The morning of the Ascension Ceremony broke with a dreary, overcast sky, the gray clouds mirroring the grim reality of the Obsidian Syndicate’s Citadel. But inside the heavily fortified compound of the Bloodiron estate, the atmosphere was crackling with a terrifying, electric anticipation.

I stood

Julian’s face contorted into a mask of pure, unadulterated hatred. He didn't fully shift—he knew as well as I did that shedding our human forms would silence our voices, and this was a battle of public perception as much as physical dominance. Instead, he let his claws elongate, his canines dropping

The aftermath of the Ascension Ceremony was a whirlwind of swift, brutal justice and bureaucratic restructuring.

The moment Julian was stripped of his wolf, the remaining loyalty within the Citadel shattered. The Obsidian guards who had sworn fealty to him were quick to drag him and a screaming, t