The Alphas Reincarnation Stats of a Wolf

The Descent

The Citadel didn't waste time.

As they moved deeper into its labyrinthine halls, the air grew colder, heavier. Each breath felt like dragging a blade across their lungs. The shadows no longer lurked at the edges of their vision; they moved openly now, darting along the walls and floor, a constant reminder that they were not alone.

Zephyr's grip on the crystal tightened. Its light flickered weakly, as though the artifact were struggling to stay alive. He glanced back at Kierra and Ryu, their silhouettes barely visible in the dim glow.

"Stay close," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. The Citadel amplified every sound, twisting it into something unrecognizable.

Kierra, always sharp, had her daggers drawn. Her eyes scanned their surroundings with a predator's focus, but there was an edge to her movements—a tension that hadn't been there before. The encounter with her shadow clone had shaken her, even if she wouldn't admit it.

Ryu, on the other hand, looked like a caged animal. His claws glinted faintly in the darkness, and his golden eyes burned with a restless energy. He hated this place. It showed in the way his shoulders hunched, in the way his gaze darted to every corner. This wasn't a battlefield where he could fight his way through. It was something else entirely.

And then the Citadel shifted.

It wasn't a subtle thing. One moment, they were walking down a narrow corridor; the next, the walls stretched and twisted, the floor tilting sharply beneath their feet. The group stumbled, catching themselves as the corridor opened into a vast, cavernous chamber.

The scale of it was disorienting. Jagged spires of obsidian jutted from the ground and ceiling like the teeth of some enormous beast. The shadows here were thicker, darker, coiling around the spires like living things. At the center of the chamber stood a massive obelisk, its surface inscribed with glowing crimson runes.

"What now?" Ryu muttered, his voice low but tense.

Zephyr didn't answer immediately. His eyes were locked on the obelisk, his mind racing. The Citadel wasn't just a fortress—it was alive, and this chamber felt like a heartbeat.

"The crystal," Kierra said, nodding toward the obelisk. "It's reacting."

She was right. The faint glow of the crystal had brightened slightly, pulsing in rhythm with the runes.

"This is a trial," Zephyr said finally. "Another test."

"Great," Ryu growled, his claws flexing. "Let's get it over with."

But the Citadel wasn't interested in rushing.

The Warden of the Shadows

The moment they stepped into the chamber, the shadows surged. They poured from the walls and spires, coalescing into a massive figure that towered over them. Its form was vaguely humanoid, but its limbs were unnaturally long, its fingers ending in razor-sharp claws. Two burning crimson eyes stared down at them, devoid of emotion.

The Warden.

It moved with terrifying speed, its claws slashing through the air. Kierra barely managed to dodge, her body moving on instinct. She countered with a flurry of strikes, her daggers flashing, but they barely left a mark on the Warden's shadowy form.

"Physical attacks aren't working!" she shouted, leaping back as the Warden's claws tore through the ground where she'd stood.

Zephyr cursed under his breath. He held the crystal high, its light flaring. The Warden hissed, recoiling slightly, but it wasn't enough to drive it back.

"Ryu!" Zephyr barked. "Keep it distracted! Kierra, stay close to me!"

Ryu didn't need to be told twice. With a roar, he charged, his claws glowing faintly as he channeled every ounce of his strength into his attacks. He moved like a storm, relentless and unyielding, forcing the Warden to focus on him.

But the Warden wasn't an ordinary foe. It adapted quickly, its movements becoming more fluid, more unpredictable. Ryu snarled as one of its strikes slipped past his defenses, grazing his side.

"Any time now, Zephyr!" he shouted.

Zephyr didn't respond. His focus was entirely on the crystal and the obelisk. The runes on the obelisk were changing, shifting in response to the crystal's light. It was a puzzle, and the solution was just out of reach.

"Zephyr!" Kierra's voice snapped him out of his trance. She was fending off tendrils of shadow that had broken away from the Warden, her movements precise but strained.

He gritted his teeth. "Buy me a few more seconds!"

Kierra and Ryu didn't hesitate. They threw themselves into the fight, their attacks synchronized in a way that only came from years of trust and experience. Kierra's strikes were quick and precise, aiming for weak points, while Ryu's raw power forced the Warden to stay on the defensive.

The Breaking Point

The crystal flared again, and Zephyr finally saw it—the pattern in the runes.

He stepped forward, the crystal glowing brighter with each step. The Warden hissed, turning its attention toward him, but Kierra and Ryu didn't let up. They pushed harder, their attacks becoming more desperate.

"Almost there," Zephyr muttered, his voice barely audible over the chaos.

The runes on the obelisk pulsed in response to the crystal, and Zephyr felt a surge of energy ripple through him. He raised the crystal high, its light piercing through the shadows.

The Warden froze, its form flickering. For a moment, it looked almost human—a figure of darkness and pain, bound to the Citadel's will.

And then the light consumed it.

The Warden let out a final, anguished roar before disintegrating, its form collapsing into the shadows that had birthed it.

The chamber fell silent.

Zephyr lowered the crystal, his hands trembling. Kierra and Ryu stood nearby, their breaths ragged, their bodies battered but unbroken.

"That was… intense," Ryu said, his voice hoarse.

"It's not over," Zephyr replied, his eyes fixed on the obelisk.

The runes had changed again, forming a single word: Ascend.

A staircase of obsidian rose from the ground, leading to a doorway carved into the far wall. Beyond it, the darkness was even deeper, even more suffocating.

"We keep moving," Zephyr said, his voice steady despite the weight in his chest.

Kierra sheathed her daggers, her expression unreadable. Ryu cracked his knuckles, his golden eyes burning with determination.

The Citadel wasn't done with them.

And they weren't done with it.