Diane's hackles stood on end as the haunting wail reverberated through the forest, chilling her to the bone. The warband shifted uneasily, their eyes wide with primal fear at the eldritch sound.

"By the ancestors..." Elena's voice was hushed. "What sort of profane force could conjure such anguished cries?"

"A power we've never borne witness to," Gamma Leon said grimly. "This is no mere ancient evil stirring, but something far more sinister."

Diane felt her heart pounding in her ears. Every fiber of her being warned her to turn back, to retreat to the safety of the pack's territory. And yet...

Squaring her shoulders, she met Leon's wizened gaze. "You're...