Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

The air in the shadow lands was heavy, suffocating, and alive with a dark energy that seemed to cling to Dain's skin. He followed the Warden deeper into the shadowed expanse, the ground beneath his feet crunching with frost despite the lack of cold. The shard pulsed

Chapter 348

faintly in his pocket, responding to the energy that radiated from the Warden like a living storm.

"You've been holding back," the Warden said, his voice as deep and resonant as the shadow itself. He moved with a fluid grace, his black cloak billowing behind him. "The power you wield is only a fraction of what you are destined for."

Dain said nothing, his jaw tight as he kept his gaze forward. He wasn't sure if he trusted the Warden, but his promises of power were intoxicating. And power was what Dain needed-what he deserved. If he was going to win, he had to be stronger. Stronger than Elyra. Stronger than anyone.

The Warden led him to a clearing where a circle of jagged black stones jutted out of the ground like teeth. In the center stood a pedestal made of obsidian, glowing faintly with shadowy tendrils that danced around it. Atop the pedestal lay a blade unlike anything Dain had ever seen. It was sleek and black, its surface shimmering with an unnatural light that seemed to devour the air around it.

"This," the Warden said, gesturing to the blade, "is the Shadowfang. Forged from the essence of the shard itself. It is a weapon of pure shadow, meant only for one strong enough to wield it."

Dain's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, drawn to the blade like a moth to a flame. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"Because you are no longer the boy you were. You've already proven your strength by mastering the shard's initial power. But there is more to be unlocked-power that will make

of doubt

locked onto his. "The cost is simple. You must let go of the light entirely. You cannot ascend

chord deep within Dain. Images of Elyra flashed in his mind-her desperate pleas for him to return, the pain in her eyes as she tried to hold onto him. He clenched his fists, pushing the memory away. Elyra didn't understand. She

let go," Dain said, his voice hard.

sharp features casting an eerie shadow. "Very

the shard in Dain's pocket began to hum with a dark energy. Dain felt it pulse against his chest, its power surging through him like a tide. The Warden chanted in a language Dain didn't recognize, and the shadow around them seemed to shift and ripple,

swirling vortex of darkness. Dain's breath hitched as the shadow crept up his arms, Wrapping around him like a second skin. It wasn't

his voice echoing as if carried by the wind. "You've only

lifted from the pedestal, floating toward Dain. He reached out instinctively, his hand closing around the hilt. The moment he touched it, a shockwave of

gasped as the

through him, amplifying

met