The first light of dawn broke over the Ironclaw horizon as Selene emerged from the border of the Fractured Wastes.
Her armor was scorched. Her cloak torn. Dust clung to her silver hair.
But she walked with purpose, spine straight, Moonfire strapped to her back, and her eyes—those glowing silver eyes—burned brighter than ever.
Two sentries spotted her first from the watchtower.
A horn rang out.
The Queen had returned.
By the time Selene reached the gates, a full crowd had gathered: council members, warriors, priestesses, even the commonfolk of allied packs. Whispers ran through them like wildfire.
"She made it back alive."
"Did she kill him?"
"Is the void really gone?"
"She went alone... and still came back."
Saria was the first to step forward, her expression torn between relief and worry.
"You're hurt," she said, seeing the blood that trickled from Selene's ribs.
"Not deeply," Selene replied. "But what I saw… was."
Korren and Kael approached next, followed by Elira, who stayed on the fringe of the gathering, uncertain whether she belonged.
Jace arrived last, his breath catching as he took her in.
"You're a sight," he said, voice hoarse.
She gave a tired smile. "You should see the other guy."
Jace didn't hesitate—he pulled her into an embrace. "You scared the hell out of me."
She leaned against him for just a moment, long enough to breathe in his scent. "It scared me, too. But I had to face it."
They brought her into the council chamber, where maps and scrolls littered the war table.
Selene stood at the head, bandaged but unwavering.
"Damien is no more," she began. "Whatever part of him remained... it's been consumed. The thing I fought was a shell. A vessel. The true force behind him is something far older."
Kael furrowed his brow. "Older than the void cult?"
Selene nodded. "Older than the packs. A being born from the forgotten ages, sealed deep in the Wastes. It's searching—for hosts, for cracks, for doors."
Saria's voice lowered. "And Damien opened one."
"Not fully," Selene said. "But enough that it saw us. Enough that it remembers the moon's touch."
Korren slammed a fist on the table. "Then we close every path. We destroy every trace of void magic still lingering in the realm."
"We can try," Kael muttered, "but darkness doesn't die. It hides. It waits."
Selene let that silence hang before she answered.
"Then we won't wait for it. We hunt it."
Later that evening, Selene stood in the Moon Temple. The air was still, the silver brazier casting shifting light across the walls.
Elira stepped in quietly, her boots making no sound.
"You faced it and lived," she said. "I didn't think anyone could."
Selene turned, studying her. "You were once part of the Voidfang. You saw what it truly was. You turned away before it claimed you."
"I hesitate to call it redemption," Elira said softly. "But I've chosen a side."
Selene walked to the altar and placed a vial upon it—inside, the last fragment of void essence she'd pulled from Damien's body.
"You know how this magic works. I need you to help Saria and Kael study it. Understand it. Learn how to track it."
Elira hesitated. "You trust me?"
"I trust that you have more to gain by standing with me than against me."
"And if I betray that trust?"
Selene turned her gaze on her—cold, regal, and fierce.
"Then you'll wish Damien had taken you with him."
Elira smirked faintly. "Understood, my Queen."
That night, as the pack feasted in Selene's honor, Jace found her once again on the northern balcony overlooking the mountains.
He stood beside her in silence for a while, before speaking.
"Word's spreading across the packs. They're calling you the Moonblade. The Alpha of Queens."
Selene chuckled under her breath. "They always need titles."
"You earned them."
"I'm not sure I wanted them."
"You didn't ask for the moon to choose you either," Jace said. "But here you are."
She turned to face him, her voice lower now. "There's something else. In the canyon… before the final blow, Damien begged for death. But something held him back. Something wouldn't let me kill him."
Jace frowned. "You think… he's still alive?"
"No," she replied. "I think it still lives… inside something else. Somewhere else."
Jace reached for her hand.
"Then we'll find it. Together."
She looked down at their joined hands.
"No," she whispered. "Not just together. With all of them."
She turned toward the stars.
"It's time to summon the Great Council."
Across the realm, messenger wolves raced through forest and mountain.
Banners of every color were raised.
The Queen had called.
And all packs would answer.