The camp was hushed. A heavy stillness lay over the ridge like fog, the kind that crept into bones and made breathing shallow. Wolves moved carefully around their Alpha’s unconscious form, speaking only in whispers, their eyes never leaving the glowing marks that pulsed along his skin.Kael lay on a bed of cloaks and furs, his chest rising with slow, uneven breaths. The burns from the chains had not faded with rest. If anything, they had deepened, glowing like molten veins etched beneath his flesh. Each pulse spread a ripple of shadow through his body, his veins twitching violently.Elara sat beside him, her hand wrapped tightly around his wrist. Her spear rested across her knees, broken and bloodied, but her grip on Kael was fiercer. She hadn’t moved in hours, except to press cool cloths against his forehead or check his breathing. Her hair clung damp to her temples, her eyes sunken with exhaustion, but she did not leave.The pack watched her with silent respect. None dared interrupt

The night did not rest. Even after the council chamber fell quiet, the echoes of conflict lingered in every corner of the stronghold. Kael paced along the battlements, the cold wind biting at his skin as the stars stared down like silent witnesses. His cloak whipped around him, the weight of command pressing harder than any blade ever had. He had faced monsters, armies, and gods themselves, but nothing weighed heavier than the cracks forming within his own peopleSelene joined him, her footsteps light but her presence steady. She stood at his side without speaking at first, gazing out at the sprawling campfires of their forces below. The flickering flames looked fragile, small against the endless darkness beyond the walls.“They’re afraid,” she finally said, her voice soft but unwavering. “Not of the enemy. Not even of death. They’re afraid of us. Of you”Kael’s jaw tightened. “I know”Selene turned to him, her eyes full of fire. “Then you must decide. Either prove to them that you ar

The battlefield stank of blood, ash, and broken steel. Smoke still curled from the Dominion fires Kael’s Void storm had smothered, and the valley echoed with the groans of the dying. Carrion birds circled above, already beginning their descent. The silence after the roar of war was too sharp, too heavy. It was the kind of silence that pressed against the bonesKael stood at the center of it all, his armor cracked, his body streaked with burns that still smoked faintly. The Void pulsed through him like a second heartbeat, keeping him standing when he should have collapsed long ago. His soldiers gave him space not out of respect but fear. They cheered for the victory, but they did not come close. Their eyes were wide, their voices uncertain. They had seen what he had unleashed, and it frightened themSelene broke through the crowd, her face smeared with dirt and blood, her swords sheathed but her hand never far from their hilts. She walked directly to Kael, ignoring the whispers, ignori

The fires of the funeral pyres had burned through the night, leaving nothing but smoldering ash and smoke that clung to every breath. The camp lay heavy in silence, save for the muted clink of armor as weary soldiers sharpened blades or patched dents in their shields. Even those small sounds seemed reluctant, as though the very air warned against breaking the stillness.Kael hadn’t slept. He stood on the edge of the camp where the forest broke into a slope overlooking the valley below. The rising dawn stretched scarlet fingers across the horizon, staining the mist covered trees in bloodred hues. For the first time since he had awakened the Void, he felt the weight of command pressing down like a chain around his throat.Behind him, Selene’s footsteps approached. She did not speak immediately. She never did. She waited until his silence invited her in.“You didn’t close your eyes once,” she said finally, her voice low, carrying only to him.Kael’s jaw tightened. “Sleep brings the voice

The air beyond the bone door was different thicker, cloying, carrying the copper tang of old blood. Crimson light pulsed faintly along the walls, not from torches, but from veins embedded in the stone itself. They throbbed like living things, casting shadows that writhed when no one moved.Kael stepped through first, the Void inside him thrumming with delight. His army followed reluctantly, their boots echoing off the narrow walls, every sound amplified in the unnatural silence.The deeper they went, the more oppressive the tunnels became. The walls seemed closer, as though the mountain itself wanted to crush them. Soldiers muttered prayers under their breath, gripping weapons with slick palms.Selene walked close at Kael’s side, eyes sharp. She said nothing, but her hand brushed against his as though reminding him that he wasn’t entirely alone.But the Void whispered louder. Yes, deeper still. Here lies the marrow of power. Here lies what even the Dominion fears.The Crimson Chamber