---- Chapter 8 Lyra's POV "Everyone, fall back!" I drew my silver sword, the Moon Goddess's power flowing through it with a holy light. The shadow wolves roared, pouncing at us, their eyes burning with the evil fire of the abyss. "Lyra, watch out!" Kaelen suddenly broke free from the guards and jumped in front of me. I swung my sword at the nearest shadow wolf, the silver light instantly purifying it. But more wolves poured out of the black mist; there were too many. The battle grew fiercer. No matter how good my sword skills were, I was starting to struggle against the endless tide of the shadow legion. Sweat mixed with blood dripped to the ground, ---- and my movements became slower. "Hahaha!" Seraphina stood on the back of a shadow wolf alpha, laughing madly. "Feel despair, Moonshadow Princess! Today is the day you die!" The shadow wolves were closing in, and thena huge one lunged at my back. "Lyra!" Kaelen yelled, rushing over. He grabbed the wolf with his bare hands and threw it back hard. "Are you crazy?!" I cried out. "You don't have a weapon!" Claws tore deep gashes into him, blood dripping down his arm, but he still held onto that wolf for dear life. I charged forward with my sword, only to find more shadow wolves closing in on us from every direction. ---- In an instant, we were completely surrounded, nowhere to run. "It's useless!" Seraphina shrieked triumphantly. " The shadow legion is immortal! They will devour every living thing here!" Just then, Seraphina commanded the shadow wolf alpha to launch its deadliest attack at me. The massive wolf opened its blood-red jaws, and the condensed shadow energy formed a blade, stabbing straight for my heart. In the nick of time, Kaelen threw himself forward, using his own body to block the attack. Black energy pierced his chest, and blood instantly stained his clothes red. "Kaelen!" I cried out. "T... I'm fine," he said with a weak smile, blood trickling from his lips, but his eyes burned with a determined light. "Lyra, listen to me. I know how ---- to break the bond." "What?" "Tt needs my life as the price," he said, slowly kneeling, and began to chant the ancient bond- severing spell. ''To fully release your royal bloodline's power." "No!" I tried to stop him. "I don't need your sacrifice!" "Please, let me protect you one last time," Kaelen's voice grew weaker. "Great Moon Goddess, I offer my life and all my Alpha power. Please, completely sever my fated bond with Lyra and unleash her true royal blood!" Aholy white light radiated from him, and I felt the invisible chain in my chest snap completely. An unprecedented power surged into my body; the Moon Goddess's bloodline had fully awakened. "Impossible!" Seraphina screamed, fear flashing