The Alpha And The Fifth Blood

Chapter 25

The colossal shadow continued to rise as the sky bent unnaturally around it. The creature forced its way through the Abyss gate, its massive form pushing against the clouds as its dark wings unfolded slowly, each movement heavy enough to make the mountains tremble. Its body looked like living darkness, scales formed from black crystal and shifting smoke, and when its silver eyes opened, they burned with something cold, ancient, and endlessly hungry.

For the first time since the battle began, the sky went completely still. Even the royal dragons stopped attacking. Hundreds of wings hovered in silence, as if every creature in the world had recognized something far beyond them.

Ariana felt it before she could think. The power inside her recoiled sharply, tightening in her chest like it was trying to hide. A chill ran through her that had nothing to do with fear alone. This was instinct. This was something older than her understanding telling her one thing. Run. Beside her, Kael exhaled slowly, his gaze fixed on the sky. "Okay... that’s not ideal." His tone was calm, but she could feel the tension in him. His wolf was not relaxed. It was ready.

The Dragon King stepped forward, his massive wings spreading across the terrace like a shield of gold. His gaze never left the creature above. An Abyss Titan. Ariana swallowed hard. "That’s a titan?" The answer came heavy and certain inside her mind. Yes. And we are not ready to fight it. The words hit harder than the sight itself. Not ready. Her chest tightened. "Then what are we supposed to do?"

Above them, the titan roared, and the sound tore through the mountains like something breaking apart. Several royal dragons scattered instantly. The creature moved without effort, one massive claw slamming into a dragon and sending it crashing across the sky. Ariana flinched as its silver gaze shifted toward the palace, toward her. Her breath caught. It sees me. Kael’s voice dropped, sharper now. "Yeah... it definitely does."

Augustus hovered nearby, watching with quiet satisfaction. "Of course it does," he said calmly. "The Void can smell Sovereign blood." The words settled into Ariana’s chest like ice. To them, she wasn’t a person. She was prey.

The Dragon King stepped forward again, his voice cutting through everything. You must leave. Ariana blinked, stunned. "Leave?" Kael didn’t hesitate. "No." The dragon’s voice hardened. If the Fifth Blood dies here, the world dies with it. The weight of that truth crushed the air around her. For a moment, Ariana couldn’t speak. The world dies. Above them, another dragon fell, fire and shadow tearing through the sky as the titan advanced.

"They’ll die," Ariana said quietly, her voice breaking despite her effort to stay steady. They knew the cost when they answered your call, the Dragon King replied. That hurt more than anything. Because they answered me. Golden fire erupted from his jaws as he launched into the sky, his wings carrying him toward the titan. The royal legion followed without hesitation, hundreds of dragons rising behind him to meet something they could not defeat.

Ariana watched them go, her chest tightening painfully as she felt their presence through the bond. Loyalty. Resolve. No hesitation. Kael grabbed her wrist. "Time to go." She didn’t move at first. "What if they lose?" she whispered. Kael met her gaze, steady and unshaken. "Then we make sure it wasn’t for nothing." There was no doubt in his voice. Not about her. Not about them. That was enough.

She nodded. Then she turned, and they ran.

The battle roared behind them as they pushed through the palace corridors, the ground shaking with every impact above. Kael forced open a heavy stone door, revealing a dark tunnel beyond. "You knew about this?" Ariana asked, breath uneven. "Old Alpha maps," he replied. "This place is older than the city." They stepped inside, and the air shifted immediately, colder, quieter, as if the world itself had been left behind.

Ariana slowed as they moved deeper. She could still feel the Dragon King through the bond, still fighting, still holding the titan back. But for how long? She didn’t ask again. She already knew the answer.

The walls around them were covered in carvings. Dragons. Stars. Crowns.

Ariana stopped.

Something about them felt wrong in a way she couldn’t explain. "What are these?" she asked. Kael lifted the torch, and the carvings flickered in the light. Then she saw it. Every dragon was bowing. Not to a king. To a woman.

Her breath caught as she stepped closer. The figure stood at the center of every carving, wings of light stretching behind her, a crown of fire above her head, her hand raised in command. The posture. The presence. The power.

Kael stared at the wall, then slowly looked at her. "Well... guess we just found out who built this place."

Ariana didn’t answer. Because the woman carved into the ancient stone...

looked exactly like her.