Chapter 146 The void wolf

Chapter 146 The void wolf
~ Lyra's POV ~

Taren and I were dragged back through the way we came until we exited the tunnel and soon arrived back inside the house, but they did not stop there.

They continued dragging us through the hallways and corridors until we reached the courtyard where everything Taren had described was finally laid out before my eyes in reality.

People had already gathered in the courtyard. From a distance, it looked almost like an execution was about to take place, only this time the atmosphere was completely different.

Instead of anticipation or excitement, fear had settled over the faces of those watching. No one spoke, no one celebrated. They simply stood there with anxious expressions, knowing something dreadful was about to unfold yet powerless to prevent it.

My eyes immediately found Elder Rowan. He was being forced onto his knees by two warriors, just like the others I had left behind only minutes earlier. They were all restrained in the same humiliating position, surrounded by guards who made escape impossible. The only person I did not see was Brenda, and despite everything that had happened between us, I found myself wondering whether she had somehow managed to escape before they rounded everyone up.

Blood stained the faces and clothes of those being held captive, and seeing them in that condition made my heart tighten. It was obvious a struggle had taken place after I left, and judging by the bruises, cuts, and torn clothing, they had fought with everything they had before finally being overpowered.

Even so, none of them looked defeated. Their eyes still burned with defiance instead of surrender, and seeing that unwavering determination made one painful truth settle over me. At that moment, I was the only hope they had left.

Knowing that didn't help at all, because no matter how hard I searched for an answer, I could not find one. My powers had still not stabilized completely, and we were hopelessly outnumbered.

No matter how many possibilities I explored, I couldn't come up with a single way out of the nightmare unfolding before us.

Then, without warning, an idea surfaced inside my mind.

While they continued dragging me toward the altar that had already been prepared, I slowly cleared my mind and reached inward, connecting myself to the elements around me.

I called silently to every force that had ever answered me before, pleading for a miracle to come and for it to come quickly because we had reached the point where nothing else would be enough.

When we finally arrived at the altar, they fastened my hands to two poles standing side by side using anti magic restraints identical to the ones I had only recently escaped from. My arms were stretched outward until I stood between the poles like someone reaching toward the heavens, unable to lower them no matter how much I tried.

Standing directly before me were Dagan, the priestess, the witches whose voices rose and fell together in perfect harmony as they chanted, and several warriors positioned nearby to ensure there would be no interruption once the ritual began.

Everything had already been arranged long before I was brought there, and judging by the confidence on their faces, they believed nothing could possibly go wrong.

The atmosphere continued growing darker as the eclipse drew closer to its peak. The light faded little by little until an unnatural gloom settled over the entire courtyard, making every face appear more sinister than before. Even the air itself seemed different, carrying a strange stillness that made the moment feel unnaturally suspended.

The instant the eclipse reached its peak, a blade sliced across my palm, forcing a sharp wince from me as fresh blood spilled freely from the wound. Drop after drop fell onto the stone altar beneath me. Each drop sizzled the moment it made contact before releasing black smoke that slowly curled upward into the air. More blood followed, producing even more smoke, and before long the dark clouds merged together, growing larger and denser until they finally took the form of a giant wolf standing upright on its two hind legs.

The creature's presence was enough to send a chill through everyone present. It did not speak. The only sound it produced was a terrifying growl that rolled across the courtyard with such force that the ground trembled beneath our feet, making the very earth seem to respond to its existence.

Satisfaction spread across the faces of Dagan and everyone standing beside him. Pride, excitement, and triumph were written plainly in their expressions because they believed they had succeeded. In their minds, the Void Wolf had finally been resurrected exactly as they had planned.

"Oh great deity of our time, I present my humble self to you as a vessel for your use, to rule and reign over the realm of mankind," Dagan declared as he stepped confidently toward the towering smoke beast, completely convinced that the moment he had dreamed about had finally arrived.

Then something inside me changed.

A profound quietness settled over my spirit without warning.

The restless energy that had been surging through me ever since my powers awakened finally found its rightful place. Every force inside me settled naturally into perfect harmony, blending seamlessly with the abilities that had always belonged to me until I could no longer distinguish where one ended and another began. Instead of feeling chaotic, everything became balanced.

My senses sharpened in ways I had never experienced before. Every sound surrounding me gradually faded into the background until the chanting, the voices, the celebrations, and even the growling of the creature seemed distant. The people standing around me became nothing more than silent figures at the edge of my awareness. I felt lighter, clearer, and more complete than I ever had before, as though every missing piece of me had finally found where it belonged.

I lifted my eyes and looked at Dagan and the others one last time. Their expressions overflowed with certainty. They were completely convinced they had already won.

None of them realized that everything had just changed. The balance of power had quietly tilted away from them without a single one of them noticing. The anti magic restraints binding my hands no longer held any authority over me, but I made no attempt to break free.

Instead, I remained exactly where I was, allowing them to hold on to their false sense of victory for exactly as long as I needed them to.

"Help is here," a soft, soothing voice I had missed so much echoed inside my head, and despite everything happening around me, a smile spread quietly through my heart.

"Lunaris," I called her name in my mind, relief washing over me. "Where have you been? I thought you had abandoned me."

Ever since the day Dagan captured me, I had not heard her voice even once. The silence had been unbearable at times, leaving me to wonder whether I had somehow lost the one companion who I had grown accustomed to chatting with. Hearing her again at that moment filled me with a comfort I had not realized I desperately needed. For the first time in what felt like forever, I no longer felt completely alone.

"How can I abandon myself?" she replied gently. "I was only suppressed for a while until your powers fully manifested because only then would I know who I am and how to help us win this."

Her explanation answered questions I had been carrying for days without realizing it. Everything finally made sense. She had not disappeared because she wanted to. She had been waiting, just as I had unknowingly been changing into the person I was always meant to become.

"Will I be able to shift now?" I asked, unable to keep the hope out of my voice.

She laughed warmly, and for the first time since I had met her, the sound was completely free and filled with genuine joy.

"I'm not sure you have that capacity right now, but I'm certain you will be able to shift on the next full moon."

The answer was not exactly what I had hoped for, but it was enough. It reassured me that nothing was wrong with me. It meant the day I had waited for was finally within reach instead of being an impossible dream.

Another thought immediately crossed my mind.

"If I can't shift now, how can I combine our powers to defeat this beast?"

"I can help you from in here. Don't worry."

Her confidence settled my remaining doubts.

"I can't wait to see you," I admitted.

Just then, the wind carried a familiar scent toward me.

It was a scent I would recognize anywhere, one I had longed for without even realizing how desperately I had missed it.

"Do you smell that?" Lunaris asked.

"Kael," we answered together.

The name echoed through my mind with certainty, and my heart immediately responded. He was here. Somehow, despite everything that had happened, he had made it back.

While that was happening inside my mind, something entirely different was unfolding before me.

The chanting had resumed.

The witches' voices blended together once again as the ritual continued without interruption. The Void Wolf slowly drifted toward Dagan, its towering form radiating an unsettling presence as it accepted him as its chosen vessel.

The moment it reached him, Dagan slowly lowered himself onto both knees before the creature. His face held nothing but anticipation as the enormous beast stretched one clawed hand toward him and rested it against his forehead, preparing to claim his body.

Just as the possession was beginning, a warrior came running toward them.

"Master Dagan," he called, his face twisted with unmistakable panic.

"Shhh..." the priestess responded before Dagan could speak, silencing him immediately. "We are in the middle of something. Don't interrupt the process."

"But, Priestess," he said again, lowering his voice to almost a whisper. Even so, I could still hear him clearly, and judging by the expressions around us, everyone else could hear him as well. "Alpha Kael is here with reinforcements. Our men are falling like flies out there. We need to do something now before it is too late."

"Don't worry," the priestess replied without the slightest trace of concern. Her expression remained perfectly calm, and nothing in her posture suggested she considered the report a threat. "Once the process is complete, we will be untouchable, and we will conquer our enemies."

I slowly turned my attention toward Elder Rowan.

At almost the exact same moment, he looked at me.

Our eyes met, and a faint smile found its way to my lips.

Without saying a single word, I lifted my gaze toward the warrior restraining him, and with nothing more than a single thought, I sent the warrior flying through the air. He was thrown completely away from Elder Rowan, releasing him instantly before he even understood what had happened.

Elder Rowan flashed me a grateful smile before wasting no time. He immediately turned toward the warrior restraining another cabinet member and launched himself into the fight. The moment he struck, the entire courtyard erupted into chaos.

He fought with remarkable determination, moving from one opponent to another alongside the cabinet members and Taren, who had just been freed. Together they threw themselves into the battle, refusing to waste the opportunity they had been given.

From where I remained restrained, I supported them with my powers, driving warriors away whenever they got too close and shielding our people whenever attacks threatened to overwhelm them. Every movement became easier now that my abilities had finally settled into perfect harmony.

Only moments later, another familiar sight stole my attention.

A massive black wolf with striking golden eyes soared over the gate and landed inside the courtyard.

The sight made my heart swell. I had missed him more than words could ever express.

At almost the exact same moment, the void wolf's possession of Dagan became complete.