The Howling Moon Silver Wolves

The long and agonizing wait weighed heavily on the members of the Dark Moon Clan. Outside the sacred altar, they held their breath, their gazes locked onto the ancient and mysterious structure. Anxiety and anticipation intertwined in their hearts as they silently prayed for a miracle.

Suddenly, a ripple of movement stirred the crowd. A young clansman's body began to glow with an otherworldly radiance, the shimmering light pulsing in sync with an unseen force. His expression twisted into a mixture of pain and exhilaration as his body trembled uncontrollably.

"This… this is the sign of a bloodline awakening!"

An elder, his voice trembling with emotion, shouted the realization.

At his words, the crowd erupted into astonished whispers. All eyes fixed on the young man, their gazes filled with a mixture of awe and envy. But before they could fully process what was happening, more individuals began to experience the same phenomenon. One after another, clansmen lit up with the glow of awakening, their bodies trembling as newfound power surged through their veins.

Like wildfire, the bloodline awakening spread through the crowd, igniting a storm of energy that no one had foreseen.

Then, amidst the chaos, a voice rang out with unparalleled conviction:

"This is the goddess's power! The goddess has truly returned! The man who entered the altar has saved her!"

A moment of stunned silence followed—then an explosion of cheers.

Jubilant cries filled the air, raw with relief and overwhelming joy. Years of suffering, sacrifice, and desperation had finally borne fruit. The Dark Moon Clan had been on the brink of ruin, clinging to a fading hope that their goddess would one day return. And now, that day had come.

The clan elders, who had spent their lives devoted to the goddess, trembled with emotion. As wielders of the Dark Moon divine arts, they had always maintained a spiritual connection to her power. Now, feeling her presence restored in full force, their eyes welled with tears of reverence and gratitude.

The clan chief, an aged warrior who had endured countless hardships for his people, stood frozen. Then, unable to contain his emotions, he fell to his knees, tears streaking down his weathered face.

For too long, he had borne the burden of watching his people suffer, sacrificing their best and brightest to a desperate cause. He had watched their strength dwindle, their faith waver. And now, after all those years of heartache, the goddess had returned.

Their Dark Moon Clan… would rise again.

Inside the altar, the Dark Moon Goddess turned to Rowan.

"I am a deity of my word," she said solemnly. "I promised to marry you, and I shall uphold that vow."

A flicker of warmth passed through her eyes before her expression hardened again.

"But you must understand, my calamity did not happen without cause. Powerful enemies are responsible for my fall. They are ruthless, formidable, and I will have my vengeance. If you stand by me, you will be drawn into my battles. The road ahead is paved with blood and peril—think carefully before you bind your fate to mine."

Rowan met her gaze without hesitation.

"Yue Lan," he said firmly, calling her name for the first time, "if I dared to claim you as my wife, then I already accepted whatever dangers may come. I do not fear your enemies. No matter how powerful they are, no matter what forces they command—I will stand beside you and ensure they pay the price for what they have done. You will never have to fight alone again."

The Dark Moon Goddess's heart trembled at his words. For so long, she had walked her path alone, burdened with the weight of her people's expectations and the pain of betrayal.

And yet, this man…

For the first time in an eternity, warmth seeped into her chest, melting the ice that had long encased her heart.

A rare softness entered her gaze as she nodded lightly.

"Let us go," she said. "My people must be waiting."

Together, they stepped out of the altar.

The moment their figures emerged, a hush fell over the gathered clansmen.

Every eye was locked onto them.

The Dark Moon Goddess stood tall, her presence radiant and divine. The aura of an awakened deity surrounded her, exuding an undeniable power. Clad in garments woven from moonlight itself, she was the very embodiment of celestial grace.

Sweeping her gaze over her people, she finally spoke—her voice ringing clear and resolute:

"My people, I have returned."

A wave of emotion surged through the crowd, some falling to their knees in worship, others bursting into tears of joy.

"For years, you have suffered in my absence," she continued. "But those days of despair are over. I swear to you now—I will restore our clan to its former glory. We will reclaim our place among the great powers of the world, and our name will once again strike awe into the hearts of all who hear it."

Her words ignited a fire in the hearts of her people.

A deafening cheer erupted, shaking the very earth beneath them.

Hope—true, tangible hope—blazed in their eyes for the first time in centuries.

As the crowd gradually dispersed, the Dark Moon Goddess turned to the clan chief and the high priest, her expression shifting to one of determination.

"Though I have recovered, my strength is not what it once was," she admitted. "For our clan to rise again, we must focus on growing stronger."

She looked directly at the clan chief.

"Gather those who have awakened their bloodline," she ordered. "Form training regimens to hone their newfound abilities. They must become warriors worthy of the Dark Moon name."

The clan chief nodded firmly.

The goddess then turned to Rowan. "I must make a journey—to the Howling Moon Silver Wolves."

Rowan raised an eyebrow.

"In the past, they stood beside us, fought alongside us. When I fell, they had no choice but to leave. Now, I must bring them back. If I can win them over once more, we will forge a cavalry force unmatched by any."

Understanding flashed in Rowan's eyes.

"If that is our next step, then let's not waste any time."

The Howling Moon Silver Wolf territory lay beyond the vast shadowed forests.

As Rowan and the goddess stepped onto their lands, a surge of wild, untamed energy rushed toward them. The dense undergrowth rustled, and within moments, a pack of massive silver-furred wolves emerged, their eyes gleaming with predatory sharpness.

They moved with lethal grace, each step silent yet filled with restrained power.

Their fur shimmered under the light, a dazzling silver sheen masking the deadly strength beneath. Twice—no, three times—the size of an ordinary wolf, their presence alone was enough to strike fear into the hearts of lesser beings.

A deep, rumbling growl filled the air as they surrounded Rowan and the goddess.

Then, a shadow emerged from the back of the pack.

The wolf king.

He was enormous, a towering beast of pure silver, his muscles rippling beneath his gleaming coat. His eyes, pools of glacial blue, carried the weight of age-old wisdom and the authority of a ruler.

As he approached, the other wolves instinctively stepped aside.

The wolf king stopped a few feet away, his piercing gaze locked onto the goddess.

Then, he spoke.

"Dark Moon Goddess… is it truly you?"