Aedric's eyes glowed blood-red the moment Eleanor said, "I'm not."
His claws shot out of his fingers like daggers, his face twisted in rage and heartbreak.
"You're not her," he growled. "I knew it. From the moment I saw you—I knew you were an imposter, wearing Daria's face!"
He lunged forward, aiming straight for Eleanor's throat.
But she was faster.
She summoned Stormbite, her lightning-forged weapon, and combined it with her telekinetic power. With a flick of her hand, she hurled Aedric across the clearing like a broken branch.
His back hit the ground with a heavy thud, dust flying up around him.
Before he could recover, Eleanor dashed toward him at lightning speed and pressed Stormbite against his throat. Sparks crackled as the blade hovered just above his skin.
"You're right," she said swallowinged hard. "Where's the real Daria?" he asked, voice trembling.
"She's dead."
His eyes widened. "You… you killed her?"
"No." Eleanor's voice hardened. She pointed at Theron. "He did."
"What?" Aedric looked from the body to Eleanor. "That doesn't make any sense. Why would Theron want her dead?"
She didn't answer. Just stared at him with cold, glowing eyes.
Aedric pushed her blade away with the back of his hand and stood up. "No. I don't believe you. You're the villain here. You've tricked everyone into thinking you're her."
"Watch your tongue, peasant," Eleanor snapped, her voice sharp as glass.
His face twisted in offense. "Peasant? How dare you call me that?"
Eleanor leaned in, her voice low and threatening. "If you want to live—and see what's left of the real Daria—you'll do exactly as I say. And if you breathe a word about my identity to anyone, I'll burn this entire village to the ground. Do you understand?"
She wasn't sure if the threat would work. She didn't want to hurt anyone else. But she needed to protect the secret a little longer. It was too soon.
Aedric's eyes narrowed. "So you were the one who sent those black wolves?"
"No. That wasn't me," Eleanor replied quickly. "Someone else is behind that."
Before he could ask more questions, a weak voice called from behind them.
"Daria…"
Brina.
Eleanor turned and ran to her side, falling to her knees. "Brina, are you okay?"
Brina blinked, dazed, then nodded slowly. "Yes…"
Eleanor let out a breath of relief. "Thank the moon it worked."
Behind them, Aedric stood up, brushing dirt off his pants. He looked at Theron's body again—still headless and bloody. Then he said, "How do you plan to explain this to the beta? That his son tried to kill you and you decapitated him in defense?"
Eleanor stood, brushing blood off her arm. "That's your job. I made the mess—you clean it up."
Aedric scoffed. "Because you've got some lightning sword and weird powers, you think you can boss me around?"
She didn't respond.
"Fine," he muttered, clearly annoyed. "You two should leave before someone sees this and it gets out of control."
Eleanor and Brina began walking away. As they vanished into the trees, Aedric approached Theron's body. He crouched beside it and picked up a twig. With it, he nudged the head closer to the neck, watching blood trail behind it.
"Well, Theron," he said softly, a sly smile forming. "I never liked you anyway. The fake Daria did me a favor."
He glanced around, then leaned closer.
"One by one," he whispered, "I'll use this chaos to get what I truly want."
His eyes glowed deep crimson.
Then, with one brutal motion, he plunged his claws into Theron's chest—and ripped out his heart.
As the still-warm organ pulsed in his palm, a surge of power rushed through Aedric's body. A spark lit behind his eyes.
He had just absorbed all of Theron's strength.
The sky turned golden as Eleanor and Brina made their way back through the forest.
Neither of them spoke for a long time.
Then Brina stopped walking.
Eleanor turned. "What is it?"
"What you did back there…" Brina's voice was quiet, shaken. "The real Daria could never have done that. Even if she had all the powers in the world—she'd never take a life."
Eleanor's jaw clenched.
"Daria believed every life was sacred," Brina continued. "A gift—or a curse—from the Moon Goddess. Only She has the right to take it back."
Eleanor stepped closer. Her eyes were hard. "I told you before. I'm not Daria. She's dead."
Brina's voice cracked. "Then who are you?"
Eleanor looked up at the darkening sky, then back down.
"My name is Eleanor," she said. "The Lycan Queen of Auralis. Ruler of the Moonfang Empire."
Brina's mouth fell open. "That's not possible. Where is my friend? Where is Daria?"
"I don't know," Eleanor said honestly. "All I know is—when she died, the Moon Goddess gave me a second chance. She used Daria's body to give me life again."
Brina's voice turned cold. "That's not fair. Daria was a good person. She's the one who deserved a second chance—not a ruthless killer like you."
Eleanor's eyes widened. "What did you say?"
Brina took a shaky breath. "I've heard stories. Stories of the Lycan Queen—Eleanor. You raided villages. You murdered Alphas. You enslaved their people. You brought war and suffering everywhere you went."
She stepped back. "You don't deserve another life. You don't deserve forgiveness. And Daria didn't deserve to die."
Eleanor stared at her, heart pounding.
She had no words.
Brina turned and walked away, tears in her eyes, leaving Eleanor standing alone in the middle of the forest path.
Eleanor stood still, heart heavy, the silence between them louder than thunder.
Brina didn't look back as she walked into the trees, leaving Eleanor standing alone in the fading light.
The forest fell quiet once again.
Eleanor clenched her fists, staring down at the dried blood on her hands.
Her voice came out in a whisper.
"If Theron said he killed Brina that night... then how is she still alive?"
A soft chime echoed in her head.
[MoonCore Response: That... is your quest to figure out.]
Her breath caught.
The wind stirred the leaves around her feet, carrying with it more questions than answers.