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The storm rolled in fast—unnaturally fast.
Lightning forked across the sky as Alex and Eira arrived at the ruins of the Hale estate. The land itself seemed to hum beneath their feet, reacting to the power surging through Alex's veins.
He still felt the primal's dying energy coiled inside him. It hadn't vanished—it had merged.
"You're changing," Eira whispered, watching him with awe and unease. "Not just evolving—unlocking."
Alex looked down at his hand. Sparks of golden flame flickered across his skin before vanishing.
Then they felt it.
A presence.
From the trees emerged a boy no older than seventeen. Dark curls fell into sharp eyes—amber, like Alex's. But colder. Older, in a way no child's should be.
"Kaelen," Alex breathed, the name tasting like prophecy on his tongue.
The boy tilted his head. "So, you remember."
Eira stepped forward, protective. "Who are you?"
Kaelen smiled. "I'm what Talia chose to forget. The firstborn. The heir that never should've lived."
Wind tore through the clearing as Kaelen raised his hand, summoning spectral wolves from the shadows. Each one bore a twisted Hale crest across its snout—bitten through, as if broken.
Alex barely had time to react.
The wolves pounced, and the battle exploded into motion.
Alex shifted mid-dodge, launching himself into the pack, tearing through illusions and solid forms alike. Eira moved behind him, unleashing sigil after sigil, her magic weaving through the chaos like threads of lightning.
But Kaelen didn't move.
He only watched.
Every time Alex got close, the wolves regrouped, more organized than before—trained.
"This isn't an attack," Eira shouted. "It's a test."
Kaelen nodded once. "Good. You're not as slow as you look."
Alex growled, wiping blood from his mouth. "What do you want?"
"I want what's mine," Kaelen said, stepping forward. "The Hale name. The blood power. And her."
His eyes flicked to Eira.
Alex's beast stirred, snarling at the implication.
"You think I care about your birthright?" Alex snapped.
"No," Kaelen said. "But she does. And she was promised to the alpha of the line."
Alex's heart slammed against his ribs.
Eira's voice trembled. "I'm not a prize."
"Tell that to Talia," Kaelen said coldly. "She's the one who bound our souls."
The storm crashed above them. Thunder shook the earth.
Kaelen smiled again.
"Let's see if you deserve the title."
He vanished in a flicker of light and shadow, leaving only the lingering echo of a forgotten bond.
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