The air inside Shadowfang's elder sanctuary was thick with dust and memory. Ancient scrolls, leather-bound journals, and carved stone tablets filled the circular chamber beneath the Alpha den. Flickering torchlight cast long shadows along the walls, making the carved wolves appear as if they were moving.
Nyra stepped carefully between the shelves, her fingers brushing across faded symbols. The Blood Moon relic pulsed faintly in her chest, reacting to the artifacts around her.
"They hid knowledge here," she murmured. "Not just history… warnings."
Kael followed closely beside her, his presence steady and grounding. "Elders don't hide things without reason," he said. "If this threat was sealed, it must have nearly destroyed everything once before."
Eryndor entered the chamber carrying a heavy stone tablet, placing it gently onto the central altar. His usually calm expression was troubled.
"This was buried beneath the sanctuary floor," he said. "It predates Shadowfang's founding."
Nyra approached slowly as the symbols on the tablet began to glow faintly at her presence. She placed her palm against the cold stone.
Silver light spread across the carvings, translating the ancient runes inside her mind.
Her breath caught.
"It speaks of… The Hollow King," she whispered.
Kael frowned. "That doesn't sound friendly."
Nyra shook her head slowly. "He wasn't a king of wolves. He was something else. Something born from wolves who tried to control death itself."
The torches flickered violently as if reacting to the name.
Eryndor lowered his voice. "There are legends elders refuse to speak of. Wolves who sought immortality by binding their souls to shadow and earth."
Nyra continued reading the visions flooding her mind.
"They created a prison deep beneath sacred land. Not to trap an enemy… but to trap themselves when their power corrupted them."
Kael's jaw tightened. "And now that prison is weakening."
Nyra nodded.
"The Hollow King is not one being," she said. "It is a fusion of ancient wolf spirits twisted by forbidden magic. If it awakens fully, it could control the dead… and bend living wolves through fear and memory."
A cold silence filled the chamber.
Suddenly, another scroll slid off a nearby shelf, landing at Nyra's feet as if pulled by unseen hands. She unrolled it carefully.
The parchment showed a ritual circle identical to the stone ruins outside — but beneath it was a map.
A tunnel system.
Leading deep beneath Shadowfang territory.
"There's an entrance," Nyra said, pointing to the markings. "Hidden beneath the old burial grounds."
Kael exhaled slowly. "Walking into an ancient prison filled with corrupted wolf spirits. That sounds exactly like our kind of problem."
Nyra gave him a tired but determined smile.
"We need answers. If this Hollow King rises, it won't just threaten Shadowfang. It could spread across every pack territory."
Eryndor hesitated. "Entering sacred burial grounds could disturb ancestral spirits. It is forbidden."
Nyra's silver eyes glowed brighter.
"Then we enter with respect," she said firmly. "We seek knowledge, not conquest. If our ancestors sealed this evil, they deserve to be heard before we fight their mistakes."
Kael stepped beside her, crossing his arms. "Then we prepare carefully. No reckless moves. Only trusted warriors."
Nyra nodded.
"Tonight," she said, rolling up the map. "We descend into the past."
The torches dimmed suddenly as a faint whisper echoed through the sanctuary walls — too faint for most to hear.
But Nyra froze.
A voice brushed against her thoughts like cold wind through bone.
Blood Moon heir… you walk toward truths meant to remain buried…
Nyra clenched her fists, refusing to show fear.
"Let it watch," she whispered.
Beside her, Kael's protective instincts flared as he sensed the tension in her body.
Outside, the forest wind howled through the trees, carrying the scent of earth long undisturbed.
And deep beneath Shadowfang territory, something ancient stirred… sensing footsteps drawing closer to its forgotten throne.