Chapter 3: Princess of Shadows

The tall man’s arrow shifted to Julian, his posture radiating hostility. “I’m not a monster. My name is Grey Wolf!”

He said it with pride, daring us to question him. The name felt heavy, full of history and stories.

Grey Wolf—the name echoed like something out of a legend I’d read about in school, the kind that made you wonder if the old stories were real after all.

“I don’t care if you’re human or monster. Anyone in my way dies!” Julian shot back, glancing at Ethan. In a blink, Ethan exploded into his beast form—nearly nine feet tall—and charged at Grey Wolf!

Ethan’s transformation was like something out of a superhero movie—muscles ballooning, fur sprouting, his roar shaking the stone walls like the Hulk gone wild.

But Grey Wolf didn’t flinch—he coolly shifted his aim and let an arrow fly.

He moved with the speed of a pro athlete, the arrow slicing through the air toward Ethan’s chest.

But the arrow stopped cold in midair, hovering inches from Ethan’s heart, quivering as if caught by invisible hands.

Grey Wolf’s eyes went wide, but he fired again—two more arrows from different angles, quick as thought.

The arrows zipped in, but each one froze in place, stuck in the air like someone hit pause on the world.

The arrows just hung there, defying gravity. It was like magic, or some crazy special effect.

Grey Wolf was stunned, lowering his bow in disbelief. The rest of us just stared, mouths open.

So was I.

My brain spun, trying to process what I was seeing. This was way beyond anything I’d ever imagined.

Instead of asking the obvious, I found myself glancing at Ryan—who didn’t look surprised at all. He was watching Sasha, eyes narrowed.

Ryan’s jaw was clenched, his gaze locked on Sasha. He looked like he’d seen this before.

Following his eyes, I saw Sasha staring at the arrows, her irises now pitch-black—like twin voids swallowing the light.

The sight sent a chill down my spine. There was something about her—an energy that made even the bravest of us shrink back.

Was this Sasha’s doing? What the hell kind of power was this? It was terrifying.

I mentally promised myself never to cross her. Whatever she was, she was on another level.

Grey Wolf realized something was off, but Ethan didn’t give him a chance to react. In a blur, Ethan grabbed him and slammed him into the wall.

The impact was thunderous, stone dust raining from the ceiling as Grey Wolf grunted, blood splattering the wall.

Grey Wolf spat blood, a bright streak on his lips—proof he was flesh and bone, not some immortal monster.

He wiped his mouth, eyes blazing with defiance. He was hurt, but nowhere near finished.

Even bleeding, Grey Wolf shot to his feet and tried to lift Ethan by the waist. But Ethan was too massive—he barely budged.

He strained, veins popping, but Ethan was like a boulder. It was a showdown of pure brute force.

Then, to my shock, when Ethan tried to lift Grey Wolf in return, he couldn’t move him either!

Ethan growled, claws digging in, but Grey Wolf held his ground. It was like two NFL linebackers slamming into each other—unstoppable force, immovable object.

I’d seen Ethan in beast form tear through just about anything. Grey Wolf’s strength was on another level.

Then, suddenly, the arrows that had been frozen in midair shot toward Grey Wolf, aimed right at his chest.

They zipped forward, deadly as ever, targeting his heart.

“Enough!” Ryan jumped in, slicing the arrows out of the air and stepping in front of Sasha, his own eyes blazing blood-red.

He moved so fast his blade was just a blur, splinters flying as the arrows shattered. Ryan’s eyes glowed with a red light that made my skin crawl.

Back when we fought the roots, neither Ryan nor I had used our full power. But now, Ryan was making it clear: he wasn’t going to let Sasha’s crew kill at will.

The air felt charged—alliances shifting, old lines being redrawn.

Sasha’s eyes faded back to normal. She looked at Ryan with a sly smile. “Ryan, you forgetting why we’re here?”

Her tone was playful, but her eyes narrowed, a warning just beneath the surface. She was reminding him—this was about the amulet, not a bloodbath.

Ryan was about to answer when Grey Wolf roared, hoisting the giant Ethan with pure muscle and slamming him to the floor!

The whole chamber shook, dust swirling everywhere. The noise was so loud it rattled my teeth—a reminder of just how strong Grey Wolf really was.

Bang—

It sounded like a shotgun blast, echoing off the stone and making my ears ring.

The floor trembled beneath our feet.

Pebbles rained down, and I had to steady myself against the wall.

Grey Wolf didn’t give Ethan a chance to recover—he pinned him by the neck and pounded his head with both fists.

Ethan’s roars faded to grunts as Grey Wolf hammered him, refusing to let up.

Unreal. To pin Ethan and beat him down—Grey Wolf’s power was just scary.

It was like watching a pay-per-view brawl on fast-forward. I’d never seen anyone manhandle Ethan like that.

Julian started to rush in to help Ethan, but I blocked his path, claws up and ready.

I stepped in front of him, steel claws raised. No way was I letting him make things worse.

Julian scoffed, “You think you can stop me?”

He looked me over, a cocky half-smile curling his lips.

“Yeah, just me.” I didn’t bother with more words. My pupils flashed blood-red as I raised my claws.

The change was instant—my vision sharpening, the world tinted crimson.

Julian froze, shocked. “Your eyes changed too?”

He blinked, thrown off. He hadn’t seen that coming.

Everyone thought Ryan was the only one with the blood-red ‘Reaper’ eyes. Nobody expected me to have them too.

I let the silence hang, daring him to push it.

No way was I going to explain. I just stared him down, holding my ground.

Julian’s expression shifted, a hint of respect mixing with his sneer. “Looks like you’ve gotten a lot stronger.”

There was a challenge in his voice, but maybe a little respect, too. He wasn’t backing down.

He glanced at Old Joe, who stepped forward—but Madison and Mike instantly blocked him, weapons ready.

They moved in sync, determination written all over their faces. They weren’t giving an inch.

Mike hefted his Thor’s hammer. “Traitor, take one more step and I’ll knock you into next week with this!”

He grinned, but there was real threat behind it. Nobody doubted he’d do it.

Meanwhile, Grey Wolf and Ethan were still locked in combat, and the tension between us and the Triad was about to explode.

You could feel it in the air—everyone bracing for the first move.

We’d always known we’d have to face the Triad eventually, but nobody thought it would be this soon.

I tightened my grip, ready for whatever came next. But the universe had other ideas.

But before fists could fly, Alex’s voice cut through the tension: “Look—the coffin’s moving!”

His shout was high and panicked, slicing through the noise like a siren.

We all spun toward the golden coffin.

The lid was shaking, rattling like something inside was desperate to break out.

Sure enough, it was trembling, the whole coffin shuddering as if something was fighting to get free.

A low, metallic groan echoed through the chamber, making my skin crawl.

Grey Wolf was the first to react, bleeding and breathless, but he rushed to the coffin, pressing his hands to the gold and whispering in a language none of us understood.

He leaned in, murmuring words that sounded old and full of longing. His face was a mix of hope and terror.

We all watched, holding our breath.

Nobody dared move, afraid to break the spell. Even Sasha looked genuinely interested.

After a tense minute, the golden coffin stilled.

The silence was suffocating. We all exhaled at once, tension draining—just for a second.

Grey Wolf turned, planting himself in front of the coffin, eyes blazing as he glared at Sasha and her crew. “Get out, or I’ll kill you all!”

He squared up, every muscle taut, daring anyone to come closer. He meant it.

He didn’t have to say it—his stance alone made it clear. He was the guardian, and this was his sacred ground.

Knowing now that he was human—and just trying to protect what mattered—we wanted to leave. But the way back was suicide.

I met Madison’s eyes. We were thinking the same thing: trapped, no good options.

I was about to try negotiating when Ethan, back in human form and still bleeding, stormed up to Grey Wolf.

He wiped his mouth, fists clenched, eyes burning with fury.

“I’ll kill you right here!”

He took a step forward, body tensing, ready to change again.

He was about to go beast mode, but Sasha stopped him with a hand on his arm—her touch soft, but her look all business. Ethan froze, the fight draining from his shoulders.

Sasha’s eyes were locked on the golden coffin behind Grey Wolf, her mind clearly spinning. She wasn’t about to let go of the amulet—if it was anywhere, it had to be inside.

Her stare was sharp, almost predatory. You could practically hear her thinking three moves ahead.

“Who’s buried in this coffin?”

Her voice was oddly gentle, almost soft-spoken, but it carried in the stone chamber, making her seem small and out of place next to Grey Wolf.

The contrast was jarring—a quiet voice in a room full of giants and monsters.

Grey Wolf eyed Sasha warily, but kept his glare, jaw set and bow still at the ready.

He shifted slightly, making it clear he wasn’t backing down.

“Don’t worry, we’re not here to hurt anyone. We just want to understand what’s happening,” Madison said, her voice calm and even.

She stepped forward, hands open, her tone soothing—Madison always did know how to talk people off a ledge.

I nodded, backing her up with a steady look. Sometimes it was better to let Madison take the lead.

Maybe because we’d helped him earlier, Grey Wolf hesitated, then finally answered Madison. “This is my wife. Princess Morning Star.”

His voice broke, eyes shining with grief and love. The emotion in his words was raw.

I’d expected some ancient king or warrior, but his wife? That hit different.

The realization landed like a punch to the gut. This was about love and loss, not just treasure or power.

You could see it in the way he stood—a man guarding his heart as much as the coffin.

“Princess? So there must be some valuable burial goods, right?” Julian’s eyes glittered, clearly thinking about the amulet.

He glanced at the coffin, licking his lips, greed plain as day.

Grey Wolf tensed, moving closer to the coffin, his whole body ready to spring.

But Madison suddenly turned to Grey Wolf, her face pale with shock. “Princess Morning Star... Grey Wolf... Is she the daughter of the second chief of the Lost River Tribe?”

Her voice was barely a whisper, like she couldn’t believe what she was saying.

At that, Grey Wolf’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

His suspicion gave way to surprise. He stared at Madison, searching her face.

We all looked at Madison, waiting for her to explain.

Everyone held their breath, the silence thick as fog.

“Madison, what’s going on?”

Mike finally spoke up, his voice full of awe and confusion.

But Madison looked even more rattled. “But Princess Morning Star died more than five hundred years ago!”

She stared at Grey Wolf like she’d seen a ghost, hands shaking just a little.

“Wait—you’re saying he’s lived for over five hundred years?” I blurted, staring at Grey Wolf in disbelief.

It sounded impossible, but there he was, flesh and blood.

Grey Wolf frowned, shaking his head. “I don’t know. But from the day my wife died, I’ve been guarding her here.”

His voice was hollow, lost—like the years had all blurred together for him.

We all gasped, the weight of his words pressing down on us. Even Sasha’s crew looked shaken.

Even Sasha, usually so cool, looked a little pale.

In a world full of monsters and magic, a five-hundred-year-old man was still something else.

I wondered what it would be like, living all those years alone, nothing but memories for company.

Later, Madison told us the Lost River Tribe was one of the smallest Native nations, and Princess Morning Star and Grey Wolf’s love story was legendary in her family. She remembered hearing about their forbidden love and sacrifice at family gatherings as a kid.

She never thought she’d meet someone from those stories in real life.

She shook her head, still dazed. “It’s like meeting a legend come to life,” she whispered.

Mike was the first to call him out. “Come on, if you’re really from five hundred years ago, how come you speak our language?”

He raised an eyebrow, skepticism plain on his face.

Grey Wolf shook his head, looking genuinely puzzled. “I don’t know. I can’t remember how long I slept. When I woke up, I saw you coming, and when I spoke, I was speaking your language.”

He looked lost, as if even his own words surprised him.

We exchanged glances, nobody sure what to say. Just one more impossible thing in a day full of them.

“No matter how long you’ve been here, just tell us—does your wife have anything like an amulet?” Julian pressed, unwilling to let it go.

He leaned in, voice hard, eyes hungry. He wasn’t giving up.

Grey Wolf’s glare could’ve melted steel. Even Julian flinched, just for a second.

Just then, the golden coffin started to shake again. Grey Wolf rushed over, stroking the lid and whispering those ancient words.

His voice was desperate, pleading. He pressed his cheek to the lid, hoping for an answer.

But this time, the trembling only got worse.

The whole room shook, dust drifting from the ceiling. My heart thudded in my chest.

We all knew something was about to go horribly wrong.

A sense of dread settled over us, thick as wet cement.

And then, with a deafening crash, the golden coffin lid flew open from the inside.

The clang echoed, the lid slamming to the ground as a stunning woman rose from the coffin, dressed in bright robes and a golden crown, eyes closed, skin flawless.

She looked untouched by time, like a movie star from a classic black-and-white film. For a moment, we were all frozen, staring in awe.

Grey Wolf’s face lit up, joy and disbelief mingling as he called out to her in his native tongue—calling her name, maybe, voice thick with emotion.

He reached for her, tears streaming, hope flickering in his eyes.

But within moments, her skin started to rot, fingernails blackening, all beauty draining away.

The change was nightmarish. Her face withered, eyes sinking, flesh peeling—she was death incarnate, not the woman Grey Wolf remembered.

We didn’t know if it was decay or something worse, but the horror was real. We all recoiled, unable to look away.

It was like watching a dream curdle into a nightmare—hope snuffed out in a heartbeat.

“Holy crap, is this a five-hundred-year-old zombie?” Mike shuddered, voice shaking.

He stumbled back, face white. Honestly, I wanted to run too.

At his words, Princess Morning Star’s head snapped toward him, her glare so fierce it could’ve frozen lava.

Her eyes were wild, her lips curled back, teeth bared. The look alone was enough to paralyze anyone.

Mike shrank behind me, and her rage seemed to double. She leapt from the coffin, claws slashing, her scream echoing like a banshee’s wail.

“Chris! Save me!”

Mike dove behind me, and Grey Wolf lunged to grab Princess Morning Star, calling out to her in desperation—trying to pull her back from the edge.

His voice was frantic, begging her to remember him, to stop the madness.

But Princess Morning Star was gone. She broke free and charged us, wild and feral.

Her movements were animalistic, nothing left of the woman Grey Wolf loved.

“Perfect, saves us the trouble of opening the coffin,” Julian said, lighting a cigarette, already weaving his next illusion.

He blew out a stream of smoke, eyes glittering with anticipation. He thrived on chaos.

If Julian had gone after Grey Wolf, we’d have backed Grey Wolf. But the game had changed.

Our loyalties flipped in a heartbeat. Survival first, everything else second.

We braced ourselves, but suddenly Princess Morning Star clutched her head and collapsed, writhing in agony on the ground—like something was attacking her mind.

She screamed, twisting on the stone, hands clawing at her skull. The sound was pure torment.

I glanced at Julian, saw the faint, satisfied smirk on his lips. Whatever illusion he was casting, it was working.

His eyes glowed, cigarette dangling, totally in control.

Grey Wolf rushed to her, cradling her head, begging her to snap out of it—completely unaware that Julian was the one hurting her.

He held her close, tears streaking his face, pleading with her to come back.

Princess Morning Star writhed in his arms, then suddenly locked eyes on Julian. She could turn, but not attack—trapped in his illusion, powerless.

Her eyes burned with hate and despair, but she couldn’t break free.

Grey Wolf finally caught on, grabbing his bow and aiming it at Julian, hands shaking with rage.

The bowstring creaked, his whole body trembling as he drew back.

But before he could fire, Princess Morning Star unleashed a scream so piercing it made my bones ache.

The sound was unlike anything I’d ever heard—like a tornado ripping through a graveyard, raw and full of agony.

Suddenly, the whole tomb plunged into darkness—thick, suffocating, absolute. I couldn’t see my own hand in front of my face.

There was nothing—no light, no sound except our frantic, ragged breathing.

Then a foul, acrid stench hit, burning my nose—like rotten eggs and burning rubber mixed together. I gagged, covering my mouth.

And then, Julian’s screams—high, panicked, echoing in the black. It chilled my blood.

Ethan shouted, “Julian, what’s happening?” but all we got was more screaming.

His voice was ragged, desperate. But there was nothing we could do.

I groped blindly, reaching for anyone, but my hands found only empty air.

Just as I started to panic, the darkness vanished, light flooding back in a blinding rush.

It was like someone flipped a switch. We blinked, disoriented, and then saw why Julian had been screaming.

It was worse than I’d imagined.

He... was vanishing, starting at the head, his body dissolving into darkness bit by bit.

It was like watching someone melt away, the blackness eating him alive, piece by piece.

Ethan lunged for him, but Julian’s body just collapsed into a puddle of black water, hissing and bubbling, leaving nothing but a stain.

Julian was gone.

We all stood frozen, the reality hitting like a sledgehammer.

No one moved. We barely breathed.

Madison’s voice was barely audible: “Princess Morning Star seems to be gone too.”

Her words hung in the air, a final, sorrowful note. We stood there, stunned, the room heavy with loss, not sure what would come next.