Chapter 269: Collective Amnesia (3)

Chapter 269: Collective Amnesia (3)
Dominic

What Aldric told us over the next hour changed everything.

The Sanctuary wasn't just a hidden forest—it was a nexus point, a place where multiple realities intersected. The ancient trees weren't just plants; they were living barriers, their roots extending into dimensions we couldn't comprehend, their branches holding back entities that would drive mortals insane just by existing.

The war depicted in the carvings hadn't been a single battle, but a centuries-long conflict between order and chaos, with the earliest werewolf packs serving as foot soldiers for forces they could barely understand.

The "Fallen Ones" were guardians who'd been corrupted by exposure to the chaos realm—former protectors turned into destroyers, their minds twisted by alien thoughts and impossible geometries.

And our pack, the Tempest Howlers, had been bred for this. Generations of careful bloodline management, strategic alliances, and selective breeding had created wolves strong enough to resist corruption, smart enough to maintain the barriers, and loyal enough to keep the secrets.

We're not just a werewolf pack. We're a supernatural security force.

"The previous Alpha," Aldric explained, "your predecessor, understood this. He prepared you as best he could without revealing the full truth. But his death left a gap in the guardianship that must be filled."

"Why didn't he tell me?" I asked, anger building in my chest. "Why leave me to figure this out on my own?"

"Because the knowledge is a burden," Aldric said simply. "Every guardian hopes their successor won't need to bear it. Every guardian hopes the threats will remain dormant, the barriers will hold without intervention." His expression grew sad. "But hope is not enough."

Julian had been quiet throughout most of the explanation, but now he spoke up. "What happened to Clara? Was her death connected to this?"

Aldric's ancient face showed genuine sorrow. "The Fallen Ones hunt those connected to guardians. They seek to corrupt bloodlines, turn protectors into destroyers. Your mate's death was not random—it was a targeted attack designed to weaken your pack's defenses."

They killed Clara to get to us.

The rage that filled me was different from normal anger—colder, deeper, more purposeful. These things hadn't just threatened my pack; they'd murdered one of our own as part of some cosmic chess game.

"How do we stop them?" I asked, my voice deadly quiet.

"You accept the guardianship fully," Aldric said. "You bind yourselves to the Sanctuary, let its power flow through your pack bonds. You become something more than werewolves—you become wardens of reality itself."

Something more than werewolves.

"What's the catch?" Ethan asked suspiciously. "Power like that always comes with a price."

Aldric nodded approvingly. "Intelligent question. The price is isolation. The price is secrecy. The price is knowing that everyone you love is at risk because of what you've become." He paused. "And the price is that some of that knowledge may be too dangerous for all of you to retain."

There it is.

"What do you mean?" Damian asked, though I suspected we all knew.

"Memory alteration," Aldric said plainly. "Selective editing of what you've learned here. Some truths are too heavy for mortal minds to carry without breaking."

He's talking about making us forget.

"No," I said immediately. "We're not losing our memories. We need to know what we're up against."

"You will know what you need to know," Aldric assured me. "But the full scope, the complete truth about what exists beyond the barriers... that knowledge would drive you mad. Even now, I can see it affecting you."

He was right. My head was starting to pound, and reality felt slightly unstable around the edges. Julian was blinking rapidly, like he was having trouble focusing. Ethan looked nauseous.

The human mind isn't built for this shit.

"How much will we remember?" I asked reluctantly.

"Enough to function as guardians. Enough to recognize threats. Enough to protect your pack." Aldric's voice was gentle but firm. "But not enough to be consumed by the weight of infinite darkness."

I looked at my team again. Julian was holding his head like it hurt. Damian had stopped recording and was staring at his equipment like he couldn't remember how to use it. Ethan was gripping his weapon so tightly his knuckles were white.

We're already breaking apart just from learning this much.

"Do it," I said quietly.

"Dominic—" Ethan started.

"Do it," I repeated, more firmly. "We can't protect anyone if we're insane."

Aldric nodded sadly. "You will sleep now. When you wake, you will remember what you need to remember. The guardianship will be established, the bonds will be formed, and the protection will hold."

Sleep. Right. Because this day couldn't get any weirder.

The last thing I remembered was Aldric raising his hand, ancient power flowing from his fingertips like visible light. The world grew soft around the edges, reality bending like warm glass.

At least we'll still be guardians, I thought as consciousness faded. At least the pack will be safe.

Everything went black.