The night pressed in around them like a living entity, thick with the scent of damp earth and blood. Adrian's breaths came ragged as he forced himself forward, his body protesting with every step. The ruins were close—so close—but the forest stretched endlessly in the moonlight, twisting upon itself as if trying to keep them trapped within its grasp.
Alina ran beside him, her dagger still slick with the blood of the fallen werewolf. Her fingers were clenched so tightly around the hilt that her knuckles had gone pale. She didn't falter, didn't hesitate, but Adrian could hear the sharp hitch in her breath, the unspoken terror beneath her steely determination.
Behind them, the pack followed.
Low growls rippled through the trees, and the rustling of leaves told Adrian they were gaining ground. The werewolves were relentless, their hunger for blood and power driving them forward. And somewhere beyond them, that figure—the shadowed being with glowing red eyes—was still watching, waiting.
Adrian clenched his jaw. They couldn't stop. Not yet.
"How much farther?" Alina gasped, glancing at him.
"Just ahead," Adrian answered, pushing his body harder. "We're almost there."
The ruins loomed in the distance, jagged stone structures lost to time, their edges softened by ivy and moss. At their center, a towering obelisk pulsed with faint energy, barely visible beneath the night sky. The talisman's presence could be felt now—a force humming through the air, thick with power.
A howl rang out, closer this time.
Adrian cursed under his breath. "Go! I'll hold them off!"
Alina skidded to a stop. "No! Not alone!"
He turned to face her, gripping her shoulders. "We don't have time to argue! You have to reach the obelisk. If we don't get that talisman—"
A blur of fur and claws shot from the trees.
Adrian shoved Alina back just as the werewolf crashed into him, sending them both sprawling onto the ground. Claws tore at his shirt, raking his wounded side, and he barely managed to twist in time to avoid a killing blow. He lashed out with his strength, throwing the beast off him, but more figures emerged from the trees, their yellow eyes gleaming in the dark.
Alina scrambled to her feet, her gaze darting between Adrian and the ruins. The pack was closing in fast. If she left him now, he might not survive. But if she stayed—
A roar of fury erupted from Adrian.
The change came suddenly, violently. His body convulsed, his bones snapping, reshaping. The beast inside him had waited long enough. His vision darkened at the edges, and his senses sharpened beyond human limits. The scent of wolves, of blood, of fear, filled his nose.
The last thing he saw before the shift fully took hold was Alina's horrified expression.
Then everything became instinct.
The werewolves hesitated, sensing the shift in power. Adrian let out a guttural snarl, his transformation complete. His fur was darker than the night itself, his form larger, more powerful than any of the other wolves. This was no ordinary change—this was something ancient, something primal.
The pack leader stepped forward, his lips curling into a smirk. "So you finally let go, Blackwood. Took you long enough."
Adrian didn't answer. He lunged.
The two collided with brutal force, claw against claw, fang against fang. Adrian felt no pain, only the need to destroy. His opponent was strong, but Adrian was stronger. He slammed the pack leader into the ground, his jaws snapping inches from the wolf's throat.
Alina didn't stay to watch. She turned and ran.
The ruins were mere steps away now, the obelisk glowing brighter as she approached. Her heart pounded as she reached for the stone surface, feeling the power thrumming beneath her fingertips. This was it—the key to everything.
But before she could do anything, the air around her grew cold.
A shadow loomed beside her, a whisper of movement in the darkness. Alina spun around, her dagger raised, but it was too late.
The red-eyed figure was standing there, watching her.
"You are not meant to take the talisman," he said, his voice a low echo of something ancient. "Not yet."
Alina gritted her teeth. "Then why did you lead us here?"
The figure tilted his head, his expression unreadable. "Because destiny is not so easily rewritten."
Behind them, the battle raged on. Adrian's roars of fury mixed with the agonized howls of his enemies. The pack was falling, one by one, but so was Adrian. His strength was immense, but the cost of losing control was high. If he stayed in his wolf form for too long, he might never return.
Alina turned back to the obelisk, her decision made. She reached for the talisman, ignoring the way the shadowed figure watched her, ignoring the warnings, the doubts.
Her fingers closed around the ancient artifact.
Power surged through her, and the world exploded into light.
The pack leader let out a final scream as Adrian's claws tore through him, ending the battle in a single stroke. The remaining wolves scattered, their loyalty to their fallen leader crumbling in an instant. But Adrian barely noticed. His body trembled, his vision flickering between beast and man.
Then, suddenly, everything stopped.
The ruins were silent.
The forest was silent.
And standing at the heart of it all, surrounded by an aura of pulsating energy, was Alina—her eyes glowing with the power of the talisman.
Adrian barely managed to shift back, his body aching from the battle. He took a staggering step forward, staring at her in disbelief. "Alina..."
She turned to face him, her expression unreadable. For a moment, she looked like herself—small, fierce, determined.
But then the shadowed figure spoke again, his voice laced with something Adrian couldn't place.
"It has begun."
And the night swallowed them whole.