Always And Forever | ENG ✓

Chapter Forty-Two: Into the Depths

The air felt heavier the deeper we moved into the forest, the shadows lengthening as we pressed onward. The trees stood like silent sentinels, their branches twisted, blocking out much of the sky. The forest was thick with darkness, but this wasn't the natural kind. There was an unnatural heaviness in the air, a palpable presence that seemed to wrap around us, tightening with every step we took.

We had found the altar, a key to the dark energy that had plagued us, but we weren't just searching for answers now-we were hunting the source. The force behind this shadow, whatever ancient evil still lingered, needed to be stopped. And the pack was ready. We had faced worse. This was no different.

But as we moved deeper into the forest, the feeling of being watched grew stronger. The silence was suffocating, broken only by the crunch of leaves beneath our paws and the occasional rustle of the wind. It felt like the world itself was holding its breath.

I led the charge, my instincts sharp, my senses heightened. The pack followed closely, spread out in a tight formation to cover all angles. Dean and Ace were flanking me, their expressions hard but focused. There was no fear in their eyes-not now. Not after everything we had been through. The pack was stronger than ever, but even we couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Stay alert," I whispered, my voice low. "We don't know what's ahead, but we know it's not going to be easy."

Dean nodded, his eyes scanning the darkening path. "If this is where it all started, we're going to have to deal with whatever's down here, whether we're ready or not."

I clenched my jaw. "We'll be ready."

As we ventured farther, the forest seemed to close in on us, the trees pressing closer together until there was little space between them. The ground beneath our feet was uneven, the earth soft and damp, as though it had absorbed the remnants of something dark, something that had seeped into the very soil itself.

We moved cautiously, the pack in complete silence, each wolf moving with the practiced precision that had gotten us this far. Ace's group, positioned at the rear, kept a sharp lookout for anything that might try to ambush us from behind. We couldn't afford to let our guard down-not for a second.

The shadows grew thicker, but there was more to it now. I could feel the energy building in the air, something dark, something ancient. The same feeling I had sensed around the altar was now surrounding us-only this time, it was stronger. It was alive.

"It's getting worse," Dean muttered, his voice barely audible. "Can you feel it?"

I nodded, my senses on high alert. "Whatever this is, it's close. Stay focused."

We came upon a clearing. The trees parted, revealing a large, dark stone structure in the center-a monument, maybe. It wasn't just a natural formation. The stone was ancient, worn by time, but it radiated the same dark energy that had been plaguing us for weeks. The ground around it was scorched, as if the earth itself had been burned by the force that emanated from the stone.

"This is it," I said, my voice steady despite the fear that crept up my spine. "This is where it all comes together."

Dean stepped forward, his expression grim. "So, this is where it started."

I nodded, feeling the pull of the energy. "This is the heart of it. Whatever's behind all of this-whatever's been controlling the creatures-it's here."

Ace moved up beside me, his eyes scanning the stone. "But how do we destroy it? We've tried to break the power before, but it keeps coming back."

"I don't know yet," I said, my voice low. "But we need to keep pushing forward. If this is the source, then this is where we end it."

The pack circled the stone structure, looking for any sign of weakness. The dark energy was growing stronger, pressing down on us like a suffocating weight. It was hard to breathe, hard to think clearly with the pressure mounting around us. The wolves at the edge of the clearing stood guard, while the rest of us focused on the structure itself.

There was something else here, something hidden beneath the surface. I could feel it-a pulse, faint but insistent, coming from deep within the stone.

"Something's not right," I said, my voice tight with concern. "There's more to this. It's not just the stone. There's something inside it."

Dean nodded, his gaze focused on the stone. "Then we find a way in. We don't have time to waste."

We began searching the structure for any way inside, any sign of a weakness we could exploit. There were no obvious doors or entrances, but there was a series of markings on the stone-symbols, ancient and worn, but still legible. They seemed to pulse with the dark energy that had been surrounding us, a tangible force that felt like it was pushing back against us.

Ace stepped forward, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "These markings-this isn't just decoration. This is a seal. It's holding something inside. Something powerful."

I moved closer, my claws tracing the markings on the stone. "A seal," I muttered. "But what's inside?"

Dean's voice broke through the silence. "Whatever it is, we need to open it. If this is the source of the dark force, then it's time to destroy it."

I nodded. "Let's break the seal."

We gathered around the stone, the pack working together, trying to decipher the symbols and figure out how to break the seal. Each wolf's strength was needed to push through the energy that surrounded it. It was a test of will as much as of strength. We couldn't let the dark energy push us back. Not now. Not after everything we had fought for.

Dean placed his hand on the stone, his expression focused as he concentrated on the markings. "We need to focus our energy together. If we do this right, we can break the seal. But we have to stay connected."

We placed our hands on the stone, each wolf contributing their power, their strength, to the effort. The pressure around us intensified, the dark energy fighting against our every move, but we didn't back down. We couldn't.

With a final, coordinated push, the seal cracked, the markings lighting up with a blinding light before collapsing in on themselves. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and the stone began to shift, cracking open to reveal the heart of the dark energy.

And at the center of it, we saw it.

A swirling mass of energy-dark, pulsing, alive. It was the source. The force behind everything that had been tormenting us. But we weren't backing down.

"This ends now," I said, my voice firm.

The pack surged forward, ready to face whatever came next. The final battle had arrived.