Nova opened her eyes, a single bead of sweat sliding down her temple despite the cavern's brutal cold. Hyran's warming spell should have chilled her skin dry—but the sweat came from pain, not heat.
Pure, relentless agony. Fin and Jax both wore the same expression, jaws clenched, eyes sharp with the residual shock.
Nova lifted her hand.
A golden tunnel-bridge erupted from the ground, forming beneath their feet—solid, enclosed, thick enough that nothing lurking in the lake could reach through it. She anchored it directly at their position, leaving no space for a tentacle to slip in.
She was pulling entirely from Jax now. His magic threaded through her like molten fire—steady, fierce, burning at the edges from how much she demanded. He was in better shape than Fin, but even he wasn't holding strong anymore.
Without a word spoken, Hyran placed his hand near hers and channeled his own power into the bridge. Red pulsed through the gold, strengthening it, reinforcing every inch. She looked at him—exhausted, grateful—before her lashes fluttered again.
Rex scooped her into his arms before she could attempt to stand. She didn't argue. She couldn't. Her body was failing and she knew it.
Hyran and Aeron positioned themselves under Fin, each taking an arm to keep him upright. Fin tried to protest—it came out as a grunt and nothing more. Jax walked behind them, blood drying on his ribs, eyes never leaving Nova.
They moved. No one spoke. No one dared to.
The tunnel-bridge sealed itself behind them as they advanced, disappearing in segments.
But even that small act drained her. Her breathing turned shallow. Her head lulled toward Rex's shoulder. Her fingers twitched weakly at her sides.
She couldn't hold the bridge open forever. And she was fading—fast.
They moved quickly through the tunnel, the golden-red bridge carrying them toward the cavern's far end. The waterfall thundered above the tunnel's arch, but the water could not reach them—Nova's barrier held, thin as paper to look at, fortified as steel to the touch.
Instead of another open chamber on the opposite side, they met a vast stone wall carved with intricate rune-patterns—circles inside circles, spirals of ancient script, and at the center, a great dragon-serpent carved in full relief, its stone scales coiled in eternal vigilance.
The token's chain was still wrapped around Nova's trembling hand.
Rex carried her forward, slow and steady, her weight light against his chest. She managed to lift her arm—weak, unsteady—and pressed the token into his palm before her eyes drifted shut again.
Rex placed the medallion into the center of the serpent's chest.
Nova's eyes snapped open—silver and bright—and she spoke in Draken-Vorah, her voice low but resonant, threading the air with ancient power.
"Xyr'thali vorun'ka. Ven ti'varis aen dal'kor. mviwos norv'walx."
The wall vibrated. The serpent ignited with sapphire light.
Hyran inhaled sharply and translated, voice hushed with awe.
"Guardian of the Gate, awaken. Let only the worthy pass." He translated.
The carved serpent untwisted itself, stone scales grinding as though they had been waiting centuries for her voice. The medallion dissolved into light. The entire wall shuddered—and then split clean down the center, both sides sliding apart with a deep, ancient groan.
Aeron and Hyran exchanged looks—both of them wide-eyed, momentarily thrilled like scholars standing at the edge of discovery. They read the room, now was not the time for joy. They forced their faces into something more serious, attempting—poorly—to hide the enthusiasm.
The group stepped through the opening.
The moment the last of them crossed the threshold, the stone sealed shut behind them, cutting off the lake, the cavern, and every threat they had fled.
And what awaited them inside was the true heart of Vyramar.
Inside was a cavern made of pure ice and crystals. Glowing from within.
A crystal pedestal rose before them, carved from a single shard of shimmering quartz, a metal basin set into its center—smooth, ancient, waiting. The air itself felt charged, humming with the kind of magic that watched, judged, and remembered.
Rex guided Nova forward, one arm around her waist, the other steadying her shoulder. Her legs barely held her. He supported almost all her weight as she reached out with her free hand and grasped one of the thin crystal rods that protruded from the pedestal like branches of light.
Without hesitation, Nova dragged the crystalline edge across her palm.
Silver blood welled instantly and dripped into the basin.
The chamber answered at once.
Multiple voices—hundreds, thousands—layered over one another in an unnatural chorus, echoing around them like the bones of the temple itself were speaking.
"Blood is required from all, not just the chosen."
The words rattled the air.
Rex tensed, his arm tightening instinctively around Nova. He heard the voices clear as day. Jax heard them too, already stepping forward without waiting for an explanation. Fin staggered but heard as well.
Rex spoke low, calm, resolute. "We all must give blood."
Hyran and Aeron already heard as well, because both were touching Fin. They shifted their support and brought him forward to join the others.
They formed a circle around the pedestal.
No one argued.
No one hesitated.
Each man used a rock, Aeron's dagger, or the shard Hyran fabricated. Fin's hand guided by Hyran—and slashed his own palm, letting blood fall into the basin beside Nova's silver. All mixing into a single shimmering pool.
And the temple waited.
The blood in the basin shimmered swirling as if stirred by an unseen hand. The chamber darkened, the air tightening around them like a held breath.
Then the whispers rose.
Not one voice.
Not many voices.
An entire lineage, speaking as one—layered, resonant, echoing off the crystal walls until the sound felt carved into their bones.
"If we say the horizon shifts for every traveler…"
The words pressed into the air with the weight of an ancient decree.
Nova's eyes opened—green. Clear. Unpossessed. Her breathing was shallow, her body failing, but her voice held steady.
"Then I answer that the bearing remains unchanged."
The chamber reacted instantly.
The pedestal flared with white-gold light.
Runes spiraled outward in concentric circles.
The floor trembled as if some forgotten engine beneath the temple had roared awake after centuries of silence.
The fire erupted hitting the ceiling of the cavern. Sheets of gold, sapphire, and deep ruby twisted together like serpents made of flame. They curled to the ceiling in spirals that looked almost alive, casting jagged shadows across the chamber.
Then the whispers rose again.
They converged, condensing into a single voice that did not sound like any mortal tongue. It was a sound scraped out of the dark between worlds. A warped harmony, too deep and too high at once, as if a choir of the dead had been forced into speaking through one ancient throat.
Hyran Drakonis, Born and trained in Morbia. Now of Varos. Master of Mages in Redmoon. He chose his path wisely. He stands as the most connected and powerful mage across all continents—advisor to Varos's wisest king, mentor to the Dragon Prince and the daughter of the Moon Goddess.
Hyran froze—jaw tight, eyes wide, every line of his body drawn taut.
The voice shifted, deepening.
Aeron Lancaster. Born in Elaris. Trained in Elaris. Now of Varos. Master of Mages in Shadowclaw. He chose his path wisely. Selected by fate to train the most powerful Alpha King in history, and a daughter of the Moon Goddess. He stands as one of the most knowledgeable and wisest mages in all the continents.
Aeron blinked, shoulders locked, the praise hitting him harder than any spell ever had. The fire pulsed sapphire. The chamber rumbled.
Jax Thorne. Born of Varos. Incarnate of the Ice Dragon King, brethren of House of Redmoon. Gamma of Shadowclaw. High General of Shadowclaw Forces. Ascended Gamma seat in his sixteenth summer. Victor of two great wars before his nineteenth summer. Right hand of the Shadowclaw Alpha. Known across Varos as its greatest Gamma in history.
His love for the daughter of the Moon Goddess was so pure that the mark awakened an Alpha aura dormant in his bloodline for over three thousand years.
He honors his ancestors, known by the gods as the one who defied fate—and changed it. Warrior and protector chosen by the Moon Goddess.
Every gaze in the chamber settled on Jax. Rex wore an expression of curiosity sharpening into awe, and then into a quiet, unmistakable pride. As though the revelation had aligned something in him he had always felt but never named and sudden clarity of understanding why he had always felt an inexplicable kinship with Jax. He was an incarnate of a bloodline long thought lost. It explained the alpha aura Jax possessed, though he assumed that was from Nova's mark it made more sense that it was dormant and awakened. Another piece of the puzzle clicking into place. Hyran's face reflected the same realization.
Fin and Aeron looked at Jax as well; Fin allowed himself a brief, proud grin—the kind reserved only for a brother in arms. Nova's eyes flickered to Jax last, a single, fleeting glance before she returned her gaze to the fire. Jax could always read her. Always. But not now. Not this time. He held his expression perfectly neutral.
The fire pulsed pure gold and white, and everyone's eyes went to Fin instinctually.
Finric Shadowclaw, born and trained in Varos. Incarnate of the First King of Wolves across all continents. Alpha of Shadowclaw. King of North Varos. Victor of a great war, serving as High General of the Shadowclaw armies at sixteen. Ascended the throne in his eighteenth summer. Victor of a second great war in his nineteenth summer as Chief Commander. He has surpassed the legacy of his father, and the legacy of his grandfather before him. Already counted among the most formidable Alpha Kings in all recorded history.
Jax's expression shifted into a fleeting grin—pride, fierce and unguarded, before he schooled it away. Hyran and Rex both looked at Fin as well, with respect. They'd witnessed his victories and path to King, but hearing it listed was powerful.
Nova's gaze flickered to Fin, locking with his for a heartbeat. A look of unmistakable love passed between them—followed by the jolt of an epiphany so sharp it rippled through every matebond. Something had clicked in her mind. Something significant.
The fire changed color to ruby red spiraled with gold, still hitting the ceiling.
Rex Redmoon. Born and trained in Varos. Incarnate of the First Dragon King, carved in his image. Master Commander of the Ironclave Army at fifteen and the Draken Forces at seventeen. Prince of Redmoon. Victor of two great wars before his seventeenth summer. Rising in wisdom and power to rival his father. Will be known as the greatest Dragon King and Redmoon Alpha in recorded history. Chosen and honored by the Moon Goddess.
Rex inhaled through his nose. His expression did not break, but something in him tightened. Then the chamber stilled. Every flame bowed. Every rune vibrated. When the voice spoke next, the temperature dropped sharply.
The fire changed color to pure silver.
Fin, Rex, and Jax all stared at her. Hyran and Aeron leaned forward instinctively, as though bracing for something ancient.
Nova Shadowclaw. Born in Varos. Heir of Moonveil—fallen to slave before ten summers. Risen from slave to queen at eighteen. Daughter of the Moon Goddess, carved in her image. The sole living white wolf in all continents and the first silver blood in ten thousand years.
Incarnate of the First Dragon Queen. Incarnate of the First Queen of Wolves. Luna of House Shadowclaw. Queen of North Varos. Recognized as the True Luna of House Thorne and Gamma Luna of Shadowclaw. Identified but not titled as Luna of House Redmoon and Princess Consort of Redmoon and East Varos.
Known as the most beautiful woman in Varos and soon all continents. Fated to conquer the land where she was once enslaved.
Three Gods laid claim to her fate.
Two more blessed her path.
And one—silent, ancient, older than the sky—waited for her return.
She walks Varos as a mortal, but the Gods watch her as one of their own.
Silence detonated through the chamber. No one breathed. Her face flushed at this. All eyes were on her, but she chose to look into the fire. The fire dimmed, lowering from the ceiling into a regular flame. But the whispers returned—low, cold, almost gentle in their menace.
Warnings for you.
The chamber darkened. The flames twisted tighter. And something ancient prepared to speak again.
At those words, Nova's heart plunged like a stone into dark water. A quiet, instinctive dread coiled in her chest, sharp and cold. Rex felt it immediately through the matebond—a jolt of fear so sudden it stole the air from his lungs. Jax's eyes were on her and concerned, his pulse spiking as her fear bled into him, unmistakable and raw.
Hyran Drakonis. You must unbind what is bound before two sunrises pass. Many lives depend on it including the fate of your wise king. Cloak the power until the unbinding is complete or lives will be lost.
Hyran's eyes went to Nova. Nova met his gaze with haunted recognition.
Aeron Lancaster.
The fire twisted toward him like a ritual spotlight.
Your soul-tie's path narrows each day. If the curse is not lifted within three moons, one of you will die so the other may live.
Aeron stiffened—face draining, mind racing. His eyes went to Nova. Looking at her fiercely. She swallowed at his gaze, and understood. This interaction wasn't missed by anyone in the group.
Jax Thorne, the darkness moves toward what your soul refuses to lose, and without your action, death will not be turned away by tomorrow's moon.
Begin the journey tomorrow with the Dragon Incarnates.
Jax's entire body locked into stillness. He knew exactly what that was referring to. His eyes were still locked on Nova. But her eyes were still on Aeron, thinking about Marra.
Finric Shadowclaw, your Master Mage and all Shadowclaw High Lunas stand upon the brink of death. The curse must be undone within three days of you Gamma Luna, for should you fail, your mage will give his life to spare hers.
Fin's eyes locked with Aeron's. His gaze was fierce and protective, silently saying, I'm not going to let anything happen to her or you.
The third relic must be retrieved to continue the path towards life of your Beta Luna. Should you fail, her death will occur by tomorrow's moon, alongside the Queen of North Varos.
Her life is beyond your hands. Do nothing. You cannot save what fate has already claimed.
Fin's eyes darkened, but discipline forced him still. His expression however, was not pleasant. None of those words sat well with him. His eyes locked on Nova's green eyes. She broke eye contact first. Continuing to keep calm.
Rex Redmoon. Only the incarnates of the Dragon may cross the threshold of tomorrow's final task.
You must bear The Drakenfire Rings, relics once worn by the First Flame Sovereigns themselves.
An artifact awaits within that chamber, one vital to the survival of both Redmoon and Shadowclaw. This charge cannot be forsaken.
Rex's grip tightened around Nova, subtle but unmistakable, the controlled restraint of a man whose instincts were already roaring. His face remained composed, the perfect mask of a commander, yet beneath it churned hard. She needed rest and wouldn't be fully healed by morning, and he knew it.
Jax and Fin exchanged a glance across the chamber, a single heartbeat of shared understanding and simmering dread. Neither of them liked the sound of her going with only Rex, no matter how capable he was. It had taken all three of them in that cursed lake to tear her free, and even then Fin had nearly died for it. The idea of her facing another task so soon made something cold and vicious settle in both their chests.
Assess the offensive combat skillset of the Dragon Queen Incarnate at dawn, in both wolf form and human form. Train her only lightly, for she must conserve her strength for the trial that awaits. In wolf form, she must relinquish command to her wolf, whose instincts and battle craft far exceed her own. You must depart before mid-morning.
Have her carry the blade of the Shadowclaw Alpha and her bow. You shall wield the First Blade of the Dragon King, granted to you yesterday. Each of these weapons is bound to its master, allowing you to shift into wolf form while keeping them intact, returning unaltered the moment you resume your human shape.
A final caution: wear Redmoon thermal combat-weave armor. Heavy plates and cloaks will drag you to your death by drowning.
Rex absorbed every word with the cold focus of a commander already calculating the battlefield ahead.
Nova Shadowclaw.Death waits for you .
Twice tomorrow's light, once with the light that follows, and again when the tenth day returns.
Nova merely drew a slow breath of acceptance. Numb, the way one becomes when warnings of death have long since lost their novelty.
Your power is bound to the Ashbane Alpha. If the tether remains, he will forge a portal to your side at the fourth and final task. You will be alone and forced to battle him. His wolf will tear your throat.
Should the tether be severed before that hour and his attempt fail, the fate ahead does not alter. You are still destined to fall by his blade upon the tenth day.
At that revelation, Fin's heart slammed painfully in his chest. He had no true measure of her skill with a blade, but it was almost certainly nowhere near the level Ashbane would bring to the field. He drew a slow breath, letting the weight of it settle through him, his resolve hardening like tempered steel. Jax's gaze remained fixed on Nova, his mind already racing down the same ruthless line of thought.
However, to defy death by his hand, you must first defy the death that waits for you tomorrow. Two times death will come for you.
Bring Drakenfire and Drakenice Rings and your bow. Leave your dagger with the Shadowclaw Alpha. Wear Redmoon thermal combat-weave armor.
The first time death greets you, is before the lake during the final portion of the task.
You cannot rely on cleverness to mask the places where your skill falls short. There will be no opportunity to steal their momentum, exploit their size, or imbalance.
Prepare to strike blood by sword. Strike first. Do not let them touch you.
When you are gravely outnumbered, allow your wolf to command the fight.
Do not get into the lake alone under any circumstances. Today's lake is a taste of what tomorrow's will be.
At this, Nova's eyes widened for the briefest fraction of a second, her composure cracking before she forced it back into place with a controlled breath. Everyone saw it.
However, even if you are successful. If you shift tomorrow to survive, you will draw your final breath before tomorrow's moon.
Your soul remains severed, and a shift at that hour, with the remnants of strength you possess, will complete the wound the blade has already begun.
Your mastery of magic, though necessary for today's survival, has hastened the breaking of your life-thread.
Nova remained stone-faced as the decree fell over her, unflinching, betraying nothing. The fire still roared, but the voices seemed to be waiting for her response.
"If I do not shift at dawn to assess skill, and instead shift during the task, will I still be marked for death."
Death by sever will claim you on the moon that follows tomorrow if you succeed with one shift. Your clock has run out I'm afraid.
However, your wolf is fated for failure if you do not train at dawn. Her skill is stronger than your own, yet not in the measure required. Even with preparation, luck must be on her side.
The Dragon King Incarnate can still retrieve the artifact when you perish.
Nova drew in a breath of acceptance. The flame spoke again.
This task was originally never meant for you.
Yet it is the burden laid upon your path. Consider it a rare grace afforded by fate that the Dragon King Incarnate is permitted to enter with you.
If you do not obtain the artifact of measure, the Ashbane Alpha will secure a decisive advantage. Redmoon and Shadowclaw will fall within ten days.
The fate of Moonveil will repeat across every dominion of Varos before the summer solstice.
The item compass awarded for today's task will always point to the gate.
If dark magic draws near, it will warn you.
The room where these items are stored must be enchanted to prevent portals.
The spirits inhaled as one with a sound like a thousand lungs gasping through water, or the last breath of something ancient drowning in the dark.
The flames stilled. The voices came sounding rushed and strained.
The Ashbane Alpha has entered the lake cavern chamber.
You have fallen to a level of weakness that allows him to track you through the tether, granting him the ability to forge a portal to your location without needing an anchor of reference.
We are holding him at the gate of this chamber, barring his entrance, but he pushes against the barrier.
Until you are untethered or cloaked, you place Shadowclaw at grave risk by remaining and Redmoon in equal peril.
Any blood spilled by his hand, in this hour or the next, shall be counted upon your shoulders. You have been warned.
Nova blinked, not having considered that. She had a feeling they were connected when she could feel him enter the temple today. But to portal to her directly was disturbing.
Take the item, if you wish to live and leave immediately.
We will not be able to hold him in a moment.
A compass appeared in the basin. Nova grabbed it, it pulsed and glowed on her touch.