Meanwhile, Sandro and his team arrived at the Shadow’s hideout.
"Everyone, take position!" Sandro ordered.
The group split into their assigned units. Sandro led his squad quietly through the south side—the weakest point. Just as they had strategized, the attack began smoothly. Guards were quickly overwhelmed.
Cheers of victory erupted among Sandro’s men. But Sandro felt uneasy. It had all gone too smoothly.
"Where is the Shadow—your boss?!" he shouted, pointing a gun at one of the captured guards.
The guards trembled, but none spoke.
Then it happened. A thunderous explosion shook the building. Sandro barely turned when night warriors stormed in, guns blazing. Chaos exploded as bullets tore through the air.
Sandro pulled grenades and hurled them, but the warriors pressed on—unfazed.
"Retreat! It’s a trap! This is no ordinary enemy!" Sandro roared, urging his men to flee.
Many were gunned down. A few managed to escape—Sandro among them.
"I won’t stop! I’ll destroy every last one of you Blue Moon bastards!" the Shadow bellowed, laughing darkly.
Bloodied and breathless, Sandro escaped with only ten of his fifty men. Betrayal burned in his chest.
"Why would Wilson do this to us?!" he screamed. He had seen Wilson running toward the enemy—and not getting shot. "He switched sides! That traitor!"
He called Beta Gilbert.
"Sandro? What’s going on?" Gilbert asked.
"Boss... we were betrayed. I lost most of my men. We’re injured and barely alive."
"Activate your tracker now. I’ll send Mason and a team to extract you," Gilbert ordered.
"Yes, boss," Sandro groaned, ending the call.
Beta Gilbert immediately dispatched Mason and ten armed men, following Sandro’s signal.
***
Far away, Bernard drove alone on a desolate road. He reached a crossroads, stepped out of the car, and pulled a ring from his pocket—the one given by the late Alpha Jackson.
He slipped the ring onto his middle finger and switched off his car lights. Then, he disappeared into the woods.
He wandered for a while until he remembered the instructions: "Use your heart and the ring."
He removed the ring and whispered, "I wish to reach the highest priest of the land of the Holy Ones."
In a flash, Bernard vanished. He soared through the air until he arrived at the sacred sanctuary. There, he was greeted by the mysterious lady in white.
"Welcome, great Alpha of the Blue Moon pack. Come and face your greatest fear," she said.
Inside, the High Priest awaited him.
"Are you ready to face your fear?" the priest asked, locking eyes with him.
"Yes," Bernard responded firmly. "I’m ready to do whatever it takes to become the greatest Alpha of all time."
"Then you must forget what you love. Behave unpredictably. Harden your heart," the priest instructed.
"How do I do that?" Bernard asked, confused.
"The road to success has many paths, each with a price. To win this battle, you must become like the enemy you wish to defeat."
"So... I have to become the devil I’m trying to destroy," Bernard muttered, realization dawning.
The High Priest nodded. The transformation had begun...