Xavier didn't speak as Raine stepped out of the chamber, flanked by Ezekiel. His golden eyes—once filled with warmth—were now storms of confusion, pain, and something deeper… fear.
Her Trial Mark had changed. It wasn't just a bond anymore. It was a symbol of defiance. Of duality. She bore both light and shadow.
"Raine," Xavier said at last, his voice low and strained. "What have you done?"
"I made my choice," she replied, standing tall despite the ache still buzzing in her bones. "You told me half the truth. He showed me the rest."
Ezekiel folded his arms. "You should thank me, brother. I've done what you were too afraid to do—set her free."
"She was never a prisoner!" Xavier growled, stepping forward. "You poisoned her with whispers and half-truths."
"You lied to protect her," Ezekiel shot back. "I revealed the truth to empower her."
"I loved her," Xavier said, voice cracking. "That was real."
Raine flinched.
Silence fell between them like a guillotine.
"I didn't come here to watch brothers destroy each other," she said, stepping between them. "I need to know one thing—what comes next?"
Ezekiel and Xavier exchanged a glance, and for the first time, Raine saw the truth: they weren't just rivals. They were reflections of each other's guilt.
Outside the Trial Cavern, the sky had shifted—clouds churning in unnatural spirals, the wind howling with a warning. The bond-breaking ritual had disturbed something old… and angry.
"They know," Ezekiel muttered. "The Council will come."
"Then we run," Xavier said.
"No," Raine interrupted. "We don't run. Not anymore."
She turned to the brothers. "We gather the marked. The ones like me—the ones the Council hunted."
"You'd lead them?" Ezekiel asked. "They'll follow you if you do."
Raine nodded. "I'll fight if I have to. But I won't do it alone."
Xavier looked at her with a bitter smile. "You sound like a Queen."
"No," she said. "I sound like someone who's tired of being hunted."
As they made their way toward the mountain's exit, Raine paused—something tugging at her instincts. Her feet moved on their own, leading her down a narrow, vine-covered path.
There, hidden in the stone, was a door carved with her family crest—the same one from her childhood necklace.
"What is this?" she whispered.
Xavier frowned. "That symbol—it's not just Lunaris. It's forbidden magic."
Ezekiel's tone darkened. "Only one bloodline bore that mark. The Sovereign Wolves."
Raine pushed the door open.
Inside was a small, circular chamber filled with bones… and scrolls. Dozens of them, etched with moonsteel ink. In the center was a stone cradle—and inside, a single ring of silver, glowing faintly.
She reached for it.
And the moment her fingers closed around the metal, visions struck her.
A white wolf with eyes like hers… flames… betrayal… a voice—"Hide her. They'll kill her if they know."
She gasped and staggered back, clutching the ring.
"What did you see?" Xavier demanded.
"My mother," Raine whispered. "She was a Sovereign Wolf… and she hid me from the Council."
Ezekiel's eyes widened. "You're not just a mark, Raine. You're the heir."
As Raine emerged from the crypt, the wind changed again.
And a sound split the air.
Horns.
Not just one.
Three.
Xavier's face paled. "They're here."
From the treeline, shadows moved—wolves in obsidian armor, their eyes glowing with the Council's fire.
At their head rode a woman in white furs, her crown made of bone and ice.
"The Seer of the Council," Ezekiel whispered. "We're out of time."
Raine didn't flinch.
"Let them come."
And for the first time, Xavier and Ezekiel stood on the same side… behind her.