Chapter 116
The shadow beasts lunged, their claws tearing through the air as the group scattered to fight. Cassian moved with deadly precision, his blade flashing as he struck the nearest beast. Anica hurled bursts of light at the creatures, their magic disrupting the beasts’ shadowy forms long enough for the wolves to press their advantage.
Aurora stood at the center of the chaos, her hand glowing with the Pact’s energy. She reached out, sending a wave of light crashing into the nearest beast, disintegrating it into ash.
“Go for the temple!” Cassian shouted, blocking another attack.
Aurora nodded, her silver hair whipping around her as she sprinted toward the entrance. The beasts seemed to sense her intent and swarmed toward her, but Cassian and the others intercepted them, holding the line with sheer force and determination.
Inside the temple, the air was thick with an oppressive energy. Aurora’s breaths came in short gasps as she followed the faint glow that pulsed deeper within. The walls were lined with ancient carvings, depicting wolves, moons, and an ominous figure shrouded in shadows.
Her steps slowed as she reached the central chamber. In the middle of the room, suspended above a shimmering pool of water, was the Lunar Key. The artifact was a perfect crescent of silver, glowing with a light that seemed to pulse in time with her heartbeat.
Aurora reached for it, but the moment her fingers brushed the artifact, a wave of energy surged through her. She stumbled, gasping as a vision overtook her.
She saw a man standing in a darkened forest, his features sharp and commanding. It was the Lycan King, but not as she knew him—he was younger, his eyes filled with ambition and determination. She watched as he performed a ritual beneath a blood-red moon, the Pact’s energy twisting and warping around him. His transformation was violent, his howl of pain echoing as his form shifted into something monstrous.
Aurora gasped as the vision ended, her knees buckling beneath her. The truth of the Lycan King’s corruption seared into her mind, but it only strengthened her resolve.
She stood and seized the Lunar Key, its energy surging into her. The temple trembled violently, cracks spreading through the walls and ceiling.
“Aurora!” Cassian’s voice called from the entrance, urgent and desperate.
“I’ve got it!” she shouted back, clutching the Key tightly.
The shadow beasts howled as the temple began to collapse. Aurora ran toward the exit, the Lunar Key’s light illuminating her path. Cassian grabbed her hand as she emerged, pulling her out just as the temple crumbled into dust.
Breathing heavily, Aurora held up the Lunar Key, its glow steady and unwavering. “We have it,” she said, her voice firm despite the exhaustion that threatened to overwhelm her.
Cassian nodded, his golden eyes filled with a mix of pride and worry. “Now we use it to end this.”
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