Chapter 307
The clearing erupted in chaos as the shadow wolves descended upon Elyra and Dain, their eyes burning with a malevolent glow. The wolves’ growls filled the air, their claws scraping against the earth as they circled, waiting for the right moment to strike. Elyra’s pulse quickened, and her breath hitched as she raised her blade, every instinct screaming at her to fight.
Dain was already in motion, his sword flashing through the air as he swung at the nearest wolf. The beast snarled and ducked, narrowly avoiding the blow, but Dain wasn’t fazed. He was a warrior—this was what he had trained for. With each strike, the wolves retreated, but not for long. They were relentless, a swarm of darkness intent on tearing them apart.
“Stay close!” Dain called out to Elyra, his voice steady despite the urgency.
Elyra nodded, her grip tight on her sword. She had never fought beasts like these before—creatures born of shadow, their bodies seemingly intangible, their movements unpredictable. But she had no choice. She couldn’t afford to let them overwhelm her.
She swung her sword, catching one wolf across the side. The creature yelped in pain, but before it could retreat, Elyra drove her blade deeper, feeling the resistance of its fur and sinew. The wolf let out a final, pitiful growl before dissolving into a cloud of dark smoke, its form vanishing into the night air. Elyra wiped her brow, the adrenaline still surging through her veins.
“Good one,” Dain muttered as he slashed at another wolf that lunged at him, his sword meeting its throat with brutal precision. The wolf’s body crumpled to the ground, its form fading into the same dark mist as the first.
But there were more. Always more.
A low growl rumbled through the trees, and Elyra spun, her heart racing as another wolf appeared from the shadows. This one was larger than the others, its fur darker, and its eyes seemed to glimmer with intelligence, as if it were not just another mindless creature, but something… more.
It was unlike the others—its movements were deliberate, its stance calm, as if it were waiting for the right moment to strike. Elyra’s breath caught in her throat, a strange unease creeping over her.
“I don’t like this,” Elyra muttered under her breath, stepping back slowly, keeping her sword at the ready. The larger wolf, however, didn’t attack. It simply stood there, watching her with those glowing eyes. Elyra could feel its gaze on her, like it was studying her, trying to understand something.
Dain noticed the change, too. His eyes narrowed as he stepped in front of Elyra, ready to protect her at any cost. “Stay back,” he warned, his voice low.
The wolf took a step forward, its body shifting with unsettling fluidity. Elyra’s heart raced as she held her ground, refusing to back down. But then, to her horror, the wolf stopped just short of them, its head tilting slightly as if recognizing something in her.
Then, to Elyra’s shock, the wolf spoke.
“You…” it growled, its voice deep and guttural. “You are… familiar.”
Elyra’s hand trembled around the hilt of her sword. “What are you?” she demanded, her voice steady despite the fear clawing at her chest.
The wolf’s glowing eyes narrowed, its lips curling into a snarl. “You cannot save him.”
The words struck Elyra like a physical blow. She felt them reverberate through her chest, the weight of their meaning sinking in like an anchor. Save him? Who was the wolf referring to?
Dain stepped forward, his eyes flickering with suspicion. “What do you mean? Who are you talking about?”
The wolf didn’t answer right away. Instead, it let out a low growl and began circling them, its movements deliberate and unsettling. Elyra’s gaze never left it, her heart pounding as the weight of the creature’s words lingered in her mind.
“Who are you? Why are you here?” Dain demanded, his voice filled with authority.
But the wolf was silent, its gaze still fixed on Elyra. Then, with one final growl, it turned and melted into the shadows, disappearing as quickly as it had come, leaving a chilling silence in its wake.
Elyra stood frozen for a long moment, her sword still gripped tightly in her hands, her mind racing to make sense of what had just happened. The other wolves were gone, scattered back into the darkness, but the tension in the air remained thick, like a storm waiting to break.
Dain exhaled sharply, his eyes darting around the clearing. “What was that? Did it recognize you?”
Elyra shook her head, still reeling from the encounter. “I… I don’t know. But I’ve never seen that wolf before. Never heard its voice either.”
Dain’s expression darkened. “There’s something about this that doesn’t sit right. That wolf knew something. And it seemed like it was warning you. Or threatening you.”
Elyra’s chest tightened. The words the wolf had spoken, though cryptic, were unmistakable. “You cannot save him.” Who was it referring to? And why had it singled her out?
Dain reached out, gripping her arm gently, his expression softening. “Whatever it is, Elyra, we’ll face it together. But we need to be careful. These wolves aren’t just mindless creatures. They’re guarding something—something important.”
Elyra nodded, but the unease wouldn’t leave her. She had never felt so uncertain, so exposed. The wolf’s warning echoed in her mind, the weight of it pressing down on her chest. She had thought that the journey ahead would be one of discovery—of finding the temple and unlocking its secrets. But now, she wasn’t so sure. The deeper they went, the more the darkness seemed to have a personal stake in keeping them away.
“Let’s keep moving,” Elyra said quietly, her voice steady despite the turmoil inside her. “We can’t afford to stop now.”
As they gathered their things and prepared to move on, Elyra couldn’t shake the feeling that the shadow wolves weren’t just a physical threat—they were a message. And whatever they were guarding, it was something she couldn’t ignore.
The temple was still ahead, but now, Elyra wasn’t sure what she would find when she got there.
-: The wolf snarls, “You cannot save him.”
