Chapter Sixty-Six

The earth proceeded to tremble underneath their feet, the spiked split extending as something ancient force hidden underneath the surface started to come forth. Ethan and Clara stepped back, their eyes bolted on the rising darkness, an inky mass that appeared to retain the very light around it. This was no insignificant shadow, it was a sign of the abyss itself, a precursor of the fate that had debilitated to engulf their world.

"We have to get back to the pack," Ethan said, urgency binding his voice. "We can't face this alone."

Clara nodded, her expression a mix of determination and fear. "If we don't stop it here, it'll spread. Everything we've fought for will be lost."

Ethan reached for her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "We'll stop it. Together."

The two turned and ran, their footsteps echoing through the once-still forest as they raced back toward the heart of the pack's territory. As they neared the clearing where their comrades waited, the sounds of preparation reached t