Ace's POV
The oppressive energy radiating from the cage made my fur stand on end before we even reached it. The black-glowing bars pulsed with dark magic, each thrum sending waves of nausea through my body. My wolf snarled internally, recoiling from the unnatural energy that clung to the air like rotting flesh.
Moonlight filtered through the trees, casting pale illumination on the prisoners within. Villagers lay slumped against each other, their ribs visible beneath threadbare clothing. A merchant's once-fine robes hung in tatters, his trembling hands clutching an empty waterskin. The worst were the children - their sunken eyes staring blankly, too exhausted even to cry. The stench of unwashed bodies and sickness hung thick around the cage.
Kai's usually steady voice cracked beside me. "By the ancestors... they're barely alive." His claws dug into his palms hard enough to draw blood.