Elara pushed her new mental beacon outwards, straining to reach anyone who might recognize its unique signature. The effort left her drained, but occasionally, she felt a faint, distant resonance, like an echo of her own being. It was sporadic, inconclusive, but enough to fuel her hope.
Meanwhile, Maddox and Finn, analyzing the patterns of Mara's renewed attacks, found inconsistencies. Some tactics were too sophisticated for the rogues, too precise, almost mirroring Thorne's past strategies. It was as if someone was feeding Mara information, guiding her. This reinforced Elara's dreams of an unseen hand.
During a deep meditation, Elara felt a surge of cold, calculating energy, unlike Thorne's rage or Mara's chaos. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it sent shivers down her spine. It felt like a master chess player, moving pieces on a board. She realized with chilling certainty that the true puppet master was still at large, someone who benefited from the chaos and sought to manipulate the very fabric of the shifter world for their own gain. This individual was the real threat, the common denominator behind both Thorne's actions and Mara's resurgence. The Moon Goddess's tapestry was indeed complex, but now, a hidden weaver was revealed, manipulating the threads from the shadows.