Chapter 45:The One Who Came for Him

Chapter 45: Chapter 45:The One Who Came for Him

Before Rowan could respond, the Dreadborn suddenly moved.

Rowan intercepted it.

Their bodies collided with a heavy impact.

The creature struck first.

Rowan blocked with his foreleg.

The force pushed him several steps backward.

The surrounding hunters rushed forward.

The other Dreadborn immediately moved.

They did not attack the cubs.

They did not attack randomly.

They blocked the hunters from reaching their leader.

The chamber erupted into motion.

Claws struck against bone armor.

Snow and dust filled the air.

One Blackfang hunter managed to land a hit on a Dreadborn’s shoulder.

Another Dreadborn immediately countered, forcing him backward.

Rowan fought with controlled aggression, driving his opponent toward the broken wall.

Ash watched for an opening.

Then the Dreadborn leader looked directly at him.

"Come."

Ash hesitated.

Aren moved beside him.

"We stay together."

The creature smiled.

"That is wise."

Ash suddenly charged.

The Dreadborn waited.

Ash struck toward its chest.

The creature blocked.

Ash changed direction.

The creature anticipated him.

Ash swung again.

The Dreadborn moved backward.

Ash pursued.

He attacked low.

The creature stepped aside.

Ash turned and struck from the opposite direction.

This time, the Dreadborn blocked with its forearm.

The impact sent a sharp vibration through Ash’s claws.

He immediately realized something.

The creature was not using its full strength.

It could have attacked him.

Instead, it was allowing him to show his movements.

Ash backed away.

The Dreadborn smiled.

"You understand."

Ash’s breathing became heavier.

"You’re studying me."

"Yes."

Ash attacked again.

This time, he used the environment.

He kicked snow toward the creature’s face before moving around a broken pillar.

The Dreadborn turned.

Ash came from the opposite side.

His claws struck its shoulder.

The creature stepped backward.

A thin scratch appeared across its dark fur.

For the first time, the smile disappeared.

Aren attacked from the side.

The Dreadborn blocked him.

Ash moved again.

Aren understood immediately.

The two began working together.

Ash forced the Dreadborn to turn.

Aren attacked from the blind side.

The creature blocked.

Ash struck again.

Aren moved behind him.

The battle became a constant exchange of movement.

Neither Ash nor Aren could overpower the Dreadborn.

But together, they were becoming difficult to predict.

Rowan noticed them while fighting nearby.

"Ash, don’t chase it!"

Ash heard him.

He stopped pursuing.

The Dreadborn noticed.

A faint smile returned.

"Better."

Ash stared at it.

"You wanted me angry."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"To see what you become when your instincts control you."

Ash’s expression hardened.

"And now?"

The creature’s crimson eyes narrowed.

"Now I want to see what you become when you control them."

The words struck Ash harder than the creature’s claws.

He stopped attacking blindly.

He watched.

The creature shifted its weight slightly before every movement.

Its right shoulder moved before it attacked from the left.

Its eyes briefly followed his paws before changing direction.

Ash began noticing patterns.

He waited.

The Dreadborn attacked.

Ash moved before the strike arrived.

The creature’s claws missed.

Ash countered.

His claws struck the creature’s chest.

The bone armor cracked.

The Dreadborn stepped backward.

Aren immediately attacked.

The creature blocked him.

Ash came from behind.

This time, his claws struck the exposed side of the creature’s ribs.

The Dreadborn staggered.

For several seconds, the entire chamber became quiet.

Ash stared at his own claws.

He had actually hurt it.

The Dreadborn touched the damaged armor.

Its expression had changed.

There was no amusement now.

Only concentration.

"Interesting."

Ash took a breath.

"Are you still testing me?"

The creature looked directly into his eyes.

"Perhaps."

Then it moved.

This time, the attack was different.

Fast.

Precise.

And much stronger.

Ash barely blocked the first strike.

The second struck his shoulder.

Pain exploded through his body.

He stumbled.

The Dreadborn grabbed him.

Its claws closed around his upper body and lifted him from the ground.

Ash struggled violently.

Aren attacked immediately.

The Dreadborn knocked him aside.

"Aren!"

Ash twisted in the creature’s grip.

He tried to strike.

The Dreadborn tightened its hold.

For the first time, Ash felt genuine fear.

He could not escape.

He could not breathe properly.

The creature looked at him.

Its crimson eyes became strangely focused.

Then Ash’s relic activated.

Blue light erupted from beneath his fur.

The red symbol inside it began shining intensely.

The Dreadborn suddenly froze.

Its eyes widened.

The creature released Ash.

Ash crashed into the snow-covered floor and coughed violently.

The Dreadborn stepped backward.

For the first time since Ash had met it, genuine fear appeared in its expression.

"It chose you."

Ash slowly lifted his head.

"What chose me?"

The creature did not answer.

It stared at the relic.

The blue light continued pulsing.

A faint ancient symbol appeared around Ash’s body before disappearing.

The Dreadborn looked toward the others.

"Enough."

The surrounding Dreadborn immediately disengaged.

Rowan stared at them.

"You’re leaving?"

The leader looked toward Ash.

"We have what we came for."

"You haven’t taken him."

The creature’s expression became almost amused again.

"We were never supposed to."

Rowan’s eyes narrowed.

"Then why come?"

The Dreadborn turned toward the broken entrance.

"To confirm."

Ash forced himself upright.

"Confirm what?"

The creature stopped.

For a moment, it looked back.

"You are not ready to know what you carry."

Ash stared at it.

"What does that mean?"

The creature gave no answer.

It simply walked into the snowfall.

Before disappearing, it looked toward Aren.

"Your people knew."

Aren froze.

The Dreadborn continued walking.

Then the forest swallowed it.

The remaining Dreadborn followed.

Within moments, the ruins were silent.

Rowan immediately ordered everyone to check the cubs.

They were unharmed.

The Blackfang hunters had suffered several injuries, but none were life-threatening.

Ash sat against a stone pillar, holding his ribs.

Aren crouched beside him.

"Are you hurt?"

Ash nodded.

"But alive."

Aren looked toward the forest.

"They could have killed all of us."

Rowan heard him.

"That is what worries me."

He looked at the broken armor on the ground.

"They were never trying to win."

Ash lowered his eyes.

"They were trying to learn."

Rowan nodded.

"And they learned something."

The journey back to the settlement was quiet.

The two cubs stayed close to the adults, still frightened but gradually calming down.

One of them eventually spoke to Mira.

"They didn’t hurt us."

Mira looked at the cub.

"What happened?"

"They gave us food."

The other cub nodded.

"They told us to wait."

Ash listened carefully.

"Did they say why?"

The cub shook his head.

"They said Ash would come."

Ash closed his eyes.

The truth became painfully obvious.

The Dreadborn had predicted his actions.

They knew he would risk himself for the cubs.

They had used his compassion against him.

When the group finally returned to the settlement, Mira immediately treated the injured hunters.

Ash waited until the others had left before approaching her.

"What did it mean when it said something chose me?"

Mira looked at him.

"I don’t know."

"You know something."

Mira sighed.

"The first Blackfang Alpha was not simply the strongest wolf of his generation."

Ash waited.

"He was chosen."

"By the Guardian?"

Mira hesitated.

"We don’t know whether the Guardian itself chose him. The records only say that the first Alpha entered the sacred territory beneath the mountains and returned carrying a mark."

Ash touched his relic.

"Like this?"

Mira nodded.

"That mark became the symbol of the Blackfang bloodline."

Ash looked at her.

"Then why are the Dreadborn interested in it?"

Mira’s expression became troubled.

"Because whatever happened during the First Awakening was never truly explained."

Before Ash could ask another question, the relic suddenly began glowing.

Blue light spread across the den.

Ash stepped backward.

The air became strangely still.

Then a faint image appeared above the relic.

A wolf stood beneath the ancient celestial tree.

The wolf was surrounded by several figures.

A Silver Lynx stood on one side.

An Ice Bear stood behind him.

A Great Eagle spread its wings above them.

They were not enemies.

They stood together.

United.

Above them appeared the same mysterious symbol Ash had seen in the ruins.

Mira stared at the image.

Her breathing stopped.

Ash looked at her.

"You recognize it."

Mira did not answer.

The image began fading.

Ash turned toward her.

"What is it?"

Mira’s voice was barely above a whisper.

"That symbol should have disappeared with the first alliance."

Ash looked back at the fading image.

"Why?"

Mira’s eyes remained fixed on it.

"Because it represented something we were never meant to awaken again."

The light disappeared.

The den became dark once more.

Ash stood silently beside Mira.

Far away, beneath the mountains, a Dreadborn commander entered an ancient chamber.

The creature lowered itself onto one knee before the unseen presence waiting in the darkness.

"Did the relic respond?"

The commander lowered its head.

"Yes."

The darkness remained silent.

Then the hidden voice spoke.

"Then there is no doubt."

The commander hesitated.

"What should we do now?"

The voice answered calmly.

"Nothing."

The commander looked up.

"Nothing?"

"Let the Blackfangs raise him."

A long silence followed.

The commander finally asked

"Why?"

The darkness seemed to deepen.

"Because when the time comes, he must choose us willingly."

The commander’s crimson eyes narrowed.

"And if he refuses?"

The unseen figure remained silent for several seconds.

Then the voice answered.

"He will not."

Far beneath the mountain, something shifted.

The ancient seal beneath Moonveil pulsed with faint blue light.

And somewhere in the darkness, an old presence opened its eyes.

Ash did not know it yet, but the Dreadborn had made their decision.

They would not take him.

They would not kill him.

They would wait.

They would watch him grow.

They would allow the Blackfangs to teach him loyalty, courage, compassion, and strength.

Because they believed that one day, Ash would discover the truth about his bloodline.

And when that day came, they wanted him to walk toward them by his own choice.

The most frightening part was that they were no longer asking whether they could defeat him.

They were waiting to see whether they could make him choose them.

To be continued...