The very core of the earth vibrated, a deep rumble that seemed to tear through the air, sending a primal shiver down Alessia's spine. Leaves quaked from their stems, fluttering to the scorched ground around her, as a colossal golden form, shimmering with an unearthly light, stood majestically before them.

A sharp command, cold and ancient, prodded at her mind, urging her to kneel, to cower, to fear. It told her of her insignificance, of the true, suffocating power emanating from the beast. This was the Azian she knew, yet utterly transformed, an overwhelming presence that stole the breath from her lungs. This was Alpha.

He took a single, deliberate step, and the ground beneath them lurched violently. Alessia clutched her mother, Anna, who swayed precariously beside her. This might have been the moment she had unknowingly prepared for her entire life, but nothing could have truly prepared her for this.

Then, with a sound like a hurricane, two immense, golden wings unfurled, disrupting nature with every beat. They were impossibly large, tearing through the sky as Alpha ascended, becoming a gleaming, shimmery blob against the clouds, leaving only the scent of ash and the pervasive heat of his passing.