Raizen stood in the painted circle, lines and marks faint under him. The world outside it felt a step farther away. Faces formed a loose ring. Beasts shifted on nearby platforms. Even the vines above seemed to lean in.
Across from him, the beast watched.
Gray fur over thick muscle. Legs built to launch and land. Eyes glowing a brighter, hungrier orange, even more intense than before.
Those fangs were the worst of it.
They hung down from its upper jaw in long, curved blades. Twice the length they should have been. When its mouth closed, the tips almost touched its chest.
Raku stood just behind it, one hand lifted, relaxed.
"Move" he said.
The wolf stepped sideways. Paws silent on wood. It circled, slow and deliberate, never taking its eyes off Raizen.
Conversations around the ring thinned to a murmur.
Saffi stood near the edge of the circle, knuckles white on her bag strap.
Mina stood beside her, arms folded, gaze fixed on Raizen like nothing else really mattered.
