Siegfried raised his shield just in time to intercept the third direwolf lunging for Klara. The impact sent him skidding back, his boots scraping against the cold earth, but he held his ground.

“Klara, focus on your spells! I’ve got your back!” he shouted.

Star’s sword clashed against the Alpha’s icy aura, their powers colliding in a blinding display of frost and light. The wolf was relentless—its strikes calculated, almost human in their precision. Star’s heart pounded as she parried each blow, every impact threatening to push her past her limits.

“We need to synchronize!” Kevin’s voice cut through the chaos. “Focus on one target at a time—take them down together!”

Star nodded, her eyes locking with Friedrich’s.

“The Alpha—take him out first!” she called.

Klara summoned a storm of wind and lightning, enveloping the Alpha in crackling gales and slowing its movement. Friedrich charged through the tempest, his greatsword ablaze as he slashed through the storm, landing a heavy blow against the beast’s flank. The Alpha howled in pain but retaliated, its claws shimmering with frost as they struck back.

Siegfried leapt in, his shield absorbing the worst of the counterattack.

“Now, Star!” he roared.

Seizing the opening, Star surged forward, her sword glowing with radiant energy. She struck the Alpha’s chest, the light piercing its icy defenses. The creature staggered, its glowing eyes dimming as its body dissolved into a glittering cascade of frost.

With their leader defeated, the remaining wolves faltered. The group pressed their advantage, each member executing their role with unwavering resolve. Klara’s storm drove the wolves into Friedrich’s inferno. Siegfried’s shield turned aside every counter. And Star’s light carved a path through the darkness like a guiding flame.

One by one, the direwolves fell, their forms unraveling into fine frost, scattered on the wind. When the final beast was vanquished, silence descended over the mountain. The haunting howls faded into nothingness, leaving only the sound of their ragged breaths and the gentle whisper of the breeze.

They stood together—bruised, exhausted, but victorious. Kevin stepped forward, his expression solemn yet full of quiet respect. His voice, though soft, carried strength.

“You’ve done what few ever could. Direwolves are not easily brought down. They tested not only your strength but your trust in one another. And you passed.”

He turned his gaze to the path ahead.

“The summit awaits. Beyond it lies the truth you seek—and the final choice you must make.”

Star looked up, her eyes following the path as it climbed toward the mountain’s peak, veiled in clouds. She sheathed her sword and turned to her friends, her voice steady despite the weight of what lay ahead.

“Let’s finish this.”

But before they could take another step, the earth groaned beneath their feet. Ice cracked, and a blinding shaft of light pierced the mist as the mountain itself seemed to open its eye. A hidden staircase revealed itself, spiraling into the mountain’s heart—beckoning them toward a destiny they could no longer turn away from.