The priestess held out a short knife, its blade glinting menacingly in the shining light of day. She began to chant, her voice low and hypnotic, as she drew a circle on the ground with a dark powder.

The air was thick with anticipation, the group watching with a mix of fascination and horror. Layla felt a shiver run down her spine as the priestess drew intricate symbols within the circle, the powder beginning to glow with an otherworldly energy that seemed to pulse with a malevolent life of its own.

Layla had never seen anything like it before, but the werewolves seemed familiar with the ritual. The priestess finished...