Luna Aurora (Alpha Fenrir)

The air in the shadow lands was heavy, suffocating, and alive with a dark energy that seemed to cling to Dain's skin. He followed
the Warden deeper into the shadowed expanse, the ground beneath his feet crunching with frost despite the lack of cold. The
shard pulsed
Chapter 348
faintly in his pocket, responding to the energy that radiated from the Warden like a living storm.
"You've been holding back," the Warden said, his voice as deep and resonant as the shadow itself. He moved with a fluid grace,
his black cloak billowing behind him. "The power you wield is only a fraction of what you are destined for."
Dain said nothing, his jaw tight as he kept his gaze forward. He wasn't sure if he trusted the Warden, but his promises of power
were intoxicating. And power was what Dain needed-what he deserved. If he was going to win, he had to be stronger. Stronger
than Elyra. Stronger than anyone.
The Warden led him to a clearing where a circle of jagged black stones jutted out of the ground like teeth. In the center stood a
pedestal made of obsidian, glowing faintly with shadowy tendrils that danced around it. Atop the pedestal lay a blade unlike
anything Dain had ever seen. It was sleek and black, its surface shimmering with an unnatural light that seemed to devour the air
around it.
"This," the Warden said, gesturing to the blade, "is the Shadowfang. Forged from the essence of the shard itself. It is a weapon

of pure shadow, meant only for one strong enough to wield it."
Dain's eyes narrowed as he stepped closer, drawn to the blade like a moth to a flame. "Why are you giving this to me?"
The Warden chuckled, a deep, hollow sound. "Because you are no longer the boy you were. You've already proven your strength
by mastering the shard's initial power. But there is more to be unlocked-power that will make you unstoppable."
Dain hesitated, the faintest flicker of doubt crossing his mind. "And what's the cost?"
The Warden's piercing gaze locked onto his. "The cost is simple. You must let go of the light entirely. You cannot ascend while
clinging to the chains of what you once were."
The words struck a chord deep within Dain. Images of Elyra flashed in his mind-her desperate pleas for him to return, the pain in
her eyes as she tried to hold onto him. He clenched his fists, pushing the memory away. Elyra didn't understand. She never had.
She was too bound by her ideals, too afraid to embrace what was necessary.

"I've already let go," Dain said, his voice hard. "Show me."
The Warden smiled, his sharp features casting an eerie shadow. "Very well."
He extended his hand, and the shard in Dain's pocket began to hum with a dark energy. Dain felt it pulse against his chest, its
power surging through him like a tide. The Warden chanted in a language Dain didn't recognize, and the shadow around them
seemed to shift and ripple, drawn to the blade.
As the chant reached its peak, the shard's energy, burst forth, enveloping the blade in a swirling vortex of darkness. Dain's
breath hitched as the shadow crept up his arms, Wrapping around him like a second skin. It wasn't painful, but it was consuming,

filling him with a sense of invincibility he'd never felt before.
"This is your true power," the Warden said, his voice echoing as if carried by the wind. "You've only scratched the surface of what
you're capable of. Let me show you what lies beyond."
The blade lifted from the pedestal, floating toward Dain. He reached out instinctively, his hand closing around the hilt. The
moment he touched it, a shockwave of energy exploded outward, darkening the clearing and sending ripples through the
shadowed ground.
Dain gasped as the blade's power
surged through him, amplifying the
met
shard's energy tenfold. He felt stronger faster, sharper-like he could take on the world and bend it to his will. The shadows
seemed to bow to him, their tendrils curting around his feet in submission.
"What is this?" Dain breathed, staring at the blade in awe.
"This," the Warden said, his voice filled with reverence, "is the key to your ascension. With the Shadowfang, you will not just
command the shadows-you will become them. You will be unstoppable." Dain tightened his grip on the blade, his resolve
hardening. He could feel the shard's whispers merging with the blade's power, creating a symphony of strength that drowned out
any remaining doubt. The Warden stepped closer, his eyes glinting with satisfaction. "With this weapon, you will cut through light
itself. No one-not even your sister-will be able to stand against you."

Dain's lips curled into a smirk as he raised the blade, its shadowy energy crackling in the air. He felt invincible, untouchable. The
light Elyra clung to so desperately would be no match for him now. -: As Dain lowered the blade, the shadows around him
coalesced into the shape of an army, their hollow eyes glowing with dark fire. The Warden's voice echoed in his mind: "This is
only the beginning."