Crossing to the viel

The wind blew hard in the mountains, carrying Yna’s choice.

Marcus was still out, tucked up under a pile of blankets, and every few minutes his form would flicker—his wolf trying to settle into its shape. It wasn’t right. It wasn’t normal.

And it was her fault.

Yna didn’t even move from his side. She watched over him, her fingers twitching every time his body shook from whatever was twisting inside him.

Liora sat beside her, sharpening her blade. “We’ll fix this.”

Yna whispered. “I don’t even know if it can be fixed. ”

Leo stoked the fire. “If the Forgotten Ones say the Veil can help, then that’s our only shot. ”

The Veil.

A place between life and death. Between reality and magic.

A place where nothing was certain.

Yna exhaled sharply. “Then we leave at first light.”

The Journey North

The Rift lay far in the Frozen Wastes, where even the bravest wolves were wary.

Three days of hard travel brought us to the border.

The deeper they went, the colder it became. Snow lay on the ground, and the wind carried an ominous silence.

It felt empty.

But Yna knew better.

They weren’t alone.

She felt watched.

Leo kept his hand on the blade, I don’t like this.

Liora scanned the horizon, “It’s too quiet.”

Marcus, still weak, was on horseback, clad in heavy furs. He said little, but his eyes, silver and glowing, flashed between wolf and man.

He was changing.

And Yna was running out of time to save him.

Then—

The Rift came into view.

There was a jagged tear in the world, spreading across the frozen plains like a scar. The air shimmers around it, bending light in unnatural ways.

Yna’s breath hitched.

She could feel it pulling her.

Liora swallowed hard. “Are you sure about this?”

Yna wasn’t.

But she nodded anyway.

For Marcus.

For all of them.

Then she stepped into the Veil.

The Veil – Between Worlds

The second Yna crossed the threshold, everything changed.

The world stretched, warped, twisted.For a moment, she couldn’t tell if she was falling or floating. If she was breathing or drowning.

Then—silence.

She landed on solid ground.

But it wasn’t earth.

The Veil wasn’t like anything she had ever seen.

It was a world of endless mist and whispers.

Shapes moved in the distance—ghostly figures that flickered between human and wolf, their forms never fully settling.

And then she heard it.

A voice.

Soft, familiar.

Calling her name.

Her heart clenched. “Mom?”

She turned—

And there she was.

A Message from the Dead

Her mother stood before her, wrapped in silver light.

She looked exactly as Yna remembered—strong, fierce, but with sadness in her eyes.

Yna’s knees nearly buckled. “No. This isn’t real.”

Her mother smiled softly. “It is, my little star.”

Yna’s chest ached. “I—I thought you were gone.”

“I am,” her mother said. “But this place… it allows echoes to remain.”

Tears burned Yna’s eyes. “Then help me.”

Her mother’s expression darkened. “You don’t understand what you’ve done, do you?”

Yna swallowed hard. “I saved him.”

“No.” Her mother shook her head. “You changed him.”

Yna’s breath hitched.

“The power inside you—it wasn’t meant for wolves. Not fully. Now, Marcus exists between two forces that should never mix.”

Yna clenched her fists. “Then tell me how to fix it.”

Her mother hesitated. “There is a way… but the cost—”

“I don’t care.”

Her mother sighed. “You will.”

The mist swirled.

And the truth revealed itself.

The Ritual of Severance

A temple rose from the mist, its ancient walls pulsing with Veil energy.

Her mother gestured toward it. “Inside, you will find the Pool of Severance.”

Yna’s pulse pounded.

“What does it do?”

Her mother’s expression hardened.

“It can separate the magic inside Marcus. It will cleanse him.”

Yna exhaled, relief crashing over her.

“But…” Her mother’s voice was soft. “There is a price.”

Yna stiffened. “What price?”

Her mother hesitated. Then—

“You will have to give up the power you took.”

The words slammed into Yna like a blade.

Her power.

The magic that made her more than just a wolf.

The thing that had finally made her strong.

She froze.

Her mother watched her closely. “The choice is yours, Yna.”

Yna’s stomach twisted.

Without this power, how would she fight Selene? How would she protect her pack?

But if she didn’t do this—Marcus would never be the same.

She clenched her fists.

Then nodded.

“I’ll do it.”

Her mother’s expression was unreadable. “Then step forward.”

Yna took a shaky breath.

And entered the temple.

The Ritual Begins

Inside, the air was thick with magic.

The Pool of Severance lay at the center of the chamber, its surface dark and still.

Marcus lay beside it, his body flickering between wolf and something else.

His breathing was ragged.

Yna knelt beside him. “I’ve got you.”

His silver-glowing eyes met hers.

Then he nodded.

Yna turned to the pool.

She could feel it waiting.

She lifted her hands—

And let go.

Magic rushed out of her, draining like water into the pool.

She felt it leave.

The power that had made her more.

It sank into the darkness—

And the Veil trembled.

Marcus gasped, his body stabilizing.

The glow in his eyes faded.

It worked.

He was whole again.

Relief flooded through Yna. She turned to her mother—

But her mother was fading.

Tears filled Yna’s eyes. “Wait—”

Her mother smiled softly.

“You did well, my little star.”

And then she was gone.

The Veil collapsed.

And Yna fell.

The Return  And the Trap

She woke up with a gasp.

She was back in the Frozen Wastes.

The Veil was gone.

Marcus stirred beside her, his breathing steady.

Yna exhaled.

It was over.

She turned to Liora, exhaustion crashing into her—

And froze.

Liora and Leo were kneeling.

Bound.

Warlocks surrounded them, their faces hidden by dark hoods.

And standing before them, waiting, smiling—

Was Selene.

Her red cloak billowed in the wind.

She studied Yna for a long moment, then sighed dramatically.

“Oh, Yna,” she purred. “You really thought I’d let you walk away with all that power?”

Yna’s stomach dropped.

Selene’s smile sharpened.

“Don’t worry,” she whispered. “I don’t need your magic anymore.”

She turned—

And drove a dagger into Liora’s chest.

Yna screamed.

Blood spilled.

Liora gasped—

And collapsed.

Selene laughed.

“Now,” she murmured. “Let’s see what you do without her.”

To be continued…