Chapter 35 Fate had chosen war!;
At dawn on the Blackthorn ridges, daylight crept forward like a stealthy serpent. The mist settling on the shoulders of the mountains seemed to whisper of approaching disaster. Old Agness was preparing for the sacred moment she had dreamed of since childhood: the union ritual of the Rose bloodline and the Alpha of the Wolf clan was finally taking place.
Inside the mountain house, a few dim candles flickered, casting shadows of ancient times on the walls. Agness had opened the lid of the chest; she was taking out the ancient Rose spell books, ancient parchments, and sealed scrolls one by one. This rare moment described in legends had been told like a great dream by every member of her guardian lineage for centuries. But now it had become her duty to bless this moment, and she was proud of it.
With the return of this town's Alpha and his pack, she thought they would return to those happy and bright days of her childhood. She couldn't have even imagined this until now. But now fate had brought this day like a gift.
She was so absorbed in this moment and happiness that she didn't foresee the small device silently placed on the door lock. The lock opened. As if the supreme mother Homay wanted to warn her, at that moment the sky roared angrily over the mountains. In the light of the lightning, Caleb glided in like a shadow.
Agness was placing items into a black suitcase. Until the seal on her wrist suddenly flared.
She had sensed the danger. But...
She didn't even have time to turn her head.
With the dagger plunged into her chest, her body staggered backward. Her breath was cut off. As warm blood trickled from her mouth and the corners of her lips, her eyes locked onto the eyes before her.
"Caleb, you cursed blood..." Agness growled, her voice choked with blood.
Caleb only smiled. A cold, demonic smile full of triumph.
Agness's gaze slowly shifted to the dagger. She recognized it.
This dagger was the soul dagger of the Sacred Rose lineage.
The cursed weapon that destroyed the Rose bloodline, draining the power of its women one by one, gathering all might into a single body... Caleb had stolen the essence of the Rose women with this dagger. The power was sealed with blood; it had flowed to him and his lineage.
For years, only Caleb and those who carried his blood were the only werewolves who could transform.
As Agness's warm blood dripped slowly from the sharp tip of the dagger to the ground, Caleb looked at the large purple stone on the dagger's hilt. The stone was glowing. This was not an ordinary shimmer; it was alive, hungry. The purple crystal was drawing in the last guardian's power along with her blood, silently absorbing the ancient might.
And now everything was crystal clear.
Caleb never wanted to lose this power.
This blood... This curse... This dominion...
He would never relinquish it.
Perhaps the soul of the Alpha, the guardian of the sacred light, was given to Joe not to fight Kael, but to stand against a greater enemy...
Meanwhile, at the Devil's Castle, Elly suddenly collapsed to the ground with a great scream. It was as if her skin was burning from within; an invisible flame was coursing through her veins. She writhed in agony, screaming, her voice echoing off the stone walls.
Joe immediately knelt beside her, deep fear in his eyes.
"Elly, are you okay? Elly, what's happening? What's happening?" he called out repeatedly, his voice trembling.
Eva was trying to understand what was happening. At that moment, Kael also approached them, knelt down, and looked at Elly. Eva looked into Kael's eyes, unable to hide her helplessness.
"What's happening? Why is she in so much pain?" she asked.
Kael didn't understand this situation either. As he tried to comprehend the cause with bewildered looks, a pang appeared in Kael's chest. Then a familiar but ominous vibration... As if a rune on his midnight seal was shifting. He opened his chest and looked carefully.
Then a name fell from his lips, "Agness!"
Agness's rune was a primrose. Small, simple but ancient emblem. The primrose on the seal on Kael's chest slowly faded. In its place, as if finely crafted, a swan emblem began to appear.
Kael understood at that moment. This was Elly...
He quickly reached for Elly's wrist, opened her arm. The guardian seal was changing hands. In an agonizing way, as if being branded with a hot iron, it began to slowly appear on Elly's wrist.
Eva noticed the concern in Kael's gaze. With the weight settling inside her, she reached out and looked at Elly's wrist. The seal was becoming distinct. Now she understood.
"Agness..." she whispered. "Is she... dead?"
Joe frowned, fixing his gaze on Eva. He was confused.
"Yes," Kael said, his voice heavy with definitive sorrow. "Elly is now the last living guardian. Your guardian..." he said, taking Eva's hand.
Two tears streamed from Eva's eyes. But what truly shook her was how and where Agness had died. And most importantly... who had done it.
A voice inside her whispered that this was not fate's natural play. Agness hadn't died on her own. Eva felt this in her bones.
Joe wrapped his arms around Elly's body. Elly's consciousness was fading in and out; her lips were trembling, her skin burning like fire. Joe stroked Elly's crimson hair, placed small kisses on her forehead.
"I'm here," he whispered. "I'm here. You're so strong. Please... hold on a little longer, Eleanor!"
Eva was also crushed under this weight. With tears streaming from her eyes, she surrendered herself to Caleb's arms. Caleb wrapped her in his powerful frame, stroking her hair and allowing her to catch her breath against his chest. "Cry, my little Rose, you don't need to be strong with me!" he whispered.
On this Christmas night, when a wedding was clearly expected...
Fate had chosen war...