The city's neon heart beat steadily beneath him as Zephyr strapped the last of his gear to his back: the primer scroll, talisman, a vial of distilled lunar salt, and a small pouch of soot-black runic powder from the Gray Court archives. Moonrise would arrive in under an hour, and with it, the final push to fully charge his Moonblood Gauge—and master the Howl of Dominion he'd almost unleashed prematurely.
He paused in the hallway, listening to his family stirring. Lyra's soft humming drifted from the living room; Corin's keys clinked on the counter; Elara's low voice recited a blessing in their ancestral tongue. He touched the pendant at his throat, recalling her words:
"Let the blood flow steady, my son, and the moon's path will guide you."
He pressed a quick kiss to the doorframe and slipped into the night.
The harbor breeze was cold, carrying the tang of salt and oil. Zephyr moved swiftly through back alleys, each step echoing on wet cobblestones. His mind ran through the system HUD: MG 32% → target ≥ 100% for Midnight Wolf tests; HP 38/90; Humanity 70%.
Above him, the bloodmoon—now three-quarters full—glowed through drifting clouds. Its crimson halo promised power and peril in equal measure.
Rennan fell into step beside him, silent as shadow. By day a pack scout, by night his steadfast guide. "The dockyards are quiet," Rennan murmured. "Covens seldom patrol that far. But the guard at the lighthouse… they've orders to shoot on sight."
Zephyr inhaled, steeling himself. "Then we move fast, stay silent, and trust the glyph."
The two crossed the mercantile district, weaving past shuttered storefronts and abandoned cranes. Lantern-lit strings of paper lanterns—remnants of some forgotten festival—flitted overhead, casting dancing patterns on corrugated walls. Zephyr's senses sharpened: he could hear the soft hum of a security camera motor, the distant hiss of freight doors, even the flutter of his own heartbeat in his ears.
System Prompt: "Moonlight Conduit ahead: Breakwater Lighthouse."
Ahead, the lighthouse's white tower rose like a sentinel against the red-tinted sky. Its iron door glowed faintly under a solitary floodlight—a guard post nestled in crates and coils of rope.
They crouched by a stack of shipping pallets fifty meters from the entrance, shadows deepening around them. Zephyr unrolled the primer scroll to the Veil Glyph—a crescent moon draped in mist.
"Veil of Ashes" he whispered, tracing the glyph in the air.
A hush settled, as though the world exhaled. The floodlight above the door flickered once, then blinked out. Perfect.
Rennan slipped forward, picking the latch with a silent click. The heavy door creaked open, revealing a dim stone vestibule. Zephyr slid inside, heartbeat loud in the silence.
A single corridor curved upward in a spiral. Moonstone inlays glimmered faintly along the walls, each one pulsing with residual lunar energy. Zephyr pressed a fingertip to one: a warmth spread through his palm, ticking the MG gauge upward by 1%.
System Notification: "Moonstone Node: MG +1% (33%)."
They ascended two flights before Rennan halted them. Ahead, a single guard—a tall figure in a blood-red uniform—paced beneath the lantern room's grated window. His back to them, rifle slung casually over one shoulder.
Zephyr's pulse flared. Silently, he withdrew a pinch of runic powder and shaped it into a small circle on the floor behind the guard, then poured a drop of lunar salt solution into its center. The glyph etched itself in shimmering silver dust.
"Lunis–Silence my tread," he whispered.
A gentle vibration hummed beneath his boots. The guard's steps slowed, then stilled—eyes glazing ever so slightly. Breathing shallow, the guard planted his rifle and sank to his knees.
Zephyr exhaled. "Thank you," he breathed, as he and Rennan slipped past.
System Notification: "Stealth maneuver: complete."
One more spiral, and they emerged through an arched doorway into the lantern room's circular chamber. Glass panes rose to the sky, showcasing the full face of the bloodmoon. Below, the harbor's lights twinkled like fallen stars.
At the center stood a stone basin—the Moonfall Fountain, Sable had called it—filled with a shallow pool of water that glowed with moon-crystal shards. The air buzzed with energy, and Zephyr's MG gauge trembled at 40%, then surged.
He stepped to the basin's edge, sleeves rolled high, and dipped his hands into the cool water. Cold bit his flesh, but instead of chill, he felt warmth ripple through his veins. He lifted his face to the moonlight pouring through the panes.
System Prompt: "Moonfall Fountain: MG +5% per second exposure."
Zephyr closed his eyes, breathing slowly, letting the lunar rays strike his rune at the throat. The primer scroll whispered in his pack, urging him to recite the chant:
"Lunar tide, fill my veins,Blood and moon in tempered chains."
He repeated the words, over and over, until the MG gauge ticked 45%, 50%, 60%… Each rise felt like electricity weaving through his core. The full bloom of moonlight kissed his skin, and the glow along his veins matched the crimson canopy above.
Rennan watched from the doorway, silent sentinel. He offered a small nod of approval as the gauge climbed to 80%, 90%, 100%.
System Notification: "MG reached 100%. Moonblood Gauge full."
Zephyr gasped, heart soaring. The Rune beneath his wrist pulsed with power. He let his hands hover above the water, feeling its current, the shards shifting, a promise of hybrid strength to come.
Zephyr stepped back, adrenaline thrumming. He wiped droplets from his arms and retrieved the primer scroll. He unfurled to the Eclipse Glyph—the final hybrid incantation, reserved for full HP and MG. But his HP gauge was only 38/90. He needed to top up HP before risking the ultimate.
Instead, he focused on the next lupine skill unlocked by MG ≥ 50%: Savage Claw.
System Prompt: "Savage Claw available: Cost 20 MG."
The rune beneath his skin glowed. He raised a hand and recited:
"Wolf's edge, strike thrice,Claws of moon and blood's device."
A pulse of lunar energy unfurled along his forearms, sharpening his nails into gleaming claws. He flexed them experimentally. Without warning, the basin's water choked into a roar—crystals spinning in spirals, shards leaping into arcs of pale light. Zephyr's hands illuminated with pale fire as he thrust forward three times in rapid succession.
Three ghostly claw strikes cleaved through the air, scattering moon-shards from the basin into distant corners. An echoing crack answered each strike, as if the moon itself shivered.
System Notification: "Savage Claw recorded (1/3). MG: 100 → 80%."
Zephyr staggered back, breathless, heart pounding not from exertion but from exhilaration. The lantern room's glow dimmed slightly as the basin stilled. He pressed a palm to his chest, marveling at the brutal elegance of his new skill.
Footsteps clattered on the spiral staircase. Zephyr's eyes snapped to the door: the tutor, flanked by two silent enforcers, stepped through the portal as if summoned by his power.
She studied him with a predator's grace. "Impressive," she said softly. "You've claimed the moon's gift swiftly."
Zephyr wiped moon-crystal slivers from his claws. "I'm not finished."
The tutor gestured to the basin. "The fountain grants power—but also reveals truth." She stepped closer, removing her cloak to reveal a simple silver brooch depicting twin wolves. "The Covenant seeks not only alliance but unity of purpose. Split loyalties lead only to ruin."
Zephyr's jaw clenched. "I stand for my family and my pack. I answer to no one else."
She arched an eyebrow. "Then accept the final test. Activate the full hybrid form here—prove your right to walk both paths."
He shook his head. "Not yet. My HP is low, and I hold blood debt."
Her gaze softened, though her tone remained firm. "The moon wanes, and power ebbs with it. I offer a vial of pure Hemaleth Essence—bottled from the Covenant's deepest vaults. Enough to refill your HP gauge to 100%. In exchange, you swear cooperation in securing rogue elements threatening both Pack and Covenant."
Zephyr's hand strayed to the rune-talisman. He felt the weight of her proposal, like iron scales tilting on his soul. Below, the harbor lights flickered.
He met her eyes. "I will not be bought or coerced. But… I will consider your offer."
She inclined her head, handing him a small crystalline vial filled with blood that shimmered like liquid obsidian. "I await your answer—at moonset." Then she and her enforcers melted back through the stairwell, leaving Zephyr alone under the bloodmoon's watch.
Zephyr stared at the vial clutched in his hand. Hemaleth Essence enough to restore his HP, enough to unleash the Ebon Eclipse ultimate form—invincibility for thirty seconds of cascading disaster. Enough to carve a path through any obstacle.
He slid the vial into his satchel, closing it with trembling resolve. A tremor of doubt whispered in his mind: At what cost?
Rennan approached, placing a steadying hand on his shoulder. "You did what you needed."
Zephyr nodded. "I will decide at moonset."
Together, they exited the lantern room, slipping back through corridors still humming with lunar energy. At the base of the lighthouse, Zephyr paused to look up at its shining dome.
The bloodmoon had drifted toward the horizon—its crimson ring fading to silver. Still, its promise lingered.
System Prompt: "New Quest: Decide Covenant Pact — Accept or Reject Essence."
Zephyr inhaled deeply, tasting salt and fate on the wind. His journey had reached a crossroads: power without price—or power tempered by choice.
Tonight, the Bloodwolf would rise—or fall—under the final eclipse.