Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

Chapter 353

Dain stood in the heart of the shadow lands, the shard pulsating in his hand with a rhythm that matched his heartbeat. Its energy was intoxicating, a steady stream of power coursing through his veins. The air around him was heavy, thick with an unnatural chill, but he

welcomed it. This place, dark and desolate, felt more like home than any pack territory ever had.

The Warden of Shadows stood nearby, cloaked in swirling darkness that seemed alive. His eyes glowed faintly as he watched Dain, his expression unreadable. "You've made great strides, but you're still holding back," the Warden said, his voice low and resonant. Dain turned to him, his jaw tight. "I've given everything to this shard. What more is there?"

The Warden smirked. "Everything you've done so far has been child's play. You've tasted its power, yes, but you've yet to truly embrace it. The shard is not a tool; it is a part of you now. Let it guide you."

Dain clenched his fist around the shard, feeling its warmth intensify. He knew the risks. The more he tapped into its energy, the more it seemed to twist his thoughts, his emotions. But every time he hesitated, the Warden reminded him of the stakes. Power wasn't just a luxury-it was survival.

"I don't need guidance," Dain growled. "I need strength. Enough to end this war before it begins."

The Warden stepped closer, his shadowy form towering over Dain. "Strength is meaningless without control. And control comes from understanding the full potential of what you hold." He gestured to the shard. "Let me show you what it can do."

Dain hesitated for a moment, his grip on the shard tightening. He thought of Elyra, of the light she clung to so desperately. Part of him still remembered the bond they shared, but another part, the part the shard fed, saw her as an obstacle. She would never understand what he was becoming.

"Do it," Dain said finally, his voice steady.

expression that sent shivers down Dain's spine. "Very well. Follow

around the ground like mist. At the

unlock the shard's true potential," the Warden explained,

stepped forward, his chest tightening as the shard's energy surged within him. He placed it on the altar, and the runes flared to life, casting eerie patterns of light across the clearing. "What now?" Dain asked, his voice tinged with

but commanding. "You must offer the shard a piece of yourself your doubt, your fear, your hesitation. Only then will it fully accept you as its master." Dain frowned. "And

the shadow completely," the Warden replied. "Let it consume every corner of your mind. Surrender to its

moment, Dain hesitated.

had already taken

temper, his clarity,

self. But the promise

was too great to ignore. He closed his eyes and reached out, letting the

his skin But then it grew

of

by

hand. The packs kneeling before him, the shadow wolves spreading across the lands like a tidal wave, and Elyra... Elyra standing in his way, her

he opened his eyes, the shard was no longer glowing faintly. It burned with an intense, dark light, and