The moon hung high over the Bloodfang prison pits, dark, damp cages beneath the council's temple, used only for enemies of the state.
Tonight, it held a prisoner who dared to speak out in Selena's defense.
Elder Corvin.
He had been accused of treason for warning Selena of the council's plans. And now, bound in silver chains, his fate would be sealed by morning.
Unless she got to him first.
In the shadows above the prison, Selena crouched on the rooftop with Rhea and two Moonbound scouts. Kael stood a few paces behind, silent but watchful.
> "Are you sure about this?" Rhea asked.
> "They made him suffer for telling the truth," Selena replied. "That makes him ours."
She turned to Kael. "Time to test what you taught me."
Kael gave a subtle nod.
Selena closed her eyes and raised her hands. Her mark shimmered, and a pulse of silver energy laced with shadow slid through the stone beneath her feet.
Within seconds, the metal locks below corroded, breaking with a silent snap.
She opened her eyes.
> "Let's move."
They slipped through the halls undetected, cloaked in Kael's shadows and Selena's light. When they reached Corvin's cell, he looked up—bloodied, weak, but alive.
> "You shouldn't be here," he rasped.
> "Neither should you," Selena said, breaking his chains with a flick of her fingers.
As they helped him up, footsteps echoed above, guards.
Rhea cursed. "We need another way out."
Selena scanned the stone wall. Her power flared. A hidden exit revealed itself behind the old altar—an ancient escape route buried in the council's design.
> "Go!" she commanded. "I'll hold them."
Kael stepped forward. "Not alone."
Together, they turned to face the guards storming in. Swords raised. Snarls sharp.
Selena's voice rang out like a bell:
> "This is no longer your pack.
You serve fear.
We serve truth."
Her aura exploded outward, forcing the guards back with a blast of moonlight and shadow. Blinded and overwhelmed, they fell.
Selena turned and ran after her people, after the future she was fighting to save.
By morning, Corvin was free and hidden within Moonbound.
He stood before the fire pit, eyes brighter, spine straighter.
> "You could've let me die," he told Selena.
> "You believed in me before I believed in myself," she replied. "That kind of loyalty deserves a second chance."
He bowed his head.
> "Then let me serve the Moonbo
und. Let me help you tear the council down."
Selena nodded once.
> "We begin at dawn."