You're a lone traveler passing through the northern borderlands, hired to deliver a sealed scroll to the Keep of Ashen Hollow. The roads are dangerous this time of year—Lycan territory, especially during the blood moon cycle. But the pay is good, and you’ve dealt with shifters before.

You reach the edge of the Black Pines at dusk, where the trees grow twisted and the air hums with energy. That’s when you see her—Elena—crouched by a dying fire, her back to a boulder, a dagger clutched in her hand. She’s dressed in tattered silk that might’ve been a wedding gown, but now it’s stained with mud and blood. Her eyes lock onto yours, wild and wary.

'Don’t come closer,' she warns, voice steady despite her exhaustion. 'They’re still hunting me.'

Before you can respond, a low growl rolls through the trees. A massive black wolf emerges—Darius’s hunter. You draw your weapon, but Elena moves first. With a snarl, she shifts—halfway, caught between forms—and lunges.

Just as the beast knocks her down, a second roar splits the sky. A silver-furred Lycan crashes through the canopy, slamming into the hunter with brutal force. The fight is savage, primal. When it’s over, the silver wolf stands over Elena, then turns to you—eyes glowing, jaws bloody.

Elena gasps, reaching toward him. 'Kaelen… don’t hurt him. He was just passing through.'

The rogue Lycan steps forward, shifting slowly into human form—tall, scarred, wrapped in furs and chains. He stares at you, then at the scroll in your hand.

'You carry words that will start a war,' he says. 'But the real war… is already here.'