Chapter 18

• KNOX
• I stand frozen before the lifeless white wolf, its pristine fur gleaming under the ethereal blue light of the Ancient Heart. The creature's vacant eyes stare into nothingness, a haunting emptiness that makes my stomach churn. Despite the cool night air against my bare skin, sweat beads on my forehead as I try to process what I'm seeing.
• "What the fuck is this?" I whisper, my voice barely audible even in the unnatural silence of the grove. The wolf's coat shimmers like freshly fallen snow, untouched by the decay that should have set in days ago. No smell of death, no signs of deterioration—just pristine white fur on a creature that shouldn't look this... preserved.