Danger doesn't wait for hesitation.
I moved before anyone could stop me. Broke away from the confrontation with Katheris and her lieutenant, sprinting toward where I'd seen the shadow moving.
"Elara!" Darius's voice carried warning and fury in equal measure.
But I couldn't stop. Marcus was in danger. Real danger, not simulation games or political tests.
Through the bond, Darius shifted fully. His massive wolf form tore through the forest after me, leaving Katheris and her people behind.
I'm with you, he sent. Whatever this is, we face it together.
The terrain blurred as I ran. My wolf lent speed and agility, letting me navigate obstacles without slowing. Trees, rocks, uneven ground. All of it just background to the single focus of reaching Marcus before whoever was hunting him did.
I burst into Faction Alpha's territory. Found their camp in organized chaos. Students scrambling, defensive positions forming.
