Northstar Vale (M) And left with a hollow soul nothing left to save…

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The perimeter was quiet, and Noctaryn was grateful for it. It meant those within were safe—two in particular. This newfound urge to protect was overwhelming, and he didn’t understand it. Was it his wolf blood driving him? Being around a pack would surely awaken such instincts, he thought.

After leaving the exhausted mother and pup, he patrolled the outskirts of the Vale, pacing its edges and sniffing for any foreign scents from the outside world.

He wouldn’t admit it, but he was tired. More than anything, though, he didn’t want to sleep. Yet, the moment he stopped to rest against a tree, sleep claimed him.

…————…————…

“Come here, dear. You look exhausted.”

The feminine voice was both distant and near, soft yet somehow loud. He could barely make out the two suns through the blurred silhouette that peered down at him with warmth. He nodded gently, lowering his head to graze his muzzle against the shadowed woman’s.

“How are they?” His gaze softened as he looked down at the small bundles nestled against her belly, suckling happily.

“As strong as their father.”

She nudged his shoulder, and his smile brightened, a deep chuckle rumbling in his chest. He had everything he had ever wanted—a wife, children. A family. Nothing could be better than this. His heart swelled, warmth flooding his veins with every steady beat.

But just as that warmth completed its course through his body, the scene wavered, melting away. Sounds dulled and vanished. Darkness swallowed him whole.

At first, only sound returned. He froze.

Screams. His wife’s cries, his young’s pained squeals.

Then came the voices—men, their tones thick with anger and aggression, blending with the desperate pleas of his family. He could hear the thumps and slaps, the agony inflicted upon them, pain after pain.

He tried to move—tried to run to them—but his body would not obey. Not even a twitch. He tried to scream, but no sound came.

They called for him. Over and over. And with every cry, his heart shattered.

Tears welled in his eyes, spilling into the void. In their depths, images flickered—visions of cruelty, each drop revealing horrors that had happened and those yet to come.

He was forced to watch, his body trembling with despair. The unseen force that held him finally released its grip, but when he tried to run, it was like moving through thick mud. No matter how hard he pushed, no matter how fast his legs moved, he gained no ground.

They were being hurt. And he couldn’t save them.

He couldn’t save them.

He couldn’t save them.

He couldn’t save them…

“Viskani!”

…————…————…

Noctaryn awoke with a scream, his body drenched in sweat and trembling.

There was still some snow on the ground despite the warmth of Spring. He pressed his face into it, the biting cold shocking him further awake, dragging him from the nightmare’s grip.

His breathing steadied. His heart slowed.

But the lingering dread remained.

He had to get back.