The war drums echoed through the eastern valley like a heartbeat of doom. The wind carried the scent of iron, sweat, and something darker—betrayal.
Ava stood at the edge of the battlements, overlooking the Lycan kingdom's eastern border. Below, soldiers gathered like waves ready to crash. Banners whipped in the wind black and gold for the Lycans. Red and gray for the rogue alliance. And amid them, the twisted sigil of the Greystone packs.
Lucien was coming.
Ava's fingers curled around the stone rail, her knuckles white. "Three packs and the rogues… he's desperate."
Cassius joined her, fully armored in onyx and silver. His presence, as always, made the air feel charged. "Desperation makes a dangerous enemy. But not an invincible one."
Ava turned to him. "He knows the palace layout. He's been here before, during summits. He'll exploit every weakness."
"We've reinforced the eastern walls and moved the royal archives. He won't find what he's after." Cassius paused. "Unless what he's after are you."
Ava's heart thudded. "He doesn't want me. He wants power. He thinks if he takes me, the prophecy becomes his."
Cassius's expression darkened. "The prophecy isn't his to claim. It never was."
Ava looked down at her hands. Since the trial, they tingled sometimes especially during the moon's peak.
She had shrugged it off as adrenaline, yet something within her was transforming.
Stirring.
"Cassius," she spoke softly, "what if I'm not prepared for what lies ahead?"
He placed a hand over hers. "You are. Because you don't fight for control. You fight for your people. That's what makes you different from him."
A horn blasted from the tower above.
A scout sprinted down the stairs. "They've breached the outer forest. Estimated arrival less than two hours."
Cassius's voice was steel. "Sound the call to arms. Wake the eastern patrols. And prepare the Shadow Guard."
The scout saluted and ran.
Cassius turned to Ava. "Come with me. You need to see something."
He led her through a sealed corridor beneath the palace a path even most Lycans didn't know existed. They reached a hidden chamber lit by glowing crystals and carved symbols along the walls.
Ava froze at the center of the room.
A statue stood there massive, regal, and eerily familiar. A female Lycan queen with long hair flowing behind her, arms outstretched a crown of thorns and fire upon her head.
"She looks like me," Ava whispered.
"She is you," Cassius replied. "That's Queen Lysandra Nightborne. Your ancestor. The last Lycan queen before the royal line was erased."
Ava's breath caught. "But she died centuries ago."
Cassius nodded. "Murdered. Her bloodline was hunted. But her child the true heir was hidden. Smuggled out before the attack."
He opened a decorative chest and took out a silver ring embedded with a dark red gem.
"This was hers," he remarked, putting it in Ava's hand.
"It has been transmitted through secretive means, anticipating the rightful heir's return."
When the ring made contact with Ava's skin, it sparkled gently, illuminating with a pulse that synchronized with her heartbeat.
Ava gasped. "What… what is this?"
"Your blood is awakening. The trial unlocked part of it, but the full truth lies in your heritage. You're not just a royal by prophecy, Ava. You are the prophecy."
The crystals around the chamber flared as if recognizing her presence.
But there was no time to absorb it.
Another horn blared above them this time shorter, sharper.
The enemy had reached the gates.
The courtyard was a storm of armor and preparation. Lycan warriors lined up in columns, their eyes glowing gold. Ava moved through them like a flame through dry grass, fear and awe following her wake.
Cassius addressed the soldiers. "The enemy marches with fury and fire. But we hold the light. We do not fall. Not today. Not ever."
Cheers erupted.
Then silence.
Cassius turned to Ava. "This battle isn't yours to fight on the front lines."
Her jaw tightened. "I won't hide while others bleed for me."
"You won't hide," he said. "But you will lead."
He handed her a banner. It shimmered red and silver, the crest of the lost royal line.
"Let them see you. Let them know their queen has returned."
Ava swallowed hard, heart pounding. She lifted the banner high.
The Lycan army roared.
The battlefield was chaos.
Rogues poured from the tree line like shadows with claws. The allied packs flanked them, howling in unison. Lucien rode at the center on a black warhorse, armor etched with blood-red runes.
"Bring me Ava!" he shouted.
Cassius and his elite guard charged to meet them. Blades clashed. Blood sprayed. The scent of death filled the air.
Ava stood atop the watchtower, guiding her soldiers. Her voice was clear, commanding. "Reinforce the east wall! Pull the second guard line!"
Abruptly, a fierce pain pierced through her chest.
She inhaled sharply and dropped to her knees.
The ring on her finger burned.
Images flashed in her mind Lysandra battling in the same fields, a white wolf with glowing red eyes. A flame erupting from her hands.
Ava screamed.
Power exploded outward in a shockwave that rippled through the palace.
Down below, time seemed to stop. Everyone froze Lycan, rogue, pack.
Cassius looked up, eyes wide. "Ava…"
From her place on the tower, Ava stood slowly.
Her hair whipped around her. Her eyes glowed bright crimson. Her body radiated ancient power, Lycan power, no longer hidden, no longer dormant.
She was no longer just Ava Sinclair.
She was Queen Ava Nightborne.
Cassius stepped forward, voice quiet. "The awakening has begun."
Ava's voice echoed through the battlefield, carried by magic and fury.
"This is your last chance, Lucien. Surrender… or be destroyed."
Lucien stared up at her, fear etched into his face.
But his pride burned too strong.
He roared in defiance. "Kill her!"
The battle resumed with renewed chaos.
And at the heart of it, Ava descended the tower.
To fight.
To rise.
To claim her throne.