Chapter Seventy

As at the time Marcus, Clara, Ethan and the others had returned to their pack's territory, the night had already settled in. The journey was tense, each step filled with the approaching fear of the light's return. The forest had returned to its ghostly stillness, but the silence was no consolation, it was the kind that signaled threat just past the edge of perception.

The pack members, sensing the gravity of their return, gathered in the central clearing. The council was summoned, and the leaders of the pack assembled within the huge stone structure that served as their meeting place. It was a place where vital decisions were made, decisions that influenced not just the pack but the balance between their world and the abyss.

Marcus, still bearing the weight of their recent encounter, stood before the council with Clara and Ethan at his side. Mariam and the other rescued captives were seated nearby, their faces reflecting the fear and uncertainty that had gripped them since their esc