At that moment, Steven appeared beside Rasen, sensing the inner battle tearing him apart without a word being spoken.There was no panic in his expression—only a cold, unwavering determination.
"Rasen," his voice rang clear and steady, cutting through the chaos like a blade. "Don't lose yourself. You are stronger than this."
Rasen turned slowly. His eyes reflected a storm of desperation and restrained rage—but Steven saw something deeper: the faint glimmer of humanity still fighting to prevail.
Steven didn't hesitate. He placed a firm hand on Rasen's shoulder—an anchor tethering him to reality. His touch was warm, solid—a weight cutting through the web of darkness. Then he spoke, with a softness that defied the madness around them.
"Remember who you are. This doesn't control you; you control it."
Steven's touch became an anchor amid the chaos. For a moment, Rasen felt that connection—tangible—like a spark forcing the darkness to recoil.He closed his eyes, breathing deep. With every exhale, the pressure on his chest lessened—his grip on control flickered back to life.
"White Wolf—wake up!" Steven shouted, his voice reverberating through the tunnel.
Rasen could feel his control slipping away, like sand through his fingers. Within him, the dark hunter that possessed him fought just as fiercely for dominance."What have I become?" The question echoed inside him, filled with horror and dread.Power surged through his veins—an imposing, dark energy that gave him strength, yet stole his very essence.
"No... I won't let you win," he whispered to himself—a plea more than a command.His vision darkened, trapped between fury and hatred he could no longer tell were his own—or the creature's.
For an instant, everything reduced to the pounding in his temples—a war drum thundering through his mind.Each pulse brought another wave of darkness—a frantic struggle not to yield. The chains in his mind trembled, straining to contain the storm.
"I've already lost so much... Clear, my humanity... Aisha."Her name flared like a spark in the dark—a painful reminder of all he had lost."If I become this... how will I ever face her?"
As Rasen wrestled with the chaos within, Sanathiel appeared before him.The bond between them—forged in old battles—now burned with searing intensity.Fully transformed into his wolf form, Sanathiel lunged, claws and fangs ready to tear through the darkness engulfing the man Aisha once cared for.
The first impact was brutal. Rasen's entire body shook, caught in a maelstrom between willpower and shadow.Chains erupted around him, shielding him from Sanathiel's assault—but the White Wolf's roar pierced his mind like lightning, cutting through the inner storm, awakening a spark of truth.
Each strike, every movement became a ferocious clash—Rasen's determination versus the relentless instinct of the dark hunter within.Breath by breath, heartbeat by heartbeat, the darkness began to lose ground.Sanathiel, now surrounded by a contained aura of power, became a beacon in the storm. Rasen could feel their heartbeats—faint but synchronized—rekindling a bond that still shone in the shadows.
Then, in a sudden shift, Sanathiel transformed.His fur darkened to deep gray, his blue eyes radiated an aura that paralyzed the surrounding beasts.One by one, they knelt before him—powerless.
Rasen recoiled, his rage now tinged with fear.From the shadows, Steven shouted: "Rasen—stop! Don't let this consume you!"
Rasen looked to him. His eyes revealed an abyss of despair.In one final effort to hold on, he let the chains fade—fleeting clarity returning, allowing a piece of his essence to resurface.
Sanathiel watched—his gaze reflecting the war still raging within Rasen.And in one last whisper, his voice echoed through the tunnel:
"Rasen—remember... you are more than this darkness."
The chains crumbled. Darkness began to dissolve.
Yet—like a reflex—the chains snapped back, swift and deadly, lashing even at the White Wolf who fought to save him.
From a distance, Solomon—the Ebony Wolf—regained consciousness.Seeing the chains striking out of control, he roared and leapt into the fray—tearing through the hybrid beasts with brutal determination.
*"Suddenly, Salomon froze—nostrils flaring. A familiar scent cut through the tunnel's stench like a blade: Aisha.His gaze locked onto her through the chaos. The resemblance to Zaira struck him like a forbidden memory.
'Just as the witch described,'* he growled, fangs gleaming in the dim light.
Never taking his eyes off her, he surged forward, rending beasts with renewed ferocity.Instinct drove him toward the young woman—but Rasen's threat forced him to act. With a brutal motion, he seized Steven by the vest and hurled him toward Falco—pulling him from the chains' deadly reach.
Aisha, frozen for an instant, watched in shock—uncertain whether Solomon was a new threat... or an unlikely ally."*
The air grew oppressive. The tunnel trembled.Conflicting emotions and suffocating tension engulfed all who bore witness to this terrifying scene.Fog thickened—breathing became a struggle.
In that moment, Aisha knew: "Rasen will kill them all."
Spores burst from the walls—viscous slime began to coat the chamber.
"Rasen's body became enshrouded in a dark, pulsating membrane. Black filaments sprouted from his skin—spinning a viscous cocoon that throbbed with an ominous rhythm.The air grew cold—mist swirled around him—as if the tunnel itself was breathing with him."
"Stop him! Get back! Rasen—come back! Don't lose yourself!" Aisha screamed—forcing her way through the ravenous beasts and monsters.In a desperate act, she tore the slider from Falco's hands. Slashing her palm, she let her blood flow—bait for the one she sought.
"RASEN!"
"The pulsing cocoon unraveled into black tatters—evaporating with a high-pitched hiss.Rasen, gasping, emerged from the heart of the mist."
The chains lashed out violently, desperate to regain control of their prey.But Sanathiel, emanating raw presence, immobilized them—nullifying their power.
The mist thinned.Rasen's figure emerged—exhausted, yet his eyes still burned with rage.Still trapped, he managed to whisper:
"Steven... please. Get back... I can't hold it much longer."
"Sanathiel—now in his wildest, most unconscious form—had completely lost control of himself."
And in his fury—he now seemed ready to destroy everything.