The soldiers slowly stepped backward from the cliff edge as blue light spread deeper through the mountain.

Rain hammered against their armor.

The glowing fractures beneath the child’s hand pulsed once—

then again.

Like a heartbeat.

Far below the storm-dark cliffs, the barefoot boy tightened one arm around the trembling wolf cub while loose stones crumbled endlessly beneath him.

The cub whimpered softly against his chest.

Its tiny body shook violently from fear and cold.

Above—

Captain Veynar stared down from the canyon edge with widened eyes.

“No human can hold that weight…”

Another soldier nervously raised his bow.

“We kill him now before whatever that is spreads!”

The captain hesitated.

Because the glowing marks beneath the child’s hand looked ancient.

Not magic.

Something older.

Something forbidden.

Then—

the mountain growled.

A deep sound echoed through the canyon walls beneath the storm.

Not thunder.

Not stone collapsing.

Something alive.

The boy heard it too.

His dark eyes slowly lifted toward the abyss below.

And for the first time since jumping—

fear crossed his face.

CRAAAAACK.

The cliffside suddenly exploded apart.

The soldiers screamed as half the canyon wall collapsed downward in a massive avalanche.

The child lost his grip instantly.

He and the wolf cub plunged back into the darkness.

Wind roared around them.

Stone and debris crashed past from every direction.

The wolf cub cried out helplessly.

The boy wrapped both arms around it tightly and twisted his body midair to shield the tiny creature from the falling rocks.

Then—

BOOOOOOM.

He smashed violently into an underground river hidden beneath the canyon.

Freezing black water swallowed them instantly.

The current dragged both bodies deep beneath the mountain tunnels while broken debris crashed into the river behind them.

Above the surface—

everything became darkness.

The boy’s lungs burned.

His exhausted body spun helplessly beneath the raging current.

But even underwater—

he never released the cub.

Not once.

Then suddenly—

something enormous moved beneath them.

The current changed direction instantly.

The water itself began pulling downward.

The child’s eyes widened.

A gigantic shadow slowly opened its eyes beneath the underground river.

Two enormous blue lights appeared in the darkness below.

Watching him.

The boy froze underwater.

The wolf cub trembled violently in his arms.

Then—

the shadow moved.

THOOOOOOOM.

The entire underground river exploded upward.

Water erupted through the cavern as something colossal surged beneath them.

The child was thrown violently onto black stone near the riverbank.

He coughed water painfully while protecting the cub beneath his body.

For several seconds—

he couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t move.

Rainwater dripped from cracks high above the hidden cavern.

Darkness surrounded everything except faint blue crystals glowing across the walls.

Then—

heavy footsteps echoed through the cave.

Slow.

Massive.

The child slowly lifted his head.

And stopped breathing.

A gigantic wolf stood across the cavern.

Its body towered larger than a warhorse.

Silver-black fur rippled beneath glowing blue markings identical to the cracks that spread across the mountain.

Its eyes burned like frozen fire.

Ancient.

Terrifying.

The wolf cub in the boy’s arms suddenly cried softly.

The giant beast stepped forward instantly.

The cavern trembled beneath each movement.

The child forced himself upright despite his injuries.

Instinct screamed at him to run.

But there was nowhere to run.

The giant wolf lowered its massive head near him.

Its glowing eyes stared directly into his face.

Not at the cub.

At him.

The beast inhaled once slowly.

Then suddenly—

memories exploded inside the child’s mind.

A woman smiling beside a fireplace.

Warm hands brushing dirt from his face.

A silver pendant shaped like a wolf.

Blood.

Screaming.

Fire consuming an entire village beneath the storm.

Armored soldiers dragging him away while wolves howled across the mountains.

The boy collapsed to one knee gasping in pain.

The giant wolf growled softly.

And the glowing marks beneath the child’s skin suddenly ignited blue beneath the rainwater.

Above the canyon—

Captain Veynar’s face turned pale.

Because the entire mountain had started glowing.

Blue fractures spread across the cliffs for miles beneath the storm clouds.

Soldiers stumbled backward in terror.

One whispered shakily,

“The legends…”

Veynar clenched his sword tightly.

“No…”

But deep inside—

he already knew the truth.

The child was not an orphan.

He belonged to the bloodline the kingdom of Ashkar exterminated ten years ago.

The Wolfborn.

Warriors capable of awakening the ancient beasts sleeping beneath the mountains.

The same bloodline King Vaelor ordered burned from history.

And if the boy survived—

the kingdom itself could fall.

“Find another way down!” the captain roared desperately.

“NOW!”

Meanwhile beneath the mountain—

the giant wolf slowly turned away from the child.

Then looked toward the deeper darkness of the cavern tunnels.

And growled.

A warning.

The boy immediately heard it too.

More footsteps.

Dozens.

Echoing through the underground tunnels.

Not wolves.

Humans.

The soldiers had found another entrance.

Torches flickered in the darkness ahead.

The wolf cub whimpered in fear.

The barefoot child slowly stood despite blood running down his arms.

Exhaustion shook his body violently.

But his eyes hardened.

Because he already understood one thing.

If the soldiers reached this cavern—

they would kill the cub.

And probably him too.

The giant wolf suddenly stepped beside the child.

Then lowered its enormous body.

The boy stared in confusion.

The beast looked back at him once.

Waiting.

Realization slowly crossed the child’s face.

“You want me to climb on?”

The wolf growled softly.

The tunnel ahead erupted with shouting.

“THIS WAY!”

“THEY’RE BELOW US!”

Torchlight rapidly approached.

The child looked down at the trembling cub in his arms.

Then at the gigantic ancient wolf beside him.

And finally—

he climbed onto its back.

The moment his hands touched the glowing fur—

BOOOOOOM.

Blue energy exploded across the cavern.

The giant wolf launched forward like lightning through the underground tunnels.

The child nearly fell as freezing wind tore through the darkness around them.

Behind them—

soldiers burst into the cavern entrance.

And froze in horror.

Because they only saw a gigantic glowing wolf vanishing through the tunnels carrying the barefoot child across its back while blue light consumed the darkness.

Captain Veynar arrived seconds later.

His face went white.

“After them!”

“No man can outrun that thing!” one soldier shouted.

Veynar slowly drew a black metal horn from his belt.

His hands trembled slightly.

Because he had hoped never to use it again.

The captain raised the horn toward the storm above the canyon.

Then blew.

BWOOOOOOOOOM.

The sound echoed across the entire mountain range.

Deep beneath the tunnels—

the giant wolf instantly stopped running.

Its ears lifted sharply.

The child felt the beast tense beneath him.

Fear.

Not for itself.

For him.

Then—

another roar answered the horn.

But this roar did not come from the mountain.

It came from the sky.

The cavern ceiling trembled violently.

Dust rained downward.

And the child suddenly remembered another fragment from long ago.

His mother crying while holding him tightly beside a fire.

“If the Black Hunters ever find you…”

Her voice shook with terror.

“Run from the skies, Ash.”

The boy’s eyes widened.

Because nobody had spoken his real name in years.

ASH.

Then—

the mountain exploded.

BOOOOOOOOM.

Massive claws ripped directly through the cavern ceiling.

Stone collapsed everywhere.

Soldiers screamed.

Blue crystals shattered across the darkness.

And descending through the storm above—

came a gigantic winged creature covered in black armor.

Its glowing red eyes scanned the cavern instantly.

The wolf beneath Ash growled furiously.

The cub trembled against his chest.

The armored beast slowly opened its jaws.

Rows of enormous metal teeth gleamed through the darkness.

A Dragon Hunter.

One of the king’s royal monsters.

Ashkar had not merely hunted the Wolfborn.

They had built creatures to exterminate them.

Captain Veynar entered the cavern behind the beast.

Rain poured from his armor while his sword shook slightly in his hand.

His eyes locked onto Ash.

“I’m sorry, boy.”

Ash stared at him silently.

The captain’s face tightened painfully.

“Your mother saved my life once.”

The child froze.

Veynar lowered his head briefly.

“She begged me to protect you.”

The cavern fell silent except for rain dripping through shattered stone.

“Then why are you hunting me?” Ash asked quietly.

Pain crossed the captain’s face.

“Because if the king learns you’re alive…”

He looked toward the giant wolf.

“…he’ll slaughter every village in these mountains searching for you.”

The Dragon Hunter suddenly roared.

The beast lunged directly toward Ash.

The giant wolf leapt sideways instantly.

BOOOOOOM.

Stone exploded apart where they had stood seconds earlier.

Ash nearly lost hold of the cub as the wolf sprinted deeper into the collapsing tunnels.

The Dragon Hunter chased them immediately.

Its armored body smashed through stone walls effortlessly.

Fire erupted from its jaws.

The underground cavern transformed into chaos.

Ash held tightly to the wolf’s fur while blue light streamed violently around them.

The cub cried against his chest.

Behind them—

the Dragon Hunter closed distance rapidly.

Too fast.

The giant wolf was injured.

Ash finally noticed blood covering its side.

The beast had likely protected the cub long before he arrived.

Another explosion rocked the tunnel.

Fire blasted past Ash’s shoulder.

The heat nearly threw him from the wolf’s back.

Then suddenly—

the tunnel ended.

The giant wolf skidded to a stop at the edge of a colossal underground abyss.

Far below—

an ancient ruined city slept beneath the mountain.

Blue crystal towers glowed through darkness.

Massive wolf statues surrounded broken streets.

Ancient banners hung torn across stone bridges.

Ash stared in shock.

The lost city of the Wolfborn.

The place the kingdom claimed never existed.

The Dragon Hunter entered the cavern behind them.

Fire illuminated the darkness.

Captain Veynar arrived moments later.

And immediately dropped to one knee in disbelief.

“…it was real.”

The Dragon Hunter prepared to attack again.

But before it could move—

the glowing city suddenly awakened.

Blue lights ignited across every tower beneath the abyss.

Ancient symbols burned across the bridges.

And all around the ruined city—

thousands of glowing eyes slowly opened in the darkness.

Wolves.

Hundreds of them.

Ancient giant wolves emerged silently from the ruins below.

The Dragon Hunter stepped backward nervously for the first time.

Even Captain Veynar looked terrified now.

Ash slowly slid from the giant wolf’s back.

The wolf cub climbed from his arms and ran toward the edge overlooking the city.

Then raised its tiny head—

and howled.

A small sound.

Weak.

But instantly—

every wolf beneath the mountain answered.

THOOOOOOOOOOOOOM.

The entire abyss shook beneath the deafening chorus.

Blue light exploded upward through the ruins.

The glowing marks beneath Ash’s skin ignited brighter than ever before.

Then—

one final figure appeared in the center of the city below.

A woman.

Wearing silver armor marked with glowing blue symbols.

Ash stopped breathing.

Because he recognized her face immediately.

His mother.

Alive.

The child staggered backward in disbelief.

“No…”

Captain Veynar’s eyes widened.

“That’s impossible.”

The woman slowly looked up toward Ash across the abyss.

And smiled softly.

Exactly like she had in his memories.

Then the illusion shattered.

Her body dissolved into blue light.

Not alive.

A memory.

A recording left behind by the ancient city itself.

The glowing figure spoke gently:

“To the last child of the Wolfborn…”

Ash’s entire body froze.

“If you are seeing this…”

Pain crossed her face.

“…then we failed to protect you.”

The wolves throughout the city lowered their heads silently.

Even the giant beast beside Ash bowed.

Tears filled the child’s eyes.

The glowing figure continued:

“The kingdom feared our bond with the ancient guardians.”

Images appeared across the cavern walls.

Ash watched armies burning villages.

Dragon Hunters slaughtering wolves.

Children running through fire.

King Vaelor standing beside enormous chained monsters.

“He believed fear could erase us.”

The memory version of his mother looked directly at him.

“But the mountain remembers, Ash.”

The glowing city suddenly pulsed brighter.

“The guardians will follow only one heart…”

Her smile returned softly.

“…the child who chose compassion over fear.”

Ash looked down at the wolf cub beside him.

Then everything finally made sense.

Not the glowing marks.

Not the mountain.

Not destiny.

The wolves awakened because he jumped.

Because he chose to save a helpless creature while everyone else hunted it.

The Dragon Hunter suddenly roared furiously and charged again.

The illusion vanished instantly.

Captain Veynar shouted,

“ASH MOVE!”

But the child didn’t run.

He stepped forward instead.

The wolf cub stood beside his bare feet.

The giant wolves throughout the abyss lifted their heads.

And beneath the storm-dark mountain—

Ash finally raised his glowing hand toward the ancient city.

BOOOOOOOOOOM.

Every blue crystal in the ruins exploded with light.

The wolves moved as one.

The Dragon Hunter never even reached him.

Gigantic wolves surged upward from every direction and slammed into the armored beast with unstoppable force.

The cavern erupted into chaos.

Steel armor shattered.

The monster screamed beneath dozens of glowing beasts.

Captain Veynar fell backward in shock.

Within seconds—

the Dragon Hunter collapsed motionless into the abyss below.

Silence followed.

Heavy breathing echoed through the cavern.

Then every wolf slowly turned toward Ash.

And bowed.

The barefoot child stood frozen beneath the glowing city while storm rain poured through the broken mountain above.

Not a king.

Not a warrior.

Just a starving orphan who jumped into the abyss to save one frightened wolf cub.

And somehow—

the entire lost kingdom had awakened for him.