Whispers of the Wicked

Bastian's POV

The world felt distant—like I was watching my own life through a veil of smoke.

Voices, footsteps, the frantic heartbeat of wolves recovering from battle... none of it stirred emotion inside me. Not fear. Not pride. Not even relief that the pack had survived.

Only... silence.

But there was something else. Like hands gripping the edges of my mind, tugging, whispering. A cold