The air inside the temple vibrated with energy, thick with tension and the scent of ozone.
Aria’s silver aura blazed around her, her wolf growling inside her, radiating raw, divine power. Opposite her, Lyra stepped forward, her eyes glowing red with corrupted energy, every movement fluid, predatory, lethal.
“You should have stayed loyal,” Lyra hissed, her voice slicing through the air like a blade.
“I’ll never follow the darkness,” Aria shot back, silver energy crackling at her fingertips.
The first strike was lightning-fast. Lyra lunged with claws of dark energy, and Aria countered, silver arcs meeting corrupted power in a shower of sparks. The collision shook the temple, tiles cracking under the impact.
Aria’s wolf roared inside her, surging outward, forcing Lyra back. But Lyra’s mo
