Caleb Bane's forces hit Shadowpeak's western side like a freight train.
Not a careful intervention—a full-on assault that showed he'd come to fight, not just watch. His wolves moved with practiced coordination that matched Shadowpeak's military precision. These weren't random volunteers. This was an organized unit.
Through our degraded bond, I felt Darius's surge of hope. Not salvation exactly, but possibility. The math had shifted from impossible to just terrible. From guaranteed loss to potential survival if we played this right.
"Who is he?" Marcus asked through comms, watching this unknown force tear into Shadowpeak's carefully organized attack.
"Someone from before," I said, though that didn't really explain anything. Caleb Bane had left the academy years ago. His return now, with a military force big enough to matter, raised questions we didn't have time to answer.
