The morning arrived in a soft haze, light seeping gently through the small windows of the cottage. The cool, damp air clung to the wooden beams overhead, as though the night itself had settled inside, heavy and unmoving. I stood by the window, watching as the pale sun rose slowly, casting a delicate glow over the fortress grounds beyond. The shadows stretched long across the courtyard, draped in quiet. A few guards, already awake, moved with quiet efficiency, their steps purposeful in the early dawn stillness.

From this view, the fortress walls loomed, their stone edges softened by the morning mist. It was almost peaceful, but the weight of what lay ahead pressed against my chest. Today, we would go farther into the woods than we ever had before. This wasn't just another scouting mission. Today, we were searching for the Moonstone shards—fragments of power hidden deep within the forest. Each one held a potential key to the fate of our world. The danger was real, the stakes higher than ever. And I knew, without a doubt, that everything would change after today.

I took a deep breath, my fingers grazing the cold, uneven stone of the windowsill as I gazed at the guards patrolling below.

Another breath. I tried to loosen the knot that had settled in my chest, the tension that had gripped me since last night. The coffee in my hand had grown lukewarm, but I sipped it anyway, staring out at the dim light of dawn. The quiet unnerved me. I hadn't woken up to silence in as long as I could remember; it felt unnatural, like something was missing.

Turning from the window, I tugged on my boots, my hands steady but betraying none of the restlessness I felt inside. The knock at the door startled me, a sudden jolt breaking through the stillness.

"Yeah?" I called, my voice sounding more strained than I'd intended.

"It's us," Lars' familiar voice came from the other side. "Can we come in?"

I let out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Oh, yeah. Door's open."

Lars pushed the door open with a soft creak, and Calla followed, her sharp eyes scanning the room as if she couldn't help but assess her surroundings.

"Coffee?" I gestured toward the old, worn-out machine on the counter, its groan of life filling the space.

"That would be great!" Calla said with an unusual lightness, already moving toward the cupboards to hunt for a mug. There was something comforting in the familiar ritual—coffee, conversation, the brief moments of normalcy before we faced the storm outside again.

Today would be different. Today, we'd cover nearly ten miles of forest, searching for the shards that could potentially shift the balance in this never-ending war with the rogues and their mysterious leader, my sister. It was hard to focus on the task at hand when Morgan's shadow loomed so large over everything, but I couldn't let her get into my head. Not today. Today, I needed to be focused, determined.

Calla adjusted the belts and straps of her leather armor, every movement deliberate, like a predator always poised for action, even in the calm of morning. She carried an air of silent readiness, making it clear she was prepared for whatever came next.

"You ready?" she asked, her voice low and composed, cutting through the quiet.

"As ready as I can be," I replied, standing and slipping the small satchel over my shoulder. It was light—just the essentials. I couldn't afford to be weighed down today. "Let's hope Alpha Bryce's guards live up to their reputation."

"They'll manage," Calla said, her tone steady as she secured a dagger to her belt in one fluid motion. "I watched them spar yesterday. Disciplined, skilled. Not as fast as the Night Fall Runners, but good enough for a day in the woods."

I nodded, though unease still curled in my gut. Before I could dwell too much on it, the door creaked open, and Lars appeared, already dressed in his dark armor, his face set in that familiar calm mask. His presence alone was enough to make me feel more grounded. He had a way of doing that—bringing order to the chaos that constantly swirled around us.

"We're moving out in ten," he said, his voice quiet but authoritative. "Alpha Bryce and his guards are already by the gate. I spoke with him this morning, and they'll be leading the way."

I nodded, feeling a small sense of relief. If Bryce's guards were as good as Lars thought, we might have a chance to cover more ground than we'd anticipated. And we'd need every advantage we could get today.

The fortress courtyard was already bustling with activity as we descended the stone steps. Alpha Bryce was waiting for us near the gates, his arms crossed over his chest, his expression unreadable. His guards stood at attention behind him—six of them in total. They were taller than I expected, broad-shouldered, their dark armor polished and sleek. Each of them carried a long sword strapped to their back and smaller, more specialized weapons along their belts. They looked sharp, their eyes alert, as if they were expecting an attack at any moment.

"Good morning," he greeted us with a nod, though his eyes remained serious. "These are my best. They'll keep you safe out there, and they'll follow your lead."

I studied the guards for a moment, then turned to him. "They look ready."

"They are," he confirmed. "But remember, Majesty, the forest out there is unpredictable. Don't let your guard down. There aren't just rogue wolves out there, we have had a few bear sightings in the past few weeks."

"Bears. Okay. We'll be on the lookout for everything," I promised. "We're covering a lot of ground today—about ten miles of forest. We'll be looking for something specific, but we can't afford to be careless. Stay sharp. If anything seems off, let me know immediately."

They nodded in unison, their faces unreadable but focused. I could feel their discipline, the way they held themselves with a quiet readiness that only years of training could produce.

Lars stepped forward, his eyes sweeping the treeline beyond the gates. "Let's not waste any more time."

With a final nod from Alpha Bryce, we set off, slipping through the narrow side gate and into the wilderness beyond.

As we crossed the meadow, the air crackled with a sense of anticipation. Two of the guards shifted seamlessly into their wolf forms, their bodies rippling with power. They were enormous, their muscles coiling and stretching beneath a glossy coat of ruddy fur that shimmered in the sunlight like molten copper. The sunlight danced off their sleek pelts, casting flickering shadows on the grass, and their fierce eyes glinted with intensity. We stopped at the tree line for a brief moment.

The forest greeted us with an eerie, almost oppressive stillness. The trees stood tall and thick, their branches swaying gently in the light breeze, casting strange shadows on the ground below. The ground was soft, damp from the morning dew, and our footsteps were muffled by the thick layer of leaves and pine needles that covered the forest floor. As we moved deeper into the woods, the temperature seemed to drop, and the sunlight struggled to break through the dense canopy above.

We had been walking for over an hour, covering roughly three miles, when I felt the first shift in the air. It was intangible, neither visible nor audible—a subtle change in the energy that enveloped us. The atmosphere grew heavier, charged with a familiar tension. I glanced at Lars, who walked just ahead, his eyes scanning the path with a keen awareness.

Calla moved beside me, her steps light and silent as we continued through the underbrush. Her senses were sharper than mine, and I could tell she was listening for any sign of danger. The guards fanned out slightly, keeping a loose but tight enough formation to react if needed.

The two in wolf form stuck close to me, never letting me out of their sight.

The tension in the air was palpable, a weight pressing down on us as we pushed forward, the forest growing darker with each step.

"We're getting close," I whispered. "I can feel them."

Calla glanced at me, her green eyes sharp. "What do you feel?"

"It's like a weird tingling deep in my body. Like when your foot falls asleep.," I said.

Lars slowed, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the trees around us. "Keep moving. But stay alert. We're not alone out here."

By midday, we had covered nearly five miles. The terrain had grown rougher, with rocky outcrops and thick patches of brambles making the going slower than we'd planned. We stopped briefly to rest near a small stream, the sound of the water a welcome relief from the oppressive silence that had followed us through the forest.

As I crouched by the water, filling my canteen, I felt it again—that pull. It was stronger now, like a magnet drawing me forward. I stood slowly, my eyes scanning the area around us. The others were still resting, but I knew I couldn't wait any longer.

"There's a shard nearby," I said quietly, my voice barely more than a breath.

Lars stood immediately, his eyes narrowing as he looked in the direction I was facing. "Where?"

I pointed toward a dense cluster of trees just beyond the stream. "That way."

Without another word, we moved toward the trees, the guards following close behind. The pull grew stronger with each step, guiding me like an invisible thread. The forest seemed to darken as we approached, the shadows lengthening and twisting in strange patterns. I could feel the shard now, its energy humming just beneath the surface.

Finally, we reached the source of the pull. It was hidden beneath a large rock, covered in thick moss and surrounded by gnarled roots. I knelt, carefully brushing away the moss to reveal the shard, its surface shimmering faintly with a pale, otherworldly light.

I reached out, my fingers brushing the shard's smooth surface. The moment I touched it, a surge of energy shot through me, warm and powerful. I closed my hand around it, feeling the weight of it in my palm.

"One more down," I murmured, adding the shard to my slowly growing piece.

The day dragged on as we pushed deeper into the forest, each mile feeling longer than the last. The terrain became more treacherous, with steep inclines and tangled underbrush slowing our progress. The forest itself seemed to close in around us, the trees growing thicker and the light fading even though the sun was still high in the sky.

After a few more hours, I found a second piece, hidden inside the hollow of an ancient oak tree. It was smaller than the first, but its energy was just as strong. As I tucked it away, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were being watched. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end, and I found myself glancing over my shoulder more often than I liked.

Calla must have felt it too, because she stayed closer to me, her hand never straying far from her blade. Lars, however, seemed more focused than ever, his eyes scanning the path ahead with a sharp intensity.

We had covered nearly ten miles by the time I found the third shard. It was hidden beneath a pile of stones, glowing faintly in the dim light of the late afternoon. The moment I picked it up, the forest seemed to grow even quieter, as if the very air was holding its breath.

The walk back to the fortress was slower, more cautious. The forest felt more alive now, the shadows deeper and more menacing. Every sound—every rustle of leaves, every snap of a twig—sent a jolt of adrenaline through my veins. We moved as a single unit, the guards staying close, their eyes scanning the trees for any sign of danger.

As we neared the fortress, the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the ground. The tension between us was palpable, a heavy, unspoken understanding that we had narrowly avoided something today—something we couldn't yet fully comprehend.

The gates loomed ahead, a welcome sight after the long day in the woods. But even as we stepped through them, back into the safety of the fortress, I couldn't shake the feeling that we were still being watched.