Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter 321

Elyra felt the weight of the shard in her hand, its faint glow pulsing with an unsettling rhythm. It had led them here to the Crimson Ruins, the cursed lands whispered about in every legend. The Moon Goddess herself had cast her curse over these lands, and none had dared to venture here for centuries. Yet, Elyra and Dain had no choice. The prophecy was clear: they had to reach the heart of the ruins if they were to stop the darkness from consuming everything.

With every step, the air grew heavier, charged with an energy that made her skin crawl. The trees surrounding the ruins were twisted and gnarled, their leaves blackened by some ancient force. The wind carried whispers-low, unintelligible voices that seemed to mock their every move.

Beside her, Dain walked with determination, his eyes glowing faintly with the shadowy power that had taken hold of him. His transformation had been swift and frightening, the darkness pulling him in with each passing day. Elyra hated how distant he had become, how his once warm presence had turned cold and calculating. But she refused to give up on him. She couldn't.

The further they traveled, the more the landscape seemed to shift, as if the very land resented their intrusion. The crimson hue of the ruins grew more intense, casting a strange glow across their surroundings.

"We shouldn't be here," Cassian's voice broke through Elyra's thoughts. He stood a few steps behind her, his brow furrowed in concern. Aurora stood beside him, her arms crossed, her face equally troubled.

"We know the risks, Cassian," Elyra said, turning to face him. "But we have no choice. The shard's map led us here. We're running out of time."

Cassian shook his head, his expression full of doubt. "Elyra, this place these ruins are cursed. The Moon Goddess's magic is still active here, and it's not something you can control. The darkness that's consuming Dain-it's only going to get worse if you keep following the shard's call."

You've seen what the shard can do to Dain. Do you really think

as she looked at the two of them. They were right. Every instinct screamed for her to turn back, to listen to their warnings. But she couldn't. The packs were in

saving the packs. The prophecy is tied to the shard. We

had been silent up until now, turned his head slightly, his eyes darkened with shadows. "You're wasting time, Elyra," he said, his voice colder than usual. "The darkness calls to me.

whispered, though doubt crept into her heart. She knew the pull of the darkness was strong, but she refused to let

a gaping maw of stone and darkness. The red light of the ruins grew brighter as they approached, casting eerie shadows

them, waiting. She couldn't explain it, but the ruins seemed alive-alive with an ancient, malignant energy. "Something's

his weapon. "We need

in her hand, pulling her forward. It was as if it was calling to her, urging

close," Elyra said, her voice shaking but resolute. "We have to see this

through the stone archway, and immediately, the ground beneath them cracked, sending dust and debris into the air. Elyra flinched, her heart

unnatural heat. The very stones

and the stones began to move-slowly at first, then with greater force. The once-still pillars groaned and shifted, as if they were alive,

The earth beneath her feet trembled as if responding to their intrusion. The red light glowed brighter, pulsating like the beat of a heart, and a strange, echoing voice