Dawn broke over the mountain with a gray, tired light.
Selene stood at the edge of the forest, dressed in all black. Her blades were strapped to her back. A second knife sat at her thigh, hidden beneath her cloak. She wore no crest, no symbol of rank. This wasn't a mission for a pack soldier.
This was personal.
Kael stood beside her, silent. He hadn't tried to talk her out of it. Not after last night. He just watched her like he wasn't sure she'd come back.
"I'll take the old trail," she said.
Kael nodded. "You'll be alone out there."
"I've always been alone."
He didn't answer. Just held out a leather pouch. "Supplies. And this."
She took it and opened the flap. Inside, a silver pendant glinted — the symbol of his pack etched into it. A mark of trust.
She looked at him. "I thought you didn't hand out loyalty tokens."
"I don't," he said. "This one isn't for loyalty. It's for protection."
Selene slipped it around her neck.
Amara approached from the trees. She carried a smaller pack and a dark scowl.
"You sure you don't want backup?" Amara asked. "A spy and a former rogue walking into a hornet's nest… not exactly a fair fight."
"That's the point," Selene said.
Amara shrugged. "Try not to die. I hate doing the paperwork."
Selene gave a tight smile. Then she turned, stepped off the trail, and disappeared into the trees.
The forest was colder than she remembered.
Every root, every branch, every patch of moss seemed to whisper memories. She stepped over the old trap line, careful not to trigger the rusted mechanisms. She ducked under the twisted tree that once served as their meeting spot.
She didn't slow down.
The Hollow was still half a day's walk, buried deep in Deadfall Ravine. If Nerya was waiting, Selene would find her by nightfall.
But she didn't make it far before the past caught up.
Three hours in, she felt it — the sharp prickle on the back of her neck. She dropped low, behind a fallen log, heart pounding in her chest.
A shadow moved.
Too fast to be wildlife. Too light to be rogue patrols.
Selene waited. Breath held. Hand on her blade.Then she saw it — a flash of white fur through the trees.
Her heart stopped.
Nerya.
Or what was left of her.
She moved like she wasn't human anymore. Graceful. Silent. Controlled. And she wasn't alone.
Two rogues flanked her — bigger, slower, clearly following orders.
Selene didn't move.
The White Wolf paused ahead. Her head turned slowly. She sniffed the air.
Selene sank lower behind the log.
She knew better than to run. Nerya would hear it.
Seconds passed.
Then Nerya moved again. Not toward Selene. Past her.
The rogues followed.
Selene exhaled, but not with relief. She realized what had just happened. Nerya knew she was there. And she let her go.
By nightfall, Selene reached the edge of the Hollow — a massive pit carved into the earth, blackened by fire. Old ruins stood in the center, half-swallowed by vines and ash.
This had once been a stronghold. Now, it was a graveyard.
Selene stepped down carefully, her boots crunching on burned debris.
The air was too still.
She approached the largest structure, an old temple with collapsed columns and crumbling walls. Its roof was long gone. Moonlight poured in through the gaps.
And there she was.
Nerya. Standing at the altar, facing away.
"Thought you'd be harder to find," Selene said.
Nerya didn't turn.
"I left breadcrumbs," she said softly.
Her voice hadn't changed. Smooth. Almost kind.
Selene stepped closer. "You always liked games."
"And you always liked pretending you weren't part of them."
Nerya finally turned.
Selene froze.
Her face was the same — almost. The eyes were colder. The smile was sharper. There were scars where her left temple had been burned. But it was her.
Alive. Breathing.
Ghosts didn't have pulses.
"You came alone," Nerya said.
"I always do."
"You shouldn't have."
Selene stepped closer. "You were my friend."
"You left me," Nerya said. "In the rubble. In the fire."
"I thought you were dead."
"You never checked."
That stopped Selene cold.
She didn't have a defense. She'd run. She hadn't looked back.
Nerya stepped down from the altar.
"Did you think I'd forgive you?" she asked. "Did you think I'd listen to your little speech and change my mind about everything?"
"No," Selene said. "I came to end this."
Nerya smiled, but there was no joy in it.
"You'll try," she said. "But I'm not the one who needs saving."
Behind her, a dozen rogues stepped out from the shadows. Selene drew her blade.
"I'm not afraid of you," she said.
"You should be," Nerya said, eyes gleaming. "Because I remember everything.