Chapter 380: The Howl That Shattered the Silence

Chapter 379: The Howl That Shattered the Silence

Dren moved fast, with the tight, coiled urgency of someone whose nerves hadn’t stopped vibrating since the moment his eyes had landed on that half-buried corpse in the snow.

"It’s this way," he told Wesley, already cutting between two frost-laden pines, boots crunching sharply against the packed ground.

The Bloodstag’s carcass lay abandoned where he’d dropped it earlier, dark antlers cutting against the white like jagged shadows. He hadn’t even spared it a second glance when he’d bolted. His stomach still churned faintly at the memory of blue skin and a missing head.

Behind him, Wesley kept pace with long, measured strides, his expression drawn and alert.

"Slow down," Wesley muttered. "I’m not going to lose the body because you trip over a root."

Dren didn’t slow much, but he did angle his path more carefully.

"It’s just up ahead," he said. "I almost face-planted into it."

The forest grew quieter the deeper they moved. No birds sang in the air. There was no sound at all.

Dren lifted his hand slightly and slowed when he recognized the bent tree where he’d first stumbled.

"There," he said quietly.

He stepped aside.

The body lay exactly where he’d left it, partially uncovered where his frantic hands had brushed snow away. Dark fabric stood out sharply against the white ground. The jagged end of the neck was still visible, frozen stiff and ugly.

Wesley stopped dead.

His eyes locked onto the cloak first.

Then the sigil.

The serpent coiled around a crescent moon.

For a brief second, something sharp and unreadable crossed his face.

"...Moon’s breath!" Wesley breathed.

Dren watched him closely. "You recognize it?"

Wesley crouched beside the body without answering immediately. He brushed snow carefully from the chest, exposing more of the insignia stitched into the fabric. His fingers hovered over it like he didn’t quite want to touch it.

"This isn’t pack gear," Wesley said finally.

His gaze shifted to the body itself.

He leaned closer, eyes scanning the torn fabric, the frozen blood, the clawed gouges across the back. He pressed two fingers against the exposed skin near the collarbone. It was cold like the weather in Nirvana.

"He’s been dead a few days," Wesley murmured. "At least."

Dren swallowed.

Wesley shifted his attention upward — to the neck.

Or what remained of it.

The wound was disturbingly clean for something so violent. Not ragged tearing or crushed bone — everything was clean.

Wesley’s jaw tightened.

"...That’s a bite," he said quietly. "A clean removal."

Dren’s stomach twisted. "You think a beast did that?"

"I know a beast did that. And I also know which one did it."

Wesley straightened slowly, eyes dark.

"A Trihydra."

The word felt heavy between them.

Dren stared. "Bu...but they are not supposed to be around here, right?" Dren asked.

"They’re not," Wesley agreed. "But strange things have been happening in Nirvana. The issue now is that this place was scouted before you guys began the test. It was given the go-ahead, so this... this is strange."

The people who scouted the forest would have noticed a body — Wesley was sure of it. So something must have drawn the body here. Another thing irked him. The sigil belonged to Victoria’s pack. Could it be that they came with another letter for the Nightshade pack?

Wesley glanced toward the clearing behind them.

"That Bloodstag," he said. "Was that your kill?"

Dren nodded. "Yeah... yes, sir."

Wesley gave a brief approving grunt.

Then his tone hardened.

"This is important, Dren, and we can’t ignore it."

He reached into his coat and pulled out a compact metal whistle — narrower than the standard emergency ones, etched with a thin spiral near the mouthpiece.

"Use the team signal," Wesley instructed. "Short–long–short. Bring everyone back immediately."

Dren didn’t hesitate.

He lifted the whistle and blew. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

The sound cut through the forest in three sharp notes — a piercing chirp, a drawn-out trill, then another sharp chirp. It echoed faintly between the trees but carried a distinct pattern only Team Four would recognize.

But that was only for their team. Wesley was determined to get every trainee out of the forest, since this was a sign that things could take a turn for the worse.

---

Elsewhere, laughter drifted between the trees.

Ethan leaned against a fallen log, brushing snow from his glove as Genevieve nudged his shoulder lightly.

"You almost tripped over your own foot back there," she teased. "Real intimidating hunter energy."

Ethan snorted. "I was distracted."

"By what? Your own ego?"

He shot her a look. "You wound me."

Genevieve smiled at that. "I can only imagine what would have happened if this was how you had taken your test to become a hunter."

"I’d pass, love," Ethan said with a laugh, but then he stiffened immediately.

Even Genevieve felt the weird energy.

Ethan’s shoulders squared. His expression shifted as he became alert.

His wolf stirred beneath his skin, a low, uneasy growl vibrating through his chest.

Ethan slowly lifted his head, nostrils flaring slightly as if tasting the air.

"...Something’s wrong."

The forest suddenly felt different. Something that didn’t belong was here.

Before Genevieve could respond, three howls echoed through the forest. That was the signal for every single trainee to regroup, no matter where they were. No exceptions.

Ethan relaxed then. The sound would likely call all members of his group together, and he could get them out of here before whatever beast was in the forest got to them.

Within minutes, figures began emerging from the trees, boots crunching, breath visible in sharp clouds. The team members gathered quickly, expressions tight, weapons instinctively kept close.

Ethan scanned the growing group automatically.

Counting.

His stomach tightened with nerves when he noticed that two people were missing.

"Sophia’s not here," he said quietly.

Genevieve turned, scanning again. "...Neither is Holly."

A flicker of unease passed between them.

Before either could speak again, branches cracked violently to their right.

Holly burst through the treeline.

She was smiling widely, and Ethan felt dread creep up his spine.

"I knew it," she announced brightly, almost laughing. "I knew it all along."

Ethan stepped forward slightly. "Knew what?"

Holly’s eyes gleamed with something feverish. "She’s a demon."

Genevieve’s brows knitted in confusion. "Holly—what are you talking about?"

Holly laughed, sharp and breathless. "Sophia. She’s finally getting what’s coming to her."

Joren’s head snapped up. "What does that mean?"

Holly only laughed harder.

Bianca stepped forward, her jaw tight, eyes blazing. "Explain yourself. Now."

"Soon enough, you all are going to realize that I’m the one who saved you all. I’ll be praised for saving you all," she said with a laugh.

Joren didn’t even think twice. He didn’t care what Holly said. He dropped the carcass he was holding and immediately turned.

The second the direction Holly had come from registered in his mind, his body reacted before thought could catch up.

He shifted mid-step and bolted straight into the trees, snow spraying violently behind him.

"Joren—!" Ethan shouted, reaching out instinctively.

But he was too late.

He was already gone.

Ethan cursed under his breath, heart hammering.

He turned sharply to Genevieve. "Take them to the main regroup. Stay with the others."

Genevieve hesitated only half a second — then nodded. "I’ll keep them together."

Ethan faced Holly next, his gaze hard enough to cut ice.

"If anything happens to Sophia," he said lowly, dangerously calm, "I won’t guarantee your safety in this pack. And I swear, if Orion doesn’t deal with you, then I will."

Holly’s smile faltered — just slightly. She stared at him, then realized that Sophia was probably not dead yet. That was why her brainwashing was still working.

Ethan turned back to the remaining team members. "You’re with Genevieve. Stay together. And for everything blessed by the goddess, don’t let Holly out of your sight."

They nodded, tension thick in their expressions.

Ethan shifted.

Muscle and bone surged as fur rippled across his skin. In a heartbeat, his wolf form launched forward into the forest, following the path Joren had carved through the snow.

His only thought as the trees blurred past was that Sophia was safe. If not, Orion was going to kill him — and Ethan liked Sophia. He couldn’t risk her getting hurt on his watch.