Morning arrived soaked in blood.
The battlefield at Bloodstone Ridge was littered with fallen bodies,wolves, undead, and ash alike.
Smoke rose into the gray sky as Maria stood among her warriors, chest heaving, Moonlight still flickering around her.
They had won the skirmish but at a terrible cost.
"The Ashen King retreated east," a scout reported.
"But he left traps behind."
Maria clenched her fists.
She could feel it,too dark sigils buried beneath the land, feeding on fear and death.
"He's learning," Kael said, pressing a hand to his bleeding side.
"Testing us."
As if summoned by his words, a shrill howl split the air.
From the shadows emerged wolves unlike any they'd faced before,larger, faster, veins glowing black with necrotic power.
"Formation" Maria commanded.
The creatures attacked with terrifying coordination.
Silver fire barely slowed them. One lunged for Maria, claws slicing her arm before Kael drove his blade through its skull.
"They're adapting to your power," he warned.
Fear flickered in her chest but she crushed it.
"Then we adapt faster."
She raised her hands, drawing deeper on lunar energy, weaving it with control instead of raw force.
Moonlight wrapped the warriors like armor, strengthening bonds, sharpening instincts.
The tide turned.
By sunset, the creatures lay defeated, dissolving into ash.
But Maria knew the truth,this was only a test.
The Ashen King was preparing something far worse.