Chapter 4

Ayla’s world turned into a swirl of darkness and pain as the ground beneath her feet cracked open. The pull was so strong it felt like a hundred hands were dragging her into the abyss. The air turned cold, icy tendrils of magic clinging to her skin as she screamed for Lucien, but her voice was swallowed by the earth itself.

Everything around her was a blur of shadows and sharp, jagged rocks. Her body twisted as the world spun out of control, and she reached out, desperately trying to grasp anything that might slow her fall. But there was nothing. Just the endless blackness swallowing her whole.

Then, a sudden flash of light—the faintest shimmer—appeared beneath her. It was a crack in the earth, glowing with an unnatural energy, pulsating with a deep, vibrant hue. Ayla's heart thudded violently in her chest. The power within her, the one she had only recently begun to feel, responded to it. She could feel the magic vibrating in her bones, the same energy she had unleashed moments before.

Before she had time to think, her body was jerked forward, and she fell through the glowing rift, plummeting into an unknown world.

She landed hard on the cold stone ground, her body jarred from the impact. For a moment, all she could do was lie there, gasping for breath, her hands clutching at the rough stone beneath her. The world was still spinning, and a sharp pain burned in her chest as the magic inside her surged again.

Ayla tried to sit up, but her vision swam, and the world around her was bathed in an eerie, otherworldly glow. She was no longer in the forest. The landscape that stretched out before her was strange and twisted—an underground cavern, its walls glittering with strange crystals that emitted a ghostly light. The air was thick with an oppressive silence, broken only by the faint echo of her breathing.

Her head snapped around, her instincts alert. The High Council warriors who had been chasing her were nowhere to be seen. In fact, there was no sign of any of the wolves who had attacked moments ago. It was as if the entire battle had been swallowed up by the earth itself.

Ayla pushed herself to her feet, her knees trembling. She was disoriented, her body still reeling from the fall and the surge of magic she had unleashed. But something told her she wasn’t alone.

A low growl rumbled from the shadows ahead. Her heart leapt in her chest as she spun around, her eyes wide with fear. Emerging from the darkness was a figure—a wolf, but unlike any she had seen before. This creature was massive, its fur gleaming silver and black, its eyes glowing a brilliant blue. The wolf’s muscular frame rippled with power, each movement graceful yet deadly. Its eyes locked onto hers, and Ayla’s breath caught in her throat.

The wolf took a slow step toward her, its growl soft, almost inviting. But there was a danger in its eyes, a warning not to come closer.

“What… What are you?” Ayla whispered, her voice trembling.

The wolf’s gaze softened slightly, and to her shock, it spoke. “I am your protector.”

Ayla’s mind reeled at the impossibility of what she had just heard. Wolves didn’t speak. They weren’t supposed to. But this one... this creature was different. There was an ancient, primal energy about it, something familiar yet utterly foreign.

“You’ve been brought here for a reason,” the wolf continued, its voice deep and rich, vibrating with power. “Your power has awakened, Ayla Reyne. And now you must learn to wield it. To control it.”

Ayla swallowed, the weight of the words pressing down on her. “Wield it? Control it? I don’t understand.”

The wolf stepped closer, its gaze never leaving hers. “You will, in time. But first, you must survive.”

Before Ayla could respond, the ground beneath her feet trembled, and a chilling roar echoed through the cavern. The earth cracked open again, and Ayla’s heart skipped a beat as the figure of Lucien appeared in the distance, his face drawn tight with worry. His amber eyes scanned the cavern, his gaze landing on her.

"Ayla!" he shouted, his voice filled with urgency. "Stay where you are! It's not safe."

The wolf by her side growled lowly, its stance shifting into something more defensive. “You should not have come here, Lucien,” it said. “This place is for those who have mastered their power. Not for the weak.”

Lucien’s eyes flickered with a mix of anger and confusion. “Weak?” he snarled. “I’ll show you weakness when I tear your throat out.”

But the wolf didn’t flinch. It simply stared at him with a calm, almost indifferent expression. “Your arrogance will be your downfall, rogue. You don’t understand the forces at play here. Neither of you do.”

Ayla’s head spun as she tried to process the situation. Who was this wolf? Why had he called Lucien a rogue? What did he mean by forces at play? And more importantly, why had she been brought here?

The wolf’s eyes turned back to her, its expression softening for the briefest of moments. “Your destiny is tied to this place, Ayla Reyne. You cannot escape it. The power within you is both a blessing and a curse.”

Lucien stepped forward, his body tense with aggression. “I don’t care about your riddles. If you think you can keep her here, you’re mistaken.”

The wolf’s gaze darkened, its posture becoming more menacing. “You think you can protect her from what’s coming? You have no idea what you’re up against. Both of you are pawns in a game far older and more dangerous than you could ever imagine.”

Ayla felt her knees weaken beneath her as the weight of the words settled in. Something darker, something ancient, was coming. And Lucien was right—he didn’t understand. Neither of them did.

Suddenly, the ground trembled again, more violently this time, and the walls of the cavern began to crack. A strange, pulsating light appeared in the distance, growing brighter and brighter until it filled the entire cavern with an intense, blinding glow. The wolf by her side stepped back, its body tense as it prepared for something.

“What’s happening?” Ayla asked, her voice barely a whisper.

The wolf’s gaze turned to her, its eyes filled with a strange sadness. “It’s beginning.”

Before she could ask another question, the ground beneath her feet began to tremble violently, and the cavern shook as though it were on the brink of collapsing. A force—stronger than anything Ayla had ever felt—rippled through the air.

A high-pitched, otherworldly howl pierced the air. And in that moment, Ayla understood.

Whatever was coming, it wasn’t just the High Council.

It was something far worse.