They didn't look like monsters.
Not at first glance.
They looked like people caught in the wrong shape—
spines twisting, limbs trembling, eyes flickering between black-gold and hollow white.
They staggered, collapsed, lurched, dragged themselves toward her—
not out of hunger,
not out of instinct,
but because something inside them was breaking.
Kanah's chest tightened.
"My father… forced them.
They weren't ready."
Owain growled, stepping in front of her.
"Kana, they're unstable—one wrong move and they'll tear you apart."
Gerrin shook his head.
"Not intentionally. Look at them. Their bodies are rejecting the awakening."
Yllas lowered his flames.
"This is not an attack."
Helion crouched, golden eyes narrowing.
"This is a dying herd."
The swarm stumbled and screeched, holding their heads in agony.
Kanah felt the sound in her bones—
not a threat,
but a plea.
She gently slipped out of Owain's grasp.
"Kana—NO—" Owain snarled, lunging after her.
She pressed a hand to his chest.
"Let me try."
His heartbeat thundered under her palm.
"Kana," he whispered, voice cracking with fear, "if even ONE of them snaps—"
"I don't want them to die," she whispered back.
"Not because of him."
Owain trembled.
"You don't have to save everyone."
"I know."
She swallowed hard.
"But I have to save someone."
Owain shut his eyes, forehead touching hers, breathing like he was drowning.
"Then I am not leaving your side."
Kanah nodded.
"Never asked you to."
Helion stepped behind her.
Yllas flanked the left.
Gerrin took the right.
Owain stood directly beside her, claws ready.
The guardian loomed behind them like a mountain of bone and muscle.
Kanah walked forward slowly.
The broken Devourer-born flinched—some recoiled, some crawled closer, some simply trembled.
Kanah extended a hand.
"It's okay…
I'm here."
One figure dragged itself toward her.
Its voice cracked, not human, not beast—
"Hur…ts…"
Kanah dropped to her knees instantly.
Owain nearly lost it.
"KANA—!"
She held up a shaking hand.
"It's hurting. It's not attacking."
The creature lifted its head.
A young male.
Barely older than Kanah.
His fingers were twisted bonelike claws.
His skin marked by black veins.
His eyes empty with pain.
"H…el…p…"
Kanah pressed her hand to the dirt.
"Gerrin—guide me."
He knelt beside her, placing his hand over hers.
"Breathe with me.
Slow.
Good.
Now focus on your resonance."
Kanah closed her eyes.
Her mark warmed.
Her heartbeat steadied.
She felt the pulse rising from her chest—
not dark,
not hungry,
but soft, golden, human.
Owain whispered, voice breaking:
"Kana… stay with me."
She nodded faintly.
Then she lifted her voice.
"Come here."
A shockwave of gentle resonance flowed outward.
The creature froze—
Then crawled into her lap.
Owain choked.
Helion's jaw dropped.
Yllas whispered a stunned breath.
The Eldress laughed, delighted.
Vaeryn muttered, "Impossible…"
Gerrin stared in awe.
And Kanah…
Kanah lifted the creature's face into her hands.
"You're in pain," she whispered.
"I know.
But you're not alone."
The creature shuddered—
its eyes flickering from hollow white…
to faint, trembling gold.
Kanah pressed her forehead to his.
"Breathe."
A pulse of gold flowed from her chest—
and the creature gasped—
Then exhaled for the first time without pain.
Its spine straightened slightly.
Its fingers unclenched.
Its voice steadied.
"…warm…"
Kanah's eyes filled with tears.
"Yes."
She stroked its hair gently.
"You're safe now."
Behind her, Owain covered his mouth with one hand—
not to silence a growl,
but because he was shaking.
The wolf king—
the Beast King—
was crying.
"Kana…"
His voice cracked.
"You're… incredible."
Kanah's throat tightened.
But she didn't look away from the creature in her lap.
"Spread the stability," Gerrin urged softly.
"Let your resonance touch them all."
Kanah nodded, tears dripping onto her hands.
She inhaled—
And whispered:
"You're safe.
All of you.
I'm here."
Her resonance pulsed outward.
The Devourer-born jerked—
then stilled.
One by one:
The shaking stopped.
The spasms eased.
Limbs shifted into softer shapes.
Eyes lost their wild white glare.
They breathed.
Some collapsed in relief.
Some crawled closer.
Some reached weakly toward her—
and Kanah welcomed them.
Owain crouched behind her, arms around her waist, holding her steady as she stabilized the entire swarm.
"Kana… slow down," he murmured.
But she didn't stop.
She kept reaching—
kept breathing—
kept giving warmth to creatures who had never known anything but pain.
Her resonance grew brighter, steadier, stronger.
Then—
In the far back of the horde—
One creature didn't move.
Didn't respond.
Didn't breathe.
Kanah froze.
"Wait…
that one—"
The creature lifted its head.
Its mouth twisted into a wrong, too-wide grin.
Owain's arms tightened around her.
"Kana.
Step back."
Gerrin's eyes widened.
"That's not Devourer-born."
Yllas's flames surged.
"That's something else."
The creature rose, bones cracking in unnatural patterns.
Kanah whispered:
"What… what is that?"
Helion's voice dropped.
"That's a failure."
It lunged.
Not at Kanah.
At the stabilized ones.
The ones she just saved.
Kanah screamed.
Owain shoved her behind him and slammed into the creature with full force.
Yllas unleashed fire.
Gerrin shot mana spikes.
Helion tackled its legs.
The tribes roared, charging in to help.
Kanah stood shaking, watching the ones she healed recoil in terror.
She grabbed the nearest one, pulling him behind her.
"It's okay! Stay close!"
Owain ripped the creature off its feet.
Yllas incinerated its torso.
Helion tore its throat out with claws.
It still moved.
Still tried to crawl toward the others.
Kanah's heart broke.
"It wants to destroy them…"
Gerrin nodded grimly.
"Your father made it that way."
"Why?"
"To erase mistakes," he said softly.
"And to punish disobedience."
Kanah felt her stomach twist.
She looked at the trembling creatures she'd healed.
At their terrified eyes.
And something in her snapped.
"I won't let him break them."
Owain turned toward her.
"Kana—?"
Her voice shook with fury.
"I want to save all of them."
Owain stepped toward her, gripping her shoulders.
"Kana. Listen to me.
You can save them.
But not alone."
He pressed his forehead to hers.
"We do this together."
Kanah nodded weakly.
Her voice was a whisper.
"I don't want them to die for his mistakes."
Owain kissed her cheek.
"Then they won't."
Vaeryn stepped forward.
"You woke a new power."
Lythar nodded.
"You can stabilize entire groups."
Rhaegor growled approvingly.
"That makes you vital."
The Eldress smiled.
"And dangerous."
Kanah looked at the rescued Devourer-born.
Her voice was small, but steady:
"I want them protected."
Owain tightened his grip on her waist.
"Then they're under my command."
Kanah blinked.
"Owain—"
He growled, golden eyes burning:
"Kana. You saved them.
So they're yours.
Which means they're mine."
The tribes went silent.
The implications were enormous.
Kanah had just—
saved an entire generation of Devourer-born.
And Owain had just—
claimed them as part of his pack.
Kanah trembled.
Her voice shaking.
"What… what will my father do now?"
Gerrin answered without hesitation.
"He'll come for them."
Owain's growl filled the clearing.
"Let him."
Kanah stared at the trembling creatures she'd saved—
and for the first time since arriving in Beastworld…
felt like a leader.