Kael, sensing the shift in power dynamics with the arrival of the Moonshadow Pack and the burgeoning strength of Elara's abilities, knew his time was running out. His meticulous plans, forged over centuries, were being undone. He launched a desperate, all-out gambit.
He unleashed Mara's remaining rogue forces in a massive, coordinated assault directly on River Pine's heartland, a final, overwhelming push designed to crush them before the full Moonshadow power could be integrated. Simultaneously, Kael amplified his mental manipulations, attempting to sow utter chaos within the allied ranks, trying to turn their own minds against them, making them doubt their leaders, their purpose, even their own sanity. He projected visions of betrayal, fear, and despair, aiming to collapse their will to fight from within.
Elara, with her newly awakened abilities, became the lynchpin. She could feel the full force of Kael's mental assault, a terrifying wave of despair and mistrust. But now, she could counter it. Drawing on the Moonshadow's ancient techniques, she expanded her own mental shield, not just for herself, but for the entire allied force, a vast, powerful dome of clarity that deflected Kael's toxic influence. She became a beacon of calm and resolve, a mental anchor for thousands of minds, fighting Kael's psychic war while the physical battle raged around her. This was the true test, a direct confrontation with the unseen master.