The alarm didn't start as a sound.
It started as a feeling.
A ripple.
Then—
Everything erupted.
"INTRUSION!"
The shout echoed across the territory, followed by a surge of movement as guards rushed into position. The calm structure of the pack shattered instantly, replaced by controlled chaos.
I felt it before I saw it.
Multiple presences.
Cold. Wrong. Moving fast.
"They're here," I whispered.
Beside me, Cyris didn't hesitate. His entire aura shifted, the air around him turning sharp and heavy as power pressed outward.
"Stay behind me," he ordered.
I didn't argue.
Because this time—
I understood.
Outside, the sky darkened unnaturally, clouds twisting as if something was tearing through them from the other side. Wind surged violently across the grounds, carrying whispers that didn't belong to this world.
Then they appeared.
Not one.
Not two.
Dozens.
Figures formed out of the wind itself, their bodies flickering between shapes—human, shadow, something in between. The Windbound Wraiths had crossed fully into the territory.
And they weren't alone.
"Alpha!"
Cyris stepped forward the moment we reached the open grounds, his presence cutting through the panic like a blade. Instantly, wolves shifted around him, bones snapping and reforming as they took their full forms. Growls filled the air, low and threatening.
"Hold the perimeter!" he commanded. "Do not let them spread!"
"Yes, Alpha!"
At the same time—
"Sovereign!"
The Guardians moved into formation, energy gathering between their hands, sharp and controlled. Their focus locked onto the incoming threat.
Everything aligned around him.
War mode.
But the moment the first wraith struck—
Everything changed.
It didn't attack like a normal creature.
It phased.
Slipping through defenses, bypassing physical barriers, appearing where it shouldn't be. A wolf lunged at one, only for its claws to pass straight through before the creature reformed behind it.
A scream followed.
Not from pain—
From impact.
"They're not fully physical!" someone shouted.
"I know!" Cyris snapped.
His form shifted further this time—not fully into a wolf, but into that same merged state. Claws extended, eyes split gold and blue, power radiating off him in waves.
"Guardians—bind them!" he ordered.
Energy surged instantly, lines of force snapping through the air as they attempted to anchor the wraiths in place. Some held.
Some didn't.
And then—
They noticed me.
Every single one of them.
Their movements paused for a fraction of a second, their forms flickering as they turned in my direction.
My chest tightened.
"…Cyris."
He felt it too.
"Stay back," he said immediately, stepping in front of me.
Too late.
Three of them moved at once.
Fast.
Focused.
Straight toward me.
The air tore as they closed the distance, their forms distorting violently.
"NO!" Cyris moved instantly, faster than anything around us. His claws struck one, this time connecting, forcing it back with a burst of power.
The ground cracked beneath him as he held his position.
"YOU DON'T TOUCH HER!" his voice roared across the battlefield.
Rynn fully surged forward.
Not separate.
Not controlled.
But aligned.
The second wraith lunged—
And this time—
Something inside me reacted.
Not fear.
Power.
The wind around me twisted sharply, pulling inward before exploding outward in a force that sent the creature flying back mid-attack.
Everything stilled for a split second.
I stared at my hands.
"…What did I just—"
Cyris turned slightly, his eyes locking onto me—not surprised.
Confirmed.
"Stay with me," he said.
But the moment didn't last.
Because more were coming.
From every direction.
The perimeter was breaking.
And high above—
Hidden within the storm—
Something larger watched.
Waiting.
This wasn't just an attack.
It was a test.
And I was the center of it.