Dawn breaks over a broken battlefield.
Smoke still curls into the sky. The scent of blood lingers in the air. What remains of the ambush is scattered across the clearing—fallen enemies… fallen allies… and a silence heavy with consequence.
At the center of it all—
Aria lives.
She lies still at first, pale but breathing, her body weak… yet something about her feels different.
Stronger.
Deeper.
Unreachable.
When her eyes finally open, they are no longer just hers.
A faint silver glow lingers within them.
Watching.
Waiting.
Word spreads faster than fire.
What happened in that forest… what she did… what she became—
It doesn’t stay hidden.
It can’t.
By midday, they begin to arrive.
One pack.
Then another.
Then more.
They come cautiously at first—leaders stepping into the clea
