The forest beyond the northern ridge was dead and corrupt.
Every tree twisted unnaturally, branches gnarled like claws reaching for the sky.
The ground was blackened, cracked, and lifeless, marked bad energy that pulsed like a heartbeat.
The air smelled of rot and magic,a warning carved into the land itself.
Maria led her squad forward, silver light flickering across her fur, illuminating the path. Her eyes searched every shadow, every motion. Every sense screamed danger.
"Stay close," she warned. "This place feeds on fear. Don't let it touch you."
Kael's absence burned inside her chest. She could feel him faintly, almost like a thread tugging her forward,a glem of hope in the sea of darkness.
He's alive, she whispered. I can feel him.
The first ambush came without warning.
Twisted wolves, larger than any she had faced, lunged from the shadows, their veins glowing black with corruption.
Their jaws snapped at her, claws slicing the air.
Maria shifted mid-leap, massive silver wolf flashing, teeth and claws striking with precision.
Moonlight wrapped around her like armor, deflecting bad energy. Behind her, the pack moved in unison, every attack synchronized, every strike controlled.
But the deeper she went, the worse it became.
Pools of blackened water hissed as she passed, and the ground beneath their paws seemed to writhe.
She could feel the Ashen King's influence pressing down, testing her resolve, taunting her with every step.
Then she saw him.
Chains of shadow wrapped around Kael, dragging him toward a colossal bone altar at the heart of the corrupted lands.
His head lifted weakly, eyes locking with hers.
Do not break, his silent message said.
Maria growled, furious. The wolf inside her surged.
She leaped forward, silver fire exploding from her paws, ripping through the corrupted wolves and necrotic barriers in her path.
Every movement was a dance of death and precision, powered by rage, love, and the Moon itself.
The closer she came, the more intense the bad energy became, pressing against her lungs, burning her veins, testing her strength. Yet she pressed on.
"I will find you," she whispered, voice shaking but unwavering. "And I will bring you back. No darkness, no shadow, no Ashen King will stop me."
Her vow lit the corrupted land with silver brilliance.
Every obstacle, every enemy, every shadow recoiled from her power.
The rescue had begun.
And the Ashen King's traps would not hold her.