Darkness swallowed Owain whole.
Not normal darkness.
Living darkness.
It pressed against his skin.
Slid into his lungs.
Pulled at his mind like a hand digging through memories.
Owain fell for so long that time lost meaning—
until the darkness abruptly parted like a curtain.
He hit solid ground—
knees slamming into cold stone hard enough to bruise—
and gasped.
His breath fogged.
His heartbeat echoed unnaturally loud.
He wasn't alone.
Something was breathing with him.
OWAIN — THE PIT
The Architect's voice whispered through the dark:
"The Hunger Pit has no shape. It takes the shape of your mind."
Owain rose slowly.
His arm burned with sigil-fire.
Sweat dripped down his jaw.
His throat tasted like metal.
"Owain…"
The voice wasn't the Architect.
It wasn't any of the others.
It was Kanah.
Faint.
Echoing.
Desperate.
Owain's heart clenched so hard he nearly fell.
"KANA—?!"
Her voice trembled, distant as if underwater.
"Owain…
don't lose yourself…
please…"
Owain staggered forward toward the sound—
But the floor under him cracked open.
Hands clawed upward.
Dozens.
Hundreds.
Hands made of black smoke and bone, reaching out, grabbing his legs, his arms—
Pulling him down.
Owain roared, ripping free.
"What are you—?!"
A voice answered.
Not his voice.
Not Kanah's.
Something ancient.
"Hunger."
Owain backed up instantly, chest heaving.
"Show yourself!"
The darkness rippled.
Then it formed a silhouette.
Tall.
Broad.
Eyes bright white—no irises, no pupils—just blinding hunger.
Owain felt his instincts recoil.
It spoke with a voice like a thousand whispers.
"You are the Wolf King."
Owain growled.
"And you're the reason she's in danger."
The creature stepped forward.
"No.
The reason she is in danger…
is you."
Owain froze.
"What—?"
"You provoke her hunger.
You feed it through your bond.
Your love is a catalyst."
Owain's blood ran cold.
"Lies."
"Is it?"
The creature raised a finger.
Black flame spiraled upward.
Kanah's voice echoed again.
Soft.
Pained.
Breaking.
"Owain…"
Owain lunged toward the sound—
—but the creature seized him by the throat and slammed him against the stone wall.
Owain choked, claws digging into its arm.
"Let… me… GO—!!"
The creature leaned close.
Its breath was cold.
Dead.
Ancient.
"Do you love her?"
Owain snarled.
"Yes."
"Then you will kill her."
Owain stopped breathing.
His eyes widened.
"What… did you just say—?"
"Your love anchors her human half…"
Owain felt sick.
"…and awakens the Devourer half."
Owain twisted violently, slashing, clawing—
The creature didn't even flinch.
It threw him like a ragdoll.
Owain hit the ground hard.
He tried to push himself up—
The creature stepped on his chest.
Owain gasped.
"She will change."
Owain's pulse raced.
"She will hunger."
He shook his head.
"No—she won't—she won't—she's stronger—"
"She will crave power."
"She won't—"
"She will crave you."
Owain froze.
The creature leaned lower.
"And when she hungers for your life…
who will stop her?"
Owain's heart shattered.
He whispered:
"I will."
"Yes."
The creature smiled.
"You will kill her to save the world."
Owain roared, exploding upward with raw fury—
The creature flew back, surprised.
Owain stood, chest heaving.
"I would never kill her."
"You will."
"NO—!!"
The creature's voice turned quiet.
Cruelly quiet.
"You will kill her…
because she will ask you to."
Owain staggered.
His knees nearly buckled.
His breath caught in his throat.
"…No…"
The creature tilted its head.
"When she becomes what her father is…
she will beg you."
Owain's face twisted in pain.
Tears burned at his eyes.
The creature pointed upward.
"And right now… your Queen's hunger wakes."
KANAH — THE HUNGER AWAKENS
Kanah slammed into the wall of her chamber, nails scraping stone.
Her left eye—
the one that wasn't human—
burned with black fire.
Ilai watched in horror.
"Kanah—my lady—your eye—!! It's—changing—!!"
Kanah covered it with her hand.
"No—no—NO—!!"
Her pulse thundered painfully.
Her bones ached.
Her fingers bent wrong.
Her skin burned at the seams.
Her father had said:
"Inside you is a seed."
Ilai grabbed her shoulders.
"I'll fetch a healer!"
"No!!" Kanah screamed.
"No healer—your healers are loyal to my father—don't—Ilai—please—stay—"
Her eye flickered again.
Gold.
Black.
Slitted.
Her skin crawled with a sensation she didn't understand.
Her nails lengthened.
Her teeth sharpened.
"No—no—NO—!!!"
She clawed at the wall desperately.
"I'm not a Devourer! I'm not—!!"
Ilai backed up.
"Kanah, you have to breathe—!!"
"I CAN'T—!! I CAN'T STOP IT—!!"
Then—
Her bond pulsed.
A shockwave.
KANAH gasped.
"Owain—Owain—OWAIN—!!"
Ilai froze.
"Your mate?"
Kanah clutched her heart.
"He's in pain—
he's hurting—
he's calling—
Ilai—help—my chest—!!"
Kanah collapsed to her knees.
Ilai rushed to her.
"What can I do?!"
Kanah's voice shook violently.
"He's—he's breaking—
he's breaking himself to get to me—
I can feel him—Ilai—help—!!"
Her Devourer eye burned.
She pressed her forehead to the stone floor.
"Owain…
don't do this…
don't hurt yourself for me…"
Ilai whispered:
"Kanah… what's happening to you?"
Kanah's voice cracked.
"My Devourer side…
it's waking up because he's suffering—
I can feel his pain—
and the hunger responds—"
"Hunger…?"
Kanah screamed.
"Ilai—GET AWAY—!!
NOW—!!"
Ilai jumped back.
Kanah's fingernails dug into the stone, carving grooves.
Her pupils slit fully.
Her breath came out in cold puffs.
Ilai whispered in horror:
"My lady…
your eye is completely black."
Kanah's head jerked up.
Her gaze wasn't human.
Not even beast.
Something ancient stared through her.
Kanah whispered:
"…Owain…"
Then she screamed—
"OWAIN—!! COME BACK—!!"
Her voice tore through the fortress walls.
Her father felt it.
He stood from his throne, eyes narrowing.
"The seed begins."
OWAIN — BREAKING POINT
Owain felt Kanah's scream like a knife to his ribs.
He collapsed, grabbing his chest.
"KANA—!!"
The Hunger creature smiled.
"Do you feel her now?"
Owain groaned, forcing himself back to his feet.
"Stop—touching—her—!!"
"I am not touching her."
The creature stepped closer.
"Her father is."
Owain roared and charged—
The creature met him with brutal force.
Claws collided.
Magic crackled.
Stone shattered.
Owain took a hit to the ribs.
Crack.
He slammed into a wall.
His vision blurred.
But then—
Kanah's voice broke through his blood.
"OWAIN—PLEASE—KEEP BREATHING—!!"
Owain's heart snapped back into place like a lock closing.
He rose.
Chest heaving.
Blood dripping.
Vision hazy.
"I'm not leaving you," he whispered into the dark.
The creature tilted its head.
"You rise again."
Owain wiped blood from his mouth.
"Because she needs me."
"She needs no one."
"You don't know her."
"I know her hunger."
Owain's fury sharpened into something cold.
Dangerous.
"I know her heart."
The pit trembled.
Hunger recoiled.
Owain stepped forward.
"When she cries—
I feel it."
He took another step.
"When she fights—
I rise."
Another step.
"When she breaks—
I shape myself around her."
Another step.
"And when she calls—
I burn."
He raised his head.
Eyes blazing.
"And right now—
she's calling."
The creature hissed.
"You cannot win."
Owain snarled:
"Watch me."
He lunged—
And the Hunger struck back.
KANAH — A MOMENT OF CLARITY
The chains rattled.
Kanah's breath shook.
Her Devourer eye glowed black-gold.
Her hands dug into the floor.
Ilai trembled.
"My lady, please—your body—your face—your eyes—they're changing—!!"
Kanah's voice cracked:
"Ilai…
I need you to tell me something."
Ilai knelt beside her carefully.
"Yes?"
Kanah's voice trembled violently.
"…Do you see…
my humanity?"
Ilai's eyes softened.
"Yes.
Clearer than ever."
Kanah sobbed.
"Then don't leave me."
Ilai shook her head.
"I won't."
Kanah nodded weakly.
And for a moment—
Her eye flickered.
Gold.
Black.
Gold.
But then—
Her father's voice echoed from down the hall.
Cold.
Commanding.
Hungry.
"Kanara."
The chains rattled.
Kanah stiffened.
And the hunger surged again—
blinding—
consuming—
pulling—
"No—NO—!!"
Ilai reached for her.
"My lady—!!"
Kanah screamed—
Her Devourer eye flaring open—
Black-gold
Slitted
Blinding—
Owain felt it through the bond.
He gasped.
"No—no—Kana—HOLD ON—!!"
The pit cracked beneath him.
The Hunger creature whispered:
"She is waking."
Owain roared—
"THEN SO AM I—!!"
He leapt toward the creature—