THE PSYCHOLOGICAL ASSAULT
The forest lay in a fragile calm, but the air was heavy with tension. Wolves moved cautiously, ears flicking at the slightest whisper of wind, tails low but alert. The aftermath of the shadow leader’s direct strike had left both the land and the pack scarred. Charred trees and shattered underbrush marked the battlefield, while injured wolves limped among their kin, faces etched with awe, fear, and determination.
Lykos stood at the center of the clearing, silver aura flaring faintly, muscles coiled like springs, senses strained to the limit. Every breath he took carried the weight of responsibility—the lives of his pack, the bond with Aria, and the looming threat of a cunning, adaptive enemy.
Aria hovered beside him, silver fire tracing delicate patterns along h
