The Alphas Reincarnation Stats of a Wolf

Echoes of Identity

The air within the Citadel seemed heavier now, as if the very walls bore witness to their survival of the last trial. The silence was oppressive, broken only by the faint hum of residual energy that lingered after the orb's explosion of light. Zephyr's fingers twitched involuntarily as the blade at his side pulsed faintly, its energy resonating with an undercurrent he could barely comprehend.

The trio stepped through the newly revealed doorway, the shifting walls parting to reveal a cavernous expanse. It was unlike the previous chambers—vast, open, and filled with an eerie stillness. The ground beneath their feet was polished obsidian, reflecting the faint glow of countless floating runes that spiraled lazily through the air like fireflies.

Zephyr felt it immediately—the tension in the air. Not the looming threat of an enemy, but something deeper, more insidious. The weight of the Citadel itself pressed against him, as though the fortress were watching, evaluating.

"This doesn't feel like a reward," Ryu muttered, his claws clicking against the smooth floor as he scanned the room.

Kierra's grip on her daggers tightened, her eyes darting to the shifting runes above. "It's not. This place isn't letting us go that easily."

Zephyr nodded, his gaze fixed ahead. At the far end of the chamber stood a monolithic structure—a jagged pillar of black stone, its surface etched with glowing sigils. It pulsed faintly, each surge of light accompanied by a subtle vibration that reverberated through the ground.

The pillar radiated power, a kind of primal energy that made Zephyr's skin crawl. His instincts screamed at him to stay back, but he knew they had no choice. The Citadel wasn't a place that allowed retreat.

"Stay close," he said, his voice low but steady.

They moved as one, their steps careful, measured. The closer they got to the pillar, the stronger the vibrations became. The runes spiraling above began to descend, swirling faster and faster until they formed a cyclone of light around the structure.

Zephyr's breath caught as the energy shifted. The air grew colder, sharper, and the shadows along the edges of the chamber deepened, stretching unnaturally toward them.

Then, without warning, the pillar came alive.

The sigils on its surface flared with blinding light, and a figure began to emerge from the stone itself—a twisted, warped form that seemed to shimmer between reality and illusion. It was humanoid but wrong, its limbs elongated, its body fractured and shifting like a shattered mirror trying to piece itself together.

The figure's face—or what passed for a face—was a void, a swirling abyss of darkness that seemed to devour the light around it.

Zephyr's chest tightened as the thing stepped forward, its movements jerky and unnatural.

"It's not another shadow," Kierra whispered, her voice tinged with unease.

"No," Zephyr said, his grip tightening on his blade. "This is something else. Something worse."

The creature raised a hand, and the air around them twisted. The cyclone of runes exploded outward, each fragment streaking toward them like shards of glass.

"Move!" Zephyr shouted, diving to the side.

Ryu snarled, his claws flashing as he deflected a cluster of runes, but the force of the impact sent him skidding across the floor. Kierra moved like a phantom, her daggers a blur as she cut through the onslaught, her movements precise and calculated.

Zephyr rolled to his feet, his blade humming with energy. He focused on the creature, his mind racing. It wasn't attacking mindlessly; its movements were deliberate, calculated. The way it used the runes, the way it positioned itself—it was testing them, probing their defenses.

The Citadel wasn't just throwing obstacles in their path. It was adapting.

"Don't waste energy," Zephyr called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. "It's learning. We need to find its pattern."

Ryu growled, ducking beneath a wave of runes. "Easy for you to say! This thing's throwing half the room at us!"

Kierra didn't respond. She was already moving, her eyes locked onto the creature, studying its movements with a predator's focus.

Zephyr followed her lead, his mind sharpening as he activated the blade's resonance. The weapon hummed in his hand, its energy syncing with the vibrations in the air. He could feel the creature's presence now, a pulsing rhythm that guided its attacks.

And then he saw it.

The creature's movements weren't random—they followed a pattern, a subtle sequence hidden within the chaos. Its strikes were timed with the vibrations of the pillar, each attack an extension of the Citadel's energy.

"Focus on the pillar!" Zephyr shouted. "It's controlling the creature!"

Kierra didn't hesitate. She pivoted, her daggers flashing as she leaped toward the structure. But the creature reacted instantly, its body twisting unnaturally to intercept her.

Zephyr cursed, his blade flaring as he charged. The creature met him head-on, its strikes faster, more precise than anything they'd faced before. Every clash sent shockwaves through his body, the sheer force threatening to overwhelm him.

But he didn't back down.

This was the Citadel's game, its challenge. It wasn't just testing their strength—it was testing their ability to adapt, to overcome.

And Zephyr refused to lose.

He gritted his teeth, channeling the blade's energy into a powerful slash. The weapon sang as it cut through the air, its resonance disrupting the creature's rhythm for a split second.

It was all the opening Kierra needed.

She moved like a shadow, her daggers finding their mark. The pillar shuddered as her blades pierced its surface, the glowing sigils dimming for a moment.

The creature let out a soundless scream, its body convulsing as cracks began to spread across its form.

"Now!" Zephyr shouted, pouring every ounce of his strength into a final strike.

The blade connected, and the creature shattered like glass, its fragments dissolving into the air.

The room fell silent once more.

Zephyr staggered, his chest heaving as he turned to face the others. Kierra was leaning against the pillar, her breath ragged but her eyes sharp. Ryu was on one knee, his claws digging into the floor as he caught his breath.

The pillar was still glowing faintly, but its energy was subdued, its threat neutralized.

Zephyr's gaze lingered on the structure, his mind racing. The Citadel wasn't just testing them. It was preparing them for something—something far beyond the trials they'd faced so far.

And for the first time, he felt a flicker of fear.

Because whatever lay ahead was going to push them beyond their limits.

And the Citadel knew it.