Chapter 27: When Wolves Remember
The climb out of the Scar was quieter than expected. No one spoke.
The air was too still.
Kael's shoulders felt heavier—not from exhaustion, but from the truth now weighing in his chest. The fragment's final words echoed in his skull.
"The bloodline you follow… it's older than this world…"
When they finally stepped out into the Vale's pale moonlight, it felt like stepping into a dream half-forgotten.
Except everything had changed.
---
Back at the den, the Oathstone pulsed faintly as Kael approached. The stone responded to his presence now—alive with the pack's blood and the bond they shared.
But tonight, Kael wasn't thinking about rituals or ranks.
He was thinking of the past.
He stood before the stone and placed a hand on its warm surface. Instantly, the system flickered into his mind.
> System Prompt:
Chaos Archive Entry Available – Memory Echo Access Unlocked
Title: Origin of the Crimson Flame
View?
Kael hesitated.
Then: Yes.
His vision blurred.
The world shifted.
---
[Memory Echo: Unknown Era]
The skies burned red. Wolves ran like rivers of flame through charred forests. At their center stood a figure—a wolf unlike any other. Towering, obsidian-furred, with streaks of fire dancing along its spine.
Its howl cracked mountains.
Surrounding it were hundreds—no, thousands—kneeling. Not in fear, but reverence.
> "We are the Crimson Howl."
"Born from the First Chaos Flame. Marked by the Moon That Burned."
"Our Alpha… is not chosen by lineage. Our Alpha is chosen by fire."
And then, silence.
Only the ember of that voice remained.
---
Kael gasped, stumbling back. The vision faded.
But the words remained seared into him.
Not chosen by lineage.
Chosen by fire.
Flam rushed to his side. "Alpha! You went pale—what happened?"
Kael steadied himself. "I saw… our origin. What we were meant to be."
Tamir approached, his expression grim. "Then it's time the rest of the pack remembers who we are."
Kael looked toward the horizon.
The next full moon was rising—and with it, so would their enemies.
He turned to his most trusted:
"Summon the clan. Tonight, we remind them. Not who we were... but what we're becoming."