The heavy bronze doors loomed before them, etched with the twin symbols of the Volkov bloodline: the crescent moon and the roaring wolf.
Beyond those doors, an ocean of strangers waited.
Selene stood nearest to the threshold, her slender frame upright, golden-blonde hair cascading over a pure white robe embroidered in faint blood-red patterns — the royal colours of Tepes. Her red eyes were steady, unblinking.
Risa hovered just behind her, sharp ears twitching once. She rolled her shoulders back, black hair gleaming under the light, emerald eyes flashing with caged energy.
Kumiko stood silent and elegant to the side, golden eyes half-lidded, the light catching on the delicate embroidery of nine golden tails unfurling across her back. The hem of her robe barely brushed the floor.
