The fracture beneath the arena expanded rapidly. Stone fragments erupted outward as a deep resonance reverberated across the entire Council grounds. Wolves recoiled in alarm, while dust billowed into the air, like smoke after an explosion. The trial of dominance had concluded. Consequently, all present appeared apprehensive.
Kaiden immediately advanced toward me, grasping my wrist and prompting me to follow behind him as another section of the arena floor collapsed inward. "Remain close," he commanded. For once, no one contested his orders.
Even the Elders exhibited visible signs of agitation. Ragnar, wiping blood from his mouth, observed the widening fissure below. "That should not be there." The ground trembled once more.
A surge of dark energy emanated from beneath the arena, cold enough to cause physical discomfort. My mark reacted instantly, radiating brightly against my neck. A sharp pain coursed through me.
I gasped. Kaiden turned abruptly. "Selene?" Lucien's expression darkened. "The underground seal is reacting to her power." An Elder stepped forward sharply.
"Impossible. That seal has remained dormant for centuries." Another violent tremor interrupted him.
Then, a sound returned — a roar. Ancient, massive, alive. The fissure widened further, and beneath the shattered stone floor, glowing symbols appeared—thousands of them. Old markings carved deep underground, pulsating with a dark silver light. The entire arena fell into silence. Orion slowly uncrossed his arms, his composed expression finally slipping. "That is unfortunate," he muttered softly.
I observed the symbols; something about them felt familiar. Not visually, but instinctively. My mark burned hotter. Suddenly, images flashed through my mind: a silver throne, wolves kneeling, a woman standing beneath a blood-red moon, power flooding an entire kingdom.
I staggered backwards; Kaiden caught me before I fell. "What did you see?" he asked. "I..." My voice trembled. "I do not know." But deep within, I knew. I sensed that those symbols were connected to me.
The Elder's voice cut through the silence. "Everyone must evacuate the lower arena immediately." Panic spread through the crowd. Lesser wolves moved toward the exits, while powerful Alphas remained motionless, observing the glowing crack with caution. Ragnar narrowed his eyes at me. "The seal was activated when her power surged." No one contradicted this.
Lucien carefully approached the fissure. "This is not merely a prison seal," he said softly.
"It is containment." My stomach contracted. "Containment for what?" Before anyone could respond, a colossal claw struck the underside of the broken arena floor. The structure trembled violently.
Several wolves screamed. Kaiden quickly pulled me back as dark smoke billowed from the crack below. Two glowing eyes appeared in the darkness beneath the arena—eyes that were not wolf-like. Something far worse. Ancient and ravenous. The creature growled low, its sound enough to shake the very air. An Elder whispered in horror, "It survived..." Orion's piercing gaze shifted toward the Council. "Did you know something was buried here?" Silence answered.
That was sufficient. Kaiden's aura flared instantly. "What has been hidden beneath this territory?" The lead Elder looked grim. "Long ago," he said slowly, "the First Luna sealed away creatures corrupted by forbidden Alpha powers." My heartbeat halted. The First Luna. That name. Always present in the background. Lucien's face paled.
"The Council arena is built atop one of the prisons?" "We believed the seal was stable." The creature below roared again, evidently revealing their mistake. Then my mark flared violently.
All the symbols beneath the arena illuminated simultaneously. The creature underneath fell still, its glowing eyes locking directly onto me—not Kaiden, not the Elders, but me. A deep voice echoed from beneath the earth: "…Luna…" A cold wave of terror swept through me, for it somehow recognised me.