More Bloodfang warriors emerged from the shadows, marching menacingly across the field. This wasn't over. Not even close. Their leader, in his human form, stepped forward with cold fury in his eyes and hurled a long, razor-sharp war axe straight at Darius. The weapon sliced through the air with brutal force. Darius barely raised his arm in time to deflect it with his own blade, but the axe grazed his shoulder, leaving a deep cut. He winced, staggering slightly. Gaia's eyes flared. In a flash, she launched herself like a bolt of lightning, her body moving faster than any eye could follow. She tackled the Bloodfang leader head-on, meeting him in human form. The impact sent them both crashing to the ground, fists and fury flying. All around them, chaos exploded. Kael locked into brutal combat with the Bloodfangs' second-in-command, their movements swift and deadly. But even with their efforts, it became clear — Crescent Hollow was losing. Seth's body lay still, unmoving. More and more of Gaia's people fell, returning to their human forms as death took them. Jarin stood frozen, eyes scanning the carnage. Rage swelled in his chest. His father's lifeless form was among the dead. That's when it happened — a decision born of bitterness.
"If you can't beat them… join them," Jarin whispered to himself.
His eyes locked onto Kael, still fighting. Jarin shifted back to human form, picked up a dagger from the ground, and crept slowly toward Kael's back, heart pounding. He planned to drive the blade straight through him. The Bloodfang second-in-command noticed and made no move to stop him. In fact, he angled himself to give Jarin a clean shot. But just as Jarin raised the dagger, Kael struck the final blow to the second-in-command, who dropped with a thud. Kael turned and saw Jarin. Their eyes met. Jarin lunged and stabbed but Kael caught his arm mid-air, his face twisted with fury and betrayal. With a single powerful blow, Kael sent Jarin sprawling to the ground. Jarin scrambled to his feet and ran, disappearing into the trees like a coward. Gaia stood in the middle of the field, surrounded by bodies — her people, her pack. Tears slipped down her cheeks as the sky darkened unnaturally. It wasn't yet night, but the light had dimmed. She looked up and saw the Blood Moon. Full. Crimson. Hanging eerily in the sky.
"How can the moon be out when it's not yet night?" she whispered. "Why is it so dark?"
Then she understood. It was time.
Gaia pulled the sacred dagger given to her by the Cave Pack from her belt. Her hands shook, but her resolve was firm. She ran to a clearing, raised her arms, and shouted the ancient words passed down to her:
"Sanguis electae mundabit. Tenebrae abibunt."
(The blood of the chosen shall cleanse. Darkness shall depart.)
Without hesitation, she drove the dagger into her heart. Everything stopped. A powerful wave of energy burst from her body, sweeping through the battlefield. The Bloodfang wolves began to scream, clawing at themselves. Invisible flames consumed them from within — they wailed in agony, then turned to ash, one by one. Silence followed. Darius, Kael, Ethan, and the rest of the survivors rushed toward Gaia, who now lay on the ground, her breathing shallow, blood pooling around her. Ethan dropped to his knees beside her, his voice cracking. "Gaia… no, no, please…"Kael knelt, clutching her hand, unable to hold back his tears. Gaia coughed, blood streaking her lips. Her eyes fluttered open just enough to see them. "It's over," she whispered, barely audible. "We're free…" With a final breath, she smiled faintly… and closed her eyes. Ethan let out a broken cry.
Darius reached to pull the dagger from her chest, but a voice rang out: "Don't touch it!" Everyone turned. An old woman stepped out from the trees — the seer from the Cave Pack. Kael recognized her immediately. She looked at them with grave eyes. "That dagger now holds sacred power. If removed, it may undo what she gave her life for. Let it remain."
Everyone stood in silence, the weight of sacrifice heavy in the air.
Days passed,Crescent Hollow was quiet now. The village, once filled with howls and laughter, stood still in the wake of war. The skies had cleared, the blood moon gone, and sunlight returned as if the land itself had taken a long breath. Gaia's body was laid to rest in the sacred grove, wrapped in white and surrounded by blooming moonflowers — blossoms said to only open after great sacrifices. The dagger remained buried in her chest, untouched, glowing faintly with ancient energy. They didn't mourn with loud wails. Instead, they mourned with silence, stories, and the planting of trees. For Gaia hadn't just died — she had rewritten their fate. Darius stood by her grave, his wound healing, but his heart still raw. He spoke softly, "You were born under the blood moon, yet you brought light to a cursed world."
Kael placed a carved stone by her side — the same one she had once admired near the river. "You saved your people and me… and I'll spend the rest of my life making sure the world remembers."
Ethan, still unable to speak much, simply sat. His eyes red, his hand clutching Gaia's pendant — the one she had always worn like it was part of her.
The Crescent Hollow wolves began to rebuild, but everything was different now. Some said Gaia had become one with the Moon Spirit, her soul watching over them every night. Others said she would be reborn again when the world needed her most. As the seasons turned, a new leader emerged — not through strength, but through wisdom and unity. Kael guided the pack, not as an alpha in dominance, but as a guardian of Gaia's legacy. And on the night of every full moon, the villagers would gather around the grove, look up at the sky, and say the words she once did:
"Sanguis electae mundabit. Tenebrae abibunt."
Because they knew… the howl within her still echoed through the forest — a reminder that courage, even in silence, changes everything.