Lyra POVThere was nothing.No light. No sound. No sense of up or down. Only a vast, endless void.Lyra drifted, her body weightless, her mind unanchored.She tried to move, but there was no ground beneath her feet, no air in her lungs. It was like she had been ripped from existence itself.Then - a pulse.Faint at first, like a whisper through the dark.Then again. Louder. Stronger. A rhythm she recognized. Her heartbeat.The void trembled, a ripple coursing through the blackness like a stone cast into still water.And then - a presence. Low. Powerful. Ancient.“You were never meant to wake.”The voice was cold, steady, a whisper of command laced with undeniable authority.The darkness rippled again.And suddenly - Lyra was falling. The impact rattled through her bones, though there was no visible ground beneath her. Gasping, she pushed herself up, her limbs trembling.And that was when she saw her.A golden glow flickered in the distance, illuminating a figure standing still in the
Lyra POVThe chamber door opened.A presence - strong, unwavering, familiar.Lyra’s gaze lifted, and there he stood. Alpha Killian. Her father.Despite everything - the battle, the wounds, the exhaustion - he was still the mountain of a man. Power clung to him like a second skin, his aura crackling with dominance. His broad shoulders were squared, his sharp golden eyes scanning her with a mixture of relief and something deeper - concern.But there was something else. Something guarded. As if he had already guessed why she had summoned him.Lyra sat up, ignoring the way her muscles ached. Kane remained beside her, ever-watchful, his silver gaze flickering between her and her father.Killian exhaled, stepping closer. "You're awake."Lyra swallowed hard. Barely.She didn't say it.Instead, she met his gaze head-on. "I need answers."A muscle in Killian's jaw twitched. "I had a feeling you might say that."He pulled a chair closer, his heavy boots echoing against the stone floor as he sat
Lyra POVThe weight of her father’s words clung to the air like a storm waiting to break.We prepare.For what?A war against gods who had existed before time itself? A battle against something no mortal could ever hope to understand?Lyra’s fingers curled into fists against her lap, her nails biting into her palms. Every instinct in her screamed that something was wrong, something beyond the devastation left behind by the Demon God.She had survived. But at what cost?The presence inside her had not faded.The First Queen still lurked in the shadows of her soul, coiled like a predator biding its time. Lyra could feel her - not an overwhelming force taking control, not yet, but there. A whisper at the back of her mind, a weight that had settled into her very bones.A force that did not belong to her.Kane’s grip on her hand was steady, grounding. But even he couldn’t quiet the turmoil inside her.Across from her, her father watched, his sharp amber eyes filled with something unreadabl
Lyra POVThe flickering lamps lining the corridor cast elongated shadows on the stone walls as Lyra followed her father into the war room. The weight of what she had asked settled heavily on her chest, but she did not waver.She needed answers.Kane walked beside her, silent but present, his silver eyes watchful. He had been there when the First Queen had taken over her body - he had spoken to her - and now, he would hear the truth alongside her.Killian dismissed the guards stationed outside the chamber before stepping in, his presence commanding as ever. The heavy wooden doors groaned shut behind them.The room was dimly lit, with a large, circular table in the center, covered in old maps and ancient texts. The scent of parchment and aged leather filled the space, mingling with the faint traces of smoke from the brazier in the corner.Killian remained standing, arms crossed over his chest. "What do you know of the First Queen?" he asked.Lyra inhaled sharply. "Only what the historie
Lyra’s POVThe chamber was silent after her father’s final words, but inside her mind - inside her soul - there was no silence.The First Queen was awake.She could feel her, a whisper in the back of her thoughts, a presence curling around her consciousness like smoke."You are not ready."Lyra stiffened, her nails digging into her palms.She had spent her life believing she was in control of her own destiny. That her choices, her victories, and her losses were her own. But now?Now, she wasn’t just herself anymore.The First Queen’s presence had been lingering since the moment she woke after the battle with the Demon God. At first, it had been subtle - a whisper here, a flicker of something in the corner of her mind. But now, it was like an ember catching fire, waiting to consume.Lyra closed her eyes, exhaling slowly."You are my heir."The words weren’t just memories. They were hers - the Queen’s voice brushing against her thoughts, curling into her mind like it belonged there.No.
Lyra’s Point of ViewThe northern stronghold was vast, its foundations built into the heart of the mountain itself. Hallways of cold stone stretched endlessly, twisting in intricate patterns as if the fortress had grown like roots over time, each tunnel a passageway to secrets long buried.Lyra followed her father in silence, her boots echoing against the polished floors as they descended deeper into the stronghold. The torches lining the walls flickered, their golden light barely reaching the shadows that seemed to press in from every side.She could feel it.The weight of history. The whispers of those who had come before.They were walking into the old places - the ones that had not been disturbed in centuries.Killian had said little since they left the war room. His expression remained unreadable, but Lyra didn’t miss the tension in his shoulders, the slight furrow in his brow.Finally, he spoke. “The archives were sealed after the war between the First Queen and the Demon God. N
Lyra's POVA sharp chill bit into Lyra’s bare feet as she crept through the darkness, clutching her thin, tattered blanket close to her chest. The air was heavy and damp, lingering with the earthy scent of the river that lay just beyond the pack’s territory. She hugged the blanket tighter around her bruised arms, hurrying down the narrow path that twisted away from the cell and into the woods. Every step sent pain lancing up her legs, but she pushed forward, guided by the soft glow of moonlight and the thought of the cold, cleansing water waiting for her.Lyra curled into a tight ball on the cold, hard ground of her cell, a thin blanket pulled over her to ward off the chill. The dampness seeped through, biting at her skin, but it was nothing compared to the anguish twisting inside her. Each day bled into the next, a haze of pain and despair, and today was no different.The soft trickle of the nearby river could be heard through the stone walls, a haunting reminder of freedom she could
Lyra's POV Lyra moved quietly through the banquet hall, head down, doing her best to go unnoticed. Tonight was her eighteenth birthday, though no one knew- or cared. In her world, birthdays weren’t celebrated. They were just another reminder that she was alone.She could hear laughter and music echoing through the hall, a stark reminder of the life she was excluded from. Her hand shook slightly as she cleared plates, but she pushed her emotions down, focusing on her tasks. It was just another night. She had learned not to expect anything more.“Happy birthday, Lyra.” A gentle voice echoed in her mind.Lyra stilled, surprised. Her wolf, a spirit that had always felt more like a dream than reality, had only recently begun to speak to her. Lyra was grateful for her presence, but also confused; she didn’t even know her wolf’s name.“Thank you… I didn’t know you could talk to me like this,” Lyra thought back, feeling a strange warmth. “Do you have a name?”“My name is Thalia,” her wolf re
Lyra’s Point of ViewThe northern stronghold was vast, its foundations built into the heart of the mountain itself. Hallways of cold stone stretched endlessly, twisting in intricate patterns as if the fortress had grown like roots over time, each tunnel a passageway to secrets long buried.Lyra followed her father in silence, her boots echoing against the polished floors as they descended deeper into the stronghold. The torches lining the walls flickered, their golden light barely reaching the shadows that seemed to press in from every side.She could feel it.The weight of history. The whispers of those who had come before.They were walking into the old places - the ones that had not been disturbed in centuries.Killian had said little since they left the war room. His expression remained unreadable, but Lyra didn’t miss the tension in his shoulders, the slight furrow in his brow.Finally, he spoke. “The archives were sealed after the war between the First Queen and the Demon God. N
Lyra’s POVThe chamber was silent after her father’s final words, but inside her mind - inside her soul - there was no silence.The First Queen was awake.She could feel her, a whisper in the back of her thoughts, a presence curling around her consciousness like smoke."You are not ready."Lyra stiffened, her nails digging into her palms.She had spent her life believing she was in control of her own destiny. That her choices, her victories, and her losses were her own. But now?Now, she wasn’t just herself anymore.The First Queen’s presence had been lingering since the moment she woke after the battle with the Demon God. At first, it had been subtle - a whisper here, a flicker of something in the corner of her mind. But now, it was like an ember catching fire, waiting to consume.Lyra closed her eyes, exhaling slowly."You are my heir."The words weren’t just memories. They were hers - the Queen’s voice brushing against her thoughts, curling into her mind like it belonged there.No.
Lyra POVThe flickering lamps lining the corridor cast elongated shadows on the stone walls as Lyra followed her father into the war room. The weight of what she had asked settled heavily on her chest, but she did not waver.She needed answers.Kane walked beside her, silent but present, his silver eyes watchful. He had been there when the First Queen had taken over her body - he had spoken to her - and now, he would hear the truth alongside her.Killian dismissed the guards stationed outside the chamber before stepping in, his presence commanding as ever. The heavy wooden doors groaned shut behind them.The room was dimly lit, with a large, circular table in the center, covered in old maps and ancient texts. The scent of parchment and aged leather filled the space, mingling with the faint traces of smoke from the brazier in the corner.Killian remained standing, arms crossed over his chest. "What do you know of the First Queen?" he asked.Lyra inhaled sharply. "Only what the historie
Lyra POVThe weight of her father’s words clung to the air like a storm waiting to break.We prepare.For what?A war against gods who had existed before time itself? A battle against something no mortal could ever hope to understand?Lyra’s fingers curled into fists against her lap, her nails biting into her palms. Every instinct in her screamed that something was wrong, something beyond the devastation left behind by the Demon God.She had survived. But at what cost?The presence inside her had not faded.The First Queen still lurked in the shadows of her soul, coiled like a predator biding its time. Lyra could feel her - not an overwhelming force taking control, not yet, but there. A whisper at the back of her mind, a weight that had settled into her very bones.A force that did not belong to her.Kane’s grip on her hand was steady, grounding. But even he couldn’t quiet the turmoil inside her.Across from her, her father watched, his sharp amber eyes filled with something unreadabl
Lyra POVThe chamber door opened.A presence - strong, unwavering, familiar.Lyra’s gaze lifted, and there he stood. Alpha Killian. Her father.Despite everything - the battle, the wounds, the exhaustion - he was still the mountain of a man. Power clung to him like a second skin, his aura crackling with dominance. His broad shoulders were squared, his sharp golden eyes scanning her with a mixture of relief and something deeper - concern.But there was something else. Something guarded. As if he had already guessed why she had summoned him.Lyra sat up, ignoring the way her muscles ached. Kane remained beside her, ever-watchful, his silver gaze flickering between her and her father.Killian exhaled, stepping closer. "You're awake."Lyra swallowed hard. Barely.She didn't say it.Instead, she met his gaze head-on. "I need answers."A muscle in Killian's jaw twitched. "I had a feeling you might say that."He pulled a chair closer, his heavy boots echoing against the stone floor as he sat
Lyra POVThere was nothing.No light. No sound. No sense of up or down. Only a vast, endless void.Lyra drifted, her body weightless, her mind unanchored.She tried to move, but there was no ground beneath her feet, no air in her lungs. It was like she had been ripped from existence itself.Then - a pulse.Faint at first, like a whisper through the dark.Then again. Louder. Stronger. A rhythm she recognized. Her heartbeat.The void trembled, a ripple coursing through the blackness like a stone cast into still water.And then - a presence. Low. Powerful. Ancient.“You were never meant to wake.”The voice was cold, steady, a whisper of command laced with undeniable authority.The darkness rippled again.And suddenly - Lyra was falling. The impact rattled through her bones, though there was no visible ground beneath her. Gasping, she pushed herself up, her limbs trembling.And that was when she saw her.A golden glow flickered in the distance, illuminating a figure standing still in the
Kane POV The night was too quiet.Kane sat by Lyra’s side, his fingers curled tightly around her wrist, as if his touch alone could anchor her to him.But she didn’t stir.Not once since they had left the ruins of the castle.She had always been a fighter - fierce, untamed, unwilling to yield even in the face of gods. Yet now, she lay motionless, her breathing soft, steady, but… wrong.Not once had her Lycan stirred.Not once had she reached for him through their bond.The firelit chamber in the northern stronghold was warm, but Kane felt cold.Briane hovered over Lyra, her brows furrowed in concentration as she murmured incantations under her breath. Symbols of ancient magic pulsed at her fingertips, flickering across Lyra’s skin before fading like dying embers.Nothing worked.With a frustrated sigh, Briane pulled back, wiping sweat from her brow."I don’t understand," she muttered. "Her body is… stable. No wounds, no curses, no poisons. But something is keeping her from ...""From
The moment the golden light faded, Kane knew something was wrong.The chamber stood still, thick with the lingering echoes of power that had just torn through reality itself. The last remnants of the Demon God’s existence had been obliterated, its monstrous form reduced to nothing but dust and shadow. The battle was over.And yet something was off.. Lyra collapsed.Kane lunged forward, catching her just before she hit the cracked stone floor.Her body was limp in his arms, her hair falling in a tangled mess over her face. He could feel the rapid, shallow rise and fall of her chest, but it was too weak - as if something inside her was slipping further and further away.His heart slammed against his ribs, a soundless snarl tearing through him as he shook her gently."Lyra," he called, his voice steady, but beneath it, there was a razor-sharp edge of fear. "Wake up."Silence.He tried again, gripping her tighter."Lyra!"Nothing.She wasn’t responding.Not through their bond.Not even
The chamber exploded with fury.The castle itself screamed, the magic woven into its very foundation fracturing under the sheer weight of the entity’s rage.Towers above them cracked, the stone splitting apart as if the very bones of the fortress could no longer withstand the force of what had been unleashed. The great warning horns of the city rang out, a desperate call for warriors to take up arms, for the innocent to run, flee, escape before it was too late.But in this chamber, there was no escape.The Demon God’s form twisted, its shadowed body shifting, growing impossibly large, expanding until the darkness swallowed the last remaining torches, leaving only the faint, pulsing glow of the shattered Grand Stone to illuminate the void.It no longer shifted like a specter in the dark.It had taken shape.A monstrous being, its body formed of writhing shadows and endless malice.Its head was crowned with jagged horns, piercing through the air like the twisted roots of a cursed tree.