The air was thick with tension.
Salomon stared at the grayish wolf before him—wild, maddened, and with piercing blue eyes that stirred a near-unbearable sense of dread. Sensing the looming threat, he raised his lunar medallion. The blinding flash it emitted was an act of desperation, a final, exhausting assertion of his will over the remaining Nevri.
"Attack!" he commanded, his voice steady against the beast's merciless roar.
But the gray wolf moved with unstoppable force, ignoring Salomon entirely. His gaze was fixed on Aisha, who stood frozen in terror as the creature drew near. Desperate, she dove among the fallen bodies and reached for Falco's broken sword. Before she could escape, icy hands clamped around her neck.
"Don't try it… Stay still," murmured a low, shadowed voice.
The chill of those words crept into her bones. Around her, corpses lay drained of life—gruesome evidence of the monster's insatiable hunger. Her breathing turned frantic. Gathering all her strength, she attempted a direct strike, but the blade shattered the moment it touched his skin. She felt Rasen's claws tighten like a deadly cage, squeezing the breath from her throat.
From the distance, Falco broke free of the chains binding his arm. Raising his voice:"Aisha—hold on!"
Moved by that cry, Skiller—weak but clinging to his mission—rushed forward, gasping. Seeing Rasen's distorted face, he whispered:
"Your blood gave me strength... You made me promise to protect her."
Rasen's eyes, now bottomless voids, reflected a storm of hatred and madness. His grip on Aisha intensified, while living chains coiled around Skiller like serpents, crushing him inch by inch.
"Obey me?" Rasen muttered, his voice echoing like distant thunder."If you can't hear your Master's voice… then fall already."
Skiller read his thoughts—if he hesitated, he'd be consumed.
Then, to everyone's shock, Steven emerged from the shadows.With eyes full of resolve and the weight of every decision he'd made, he stepped forward, sword in hand.
"If I die today, I'll face what's left of you," he said calmly.
Aisha, on the verge of unconsciousness, gathered one last breath. As the chains spread from her back and his hand closed tighter around her neck, she pulled his face close and bit down—hard.
"I know you're in there... I never should've left you alone," she whispered, regret tearing the air between them.
Rasen froze. His body trembled. From his eyes, tears of blood spilled.
With all her strength, Aisha reached for him."You're special, Rasen…" she said, hands outstretched."Forgive me... for being selfish with you. For hurting you."
Her words struck his shattered soul.
With a howl of agony, Rasen staggered back. A violent cough racked his body. Dark blood spilled from his lips and evaporated into bitter smoke. Black thorns burst from his chest and throat—a physical manifestation of the darkness consuming him.
Steven saw the change and unsheathed his blade, panic flooding his features.
"Aisha—get back!"
But Rasen, caught in his own inner battle, released a thick fog that filled the tunnel with choking, toxic air. Falco, gathering the last of his strength, shouted:
"Leave him to me! Steven—get everyone out!"
Falco's voice cut through the haze. He launched into attack, his blade slicing through the charged air. Pain couldn't stop him now—only fury kept him upright.
"You'll taste no more blood," he growled.
Aisha, barely conscious on the ground, tried to move—to escape. But before she could act, the white wolf hurled her violently against a rock wall. The impact spun her world into a whirlwind of pain and dizziness.
"This might be the end," she thought as the fetid, hot breath of the wolf enveloped her. Its claws sank into her flesh. Her scream echoed through the tunnel, a raw cry of suffering.
But then—from the shadows—a towering figure emerged.
The black wolf.
With primal ferocity and lethal grace, it lunged at the white beast. In a single motion, it tore the creature off Aisha, slashing it down. For a moment, the black wolf's face showed satisfaction as it watched its enemy fall—defeated and broken.
Silence fell like a shroud over the tunnel.
The beasts nearby froze, their wild, hungry eyes now fixed on Aisha.
Elsewhere, Lionel and Steven halted mid-battle, having heard Aisha's cry. Lionel's guard dropped briefly, his face tight with concern.
"White wolf, come back to your senses…" Skiller murmured, dragging himself across the damp floor."Wait for me… we're almost there."
With one last surge, Skiller gripped the black wolf, holding him down until he gasped for air. Meanwhile, Sanathiel reclaimed his lunar medallion. With a firm motion, he hurled the black wolf aside. It landed—naked—on the shimmering pool of filtered water, semi-conscious and unable to stand.
In the distance, Falco was still shouting—exhausted, but unwilling to surrender.
"At the heart of the cavern, where shadows once danced, only a hollow circle remained. No sign of Rasen—no body, no chains. Only a faint trail of dark smoke rising like a final breath, fading into the trembling light."
Everyone searched for Rasen as the thick fog lifted, revealing a small sphere of light illuminating the cavern.
Skiller, hands trembling, held Aisha in his arms as she collapsed, unconscious. Her chest rose and fell weakly—still breathing, though every breath was a struggle.
"The wolf… has finally become an alpha…" Skiller whispered, voice breaking."Congratulations… Sanathiel."