And something always fills it.”
The Warden Fragment remained motionless, its form shimmering faintly. “Correct. Erasure causes colla
