The forest remained quiet after the stranger's words.
A human hunter standing calmly in the middle of a wolf pack was strange enough.
But a human claiming he was hunting Magnus?
That was something else entirely.
At the front of the group, Alpha Kael studied the man carefully.
His posture was relaxed, but his wolf remained ready beneath the surface.
"Humans who chase Magnus don't usually live long," Kael said coldly.
The stranger shrugged slightly.
"Then I guess I'm doing pretty well so far."
Behind Kael, Aria stepped a little closer, curiosity getting the better of her.
"So you're serious about this?"
The hunter nodded.
"Very."
Aria gestured toward the forest around them.
"You do realize he commands an army of wolves, right?"
The man smirked.
"I noticed."
Aria crossed her arms.
"And yet you're still chasing him."
The hunter's expression darkened slightly.
"He took everything from me."
The tone of his voice carried something deeper than anger.
Pain.
Silence settled over the group for a moment.
Then a wooden tok broke it.
Ikechukwu stepped forward slowly, leaning on his familiar staff.
His eyes examined the stranger carefully.
"You know Magnus well?"
The hunter nodded once.
"Enough to know he's dangerous."
Ikechukwu tilted his head slightly.
"That one be understatement."
Aria muttered under her breath.
"Seriously."
Kael remained cautious.
"Why approach us?"
The hunter gestured toward Aria.
"Because of her."
Aria pointed at herself.
"Why does every conversation lead back to me?"
The hunter's gaze settled on the glowing crescent mark on her wrist.
"You're the Moon Vessel."
Aria sighed again.
"That title is getting really old."
The hunter continued calmly.
"Magnus has been searching for you for years."
That sentence made everyone freeze.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Years?"
Aria blinked.
"Wait."
She pointed at him again.
"Pause. Rewind. Repeat that part."
The hunter didn't hesitate.
"Magnus has been preparing for the Moon Vessel long before you ever arrived here."
Aria felt a cold chill crawl down her spine.
"That doesn't make sense."
Kael spoke slowly.
"What do you mean preparing?"
The hunter crossed his arms.
"He's been gathering followers. Wolves. Creatures."
His voice lowered slightly.
"And something else."
Aria frowned.
"What something else?"
The hunter looked directly at her.
"Artifacts."
The wind rustled the trees again.
Aria blinked.
"Artifacts?"
The hunter nodded.
"Ancient ones tied to the moon."
Ikechukwu's eyes sharpened.
"That serious matter."
Aria glanced at him.
"You know about this?"
Ikechukwu tapped his staff lightly.
"Old stories talk about moon relics."
Kael frowned.
"What kind of relics?"
The hunter answered quietly.
"The kind that can control power."
Aria slowly processed that.
Then she sighed.
"So let me guess."
She gestured vaguely toward the forest.
"Magnus wants those artifacts so he can control my moon power."
The hunter nodded once.
"Yes."
Aria rubbed her temples.
"My life was so much easier before I knew all this."
Kael turned back to the stranger.
"And how exactly do you know all this information?"
The hunter's eyes hardened again.
"Because I've been tracking Magnus for three years."
Aria raised an eyebrow.
"Three years?"
The hunter nodded.
"And I know something else."
Everyone looked at him.
His voice dropped slightly.
"Magnus isn't hunting randomly."
Aria frowned.
"Then what is he doing?"
The hunter's gaze turned serious.
"He's waiting for something."
The forest seemed to grow colder around them.
Aria swallowed.
"For what?"
The hunter answered quietly.
"For the moment when your power becomes strong enough…"
His eyes darkened.
"…for him to take it."
Silence filled the forest again.
Finally Aria sighed.
"Fantastic."
She looked at Kael and Ikechukwu.
"So the bad news is Magnus wants my power."
Then she pointed at the hunter.
"And the worse news is he's been planning it for years."
The hunter gave a small nod.
"That's correct."
Aria threw her hands in the air.
"Great."
She looked toward the dark forest.
"Anyone else planning something evil I should know about?"