ORIGIN OF THE PACT (ONE)

TWENTY YEARS BEFORE THE WORLD RESET

IN THE WEREWOLF VILLAGE

The dungeon corridor was narrow and damp, lit only by flickering torches that threw long, restless shadows across rough stone walls. The werewolf king stood just outside the heavy wooden door leading down to the cells, his crimson eyes burning like twin embers in the dim light. His voice came low and sharp, cutting through the silence like a blade.

“Where is the prisoner?”

The two guards flanking the door stiffened. The first—young, barely past his first full moon—quivered as he answered. “She’s… in the first cell, my lord.”

The king’s gaze pinned him. The boy’s eyes flickered involuntarily from crimson to glowing beta yellow, his partial transformation betraying raw fear. He was still innocent, still unused to the weight of an alpha’s stare.

The king’s attention shifted to the second guard. Older. Scarred. His eyes were cold, piercing blue—darkened by years of bloodshed, the mark of one who had killed many and carried every death. He met the king’s gaze steadily, though his knuckles whitened around the spear shaft.

They led him down the stone steps. The air grew colder, heavier with the smell of damp rock and old iron. At the first cell, thick iron bars framed a woman bound in heavy chains.

She looked late twenties. Pale skin flushed red at the cheeks. Emerald green eyes. Long, flowing white hair. Slender arms stretched above her head, chained to the wall; more chains wrapped her torso, waist, legs. Through gaps in the iron, a white sleeveless undershirt and black baggy trousers were visible. Grime streaked her face, yet her beauty was undeniable—sharp, untamed, almost luminous in the gloom.

The king stared. His eyes still burned crimson.

“So you’re the White Fang Wolf?” His voice was flat. “From the rumors, I thought capturing you would be harder.”

The woman lifted her head. Her eyes remained emerald—no shift to werewolf color. She studied him calmly.

The king was tall, powerfully built, short black beard framing a strong jaw, jet-black hair falling to his nape. His robes were richly adorned—befitting a ruler whose pack commanded at least fifty lesser packs.

“You defeated me in battle,” she said, a faint smirk curling her lips. “You ought to have killed me and absorbed my powers. Why haven’t you?”

The king scowled. Claws extended from his fingertips with a soft metallic click. He stepped forward, reached through the bars, and seized her throat.

“I would have, damned right,” he growled, fangs bared. “If it was possible.”

He released her abruptly. Stepped back. His voice dropped, calmer now, but edged with something raw.

“Why did you come back, Elena? You’re pushing my hand here.”

Elena laughed—carefree, almost musical. “I just came to see how my favorite ex-boyfriend was doing. You’ve really gotten powerful. Would never have imagined my sweet Jax would have the raw power to beat so many werewolf packs… and the smooth tongue to convince more to join his.”

The king’s growl rumbled low in his chest. His claws flexed. “WHY… DID… YOU… COME… BACK?”

Elena’s smirk widened. “Looks like I still know what buttons to push.” Her tone softened, just a fraction. “Anyway… I came back to warn you. The hunters are coming. Hundreds of them. The humans want to exterminate us. It’s going to be a full-blown war.”

The king paused. His crimson glow dimmed slightly as he processed. “If it’s just humans, you’re more than capable of handling them by yourself. There’s more to it.”

Elena’s smirk turned knowing. “That’s my smart boy. The humans have done something unexpected. They made a pact with the Celestial of War—worth the sacrifice of every newborn child of both humans and animals in all their villages. You know what that means.”

The king’s expression tightened. He stroked his beard slowly. “That… is a very heavy sacrifice.”

Elena leaned forward as far as the chains allowed. “Heavy sacrifice means great gain from the Celestial of War. Their kantar output, raw strength, battle stats as a whole—drastically increased. With their numbers, they can easily wipe our kind out.”

The king paced the narrow space outside the bars, claws retracting and extending again. “What the hell do we do? I just established peace. Now I have to prepare my men for a war that will result in half our deaths—and that’s the best-case scenario.”

Elena rolled her eyes. “Always the overthinker. Release me and we can think of something together.”

The king stopped. Stared at her like she’d slapped him. “You can’t be serious right now. Elena, may I remind you that you were banished from your pack and left this village because you lusted for blood. You killed for the fun of it—be it animals, humans, or your own kin.”

Elena rolled her eyes dramatically, sighing. “I just killed a few. You all over-exaggerate too much.”

The king placed a hand on his forehead, muttering. “You’re always like this.” He looked at her with tired eyes. “You were never the same after the color of your eyes changed to purple.”

He turned and left. The heavy wooden door slammed shut behind him.

Elena watched him go. The moment the door closed, her smirk crooked. A single tear slipped from her left eye.

“Come back… please,” she whispered. “I miss you so much. I need help.”

She closed her eyes tightly. When she opened them again, someone stood on the other side of the bars.

It was her.

Exactly her—except partially transformed. Eyes dark purple. Ears long and pointed. Dire horns fully grown. Arms covered in white fur, fingernails turned to claws, same for her toes.

The other Elena smiled—mocking, cruel.

“Pathetic,” she said. “You have so much power. You can do whatever you want. You stand at the apex of the werewolf race… yet you let yourself be captured. And you cry over a man, saying you need help. You don’t need help. We don’t need help. We just need more power. Power to defeat the celestials, to lay waste to the humans, to defeat the demon lords. All three realms will bow to us.”

Elena shook her head, eyes squeezed shut. “No… don’t listen. She’s not real. She’s just in your head.”

The other Elena’s mocking smile faded as she dissolved into shadow.

Meanwhile, the king stood alone in the corridor just outside the dungeon door. His calm demeanor had cracked. Worry lined his face.

He muttered to himself. “This is very bad. If there are things we don’t foresee, the humans might wipe out our entire race. I need to find a security measure for the worst-case scenario.”

He straightened. Called for the alphas.

In the long meeting hall, all the alphas of the various packs sat around a heavy stone table. The king stood at the head.

One alpha spoke. “We’ve sent scouts to confirm the prisoner’s information. Sadly… it’s true. A huge army of humans is riding toward the desert. They’re currently battling the Kaiju in the Kaiju forest. Judging by their speed, they’ll be here in a week.”

Murmurs rippled through the room.

The king raised his hand. Silence fell.

“Working with the information the prisoner gave us, the humans have made a pact with the Celestial of War—putting us at a massive disadvantage. Even if she lied about that part, we must prepare for the worst case. So I think we should release her…”

Before he could finish, seven of the ten alphas raised hands in objection.

The king growled. “Let me finish.”

He continued. “She’ll only be released if she makes a kantar vow with me. If she even thinks of killing one of our own, she dies on the spot.”

The hands slowly lowered. An old alpha—scarred, ancient, at least twenty thousand years old—spoke.

“Well… the addition of a kantar vow is a very good safety measure. And we do need the power of the purple-eyed wolf for any hope of winning against people who have made a pact with the Celestial of War.”

The others nodded—reluctantly, but they nodded.

All except one.

Ziscker stood. Crimson eyes fuming. “I OBJECT.”

He slammed a fist on the table. “Have you all forgotten what that she-devil did in this village? She slaughtered half her pack—and all my family. She killed my wife. My son. I’ll never fight alongside that devil. NEVER.”

He stormed out.

The king watched him go. Did nothing. Just waved a hand. “Meeting adjourned. Commence as planned. We shall ready the warriors of your packs for the impending war.”

He turned to the old alpha. “Scarlet, you’re the one whose words we all respect the most. Convince Ziscker this is the right choice.”

Scarlet nodded slowly. “I shall try my best… but Ziscker is stubborn. That, on top of how close to home the White Wolf hit… it’s going to be a really long talk.”

With that, he left.

The king stood alone in the corridor again. The worry returned to his face.

He muttered quietly. “This is very bad. If there are things we don’t foresee, the humans might wipe out our entire race. I need to find a security measure for the worst-case scenario