The morning light barely reached the forest floor. What little sunlight slipped through the canopy came in thin, pale beams, swallowed almost immediately by the towering trees. The deeper they walked, the colder the air became — not a natural cold, but a creeping, unnatural chill that clung to their skin and whispered along their necks.
The forest was quiet. Too quiet.
Eiden walked in the center, his cloak brushing against the damp leaves. Vaelus walked to his right, boots crunching softly over fallen twigs. Selyndra walked to his left, her golden hair catching what little light filtered through the branches.
Selyndra glanced around, her eyes tracing the moss‑covered trunks and the dim shafts of sunlight. Then she looked at Vaelus.
"I see your eyes have their natural glow again," she said softly. "They look nice."
Vaelus blinked, caught off guard. He scratched the back of his head, giving a nervous grin. "Thanks… I guess."
They continued walking, the forest stretching endlessly ahead.
But then — something shifted.
A subtle wrongness seeped into the air. The trees felt too familiar. The path looked too identical. The wind carried no new scent, no new sound. It was as if the forest itself was looping around them.
Eiden slowed.
"Hmmm."
He stopped walking.
"Stop," he said.
Vaelus and Selyndra halted instantly. They felt it too — the strange repetition, the eerie déjà vu.
"Yeah… you noticed it as well?" Selyndra asked, her voice low.
Vaelus scanned the area, hand drifting toward his hilt. "Something's off. Really off."
Eiden lifted his hand, bringing his index and middle fingers together in front of his chest. His expression sharpened.
Selyndra turned toward him. "What are you about to do?"
"It's clear we're inside a Veilcraft," Eiden said. "An illusion. A looping one. The only way out is to release a massive amount of aura… or use the Veilshatter Technique."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment — a single breath — then opened them.
"Veilshatter."
The world around them convulsed.
The trees bent inward, the sky twisted like melting glass, and the ground rippled beneath their feet. The illusion shattered like a mirror struck by a hammer, fragments of false reality dissolving into smoke.
When the distortion faded, they were no longer in the forest.
They stood in a dark chamber of stone, cold and damp. The air was thick with the scent of earth and fur. Shadows crawled along the walls. Low growls echoed from every direction.
Figures emerged from the darkness — crawling, circling, stalking.
Werewolves.
Their claws scraped against the stone floor. Their pointed, ruffled ears twitched. Their glowing blue eyes locked onto the three intruders with predatory hunger.
"It seems we've made it into their… whatever this is," Selyndra said, casually fixing her hair. "But it's clear we found the werewolves."
One of the werewolves lunged at Eiden, jaws wide, fangs glinting in the dim light.
Eiden didn't move.
"Moph'ei."
A pulse of invisible force erupted from him. The werewolf was thrown backward as if struck by a giant's fist, crashing into several others and sending them sprawling across the chamber.
Vaelus exhaled sharply. "Seems to me we're dog food."
He placed a hand on his hilt.
"Enough."
The voice was deep. Ancient. Commanding.
It echoed through the chamber like thunder rolling through a cavern.
Every werewolf froze. Then, as if pulled by an unseen force, they retreated into the corners, lowering their heads.
A figure stepped into view.
A throne of bones towered behind him, carved from the remains of beasts and monsters. His fur was black and ruffled, thick around his shoulders like a mane. His claws were long and sharp, glinting faintly. His eyes — deep, glowing red — watched them with a mixture of curiosity and authority.
"Welcome."
His voice reverberated through the chamber.
"Eiden, The First Divinity. Selyndra, The Golden Sage. And Vaelus, The Chronomage."
He leaned back slightly on his throne.
"Welcome to my den. How may I help you? I placed magic traps all over these woods, yet you three walked through them with ease. But I wouldn't expect anything less."
He lifted his chin.
"So, since I know you, I'll introduce myself."
"I am Ravnok the Dire, the werewolf king—"
"We already know your name, Ravnok," Eiden said, cutting him off.
Ravnok blinked. "Oh… well, alright then."
He cleared his throat, adjusting his posture.
"May I ask why you went through all this trouble to get here?"
"A village not far from here," Selyndra said. "An old woman claimed a werewolf ate her crops. Werewolves don't usually roam this area or this region."
Ravnok stroked the fur on his chin, his red eyes narrowing thoughtfully.
"And a werewolf of mine did this?"
"We're positive it was likely one of yours," Eiden said.
"Hmmm."
Ravnok lifted his palm. A faint glow formed above it, shaping itself into a small, luminous full moon. The light cast pale silver across the chamber.
"To the one who caused trouble — even after I specifically said, while we are here, 'Do not cause trouble' — step forward. You are not in trouble."
Silence.
Only soft whines echoed from the shadows.
Then a skinny, trembling werewolf stepped out from the group. His fur was patchy, his posture hunched, his eyes wide with fear.
"I—I'm sorry, sir!" he cried, dropping to his knees. "Please, sir, I was just hungry!"
The moonlight in Ravnok's hand dimmed, then faded entirely as he lowered his arm.
Ravnok's red eyes narrowed as he stared down at the trembling werewolf before him. The chamber was silent except for the faint drip of water echoing somewhere in the darkness.
"Tomorrow morning," Ravnok said, his voice low and resonant, "you will personally apologize to that old woman. The moment there is light outside, you will go. And you will return before the sun fully rises. If you fail…" His claws tapped once against the bone throne. "You are no longer under my protection and will be cast out. Do I make myself clear?"
The werewolf's entire body shook. "Y‑yes, sir! I will! I promise!"
"Good." Ravnok's lip curled slightly. "Now get out of my sight."
The werewolf scrambled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet as he fled into the group, the others parting to let him hide among them.
Ravnok exhaled slowly, then turned his attention back to the three sages standing before him. His posture straightened, the authority of a king settling back over him like a mantle.
"If that is all," he said, gesturing with one clawed hand, "you may leave through the exit behind you."
"Alright, thanks. We'll be going," Selyndra said, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear as she and Vaelus turned toward the carved passageway. The stone archway glowed faintly with runes, marking the exit.
But after a few steps, they realized Eiden wasn't following.
"Eiden?" Vaelus asked, glancing back.
Ravnok raised an eyebrow, his red eyes gleaming. "Do you have something to ask, Eiden?"
Eiden stepped forward, the dim blue glow of the chamber reflecting off his eyes.
"I do."
He paused, studying Ravnok carefully.
"What was the reason for you and your wolves to move here? I thought the region you were once in was fine."
Ravnok went silent.
The chamber seemed to grow colder.
His expression darkened, shadows gathering beneath his eyes.
"The Angel King," he said slowly, each word heavy. "He's… finally rebuilt the massive number of angels he once commanded long ago."
His claws drummed against the throne — tap, tap, tap — a restless, bitter rhythm.
"I warned him his people were reproducing too quickly. A few days after I said that, he struck my castle at midnight — him and his angels. My people barely escaped."
The memory flickered in his eyes like a distant fire.
"He found me later, when my remaining wolves and I were fleeing. He threatened me." Ravnok's jaw tightened. "Said he was in a very good relationship with the Black Wraith… and that he'd have him wipe me and my entire race out of existence."
A low, humorless chuckle escaped him — the kind that held no amusement.
"And honestly? I believe him. The Black Wraith is one crazy man…"
Selyndra's eyes flicked immediately toward Eiden, sharp and knowing.
Eiden's voice was calm, but firm. "That's impossible. He's dead."
"Presumed dead," Ravnok corrected.
Silence fell over the den — thick, heavy, suffocating.
"Well," Eiden said, "of all people, the Black Wraith wouldn't want to team or associate himself with the Angel King."
Ravnok's gaze sharpened. "And how do you know that, Eiden?"
Eiden didn't answer.
Selyndra stepped forward, her voice steady. "Eiden killed the Black Wraith many years ago. That's why he said he's dead."
Ravnok raised an eyebrow, genuinely surprised. "Hmph. Would've been nice if that was announced 'years ago' when it happened… but very well."
He leaned back in his throne, claws resting on the armrests.
"If that is all, you three are free to leave. Unless you have more to ask."
Eiden turned toward the exit, his cloak brushing the stone floor. "I'll make sure to deal with the Angel King, so you can move back into that region," he said as he stepped out.
Vaelus and Selyndra followed behind him, their footsteps echoing through the chamber.
Ravnok watched them leave, his red eyes glowing faintly in the darkness.
The three walked down a long dirt tunnel, the air cool and earthy. The walls were carved with claw marks and old runes, glowing faintly as they passed. Their footsteps were the only sound, rhythmic and steady.
Eventually, they reached a set of carved steps leading upward. Sunlight spilled down from above, warm and bright.
They emerged into the open.
The forest greeted them with a rush of fresh air. Sunlight poured over them, illuminating the bright green leaves and casting golden patterns across the ground. Birds chirped overhead, and the world felt alive again after the suffocating darkness of the den.
Vaelus stretched his arms above his head, groaning. "Alright," he said, "can we go now?"
"Yes," Eiden said, already walking ahead. "We should. We still have a journey to finish."
The sunlight glinted off his cloak as he stepped forward, the forest path stretching endlessly before them.