---
The woods were quiet—but not with peace. It was the kind of silence that trembled, the kind that came before everything burned.
Alex stood at the heart of a stone circle—old, cracked, and covered in moss—deep within the ley forest. The fire within him pulsed stronger than ever, reacting to something ancient buried beneath the earth.
Eira stood across from him, arms folded, cloak fluttering with the wind. "You shouldn't have followed Kaelen alone."
"He's my blood," Alex said. "And I saw it in his eyes… he's not done."
"He's never started," she whispered, stepping closer. "And if we don't stop this now, it's not just your past that'll burn. It's our future."
Alex's heart clenched at her words. He couldn't deny the connection—the one that had only grown with each battle, each memory shared. It was real.
And Kaelen knew.
That's why he'd made her the prize.
But she was never a prize.
She was everything.
Suddenly, flames erupted around the stone circle—amber fire that danced and hissed but didn't burn. Symbols rose from the stone, glowing gold and red.
A summoning.
Kaelen's voice echoed across the trees. "If you want to claim what's yours, brother… then fight me for it."
From the flames, Kaelen emerged—older now. Taller. Empowered by the stolen ley energy.
His eyes locked onto Alex's, and without another word, they charged.
The clash was monstrous—beast against beast, blood against blood. Kaelen moved like a shadow, fast and brutal. Alex countered with raw force, shifting mid-combat, his claws slicing through summoned flame.
Around them, the circle pulsed, feeding on their rage. Every hit sparked memories. Every wound triggered echoes of the past—two brothers once held by Talia's hands, now ripping each other apart.
Eira cried out, stepping into the flames. She began weaving a binding spell, ancient and forbidden.
"If I seal the circle, only one of you can leave."
Neither flinched.
Kaelen struck hard—throwing Alex across the circle.
But Alex stood.
Not just a shifter.
Not just a reincarnated soul.
A protector. A lover. A fighter.
And he had made a choice.
He stepped back into the fire, grabbed Kaelen's arm mid-swing, and stared into his brother's glowing eyes. "You can have the power," he whispered, voice low. "But you don't get her."
Then he let the fire consume them both.
The flames screamed.
Eira finished the incantation—and the fire collapsed inward, sealing the circle shut.
Only one figure emerged from the smoke.
Alex.
Barely breathing.
Barely standing.
But alive.
And alone.
---
Chapter 19: Ashes of the Pact