Chapter 175

The entire mountain trembled again as another violent pull echoed from beneath the council hall. Stone cracked across the walls while black mist continued rising from the widening fracture in the floor, spreading through the chamber like smoke from something ancient waking beneath the territory. The terrified wolves retreating toward the exits could barely keep their footing now, and even the council elders no longer looked concerned about power or authority. They looked frightened.

Because something enormous was moving below them.

Kael stood directly in front of Ariana, his body tense while silver lightning flickered violently around him. The pressure surrounding him had changed again after the eye beneath the mountain focused on him. Ariana could feel it clearly now. The Lycan was no longer reacting out of simple instinct or protection.

It recognized something.

That frightened her more than the creatures climbing from the fracture.

The enormous black eye beneath the chamber remained fixed on Kael without blinking while the cold spreading through the hall deepened further. Frost climbed slowly across the shattered stone floor, and every time the thing below shifted, the entire mountain groaned around them like the territory itself was struggling to hold together.

Then the voice returned inside Ariana’s mind.

"He carries the same hatred."

The words sent cold through her chest immediately.

Not similar hatred.

The same.

Ariana’s breathing slowed as realization began forming somewhere deep inside her thoughts. Whatever existed beneath the mountain was not reacting to Kael simply because he was powerful.

It recognized the Lycan.

Or worse, it remembered what the Lycan had once been. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Kael suddenly stepped forward without seeming aware he had moved. His eyes remained locked on the fracture below while cracks spread across the stone beneath his feet from the pressure radiating around him.

Augustus noticed immediately.

"So it’s true," he said quietly.

Kael finally looked toward him. "What’s true?"

Another violent tremor rolled through the chamber before Augustus answered. Dust fell from the ceiling while terrified wolves pressed farther toward the exits.

"The Lycan remembers more than you do."

Silence spread heavily through the hall.

Ariana felt her stomach tighten painfully as Kael’s expression hardened immediately. "Explain it."

Before Augustus could answer, a deep metallic sound echoed beneath the mountain.

Chains.

Massive chains dragging slowly through the darkness below the territory itself.

The sound shook the chamber hard enough to make several wolves collapse to one knee. It did not sound human or mechanical. It sounded ancient, like something imprisoned for centuries had finally started moving again.

Vormerion lowered his massive bronze head sharply toward the fracture. "It’s breaking the restraints."

One elder stared at the widening crack in horror. "What restraints?"

The bronze dragon’s voice rumbled through the chamber like distant thunder.

"The ones your ancestors died creating."

Another pull echoed beneath the mountain, and this time the chains sounded closer.

Ariana felt Kael tense harder beside her while silver lightning burst violently across the floor around him. The Lycan was reacting more aggressively now, almost like every sound rising from below was pulling something ancient closer to the surface inside him too.

Then Kael spoke quietly.

"I know that sound."

The chamber went still.

Kael looked shaken for the first time since the fracture opened. Not afraid. Disturbed.

Ariana stepped closer immediately. "Kael."

His breathing had changed again, slower now but heavier, as though part of him was listening to something none of them could hear completely.

"I’ve heard those chains before," he said quietly.

Augustus looked at him sharply. "Impossible."

Kael ignored him completely. His attention remained fixed on the darkness below while tension moved visibly through his shoulders.

Then his eyes slowly lifted toward the enormous eye beneath the mountain.

And for one horrifying second, the thing below seemed to smile.

Not with a mouth.

With recognition.

Ariana felt her heartbeat stutter painfully as the voice returned once more inside her mind.

"The Guardian remembers the prison."

Kael froze completely.

The Lycan surged violently beneath his control.

Silver lightning exploded through the chamber hard enough to blind several wolves while the force shattered another section of the council floor. Warriors stumbled backward while elders shouted in panic, but Kael barely seemed aware of the chaos surrounding him anymore.

His entire focus remained on the darkness below the mountain.

Ariana grabbed his arm immediately. "Kael, look at me."

His head turned toward her slowly.

For the first time since entering the chamber, his eyes no longer looked entirely human. He had not transformed fully, but something ancient had surfaced behind his expression, something older and far more dangerous than ordinary wolf instincts.

Like part of the Lycan had finally awakened completely.

Vormerion noticed immediately. The bronze dragon’s expression darkened. "The memory seal is weakening."

One elder looked horrified. "Memory seal?"

Augustus’ gaze never left Kael. "The original Lycans fought the Underworld before the bloodlines separated. Some memories were buried during the transformation."

Cold spread deeper through Ariana’s chest as the pieces finally began connecting inside her mind. Buried memories. Ancient wars. Chains strong enough to imprison something beneath an entire mountain.

None of this was random, and the way the thing below reacted to Kael no longer felt like curiosity. It felt like recognition from something that had already faced the Lycan long before either of them were born.

Suddenly the way the thing beneath the mountain looked at Kael made far too much sense.

Another chain snapped below the territory.

This time the sound shook the entire mountain hard enough to send cracks racing across the chamber walls.

Outside, every dragon roared at once.

Not in warning. In fear.

Then something enormous slammed against the underside of the mountain from below.

The impact threw everyone sideways. Ariana nearly lost her footing before Kael caught her instantly, pulling her tightly against him while broken stone crashed from the ceiling around them.

The fracture beneath the hall widened violently.

And deep beneath the mountain, something massive finally began rising toward the surface.