The footsteps of the royal army echoed in the narrow corridors of the underground city. The torches they carried dispelled the darkness, creating shadows that danced on the stone walls. Serene stood stiffly at the temple doorway. Her body still burned with the lingering whispers of The Whisperer that seemed to cling to her ears.

"Serene Aeryndor, surrender," Caelan said once more.

Caelan's voice was cold, his eyes revealing something more profound than mere duty. "If you resist, things will only get worse for you."

Serene held her breath as she listened to his words. In an instant, the soldiers approached, handcuffing her with shiny silver shackles. When the metal touched her, a cold chill pierced her bones and robbed her of some of her strength.

"Holy silver," Serene murmured, feeling her strength slowly being drained.

Caelan avoided her gaze as the shackles were locked. For a moment, Serene's eyes caught a hint of anxiety in Caelan's gaze. However, he said nothing. Finally, she was taken to the Hall to be tried. There, all eyes thirsty for conflict whispered. Black pillars towered high, decorated with wolf carvings that seemed ready to pounce. The royal elders sat in a circle on stone chairs. Their robes were blood red, a symbol of the ancestral oath.

In the center of the circle, Serene was forced to kneel. Silver shackles still encircled her wrists. The torchlight also highlighted her pale face. With a sharp gaze, she appeared to refuse to submit. In another corner, a pair of eyes stared at her face with contempt. Lyra stood elegantly in her black, sharply tailored outfit. A sly smile graced her lips, cold and full of satisfaction.

Dreven stood beside Lyra, his arms folded, his gaze piercing Serene. Between them, Caelan stood near the circle of the Council. His face was like a mask, devoid of emotion.

The Council Chairman, his eyes as sharp as silver blades, opened the trial. "Serene, you were arrested in a forbidden area. In the temple of whispers that has been forbidden for centuries. What were you looking for there?"

Serene looked up, staring straight at the Council Chairman. "I was looking for the truth."

A murmur immediately rippled through the elders. They did not expect the nearly extinct bloodline to dare to do something forbidden.

"Courage or stupidity?" One of them sneered. "What truth is worth seeking in the darkness?"

Lyra, Serene's cousin, stepped forward. She cunningly arranged the tone of her voice. "The truth, she says? Are you trying to betray us?" She immediately turned to the elders.

"Isn't it strange, the daughter of the Aeryndor family, the granddaughter of the bloodline that once bound the pact, to be found there? In the place where rebels and whisperers of darkness gather? What if she isn't seeking the truth?" Lyra said in a loud voice and a whisper that was poisonous. "I'm afraid she's conspiring with them."

The voice exploded in a whisper. Suspicious glances immediately turned to Serene. The woman in silver shackles was increasingly cornered. However, that did not scare Luna. She instead fixed her gaze even more firmly on them all.

Serene clenched her fists and said, "You're just jealous, Lyra. Jealous because your name will never be recorded in history except as a shadow behind others." She spoke coldly.

Lyra's smile hardened, but she quickly regained her sly expression. "You seem very confident. However, those words will not save you!"

The Council Chairman tapped his iron cane on the floor to stop the commotion. "Enough! Serene, explain your reasons before the Council decides."

Serene took a deep breath, then stared at their faces with burning eyes. "I went there because you are cowards. You hide behind ancient agreements to close your mouths, eyes, and ears. As if the oath of the ancestors was more important than the truth. You want to know? I went to the Whisperer to find that truth."

Instantly, the Hall froze. Those words sounded like poison. None of them dared to look at Serene as sharply as before. They bowed their heads and whispered softly.

One of the elders stood up with an angry face. "The Whisperer is a curse. No one should hear it!"

Lyra smiled faintly as she listened to those words. "See? Even this woman admits it. She's already been contaminated," she said to Serene.

Serene held back the shock within her. But she didn't stop. "The Whisperer told me about my blood. About my mother, and why I'm always treated differently."

The whisper grew louder. This time with a tone of curiosity mixed with fear.

"I am gray blood. Half holy, and half cursed. I know that I am the key to the ancient covenant that you all worship," Serene said firmly.

Lyra also had the opportunity to intimidate. "Look, this woman admits everything. Her blood is a threat. Isn't it clear what has been done? The punishment is one and only. Executed before the covenant is broken!"

Serene raised her head, even though the chains on her hands were getting heavier. Hearing this, Caelan took action. He stepped forward with a straight face, his eyes still fixed on Serene.

"Chairman of the Council," he said firmly.

"Before a decision is made, allow me to say something," Caelan grumbled.

The Hall fell silent. They greatly respected Caelan as their leader.

"Serene is indeed gray blood," he continued. "But that was not her choice. She was born this way, and as far as I can tell, she has never shown any signs of treason. Torturing or punishing her without concrete evidence will only hasten the destruction we have feared all this time."

"However, Serene has broken her promise. She must be punished," said one of the Alphas, his voice heavy and cold.

An explosion shook the Hall. Rocks cracked, and large pillars trembled. The air suddenly turned sharp. Heavy footsteps pounded the floor with a rhythm like the drums of war.

"Who dares touch her? You'll have to get past me first!"

From the shadows, Dreven emerged with glowing red eyes. His teeth were elongated, and his claws glistened as if made of obsidian. He had not fully transformed, but the Lycan aura he exuded was enough to make the Alphas tense. He had been silent for long enough, and now it was time for him to speak.

"You are all so noisy! Don't you know who I am?" Dreven grumbled.

The Council Chairman stood, his hands clenched. "Dreven, this is a matter for the Council. You have no right—"

"I am not an Alpha you can control! I am not part of your political games. I am the last Lycan of the Black Moon Race. One of the reasons you sit comfortably in those chairs is because I let you!" Dreven snapped.

Several Alphas bowed their heads. Even the most arrogant among them didn't dare challenge him. They knew that Lycans were different from wolves. If Alphas led their packs with rules, then Lycans ruled with innate bloodthirstiness.

"You know Serene opposes the match. It goes against the oath of our ancestors. If we let this continue, we will be at war with each other," said Caelan.

Dreven turned his head, his eyes burning like embers. "War? Are you afraid to fight me?"

Caelan smiled cynically. "I'm not afraid of you at all. If I weren't bound by the agreement, I could finish you off right now!"

Dreven laughed dismissively. With one hand, he tore the silver chain from Serene's wrist. The sound of broken metal echoed like thunder. The woman beside him was also shocked. Of course, because of the power that had just been witnessed by all the eyes there.

"Stand up!" Dreven commanded coldly.

Serene rose slowly, still staggering. "Why are you doing this?" Her voice sounded hoarse.