Chapter 23: Echoes in the Bones
The flame of the Oathstone still pulsed through the air, a humming resonance that seeped into the very ground of Black Ash Vale. Every heartbeat in the pack now carried the weight of those eternal laws.
But peace never lingered long.
Beneath the surface—beneath the stone, beneath the roots—something stirred.
Far from the ritual grounds, at the edge of the Vale's forbidden cliffs, a cave veiled in ghostlight trembled. Bones, long buried in silence, shifted. Skulls cracked open as if whispering secrets. A clawed hand emerged from the dark, scraping ancient runes into the earth.
And far above it, Kael woke in a cold sweat.
His breathing was ragged. The system's voice whispered.
System Alert:
Bloodline Instinct Surge Detected
Trigger: Ritual Completion – Oathstone Link Established
Warning: Deep ancestral memories unlocked
Optional Mission: Investigate the Bone Echoes
Reward: Ancestral Resonance Upgrade (Bloodline Sync +5%)
Danger Level: Unknown
Kael sat up in his chamber, heart thundering.
"Bone echoes…" he muttered. "Why now?"
As dawn broke, he summoned Flam and Tamir. Both appeared swiftly, noting his expression with concern.
"There's something buried beneath the Vale," Kael said, staring out the den window. "Something that responded to the Oathstone's fire."
Tamir looked troubled. "There are old records... barely readable. Warnings not to venture into the Bone Hollows."
Flam raised a brow. "The cursed tunnels near the ash cliffs?"
Kael nodded. "Gather a scouting unit. No more than six. I want to go myself."
Flam hesitated. "That may not be wise—"
"It's not a request."
Kael's tone left no room for argument.
---
Later that day…
The scouting group stood at the mouth of the Bone Hollows, where pale wind moaned like a wolf dying on repeat. Roots twisted around the cave's entrance like desperate fingers. The Oathstone's pull was faint—but real.
Kael led the charge. Behind him were Flam, Tamir, a sharp-eyed pup named Milla, and two betas—Joran and Niva.
They descended slowly, torches flickering.
Each step deeper was colder. Heavier. Like the mountain was trying to crush their spirits.
Then Kael's foot landed on something that didn't feel like stone.
He crouched.
It was a spine. Still wet.
The group froze.
Milla gasped. "Alpha… look."
In the walls, glowing faintly, were images carved into the bone itself—visions of wolves with two heads, warriors wearing moonstone masks, and giant beasts with halos of fire.
Kael's blood ran cold. One image matched the exact pose he'd taken during the Oathstone ritual.
"How...?"
The system's voice returned.
System Notification:
Hidden Ancestral Path Detected
Bloodline Linkage Activated – Memory Echoing Unlocked
New Mission: Survive the Guardian of the Hollows
Time Limit: 3 minutes
Then a growl echoed from the depths.
The torches blew out.
The temperature dropped.
A giant figure emerged—bone plated, eyes glowing with ember light, its breath a storm of ash.
A Bone Guardian—awakened by Kael's blood.
Flam shifted halfway, fur surging over his skin. "Orders?!"
Kael's golden eyes burned.
"Circle. Distract. I'll draw it to the ritual circle ahead. Don't let it reach the back line!"
The Guardian lunged.
And the pack—howled.