The instant Kanah whispered "No."
the air itself shifted.
Not with Devourer hunger.
Not with beast instinct.
Not with spellwork or prophecy.
With human will.
Her resonance ignited like wildfire—
gold-white light racing up her spine, blooming across her ribs, filling the clearing with warmth so intense even dragons blinked at it.
Owain stopped breathing.
Yllas froze mid-spell.
Gerrin gasped.
Helion swore.
Leopards hissed from the trees.
Elves shielded their eyes.
Even the guardian beast lowered its massive head, rumbling in awe.
Kanah stepped forward, steady despite her trembling body.
Her father's aura crashed against her—
but instead of collapsing
instead of buckling
instead of kneeling—
she stood taller.
Owain, pinned beneath the perfected brood, choked on his own breath.
"K—Kana…?"
She lifted her head.
"Don't touch him."
Her voice wasn't louder than before.
It wasn't enhanced or monstrous or resonant in a Devourer way.
It was simply—
unbreakable.
The Devourer King's eyes narrowed.
"You are not stable.
Your seed is incomplete."
Kanah shook her head.
"I don't NEED it complete."
"Then you cannot stand against me."
"I'm not standing against you."
A pause rippled through the world.
Kanah finished softly:
"I'm standing for them."
Her father's expression flickered.
Not in fear.
In bewilderment.
Like he truly did not understand.
"You choose beasts over your blood?"
"Yes."
The Devourer King's aura sharpened.
"They are lesser.
Fragile.
Emotional.
Temporary."
Kanah looked back at the wolves bleeding for her.
The dragons circling overhead.
The elves struggling to maintain spells.
The leopards slicing down clusters of malformed soldiers.
Helion staggering back into place, blood in his fur.
Yllas breathing hard, still ready to fight.
Gerrin braced with cracked arms.
Owain pinned, still snarling, still trying to reach her even through broken ribs.
And her Devourer-born pack trembling behind her, trying to shield her weakly with their bodies.
"They're not lesser," she said.
"They're my family."
The Devourer King stilled.
Something ancient and alien moved behind his eyes.
"Then you have made your final mistake."
He snapped his fingers.
The perfected brood lunged at Kanah.
Owain roared, animalistic, wild.
"KANA—MOVE—!"
Helion dove.
Yllas hurled flame.
Gerrin tried to yank her back.
Kanah lifted her hand—
and the world pulsed.
BOOM.
A shockwave exploded outward.
But not of fire.
Not of hunger.
Not of Devourer dark resonance.
Of human warmth.
The brood hit an invisible wall—
staggered—
skidded back—
and collapsed to one knee, clutching its chest as its resonance spasmed.
Kanah exhaled shakily.
Her father's voice dropped to a razor's edge.
"…What did you just do?"
Kanah stared at her trembling hand.
"I… I stopped him."
Impossible.
Unthinkable.
But she had.
Gerrin's voice cracked.
"She didn't overpower it… she redirected it."
Helion blinked.
"Redirected? As in—"
"She targeted the INSTINCT inside," Gerrin whispered in awe.
"She didn't break him by force—
she reminded him he wasn't just a weapon."
The Devourer King's aura twisted violently.
"You dare touch my forge?
My creation?"
Kanah shook her head.
"I didn't touch it.
I touched HIM."
The brood trembled.
It looked up at her slowly.
Its eyes flickered—
black-gold
to gold-black
to raw gold.
It emitted a sound—
not a scream
not a growl
not a death-rattle—
a confused, pained whimper.
Owain heard that sound—
and something inside him tore open.
He threw the brood off him with a roar so violent it cracked the ground.
"KANA—!!"
He sprinted toward her, limping, bleeding, barely breathing—
but unstoppable.
Kanah stepped toward him.
Their hands met.
Owain crushed her into his arms, burying his face in her hair.
"Don't you EVER—
EVER—
do that alone again—do you hear me?"
Kanah trembled.
"I wasn't alone."
Owain froze.
She looked up at him, eyes glowing gold-white.
"I had you."
He inhaled sharply, something like a sob tearing out of him.
But their moment shattered—
because her father stepped forward.
Not watching.
Not observing.
Moving with intent.
"To me, Kanara."
The Devourer King's aura surged.
Wolves collapsed on their bellies.
Leopards flattened to branches.
Dragons flinched midair.
Elves staggered.
Even Owain's knees buckled—
but he forced himself upright with a growl that ripped his throat raw.
"You—don't—touch—her—"
Kanah gripped his arm.
"Owain—stop—he's trying to break you first—"
"Kana—stay behind me—"
Her father's voice cut through the roar.
"You cannot shield her.
You cannot protect her.
You cannot fight me."
Owain bared his fangs.
"Watch me."
The Devourer King raised his hand—
And Kanah felt the seed inside her seize.
Her breath hitched.
Her vision blurred.
Her legs buckled.
Her father whispered:
"Come to me."
Owain tightened his arms around her like he'd tear his own bones apart rather than let her go.
"KANA—FOCUS—on ME—
on my voice—
on my scent—
on US—"
Her body spasmed.
Her Devourer eye flickered open—
black-gold.
"No—no—no—stay with me—STAY WITH ME—" Owain begged, voice cracking.
Kanah gasped.
"I'm trying—O…wain—he's—pulling—"
Her father smiled.
Cold.
Triumphant.
"Come."
Kanah's breath fractured.
Her knees buckled.
Owain held her desperately.
"PLEASE—KANA—DON'T—YOU PROMISED—"
Her father whispered:
"You belong to me."
Kanah sobbed—
"No—
I belong—
to ME."
Her resonance exploded—
again—
but differently.
Not outward, not a shockwave.
Inward.
Centering.
Fusing.
Stabilizing.
The ground glowed beneath her feet.
Her human heartbeat pounded through the battlefield.
And she said—
clearly, firmly, beautifully:
"I choose myself."
Owain gasped.
Her father's eyes widened.
And the perfected brood—
knelt.
Not to the King.
To her.
Her father's expression cracked.
For the first time—
he looked truly, deeply threatened.
Kanah stood straighter.
Her shaking stopped.
Her resonance settled around her like a warm, living aura.
Not Devourer.
Not beast.
Not weapon.
Human.
Owain took her hand.
The tribes rose behind her.
Her Devourer-born pack fell in around her, trembling.
And Kanah stepped forward.
Facing her father.
Facing the war.
Facing herself.
"This ends with me," she whispered.
Her father's aura trembled.
Not in rage.
In warning.
In fear.