THE FINAL ASCENT
The forest no longer resembled anything that had once been familiar. The air itself seemed to ripple, heavy with distorted energy. Shadows moved independently of light, twisting into grotesque forms, coiling around the trees and the pack like living smoke. Reality itself shuddered at the presence of the shadow leader, whose form towered on the northern ridge—colossal, molten darkness rippling across its surface, golden eyes blazing like twin suns of malice.
The Alpha, Lykos, stood at the center of the clearing, silver aura blazing, muscles coiled, senses razor-sharp. His breath came in measured bursts, wolf instincts screaming, heart hammering, yet his mind was anchored to one certainty: Aria. Every fiber of his being pulsed in tandem with her, the bond stronger than any
