Luna Aurora novel (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter 322

The air around them crackled with dark energy as they moved deeper into the Crimson Ruins. The ground beneath their feet seemed to pulse, resonating with the ancient magic that thrummed through the air. The red light continued to grow, casting long, eerie shadows

across the landscape, as if the ruins themselves were alive.

Elyra could feel the shard growing stronger in her hand, its power urging her forward. But every step was a struggle. The shard was becoming more and more difficult to control, its energy pulling at her, threatening to overwhelm her at every turn.

Dain walked beside her, his dark gaze fixed on the ruins ahead. The shadows that clung to him seemed to grow thicker with each passing moment, his connection to the darkness deepening with every step.

"Elyra, we need to keep moving," Dain said, his voice low, his tone almost detached. "The longer we linger, the stronger the pull will be."

Elyra nodded, but the tension in her chest tightened. She couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them, waiting for them to make a mistake. And then, as if on cue, a howl broke the silence.

The sound was primal, filled with rage and pain. Before they could react, a pack of wolves burst from the shadows, their eyes glowing with an unnatural red light. These were no ordinary wolves-these were feral, twisted by the same shadow magic that had consumed Dain.

The wolves lunged at them, their fangs bared and their bodies moving with a terrifying speed. Elyra barely had time to react before one of the wolves was upon her, its jaws snapping inches from her throat.

She raised her hand, the shard glowing brightly in her palm. A pulse of light shot out from the shard, slamming into the wolf and sending it flying back. But the attack left her breathless, and the shard's power surged through her, filling her with a burning heat. She staggered, the world around her spinning as the shard's energy threatened to consume her.

"Elyra!" Cassian shouted, rushing to her side.

Aurora was already engaged with another wolf, her blade flashing in the dim light as she fought it off. Dain moved with an eerie calm, his dark power swirling around him, the shadows seeming to bend to his will. He slashed at the wolves with his bare hands, tearing through them with a speed and savagery that sent a chill down Elyra's spine.

But no matter how many wolves they killed, more kept emerging from the shadows. The pack seemed endless, driven mad by the shadow magic that twisted their minds and bodies.

"Focus, Elyra!" Dain shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos. "You need to control it before it controls you."

Elyra clenched her teeth, her vision blurring as the shard's energy surged again. The heat was unbearable, and she could feel the shard's power clawing at her, trying to take over her body and mind.

"I can't-" she gasped, her knees buckling as she struggled to maintain control.

Dain's eyes flickered with something close to concern, but it was quickly replaced by cold determination. He reached out and grabbed her wrist, his touch sending a shock of dark energy through her. "You have to!" he urged, his voice rough. "The shard is part of you now. You have to learn to control it or we're all dead."

Elyra closed her eyes, trying to steady her breathing. She could feel the shard pulsing in her hand, a dark rhythm that seemed to match the beat of her heart. It was alive-alive with an ancient, insidious power. The more she tried to control it, the harder it fought back. With a force of will, Elyra forced the shard's energy outward, sending another wave of light cascading through the air. The wolves howled in pain as the light scorched them, sending several of them retreating into the shadows. But there were still too many, and they kept coming, undeterred by the light.

"I can't do this," Elyra whispered, feeling her strength wane with each passing moment. "I can't control it."

"You will," Dain said, his voice low and steady. "You have no choice."

Before she could respond, one of the wolves-larger and more vicious than the rest-lunged at her from the darkness. Elyra barely had time to react, the wolf's jaws snapping shut around her arm. Pain shot through her as its teeth sank into her flesh, but the shard flared with a blinding light, pushing the wolf back.

But even as the wolf staggered away, its eyes locked onto her with an unsettling intensity. Elyra's heart skipped a beat. There was something wrong about this wolf-something... familiar.

The wolf staggered back, shaking its head as if trying to clear its vision. And then, in a broken, rasping voice, it spoke.

"The ascendant must choose," it muttered, its eyes flickering with an unnatural understanding.

Elyra froze, her breath catching in her throat. The words echoed in her mind, reverberating through her chest like the beating of a drum. The ascendant must choose. What did it mean? And why did it sound so familiar?

Dain stepped forward, his eyes narrowing as he glanced at the wolf. The shadows around him seemed to grow darker, more oppressive, as if the very air had thickened.

"We don't have time for riddles," Dain said, his voice dangerously low. "Kill it."

But Elyra couldn't move. She couldn't tear her gaze away from the wolf's eyes, which were now filled with a deep, haunting sorrow.

"What does it mean?" she whispered, her voice trembling.

The wolf's lips curled in what almost looked like a smile, though it was twisted and cruel. "The ascendant must choose," it repeated, before its body collapsed, its life force drained away in an instant. -: One wolf mutters in a broken voice: "The ascendant must choose."