The moment Kade's mark appeared, the entire mountain groaned like it was alive.
The seal glowed bright on his chest—silver flames twining into a crescent fang. His breath came in ragged bursts. He dropped to one knee, hands trembling, sweat pouring down his face.
Aria knelt beside him. "Kade, breathe. Look at me."
He met her gaze. And in that instant—everything changed.
Something ancient stirred in his golden eyes. Power. Recognition. And grief.
"I didn't know," he whispered. "I thought I was just… the last of the Bloodfang Pack. Just a survivor."
Selene's voice echoed in the crypt:
"No one is just anything. You are the Sixth Flame—the protector, the shield. The one who must choose between vengeance and salvation."
Mira stepped forward, whispering, "He completes the Circle."
Kai folded his arms, skeptical. "How do we know this isn't another trick?"
Selene met his challenge with calm. "You all bear different aspects of the Moon: Light, Shadow, Blood, Storm, Flame, and Bond. Together, you are the final resistance against the Breaking."
Reid frowned. "What's the Breaking?"
Selene's voice dropped. "The moment when the line between beast and god dissolves. If Varian completes his ritual—if he binds Aria's blood to his own—he will not just rule. He will become the Devourer."
A silence fell over them like snowfall.
Then Lyra said what none of them wanted to ask.
"How do we stop him?"
---
Selene raised her arms.
The stone walls flared to life, revealing a celestial map carved across the chamber. Moons in different phases spun above them—waxing, waning, full, hidden. In the center was a dark star, pulsing.
"The only way to sever Varian's rise," she said, "is through the Lunaris Rite."
"The what?" Reid asked.
"A ceremony born at the dawn of Moonborn blood," Selene explained. "It binds all six Flames in shared spirit. Your hearts, your powers, your fates. When complete, it unlocks the True Howl—the combined force of your souls."
Mira looked worried. "What's the catch?"
"You must perform it under the Blood Moon," Selene said. "In a place where the veil is thin. And the bond must be willing. Pure. Unbroken by fear, doubt, or selfishness."
Kai scoffed. "That's a tall order."
"You have less than three nights," Selene continued. "The eclipse begins on the third dusk. After that, your chance is gone."
Kade straightened, the glow on his chest fading. "Where do we go?"
Selene stepped aside.
Behind her, a doorway appeared—arch-shaped, formed of light and old stone.
"The Shrine of Echoes," she said. "Hidden in the Forgotten Woods."
Aria stared into the portal. "Then that's where we go."
Selene reached for her hand. "Once you pass through, I can no longer protect you. My time is ending. But yours is just beginning."
Aria squeezed her hand. "Thank you… for waiting."
Selene smiled softly. "I wasn't waiting. I was hoping."
---
They stepped through the portal.
And emerged into a forest older than time.
Trees towered so high they disappeared into mist. The air smelled of rain and magic. The moon above them was full—watching, waiting.
The path ahead shimmered like glass underfoot.
Aria turned to the others.
"This is it," she said. "No more hiding. No more running."
Lyra nodded. "We stand together now."
Kai flexed his fingers, stormlight gathering between them. "We finish what our ancestors couldn't."
Reid cracked his knuckles. "We do it our way."
Mira's mark flared. "We do it right."
Kade stepped to Aria's side. "We start the Rite tonight."
---
That evening, under the moon, they formed the Circle.
Each stood at a point on the sacred ring drawn in ash and salt. At the center, Aria knelt, eyes closed, her palms pressed to the earth.
One by one, they began to chant.
The energy rose like a storm building at sea.
Aria's body trembled as each bond lit within her:
—Mira: the calm in chaos.
—Lyra: pain forged into strength.
—Reid: loyalty without hesitation.
—Kai: the storm that would not break.
—Kade: her heart, her fire, her choice.
When the final word was spoken, the air exploded in light.
And Aria rose—glowing like the moon itself.
---
The power wasn't just inside her.
It was her.
She turned slowly to look at her circle—her pack. Each one glowing, each mark alight. The Circle of Six was real.
Bound.
Complete.
But the moment was shattered by a sound that did not belong.
A scream.
Inhuman.
Rattling the trees.
Kai spun around. "We're not alone."
From the woods, shadows poured in.
Dozens. No—hundreds.
Wolves. Twisted. Misshapen. Their eyes burned red, their bodies stitched with shadow magic.
Leading them was a figure in cri
mson robes, taller than any of them had ever seen.
Varian.
His voice slithered into the clearing like venom.
"Well done, my flames. Now burn."