l these secrets she now carried was weighing her down. Each crunch of leaves underfoot sounded like a loud megaphone because the forest

how serene he was, how calm he could be while danger was just inches away from them. It was a stark reminder to her that this

ong silent minutes later, h

same time, a chill went down her spine the moment the thought of meeting him came into her head. Yet, she still didn't understand the depth of Yul

about

ace; something in the air seemed to thrum with tension. A huge altar of heavy stone dominated the center grooved with age, its presence both calming and terri

s place?" sh

e of the old sites. Sacred ground for our kind. Long before the curse

eight of such history pressi

een the mundane and magical realms in check. But with the curse... everything got ruined. The balance was fractured, and that has only gone

cing now. "And Yulian

ower-who controls the wolves and who controls the humans. With t

r bubbling up inside her. "So w

o his belt and pulling out a small, polished stone. It shimmered faintly in

ied to Yulian's bloodline. It will le

kened, a strange sensation pulling her, like the stone beckoned her-no, her blood. The curse, the link betwe

ay? that?" she asked,

s the curse. Your bloodline is linked with the Moonstone-to the po

f it before. This was harder, though-like the very curse inside h

arted emitting a soft humming sound. The stone was pulsat

m said, his voic

She wasn't ready-how could she be? Yet, there was no goin

tep; it guided them. Ariana's heart was pounding in her chest as her senses reached an entirely new level of sensit

ickering like some far-off flame. The path opened into anoth

ost malevolent. His eyes flashed with a cold, calculating anger as he stood before a h

d powerful, so powerful she could feel it from where she stood,

e as his gaze landed on them. "Ah, Li

gid, his voice like steel. "It's ov

st beginning. You don't understand, do you? This is the future. Wi

. He wasn't after mere power but domination, and he would stop at no

ot about mere power. This is something that concerns

you? It is a matter of freedom: breaking the chains that have tied us down for so long.

iled her. She could feel the pull of the curse stronger than ever, the weight

m growled, stepping protec

ened, his eyes narrowing

na to follow. Energy crackled through the air around them

one's figh