Chapter 305
Gio pov
We make it to the king’s estate, but the sight before us stops me in my tracks. My chest tightens, and for a moment, I can’t breathe. The land is a battlefield, littered with bodies. Blood stains the ground, painting a gruesome trail that leads toward the castle. The air smells of iron and death, and the world around me feels eerily silent, like even nature is holding its breath.
“No,” I whisper, my voice barely audible.
Before anyone can say a word, my legs move on their own. I’m running, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest. I hear the others calling after me, Constantine’s steady voice, Ash’s worried tone, but I can’t stop. I have to get there. I have to see it for myself.
Behind me, the sound of footsteps grows louder. They’re following me, but I don’t slow down. The castle looms closer with every step, and so does the horror. The trail of blood thickens, smeared across the stone pathway, leading straight to the gates.
When I finally reach the clearing in front of the castle, my worst fears come to life. Kaiden and his army of rogues are at the gates, a mob of fury and chaos. The rogues snarl and rage, pounding on the heavy iron bars, trying to break through.
Kaiden stands at the front, his voice booming as he screams insults at the king. “You coward! You vile, selfish bastard!” Kaiden’s voice is raw, filled with venom and hatred. “Come out here and face me! You’ve ruled like a tyrant for long enough, hiding behind your Council and your walls. It ends today!”
The rogues roar in agreement, their voices blending into a deafening cry of rage. They’re like a storm, wild and uncontrollable, their eyes glowing with anger.
Some of them claw at the gates, their nails scraping against the metal, while others smash at it with whatever weapons they’ve managed to find. The sound of it, metal clanging, voices shouting, growls rumbling, makes my blood boil.
I skid to a stop, my breathing ragged, and the others catch up to me. Constantine steps up beside me, his face grim as he takes in the scene. Dominic is pale, his hands trembling slightly, while Ash’s expression is a mix of shock and anger.
“This is worse than I imagined,” Constantine says, his voice low.
“What do we do?” I ask, my voice cracking. “We can’t just stand here.”
Constantine meets my gaze, and I see the same determination in his eyes that I feel in my chest. “We fight.”
Before I can respond, Kaiden’s voice cuts through the chaos again. “Do you hear me, old man? Your time is over! The kingdom belongs to us now, the outcasts, the forgotten, the ones you threw away like garbage. We’re done hiding in the shadows. We’re taking what’s ours!”
My stomach twists. His words are dripping with hatred, but there’s pain there too, buried beneath the anger. He truly believes this is the only way, that violence and destruction are the answers to the injustice he’s felt. But this isn’t the way.
“Constantine,” I whisper, my voice barely audible over the noise. “We have to stop this.”
He nods, his jaw tightening. “Agreed.”
The next moment, we lock eyes, and an unspoken understanding passes between us. There’s no time to plan, no time to strategize. We have to act now.
I feel the shift coming before it happens, a familiar energy coursing through me. My body bends and stretches, bones cracking and reshaping as I let my wolf take over. The pain is brief, and then I’m on four legs, my senses sharper, my instincts screaming at me to protect.
Beside me, Constantine lets out a low growl as his own transformation begins. His body grows massive, fur rippling over his skin as he shifts into his bear form. The sight of him, towering and powerful, is enough to make me pause for a second. He’s a force of nature, and right now, he’s on my side.
Ash steps forward, her voice urgent. “Be careful.”
I glance at her, my wolf’s eyes locking with hers for a brief moment. She doesn’t need to say anything else. I know she’s worried, but there’s no time to reassure her. I nod once, then turn my attention back to the chaos in front of us.
Kaiden hasn’t noticed us yet, his attention fully on the gate. The rogues are too caught up in their rage to sense the danger creeping up behind them. It’s the perfect moment to strike.
Constantine lets out a deafening roar, and I follow it with a bone-chilling howl. The sound cuts through the noise, and the rogues freeze, their heads whipping around to face us. Their glowing eyes widen as they take in the sight of Constantine and me, their snarls faltering for a split second.
That’s all we need.
Constantine charges first, his massive form barreling into the rogues like a freight train. They scatter, some of them tumbling to the ground as he swipes at them with his powerful claws. I dart in beside him, my jaws snapping at anything that moves. The rogues are fast, but I’m faster. My instincts take over, guiding my movements as I weave through the chaos, taking down rogue after rogue.
Kaiden finally notices us, his eyes narrowing as he steps forward. “Well, well. Look who decided to join the party.”
I growl low in my throat, my fur bristling.
He laughs, a cold, bitter sound. “You think you can stop me? After everything I’ve built, everything I’ve fought for? You’re just as blind as the rest of them.”
I snarl at him, my voice barely recognizable in my wolf form.
He doesn’t respond, his expression hardening as he raises a hand. A burst of magic explodes from his palm, aimed directly at me. I leap to the side, narrowly avoiding it, and lunge for him. But before I can reach him, a group of rogues blocks my path, their claws and teeth bared.
Constantine roars again, tearing through the rogues like they’re nothing, but there are so many of them. For every one we take down, two more seem to take their place. The air is thick with the sound of growls, roars, and the clash of bodies. It’s chaos, pure chaos.
Through it all, I keep my eyes on Kaiden. He’s the heart of this madness, the one holding it all together. If we can take him down, the rogues might fall apart. But getting to him is easier said than done.