The night sky was grim, the moon veiled by thin clouds as if unwilling to witness the tragedy that had just unfolded. The scent of blood was still thick in the air.
In the center of the grand hall of the Umbra Clan, the lifeless body of Alpha Darius Nyx lay in a pool of his own blood. His chest was torn open, deep claw marks shattering his ribs. The room was deathly silent, all eyes fixed on the young man kneeling beside the fallen leader.
Theron Nyx.
His hands trembled, his wide eyes filled with disbelief. Warm blood still dripped from his fingers—but it wasn't his own. It was his father's. Yet he hadn't killed him. He knew that. But to everyone in that room—the elders, the guards, even his own adoptive brother—he was the murderer.
"Theron…" A deep voice shattered the silence. Orion Nyx, his adoptive brother, stood before him, his gaze cold and filled with betrayal. "What have you done?"
"I… I didn't—" Theron's voice caught in his throat. He wanted to scream, to explain, but even he didn't understand how this had happened. He had entered the hall after hearing the screams, only to find his father already lifeless on the floor. And then, suddenly, there was blood on his hands.
Elder Magnus stepped forward. "We don't need your confession, Theron. The evidence speaks for itself."
"No! This is a setup! Someone wants to frame me!" Theron tried to stand, but before he could move, two guards seized him, gripping his arms with crushing force.
"Our Alpha is dead! And you're the only one here, covered in his blood!" a clan member shouted.
The murmurs turned into furious roars. Their eyes glowed under the dim light, some already half-shifting—claws and fangs bared, ready to tear him apart.
Orion raised a hand, silencing them. He stepped closer to Theron, his expression dark with disappointment. "I don't want to believe this, Theron. You are my brother… But how can I ignore what's right in front of me?"
Theron met Orion's gaze, desperately searching for any trace of trust. "You know me, Orion. I would never kill our father. Someone did this. You have to see that."
For a moment, Orion hesitated. But the words that left his lips weren't ones of defense.
"Take him to the dungeons. The elders will decide his punishment."
Theron shook his head in despair. "No! You don't understand, there's—"
A blow struck his stomach, knocking the air from his lungs. He collapsed, coughing, as the guards dragged his weakened body out of the hall. Behind him, the clan's furious cries echoed like a storm.
***
The underground prison of the Umbra Clan was cold and damp. Silver chains burned against his wrists, binding him to the rough stone wall. But the worst pain wasn't physical—it was the betrayal that tore at his heart.
The cell door creaked open, heavy footsteps echoing in the small chamber. Orion stood at the entrance, his face unreadable.
"At dawn, the council will decide your fate," he said.
Theron let out a bitter laugh. "I already know their decision. They want my blood."
Orion didn't deny it. "Blood must be paid with blood. You know the law."
"And you're just letting this happen? Letting them frame me?" Theron's glare sharpened. "Who will take his place, Orion? You?"
Orion's expression hardened. "I never wanted this. But someone has to lead."
"So this was your plan all along?" Theron's lips curled into a cold smirk. "Using our father's death to take the throne?"
Orion grabbed his collar, pulling him close. "I never wanted him dead! I saw you as my brother! But this isn't about what I want. It's about the clan. They will never trust you again."
Theron clenched his jaw. "I will find out who did this. I will return, Orion. And I will destroy the one who took everything from me."
Orion sighed, releasing him. "If you survive the night… maybe I'll be waiting." He turned and walked away, leaving Theron in the darkness.
But in that darkness, something inside Theron shifted.
He would not die here. He would not accept this betrayal.
He would return.
And when he did, the sky would run red with blood.
**
That night, as the lunar eclipse loomed closer, Theron's chance for escape finally came. An old guard, still loyal to the late Darius, helped him break free from the underground prison. But his freedom was short-lived.
As he ran through the forest, a group of hunters from the Vareth Clan was already waiting. Their red eyes gleamed in the darkness, fangs bared in anticipation.
"Theron Nyx," their leader, a towering beta named Garrik, sneered. "We've been ordered to make sure you never return."
Theron realized the trap. Orion hadn't just exiled him—he had sentenced him to death.
There was no time to think. Theron bolted, tearing through the forest with everything he had. But the Vareth hunters were fast. Their claws slashed through the air, nearly ripping into his skin. Blood seeped from fresh wounds on his back and arms, but he didn't stop.
Then, something inside him snapped.
Rage, betrayal, and the sheer will to survive ignited his blood. He leapt onto a large boulder and turned to face them, his eyes now burning gold.
"If you want my life," he rasped, "then come and take it!"
The battle erupted beneath the shadow of the eclipse. Theron fought with a strength he had never known before. One by one, the hunters fell. But Garrik was stronger. With a single devastating blow, Theron was hurled off the edge of a cliff.
As he plummeted into the darkness below, his consciousness faded, leaving only one thought in his mind.
Orion Nyx will pay for this in blood.
*
At the edge of the cliff, Orion stood with his arms crossed. The Vareth hunters knelt before him.
"He fell into the abyss, my lord. No one survives that fall," Garrik reported.
Orion stared into the void, silent for a moment before clicking his tongue. "You don't know Theron. He's an Alpha's son—he can't be underestimated. I won't believe he's dead until I see his body myself."
He turned to his men. "Send out a search party. Find his body. If he's still breathing… make sure he never comes back."
The night wind howled around them.
The eclipse had only just begun.
"Theron, don't ever try to come back…"