The dorm was quiet. Too quiet.
Ryan sat on the edge of his bed, staring at his hand. The mark throbbed faintly beneath his skin, glowing with a low pulse that matched the beat of his heart. No matter how he flexed his fingers, the glow refused to fade.
It was never this constant before.
He clenched his fist, trying to will it still. But the harder he fought, the brighter it burned.
[System Alert: Prophecy Resonance Detected.][Status: Unstable.]
Ryan exhaled sharply. "Unstable? That's not helpful."
The system didn't reply. It rarely did unless it wanted to shove another quest in his face. He shoved his hoodie sleeve down over his hand and leaned back, staring at the ceiling. Sleep wouldn't come. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw Vaelrion's smirk at the bridge, heard his voice curling like smoke around the words little moon.
The door creaked. Ryan shot upright, claws sliding halfway before he realized who it was.
Aria.
She slipped inside with her usual silence, shutting the door behind her. "You're jumpy."
"You're breaking into my room at midnight."
Her lips twitched. "Fair point." She crossed the space and sat on the desk chair, her eyes landing on his covered hand. "It's reacting again, isn't it?"
Ryan didn't bother denying it. "More than before. It's like it's alive."
"It is," she said simply. "The mark isn't just a symbol. It's a binding."
Her tone made his stomach tighten. "Binding me to what?"
"Binding you to the prophecy," she replied, voice low. "To the moon. To every wolf who came before you. You carry their echoes in that mark. That's why Vaelrion wants it. It's not just power—it's history. Memory. Legacy."
Ryan swallowed hard. "And if I can't control it?"
Aria's gaze softened, just for a moment. "Then it controls you."
The silence stretched between them, heavy with unspoken truths. Finally, Aria stood, reaching into her jacket. She pulled out a folded sheet of paper, old and weather-stained.
"My brother drew this before he disappeared." She set it on the desk between them. It was a sketch of a wolf—massive, scarred, and crowned with lunar markings eerily similar to Ryan's own crest. Below it, a single line of text: The True Alpha rises where the wild bleeds into man's world.
Ryan's breath caught. The handwriting was sharp, urgent. Almost desperate.
"You think this is about me."
"I know it is." Aria's voice was steady, but her hands clenched at her sides. "And I know Vaelrion will tear the world apart to stop it."
Ryan looked at her, at the resolve in her eyes despite the weight she carried. For a moment, he didn't feel like prey anymore. He felt like someone standing on the edge of something vast, terrifying, and inescapable.
Then the mark burned again. Harder.
So hard he gasped and doubled over.
Aria was at his side instantly, grabbing his wrist. The glow seared through the fabric, spilling across the room in harsh silver light.
"Ryan—"
He grit his teeth, but the system's voice cut through the pain.
[Prophecy Trial Initiated.][Location: Restricted.][Warning: Trial will begin in 5 minutes.]
His vision blurred, symbols spinning across his sight. The floor seemed to vanish beneath him, replaced by the shimmer of a silver void.
Aria's voice sounded far away. "What's happening?"
"I… I think it's pulling me in."
[Trial Objective: Face the Echoes.][Failure Condition: Identity Collapse.]
Before Aria could tighten her grip, Ryan's body dissolved into light.
And then he was gone.
Ryan stumbled forward, landing hard on stone.
The world around him was strange—half-formed, painted in shifting shades of moonlight. Shadows curled along the horizon, whispering without mouths. He stood in a circle of etched symbols, glowing faintly, his mark blazing like a torch. The air smelled of iron and ash, heavy like a battlefield long abandoned.
And then, he wasn't alone.
Wolves emerged from the shadows. Not flesh, but echoes—spectral, towering, each one bearing scars of ancient battles. Their fur shimmered like smoke, their eyes glowing white with ageless fire. When they spoke, it wasn't with mouths but with voices that rumbled like thunder layered on thunder.
Who are you, boy, to wear the crest?
Ryan's breath caught. His claws slid free on instinct. "Ryan. I didn't choose this—"
None ever choose. The moon chooses.
The largest of them stepped forward, its spectral form dwarfing him. One of its ears was torn, its body crisscrossed with phantom scars. Its gaze burned through him.
Prove yourself, or be consumed.
The ground split beneath Ryan's feet, glowing fissures racing outward. The trial had begun.
Ryan steadied his breath, trying to ground himself. The wolves circled him slowly, their voices overlapping.
He is too young.Too weak.Too human.The mark will devour him before he masters it.
"Shut up," Ryan muttered. But their words pressed into his skull, heavy and suffocating.
One of the echoes lunged. Ryan moved on instinct, slashing upward. His claws cut through its smoky body, but instead of dissipating, it re-formed behind him. Another leapt, jaws snapping shut inches from his throat.
He staggered back. This wasn't like fighting Shadowspawn. These weren't enemies of flesh and blood. They were tests—manifestations of doubt, fear, and legacy.
[System Notice: Identity Integrity—93%.]
Ryan froze. Every strike that landed against him wasn't just physical—it was eating away at him, breaking down his sense of self. If he lost too much, he wouldn't just die here. He'd disappear.
"Prove yourself, or be consumed."
The largest wolf's words echoed again, but Ryan gritted his teeth.
"I'm not here to be consumed," he growled. "I'm not here to be prey."
He surged forward, claws blazing silver as his mark flared brighter. He fought not to destroy the echoes, but to hold his ground, to refuse their weight pressing down on him. Every swing of his claws was a declaration—I am Ryan. I will not break.
The wolves circled, pressed harder. One whispered in his ear with his father's voice. Another hissed with Vaelrion's. Another showed him his mother's face, twisted in fear.
His heart lurched.
[Identity Integrity—74%.]
"No," Ryan snarled, forcing his claws through the illusion. "You don't get to use them against me."
The echoes faltered, their forms flickering. For the first time, Ryan saw hesitation in their glowing eyes.
The largest wolf stepped forward again, lowering its massive head.
Perhaps… he is not prey after all.
Ryan's chest heaved, sweat stinging his eyes. His mark pulsed, calmer now, steadier—as though it had acknowledged his defiance.
[Trial Progress: 67%.][Warning: Completion requires full affirmation.]
Ryan squared his shoulders. "I don't care what you think. I'm not just some prophecy. I'm not just the True Alpha. I'm me. And I'll fight, not because the moon told me to, not because of destiny—but because I choose to."
The words rang out across the void. For a heartbeat, silence.
Then the echoes threw back their heads and howled.
The sound shook the ground, rattled Ryan's bones. But it wasn't a howl of scorn. It was recognition.
The fissures closed. The shadows pulled back. And the circle of symbols beneath Ryan's feet blazed brighter than ever.
[Trial Complete: Identity Affirmed.][Reward: Echo's Resilience Acquired.]
The spectral wolves faded one by one, until only the largest remained. It stepped close, lowering its massive muzzle until its white eyes met Ryan's.
Walk carefully, True Alpha. Every step forward is heavier than the last.
Then it dissolved into silver light, rushing into Ryan's mark. His body convulsed as power surged through him. When the light faded, he was back—collapsing onto his bed, gasping for breath.
Aria was there instantly, catching his shoulders. "Ryan!"
He blinked, vision swimming, his hand still glowing faintly.
"It's done," he rasped. "I faced them."
Her grip tightened. "And?"
Ryan looked up, his mark steady for the first time in days. "I think… I won."
Aria's expression softened—relief flickering across her features. Then she glanced at the mark, unease still in her eyes.
"So it begins," she whispered.
Author's NoteHey pack!
Thank you so much for reading this far. Every collection you add really helps this story grow and motivates me to release more chapters for you. If you're enjoying Ryan's journey and want to see what happens next, please add this book to your library/collection. The more support I see, the faster I'll drop the upcoming chapters!
Your votes, gifts, and comments mean the world—they remind me I'm not writing alone. 💙 Let's build this story together.
Stay wild,—Ezekiel Ini