The scream didn't echo.
It vibrated through Beastworld.
Birds fled the canopy.
Leaves curled inward.
The earth itself seemed to grip its roots.
Kanah's blood chilled.
"That was my brother."
Owain moved instantly—lifting her into his arms, spinning her until her feet touched solid ground behind him, his body between her and whatever approached.
"He's hurt," Kanah whispered.
Owain snarled.
"Good."
Gerrin pressed a palm to the soil, eyes glowing.
"That wasn't physical injury. That was resonance backlash."
Helion hopped down from a branch.
"Meaning?"
Yllas answered first.
"Her awakening harmed him."
Kanah froze.
"I… hurt him?"
Gerrin shook his head.
"No. Not you. Your choice."
Lythar stepped closer, staff glowing.
"You stabilized yourself.
The seed resisted.
Your brother felt the recoil."
Owain growled with vicious satisfaction.
"He felt her break free."
Kanah hugged herself tightly.
"I didn't mean to hurt him."
Helion scoffed.
"He meant to devour you."
"Helion—"
"No. I won't pretend," he snapped.
"He wants you broken. He wants you obedient. He wants your power."
Owain's voice dropped into a low, deadly rumble.
"And he won't get any of it."
The guardian beast rose behind them, growling as the ground trembled again—this time deeper, heavier.
Kanah turned sharply.
"That's not my brother."
"No," Gerrin whispered.
"It's something else."
Rhaegor stepped into the clearing, flanked by three wolf sentries.
"We found tracks. Dozens. Maybe hundreds."
Owain stiffened.
"What kind of tracks?"
Rhaegor hesitated.
"Devourer-born.
But… wrong."
Vaeryn landed from a low glide, eyes burning gold.
"I smelled it too. The scent is unstable. Like newborn Devourers—
but too many at once."
Lythar's staff brightened.
"Your father is accelerating creation."
Kanah's heartbeat spiked.
"He's… making more?"
Gerrin stepped closer to her.
"Kana, your father knows he's losing control of you.
He's creating soldiers to retrieve you."
Owain's arms wrapped around her waist in a tight, protective hold.
"He won't touch her."
Kanah pressed a hand to her chest.
"But my awakening—did it really reach that far?"
The Leopard Eldress laughed dryly.
"Girl, you shook the entire forest."
Kanah blinked.
"…I did?"
Owain kissed her shoulder.
"You did."
Gerrin added:
"Your resonance pulse signaled three things:
You are waking.
You are anchoring.
You are not theirs."
Yllas's flame flared.
"Your father will interpret that as rebellion."
Kanah breathed sharply.
"He's afraid I'll become something he can't control."
Helion grinned sharply.
"Too late."
THE TRIBES PREPARE
The clearing erupted into coordinated motion.
Werewolves formed scouting teams.
Dragons took to the skies.
Elves carved defensive barriers into the earth.
Leopards vanished into the branches for silent patrol.
Kanah watched them, overwhelmed.
All this…
for her.
Owain pulled her aside beneath an arch of low branches.
"You did well," he murmured.
She leaned into him.
"Owain… I feel different."
He studied her face closely.
"How?"
She pressed her palm to her sternum.
"It's warm. And steady.
Like something inside me settled."
Owain cupped her waist, thumbs stroking her hip bones.
"That's your resonance aligning.
Your heartbeat syncing with itself."
Kanah blinked.
"I… don't feel hungry."
Owain froze.
"Not even a little?"
"No."
A breath shuddered out of him.
"Kana… that's huge."
Her Devourer eye flickered gold—not black.
Not cold.
Warm.
Owain's breath hitched.
He brushed his thumb under her eye.
"It's glowing differently."
Kanah touched his cheek.
"Does it scare you?"
He lifted her hand, kissing her palm.
"Nothing about you scares me."
She swallowed.
"My brother said resisting feeds the seed.
But fighting back… that's different."
Owain nodded.
"You're not resisting your inheritance.
You're taming it."
Kanah's lips trembled.
"Taming… me."
Owain growled softly.
"No.
Never you.
Only the hunger."
She rested her forehead against his.
"I want to fight."
Owain stiffened.
"Fight who?"
She looked toward the dark line of the trees.
"My father."
The air thickened around them.
Helion dropped from a branch above.
"Ohhh, the little human is ready to start a war."
Gerrin approached more gently.
"Kana… are you sure?"
Yllas came forward, solemn.
"This won't be a skirmish.
This will be war."
Kanah met their gazes one by one.
"I'm tired of being hunted.
I'm tired of running.
And I'm tired of being afraid of something inside me that isn't me."
Owain's chest rose and fell with a trembling breath.
"You want to confront him."
"Yes."
He closed his eyes.
When he opened them—
they burned gold.
"Then we go with you."
Kanah nodded firmly.
"I won't be alone."
But before anyone could move—
The ground shook again.
Louder.
Heavier.
Closer.
The wolves raised their heads.
Dragons shrieked overhead.
Elves shouted warnings.
Leopards vanished completely.
Rhaegor raced into the clearing.
"They're here!"
Owain snarled.
"Devourers?"
"No."
Rhaegor's voice trembled.
"Something worse."
The forest burst open—
And a swarm of incomplete Devourer-born stumbled into the clearing, screeching with broken resonance.
Eyes unfocused.
Bodies malformed.
Hunger spilling from them in waves.
Kanah gasped, horrified.
"They're not finished—
my father forced them—
they're in pain—"
Owain stepped in front of her, claws out.
"They're coming for YOU."
Gerrin shouted:
"Kana—your resonance—if you can stabilize just one—"
Yllas growled:
"Or they'll tear themselves apart."
Helion hissed:
"Or tear us apart."
Kanah stepped forward despite her shaking hands.
"I can try."
Owain grabbed her arm.
"Kana, NO—"
She turned to him.
"I can help them."
Owain's snarl died on his lips.
Fear flickered through his eyes.
"Kana… this is too dangerous."
She cupped his cheek, trembling.
"I'm human.
I care.
I won't let them suffer for him."
Owain breathed out sharply—brokenly—
and then nodded once, fierce and defeated and proud all at once.
"Then I'm right beside you."
Kanah stepped into the center of the clearing—
The swarm shrieking—
The tribes bracing—
The ground trembling—
And Kanah lifted her voice.
"STOP."
Her resonance pulsed.
Gold.
Warm.
Human.
The swarm froze mid-charge.
Owain stared.
Yllas inhaled sharply.
Gerrin whispered a prayer—not to gods, but to hope.
Helion's tail bristled.
The Eldress grinned wide.
The forest wind stilled.
And Kanah—
human, trembling, blazing—
took her first step toward the broken Devourer-born.