The Breaking Point

The air in the ritual chamber was thick with tension, each breath Lyra took felt heavier as she stood between her mother and Vivian. The Blood Pact leader's smirk was a blade slicing through the fragile hope that had carried Lyra this far.

Ethan's presence beside her was a steady anchor, but even he couldn't hide the dangerous edge in his voice. "You're outnumbered, Vivian. Call them off, and I might let you walk out of here."

Vivian chuckled, tilting her head in amusement. "Always so noble, Ethan. But you of all people should know—this isn't about numbers." Her cold eyes flickered to Lyra. "It's about her."

Lyra clenched her fists, stepping forward slightly. "If it's me you want, let them go."

Vivian's expression softened mockingly. "So selfless. Just like your mother."

Lyra's jaw tightened. "Where were you keeping her?"

Vivian's lips curled. "Right where she belongs. With us."

Ethan growled low, his patience snapping. "Enough."

With a signal from Vivian, the Blood Pact guards lunged.

Ethan moved first, intercepting the nearest guard with a brutal punch that sent him crashing into the altar. Lyra spun, dagger in hand, slicing through another enemy with precision honed from years of battle.

"Get her out of here!" Ethan barked, his claws tearing through another attacker.

Lyra turned to her mother, whose frail body trembled in her grasp. "Can you walk?"

Her mother's eyes were hazy, but she nodded. "I can try."

Lyra helped her up, moving toward the chamber's exit, but Vivian's voice echoed through the room.

"You think you can just leave, Lyra?"

Before Lyra could react, Vivian was in front of her, unnervingly fast, and struck with a force that sent her stumbling back against the stone wall. Pain flared through her ribs, but Lyra didn't let go of her mother.

Ethan roared, charging toward Vivian, but a burst of dark energy erupted from her fingertips, sending him flying across the chamber. He hit the ground hard, groaning as he struggled to get up.

Vivian smirked. "Oh, Alpha. You should've stayed out of this."

Lyra's eyes darkened with rage, her body coiling with a power she hadn't tapped into in a long time. She reached for it now, the dormant strength that once made her a force to be reckoned with.

A faint golden glow shimmered around her fingertips as she stood protectively in front of her mother. "I won't let you take her again."

Vivian's eyes gleamed with interest. "There it is. The Luna's power."

Lyra didn't wait—she struck, summoning a shield of golden energy around herself and her mother, deflecting Vivian's incoming attack. The impact sent shockwaves through the room, dust and debris falling from the ceiling.

Ethan used the distraction to recover, lunging at Vivian with renewed fury. His claws swiped inches from her throat, but she was fast, too fast. She dodged, countering with a vicious blast that barely missed him.

"Lyra, run!" Ethan shouted.

Lyra hesitated for a split second—too long.

Vivian seized the opportunity, grabbing Lyra's wrist and yanking her forward. "You're not going anywhere."

Pain shot through Lyra's arm as Vivian's grip tightened, dark energy seeping into her skin, burning like acid. Lyra cried out, dropping to one knee, but Ethan was there in an instant.

With a guttural snarl, he ripped Vivian away, throwing her across the chamber. He knelt beside Lyra, his hands gentle despite the anger raging in his eyes. "Are you okay?"

Lyra nodded, gritting her teeth against the pain. "I can fight."

Ethan's gaze softened for a split second before he stood, shielding her once more. "Stay behind me."

Lyra's mother tugged weakly at her arm. "Lyra, we have to leave—now."

Logan's voice crackled in their earpieces. "We're blowing this place in sixty seconds, you better be clear!"

Ethan's eyes met Lyra's, urgency written all over his face. "You heard him. Let's go."

Lyra took a deep breath, pushing through the pain and supporting her mother as they moved toward the exit.

But Vivian's laughter echoed behind them.

"You can't run from me forever, Lyra."

Lyra didn't look back.

Outside the Fortress

The night air hit Lyra like a slap, cool and refreshing compared to the suffocating darkness inside. Logan and the rest of the team were waiting near the escape vehicles, guns at the ready.

"Move, move!" Logan shouted, ushering them inside.

Ethan pulled Lyra and her mother into the SUV just as a thunderous explosion rocked the ground beneath them. Flames shot into the sky, consuming the fortress in a blaze of destruction.

Lyra sat in the back seat, clutching her mother's trembling hand, heart racing. She stared at the fire, a part of her wishing it was over—but deep down, she knew it wasn't.

Ethan slid in beside her, his expression unreadable, his knuckles still bloody. "Are you okay?"

Lyra exhaled shakily. "I will be."

Her mother's voice was barely audible. "Lyra, it's not over."

Lyra looked at her, fear creeping back in. "I know."

Ethan reached over, his fingers lacing with hers, grounding her. "Then we get ready for the next fight."

Lyra squeezed his hand tightly, nodding. "Together."

As the SUV sped down the darkened road, Lyra watched the fortress burn in the distance. She knew they had won this battle—but the war was far from over.

And deep down, she feared what would come next.