CHAPTER 181: CHAPTER 181: RITUS TENEBRIS

Kieran’s POV

The clock tower was the only place high enough to give me a full view of the academy, so that’s where I’d taken position. The stone beneath my boots was cold, the iron gears creaking faintly behind me as the giant hands ticked onward. The clock was literally ticking, and every strike that echoed felt like a reminder, I was running out of time.

My eyes stayed fixed on the guesthouse. That was where they had her locked in. Lorraine. Every fiber of me screamed to just storm the place, tear down the doors, and rip apart anyone who stood in my way. But I forced myself to wait. I had promised her one hour. Whether Adrian showed up or not, once that hour ran out, I was getting her the hell out of there.

I crouched low, narrowing my eyes, watching movement around the grounds. My vision sharpened when I spotted Adrian walking towards the guesthouse with a tray of food in his hands. My jaw clenched hard. At least he was keeping his word, he’d said he would get her something. I followed him with my gaze until he disappeared through the doorway.

But then....

The sound hit like a blade through the air.

The blaring siren.

My entire body went still. The sound wasn’t just loud, it was lethal, it was alarm, it was the kind of siren that meant blood was about to spill. Soldiers spilled out from the barracks, weapons in hand, their footsteps pounding in unison as they rushed towards the guesthouse.

Shit.

They must have found it. The Captain’s body.

My pulse hammered as I tracked their movement. And then, amidst the chaos, a figure emerged. The Leader himself. He stormed into the guesthouse, his dark cloak trailing behind him like a shadow ready to consume everything.

Seconds later, she was there.

Lorraine.

My chest tightened as I saw her being dragged out, her body jerking against their grip, fighting like hell even though she had no strength left. My hands curled into fists so tight the bones cracked. Every instinct screamed to move, but I stayed frozen, hidden in the tower’s shadow. Timing was everything now.

Then I heard it.

The Leader’s voice, booming across the courtyard, sharp enough to slice through the air:

"Start the preparations for Ritus Tenebris."

My blood ran cold.

Ritus Tenebris.

I had seen it before, on a note in the Captain’s office, scrawled in his messy handwriting, circled twice as if it were vital. I knew the word, I knew it was a ritual, but for a heartbeat, I couldn’t place it. The gears in my head spun wildly, trying to pull the memory from the depths of my training, from everything I’d read, everything I’d been forced to learn.

And then it hit me.

The realization slammed into me so hard it nearly stole the breath from my lungs. My eyes widened, my body going rigid as the truth clawed its way to the surface.

Ritus Tenebris wasn’t just a ritual. It was the ritual. A sacrifice.

This wasn’t punishment. This wasn’t another one of The Leader’s cruel games.

This was death.

Lorraine was going to die.

"No." The word slipped out in a growl under my breath, sharp, guttural. Rage and fear twisted together in my chest, burning hotter than fire.

I gripped the edge of the stone wall, my knuckles white, every muscle in my body locked tight as I stared down at her struggling form.

The clock was still ticking. But I no longer had an hour.

Time had just run out.

Lorraine’s POV

They dragged me out like a criminal. A dozen soldiers on each side, their iron grips bruising my frail body as though I were some wild beast they feared would break free. My heels scraped against the stone path, every step echoing like a death march. I didn’t resist again. Resistance was pointless. My body burned from exhaustion. And Adrian, he was walking just a few steps behind me.

He didn’t say a word, not at first. But when the soldiers forced me against the massive oak tree in the courtyard, tying my wrists behind it with ropes so tight they cut into my skin, I finally dared to lift my head. Adrian stood there, staring at me. Not with the fury I expected, not even with hatred, but with disappointment

"You lied to me," his voice cracked, but it still carried. "You betrayed me."

I couldn’t help it. A bitter laugh clawed its way out of my chest, sharp and mocking. "Betrayed you?" I spat the word like venom. "Of all people, Adrian, you should be the last to throw that word at me. Yes, I lied, but you? You were a fool to ever think I’d come crawling back to you. That I would forget everything you’ve done."

He flinched, but I didn’t stop. My anger surged like fire through my veins.

"Forget how you tortured Elise? Forget how you made her kill herself?" My voice shook, louder now, rawer. "You’re a bloody fool for ever thinking I could forgive you for that. You disgust me, Adrian Vale. Every time I acted close to you, every time I forced myself to smile in your presence, I wanted to vomit. Pretending with you made me sick to my stomach. And you know what? I’m glad I don’t have to keep up that charade anymore."

The soldiers shifted uneasily. Adrian looked as though I had slapped him, his face pale, lips parted in disbelief.

"Lorraine....." he began, but the voice that interrupted wasn’t his.

"She’s quite a sharp mouthed one, isn’t she?"

The courtyard stilled as he entered. The Leader.

The air itself seemed to bow beneath his presence. His gaze swept over me like a blade, sharp and assessing, before he let out a low chuckle. "No wonder the Moon Goddess chose you."

My heart pounded as I glared at him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

He didn’t answer. Instead, white robed women emerged from the shadows, their faces hidden beneath hoods, their hands clutching bowls and strange symbols etched in silver. They moved in unison, circling me, murmuring words I didn’t understand. The air thickened with incense and something darker, an energy that made the hairs on my arms stand on end.

"What the hell is this?" My voice cracked as panic clawed at me. "Stop! What’s going on?"

The Leader only smiled, cruel and knowing. Adrian’s eyes darted between him and me, confusion etched into his face, but he said nothing. Not one damn word.

The Leader stepped closer, slow, deliberate, until his shadow stretched over me. My chest tightened. Something in his eyes told me this was no ordinary punishment.

And then.... before his hand could reach me.... a blur of movement cut through the air.

Someone was suddenly there.

No, not just someone.

Kieran.

He stood in front of me, his back broad, his stance protective, his entire body vibrating with power that rippled through the ground beneath my feet. His voice when he spoke wasn’t just his voice, it was something primal, something ancient that made even the soldiers step back.

"Touch my woman again," he snarled, "and I’ll make you regret it."

The courtyard shook with his words. My heart stuttered in my chest.

But The Leader... he only laughed. A deep, mocking laugh that made my stomach twist.

"You think you can stop me, Kieran Valerius Hunter?" His tone dripped with disdain. "For killing my captain, you will die tonight. You and your precious woman both.

Kieran didn’t flinch "I don’t care if I fall tonight because if I fall, I am taking you with me. But what I will not allow.... is you touching Lorraine or getting her wolf."

My voice trembled as I stared at him, confused, desperate for answers.

"Getting my wolf?" My mind raced "What the hell are you talking about?"

Kieran didn’t turn fully, but he glanced back at me. His eyes, dark, burning, held mine for the briefest moment. And for once, there was no teasing, no arrogance, only raw urgency.

"Ritus Tenebris," he said, voice steady despite the chaos around us. "It’s a wolf transferring ritual, Lorraine."

The words struck me like lightning.

He continued, each word heavy "The one whose wolf gets removed... dies instantly."