Lyra awoke slowly, feeling the comforting warmth of the campfire and Kaleb's heartbeat beside her. For the first time in a long while, she felt safe. She opened her eyes and looked at the rising sun, which painted the sky in shades of purple and gold. She felt exhausted, yet determined. She knew that the battle with the mutated Kaleb was merely a prelude to the true confrontation with the Shadow of Oblivion.
Kaleb slept beside her, his face peaceful, though still showing traces of fatigue and pain from the loss of his brother. Lyra looked at the silver wolf badge Kaleb held in his hand. It was a symbol of his youthful brotherhood, now the only memento of a being that the Shadow of Oblivion had almost completely destroyed. Lyra felt a pang of sympathy, but quickly suppressed it. There was no time for sentiment.
She rose quietly, trying not to wake Kaleb. She walked towards the black, pulsating substance that covered the bottom of the valley. It was the condensed form of the Shadow of Oblivion, its core. An aura of pure entropy and oblivion emanated from it, seemingly draining light and life from its surroundings. Lyra extended her hand, feeling the icy, alien energy.
"Aeris," she whispered in her thoughts. "How do I destroy this?"
Aeris's voice appeared in her mind, faint but clear. This is the heart of the plague. It has been dormant for centuries, feeding on oblivion. Now that it has awakened, you can destroy it only with Primeval Magic and… life.
"Life?" Lyra asked.
Yes. Life, which is its opposite. You must pour the essence of life into it, so powerful as to overload it. All the Primeval Lunas, before they perished, created a last bastion of life. They hid it. Only a true Blood Moon Luna can find it.
"Where?" Lyra asked, feeling a rising tension.
Deep beneath the heart of the forest. Where ancient trees lived before the plague destroyed them. Somewhere there, underground, is what you need. You would feel it if you were at full strength. But you are exhausted.
Lyra understood. She had to regain full power to find this "source of life." She looked at her depleted magical reserves. It would take days, maybe weeks, for natural replenishment. And they didn't have that much time. The Shadow of Oblivion could attack the pack at any moment.
"Is there another way?" she asked.
There is. But it's risky. You can accelerate the regeneration process by connecting with the pulse of the forest itself. Enter its soul. But if you are not strong enough, you could be consumed. You will lose yourself.
Lyra knew this was her only chance. She couldn't wait. "Show me the way," she said to Aeris.
Aeris's voice was silent for a moment. Go to the oldest tree in this valley. Its roots are connected to the forest's life network.
Lyra turned and looked at the most distorted, monstrous tree in the valley. It was enormous, its bark cracked, and its branches were bare and twisted like bones. It was so old it seemed to be part of the landscape itself.
Lyra approached the tree. Its energy was strange – dead, yet somehow… pulsating. It must have been that even in death, it maintained a connection to Primeval Magic. Lyra placed her hands on its bark. She felt coldness and emptiness.
She began to meditate, focusing on connecting with the tree's energy. She sent a stream of her own residual magic into it, trying to unblock the clogged channels. It was like trying to open massive, rusted doors that had been closed for centuries. Pain shot through her body as the forest's resistance tried to push her away. She felt her mind stretch, trying to encompass the infinite network of roots, earth, and forest memories.
Kaleb woke up. He felt strange vibrations in the ground. He looked at Lyra, who stood by the tree, her body tense, her silver hair slightly uplifted as if by an invisible wind. Her skin glowed with a pale, ethereal light. He understood she was doing something important, something beyond his comprehension. He saw her suffer. He wanted to help her, but he knew he couldn't.
From deep within the earth, a low, pulsating rumble began to emanate. The pack in the valley began to stir, alarmed. Lyra felt her mind expand, touching every branch, every root, every stone in the Forbidden Forest. She felt the pain of the dying forest, the memories of its life – centuries of growth, struggle, destruction. She saw trees that danced in the sun, rivers that flowed clear, and animals that roamed freely. And then she saw the arrival of the Shadow of Oblivion, like a plague that slowly drained life, leaving behind only emptiness and oblivion.
She felt that the Primeval Magic of the forest, though dormant, was still there, hidden deep underground. She reached for it, trying to merge it with her own essence. It was like drinking from an infinite spring, yet at the same time, she felt as if the source was trying to consume her. Lyra clenched her teeth, her mind fighting for survival, her will unyielding. She could not give up. Not now, when she was so close.
Then, a wave of pure, green energy flowed into her body. Lyra felt her veins pulsating with magic, her muscles regenerating, and her fatigue vanishing. This was the essence of the forest's life, the ancient Primeval Magic she had inherited. Her silver hair shone intensely, and her eyes blazed with an emerald glow as she opened them again.
Lyra stood up, feeling stronger than ever. Magic surged in her veins, ready for use. She knew she now had enough power to find the "last bastion of life" and destroy the Shadow of Oblivion.
Kaleb approached her, his eyes wide with awe and a slight fear. "Lyra… What… what happened?" "I connected with the forest," Lyra replied, her voice clear and resonant. "I regained my full power. And now I know where the last bastion of life is hidden. It's where the Primeval Lunas hid the essence of the forest before they were destroyed."
She pointed to the denser undergrowth deeper in the valley, where the pulsation of the black substance was most intense. "We must get there. But first… we must prepare. The Shadow of Oblivion will protect itself."
Suddenly, from the darkness of the valley, more distorted, mutated creatures began to emerge. They were not just werewolves, but also other forest creatures – gigantic bears, wild foxes, and birds, all covered in the black substance, their eyes empty and lifeless. The Shadow of Oblivion reacted to the awakening of Lyra's Primeval Magic, sending its most powerful servants.
"This is exactly what I needed," Lyra whispered, her lips curving into a thin smile. "I will show you what a true Luna can do."
Lyra raised her hands, and from the earth, which had been dead until now, powerful, glowing green vines began to sprout, like dozens of snakes. They entwined and writhed, forming a moving wall that surrounded Lyra and Kaleb. At the same time, from deep within the earth, she sensed the presence of water. Lyra struck the ground with her hand, and from beneath her feet, a stream of pure, crystal-clear water shot forth, instantly beginning to freeze, forming sharp, icy spikes.
"Ready?" Lyra asked, turning to Kaleb. Her eyes blazed with determination. Kaleb, seeing her power, nodded, his wolf howling in acceptance. "Ready."
This was no longer a battle for survival. This was a battle to annihilate the source of the Shadow of Oblivion. Lyra felt the Primeval Magic, now flowing freely within her, ready to attack. She knew this would be the final confrontation.
"We must break through," Lyra said, pointing to the place where the black substance was densest. "That's the entrance to the bastion. We will destroy it. Once and for all."
The mutants approached, their roars filling the valley. Lyra felt their dark energy, but now it did not inspire fear in her, but determination. She was the Blood Moon Luna, the last hope. And she would not fail.