The wind howled across the valley as two forces gathered their final strength.
Kael Draven stood at the center of the battlefield like a living storm. Crimson energy surged around him in violent waves, cracking the ground beneath his feet. His armor was damaged now, streaked with blood from Lucien's blade and Alaric's strike, but the wounds only seemed to fuel him.
Across from him stood Aurelia.
Golden light moved beneath the earth like a heartbeat, spreading through the valley in glowing veins. Wolves on every side could feel it now an invisible current binding them together.
Hope.
Strength.
Protection.
But Aurelia herself looked pale.
Lucien noticed first.
He stepped closer, lowering his voice.
"You're burning through too much power."
"I know," Aurelia whispered.
Her hands trembled slightly.
The land was answering her call, but it wasn't free.
Every pulse of that golden energy came from her.
Darius stood at her right, massive shoulders rising and falling as he prepared for another charge.
"Whatever he's about to do," he muttered, "it's going to hurt."
Cassian wiped blood from his dagger and studied Kael carefully.
"That's not just power gathering."
"What is it?" Alaric asked.
Cassian's eyes darkened.
"He's compressing his aura."
Lucien's gaze sharpened instantly.
"If he releases it all at once…"
Cassian finished the thought quietly.
"…half this battlefield disappears."
Aurelia felt the ground shake again.
Kael's crimson aura condensed tighter and tighter around him, spinning like a vortex. Dust lifted from the ground, swirling in the growing storm of energy.
Kael raised his head slowly.
His red eyes burned like coals.
"You've impressed me, Sovereign."
His voice rolled across the battlefield.
"More than the last Luna ever did."
Aurelia held his gaze.
"You still killed her."
"Yes."
"No hesitation."
"None."
Kael spread his arms slightly, the vortex of crimson energy expanding outward.
"Because the throne must bleed."
His expression hardened.
"Or it will poison the world."
Darius snarled.
"Say one more stupid thing."
But Kael moved first.
He slammed his foot into the ground.
The compressed aura exploded outward.
A shockwave blasted across the battlefield like a bomb.
Wolves were thrown from their feet.
Trees cracked.
Stone shattered.
Even the glowing veins in the earth flickered violently.
Lucien stepped forward immediately.
"NOW!"
The four Alphas moved as one.
Darius charged head-on, his massive Lycan form crashing through the shockwave.
Lucien followed like lightning, blade aimed straight for Kael's heart.
Alaric circled from the side.
Cassian vanished again into the chaos of dust and wind.
But Kael welcomed them.
He stepped forward into the attack.
Darius struck first.
His claws slammed into Kael's guard with a force that shook the valley.
Kael barely moved.
Lucien's sword came next.
Steel flashed.
This time the blade cut deep across Kael's chest.
Blood sprayed.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
Then he laughed.
"YES!"
He grabbed Lucien's arm mid-strike and hurled him aside like a rag doll.
Alaric's blade struck from the side.
Kael twisted and caught it between his palms.
The impact split the ground beneath them.
Cassian appeared behind Kael again.
His dagger plunged toward the Alpha's neck.
Kael dropped his head slightly.
The blade grazed his shoulder instead.
Kael spun.
His elbow smashed into Cassian's ribs.
Cassian flew backward with a painful grunt.
But this time.
Kael was breathing harder.
His wounds were starting to add up.
Darius saw it.
"You're slowing down!"
Kael wiped blood from his chest.
"Am I?"
His aura flared again.
But this time.
Something else answered.
The land.
Golden energy surged up through the cracked ground like roots breaking through stone.
Kael felt it instantly.
His grin faded.
"You're still feeding power into the territory."
Aurelia stepped forward slowly.
Her breathing was shallow.
But her eyes blazed with golden light.
"I told you."
The ground pulsed again.
"I'm protecting them."
Across the battlefield, wolves who had been struggling to stand suddenly felt strength return to their limbs.
The resonance flowed through them.
Ironclaw warriors.
North Ridge soldiers.
Even some Frostfang wolves hesitated as the energy washed over them.
Kael looked around slowly.
"You're strengthening everyone."
Aurelia didn't answer.
Because it was true.
The throne's power wasn't domination.
It was unity.
Shared strength.
Shared survival.
Kael's gaze returned to her.
"And that," he said quietly, "is exactly why you must die."
He charged again.
This time faster than before.
Faster than Lucien could intercept.
Faster than Darius could react.
Aurelia barely had time to raise her hand.
Kael's claws slammed into the golden barrier that rose from the ground.
The impact exploded like thunder.
The barrier shattered instantly.
Kael's second strike came immediately.
Lucien reached her first.
His sword intercepted the blow meant for her neck.
Steel screamed.
The force sent Lucien sliding backward across the ground.
Darius tackled Kael from the side again.
The two giants crashed through broken stone.
Alaric joined seconds later.
Cassian attacked from the shadows.
But Kael kept moving forward.
Closer.
Closer.
Toward Aurelia.
The battlefield was dissolving around them.
Blood soaked the dirt.
Howls echoed across the valley.
And still Kael advanced.
Aurelia could feel the throne within her pushing harder.
The golden energy was expanding faster now.
But it was draining her.
Her vision blurred for a moment.
Lucien noticed.
"Aurelia!"
She steadied herself.
"I'm fine."
"You're not."
Kael slammed Darius into the ground hard enough to crack stone.
Then he stood again.
Only ten meters away now.
His armor was torn.
Blood ran down his chest.
But his red eyes burned brighter than ever.
"You feel it, don't you?"
Aurelia said nothing.
Kael pointed toward the glowing land.
"That power is consuming you."
Aurelia's voice was quiet.
"Maybe."
"But if I stop…"
She looked at the battlefield around them.
"…they die."
Kael nodded slowly.
"Yes."
"That is the curse of the throne."
He took another step closer.
"Every Sovereign Luna eventually breaks under the weight."
His claws rose.
"And when you do…"
"…someone like me ends it."
Lucien stepped in front of her again.
"Not today."
Darius rose beside him.
"Or any day."
Cassian and Alaric moved into position.
Four Alphas standing between Kael and their Luna.
Kael looked at them all.
Then smiled.
"Then let's see which breaks first."
The crimson aura around him erupted again.
Stronger.
More violent.
And the final clash of the battle was about to begin.