At last, just as his strength gave out, Kael arrived in a fury.
"Derrick!!" he roared, eyes wide with disbelief at the blood-soaked ground.
The two clashed. Kael was strong, but Derrick, having consumed the entire vial of potion, was terrifying in power. In the end, both collapsed, their blood pooling beneath them.
Leo and Selena returned along the winding trail by the creek.
As they approached the camp, a wave of blood stung their nostrils.
They quickened their pace, breaking through the fog and darkness—until they reached the square, and froze.
The bonfire still burned, but now bathed in blood. Corpses lay scattered, and the fire danced wildly in the wind, as if mourning the dead in silence.
Leo's eyes widened in shock. Selena stood quiet for a beat, then whispered, "It was Derrick."
Leo had already seen his brother's body lying in a pool of red. He muttered, "How did he get out? How… did he do this?"
No one had the answer.
——
Three days later, the Bloodfang Tribe held the coronation of their new chieftain.
The bonfire roared, war drums rumbled low, and the warriors of the tribe encircled the great stone altar, chanting in celebration of Leo's moment of glory.
Selena stood beside the flame, a cup of firewine in hand, a faint smile on her lips as she watched him.
"Congratulations," she said, her voice laced with playful sarcasm. "You've finally become a true king."
Leo returned the smile, but only barely. There was no joy in his eyes. He stepped forward and tossed a small vial at Selena's feet.
"This was found in the prison," he said quietly.
Selena's brows knitted. She looked down at the vial, her voice curious but calm. "What is it?"
"I thought you'd recognize it," Leo said, his tone soft but cutting. "I've seen the exact same thing in your private chamber."
Selena looked at him in silence, then let out a short laugh.
"So… you figured it out."
Leo drew a breath, his voice hoarse but steady. "Derrick… you let him out? That night, you led me away just to give him his chance, didn't you?"
She nodded, unflinching. "Yes. You know how he was… toward me, toward Moontrace. I had to remove him."
Leo closed his eyes, his voice trembling. "And the others? My father, the elders, Kael, all the innocent people… were they part of your plan too?"
Selena paused, then spoke with eerie calm. "Moontrace and Bloodfang have been at peace on the surface, but the tension never truly disappeared. Every full moon, our civilians die to transformed werewolves—my mother among them. Garran, Derrick… even so-called 'just men' like Kael, all saw us as prey, not equals. War was inevitable."
Leo opened his eyes again—his gaze was like ice fracturing under pressure.
"So you set every piece in motion ahead of time. Garran's collusion with Grey Iron Pike, Derrick's potion, my exile… you orchestrated all of it? You wanted to divide Bloodfang, eliminate our best warriors. That way, you'd feel safe. And along the way, you even used our strength to wipe out your real threat—Grey Iron Pike."
He let out a bitter laugh. "What a brilliant game you played, Lady Raylin."
"I'm sorry for that," Selena said softly. There was no guilt in her expression—only honesty. "Derrick and Garran were easy to manipulate. I planned to remove you both, but they failed to kill you."
She raised her chin and looked him in the eye. "So I changed the plan. That year you were exiled, I placed a bounty on your head in the black market. Alive only. The hunters were cautious—not wanting to kill someone worth so much. That's how you survived… again and again. Until someone finally brought you back three years later."
Leo clenched his fists. His knuckles whitened. His hand lifted to his chest, as if struck by something heavy. It hurt so badly he could barely breathe.
He looked at her—so familiar, and yet now so utterly foreign. She still looked exactly as he remembered: crimson cloak, silver hair, sharp grace, unreal beauty. The sense of recognition surged again, but now with it came a deep and hollow ache.
Suddenly, pain lanced through his chest. Leo winced, his brows pulling tight. His crystal pendant began to glow—dimly at first, then with flickering blue light.
He looked down, stunned, gripping the charm tightly.
A wave of dizziness overwhelmed him. Before he could say a word, darkness claimed him.
——
New York City, in the corner of a small, inconspicuous café.
A young woman sat by the window, sketching silently.
A child passed by and peered at her pad with wide eyes. "Wow, is that a werewolf?"
She nodded slightly, her eyes never leaving the page. Her lips curled into a faint smile.
"Yeah," she whispered, "The werewolf story is finished."
She smiled again—mysteriously, knowingly.
—The next world begins.