The Alpha didn’t roar; it didn’t need to.

  As the massive, shadowy creature stepped through the wall of fire, the sheer weight of its mana suffocated the rocky alley. The flames bowed away from it, repelled by an invisible, crushing aura that radiated authority.

  It looked like a wolf, but it wasn’t. It was a similar, far more ancient breed: a werewolf. It stood on two legs, a towering silhouette of muscle and dark fur. Its power seemed to bask in the darkness, skyrocketing under the faint, violet glow of the shattered sky. The Alpha had a massive, jagged slash across its face—a mark that didn’t show weakness but absolute, terrifying strength.

  Its eyes, a hazy, glowing grey, stared directly at Arthur.

  “Oliver,” Aria whispered, her voice barely audible. “That’s a werewolf. Fire won’t easily pierce its shield.”

  Arthur didn’t reply. His mind was racing.

  If any external pressure fails, Arthur thought, his grip tightening on his charred cane, then the pressure must be applied internally.

  He pulled the three translucent gas sacs from his pocket, then ripped a strip of fabric from his coat and tied them together into a bundle.

  The Alpha lunged. It was impossibly fast, a blur of shadow and razor-sharp claws.

  Arthur didn’t dodge. He planted his left foot, raised the cane, and braced for the impact.

  CRUNCH.

  The beast’s jaws clamped down on the mana-reinforced wood, stopping just inches from Arthur’s face. Hot, foul breath washed over him. Arthur held on, his muscles screaming, using the cane to lever the Alpha’s jaws open.

  Now!

  Arthur let go with his left hand, shoving the bundle of gas sacs directly down the Alpha’s throat.

  CRACK. The cane splintered.

  Arthur pulled his hand back, aimed his palm down the beast’s throat, and drew on the absolute last spark of energy in his core.

  BAM!

  A shockwave of blue mana blasted from his palm, acting as a detonator.

  BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

  The explosion was muffled inside the beast’s body. The werewolf's chest expanded unnaturally, glowing with a sickening orange light, before its ribs and chest cavity ruptured outward.

  Arthur was sent flying backward from the blast’s recoil, slamming hard into the stone wall and crumpling to the dirt; a few ribs had been broken for sure.

  He lay there, gasping for breath. Through the smoke, he saw the mangled body of the werewolf hit the ground.

  “We... we got it,” Arthur wheezed.

  But as the smoke began to clear, a horrifying sound echoed in the rocky alley.

  Snap. Crunch. Squelch.

  Arthur’s eyes widened in sheer horror. The Alpha wasn’t dead; its flesh was knitting itself back together at a terrifying speed. Broken bones snapped back into place; shredded muscle rewove itself. The werewolf stood up, flashing a mocking smile, as if interested by the failed attempt on his life.

  Arthur tried to move, but his body was paralyzed by exertion.

  The beast locked its hazy grey eyes on him and pounced.

  “Get away from him!”

  Aria stepped in front of Arthur, her crimson eyes flared with a desperate intensity. During Arthur’s gambit, she had managed to refine enough atmospheric mana to recover half her capacity.

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  She thrust her hands forward. “Crimson Volley!”

  Four distinct, highly compressed darts of crimson fire shot from her fingertips. They weren’t wild sparks; they were shaped and directed with deadly precision. They struck the Alpha mid-air, detonating against its chest and forcing it to land short of Arthur.

  The beast roared, swiping its massive claws.

  Aria gracefully ducked under the lethal swipe; her movements were practiced and elegant. She brought her hands together, forming a triangle with her fingers.

  “Intermediate Arts: Lotus Burst!”

  A swirling flower of pure, blinding flames erupted beneath the Alpha. The pillar of the fire engulfed the beast, scorching the rocky walls and lighting up the night sky.

  For a second, Aria stood tall, her silver hair whipping with the wind.

  But the werewolf wasn’t going that easily. A massive, clawed hand breached the pillar of fire. The Alpha lunged right through the flames.

  It struck Aria with the back of its paws.

  The impact was devastating. Aria was thrown backward; she slammed into the jagged stone of the alley and collapsed to the ground, coughing blood.

  The beast landed lightly on its feet. It slowly approached the now defenseless girl, its jaws opening to deliver the killing bite.

  Aria tried to cast a spell, but her vision was already fading.

  No, Arthur thought, his heart screaming in his chest. “Over my dead body, you monkey."

  He roared and threw his entire body weight forward, launching himself off the ground. He tackled Aria just as the beast’s jaws snapped shut.

  Arthur wrapped his arms tightly around her waist, pulling her against his chest to shield her. They rolled together across the hard dirt, narrowly avoiding the lethal bite. For a fleeting second, Aria felt the frantic, fluttering beat of her heart against his own.

  The Alpha was relentless. As they rolled, it lashed out with its massive claws.

  SHLICK.

  Four razor-sharp claws tore through Arthur’s back and chest, slicing deep into his flesh.

  “AGHHHH!” Arthur cried out, his vision flashing white with blinding pain.

  He collapsed over Aria, his blood dripping onto the dirt. He couldn't move; it was over.

  Beneath him, Aria saw the blood soaking through Arthur’s shirt. Tears streamed down her cheeks, trembling; she reached her hand out. Her small, cold fingers found his, intertwining weakly with his bloody hand. She squeezed it, a silent, desperate thank you, as she struggled to maintain consciousness.

  The Alpha loomed over them. It raised its blood-soaked claws for the final blow.

  Arthur turned his head, staring directly into the beast’s hazy grey eyes. He only showed cold, unbroken defiance.

  The werewolf paused.

  The beast lowered its paw. It stared at the fragile, broken human boy who had blown it apart, fought without magic, and thrown away his life to protect. In the hazy grey eyes of the monster, there was a flicker of profound respect.

  The Alpha extended a single, glowing claw. It didn’t strike to kill. It touched the center of Arthur’s bleeding chest.

  A searing phantom heat burned into Arthur’s skin. It wasn’t a wound; it was a mark.

  Suddenly, the temperature in the rock alley skyrocketed.

  FWOOOOOOOOOSH!

  A roaring tide of pure Amber fire swept over the walls of the alley, crashing down onto the remaining Void beasts at the entrance.

  The Alpha’s ears twitched; it looked toward the entrance, then back down at Arthur. With a final lingering look, the massive werewolf melted into the shadows, vanishing silently into the dark woods along with the surviving members of its horde.

  Through the clearing smoke, two figures stepped into the rocky alley.

  Roderick Ashborn sprinted across the scorched earth, dropping his silver broadsword. He slid to his knees in the dirt, gathering Arthur’s battered, bloody body into his arms.

  “Father...?” Oliver whispered, his voice incredibly weak.

  “I have got you,” He pressed his forehead against his son's.

  Arthur let out a long, shuddering breath, his hand still loosely holding Aria’s. He finally allowed the darkness to take him.

  Aria lay frozen on the ground. She stared at the man holding Oliver. Uncle Roderick, she thought, her mind struggling. He looks so old...

  Then, she looked up at the second man.

  Marcus stood entirely still. The amber fire in his hands flickered and died. The stoic High Mage stared at the fifteen-year-old girl with silver hair and crimson eyes sitting in the dirt.

  “No...” Marcus whispered, his voice cracking. He dropped heavily to his knees, his armor clanking against the stone.

  Beneath the scars and the deep lines of grief, Aria saw the face of the man who used to carry her on his shoulders.

  “Father...?” Aria whispered, her voice trembling.

  Marcus let out a ragged, agonizing sob that tore from the very bottom of his soul. He lunged forward, throwing his arms around the girl, as he held her like he would never let her go again.

  The Great Tide had ended.

  And the Ashborn family survived yet again.

  (To be continued...)

  Thanks for reading!!