Chapter Forty: Allies in the Shadows
The camp buzzed with tension as the pack tended to their wounds.
Rina and Kael pored over the strange runes, trying to decipher their origin.
Just then, a figure stepped from the trees — cloaked, cautious.
"I mean you no harm," she said, voice soft but resolute.
Rina's eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"
The woman pulled back her hood, revealing sharp features and eyes that shimmered like starlight.
"I am Elara, a guardian of the ancient balance. I've come because the darkness you fight threatens us all."
Kael exchanged a look with Rina — trust was fragile, but hope was necessary.
Elara continued, "The twisted wolves you faced are but pawns. The true enemy is gathering power. Alone, you cannot stand."
Rina clenched her fists. "Then we'll fight together."
Under the moonlight, new alliances formed.
The war for Blackridge was entering a deadly new phase — but with allies by her side, Rina felt the fire within her blaze brighter than ever.