Chapter 16: A New Dawn, A New Song

The ancient, moss-covered stones of the vampire citadel faded into the mist behind us, a relic of a life defined by gilded cages and bloody politics. We did not look back. Our path led forward, into the wild, untamed heart of the borderlands—a place of rugged mountains, deep forests, and, most importantly, a place that belonged to no single pack or clan. It took a year of relentless work. We were not welcomed as heroes. To the vampires, Caius was a traitor who had chosen a wolf over his own...