Chapter 1576: Echoes of the Past

For a long moment, Steve just stared into the fire. The flickering flames cast shifting patterns of gold and red across his face, and in their restless dance, he seemed to see everything all over again, the mountains, the fight, Rogan’s last breath, and the weight of everything that had come after.

He didn’t move, didn’t blink. The others could tell he had reached the end of his tale. The silence that followed was thick, heavy with all the emotions his story had stirred. To Steve, it felt as if the memories were still alive inside that fire, flickering and burning endlessly.

For Gary and the rest of the group, listening had been nothing short of a rollercoaster. They had faced their own hardships in Slough and beyond, yet hearing about the struggles of those who came before them, those who had lived generations ago, gave everything a new sense of depth. The story of the Redwing Pack, the battle between the two brothers, and the name Unzoku had left them both awed and unsettled.

They had expected history to be simpler, more heroic perhaps, but this was far more complex. These weren’t just stories of strength and leadership, they were stories of pain, sacrifice, and survival.

The Redwing Pack that Steve and Jack had once belonged to sounded extraordinary. The way Steve spoke of them made it clear that they weren’t just any ordinary Werewolves. They had accomplished something unique, something powerful enough to leave a mark even now, centuries later.

Hearing about them made Gary wonder what might have happened if things had gone differently on their own journey. What if, instead of the pack they had met, they had encountered the Redwing Pack first? Would their story have unfolded the same way? Would they have still come across Steve’s tale, or would the threads of fate have taken them somewhere else entirely?

‘Still,’ Gary thought, his mind drifting as he stared at the embers, ‘it didn’t give me the answers I was hoping for.’

He leaned back slightly, lost in thought. ‘I was wondering if this would explain why we’re here, if maybe it would give me a clue about the medallion or how it was created. But there wasn’t even a mention of it. Nothing that fits. And even after all of that... there was no quest update either.’

Gary sighed inwardly. The story hadn’t answered any of the deeper mysteries he was chasing. Still, it wasn’t a complete loss. Now, he knew something important, he had learned where his warhammer had come from.

He was certain of it. The weapon Jack had used in Steve’s story, its shape, its glow, even the power it released, it was the same one Gary now held. The same weapon whose active skill he had discovered through battle.

It made perfect sense now. The weapon had been designed for Werewolves from the very beginning. The power it unleashed had been tailored to their kind. And that meant the others, the weapons that Lupus and his pack used, must have come from that same place as well.

Each weapon had its own aura, its own unique feel, but all of them seemed bound by the same origin. The realization made Gary’s thoughts spin with curiosity and possibility.

If these weapons were out there... then what about the armor?

He remembered how Jack’s armor had fused to his body, how it had transformed with him and strengthened him in both human and wolf form. If that armor still exists somewhere, Gary thought, I have to find it, and if not Jack’s, then Steve’s would be out there.

The idea filled him with both excitement and determination. That kind of protection could change everything in future battles.

Kai, who had been sitting quietly by the fire, broke the silence. “So you both became Alphas in the end,” he said, his eyes flicking between Steve and Lupus. “Brothers, huh?” He tilted his head slightly, half-smiling. “Does this story have a happy ending then?”

Steve looked up from the flames. The question lingered for a moment before he finally responded, his tone slow and thoughtful.

“Happy?” he repeated. “I guess... maybe the best way to describe it would be ongoing.” He exhaled, watching the fire crackle. “It’s been several years since then, and the two of us haven’t had any trouble. I took over my pack and made sure they were cared for, while Jack went on with his life and handled his own responsibilities.”

He smiled faintly. “We still talk, from time to time. But honestly, both of us have been so busy, with our own families, our own problems, that we hardly ever meet. And in some ways, that’s probably for the best. The less we’re together, the less chance there is for... complications.”

Kai frowned slightly, considering that. Could things really be so simple? Just staying apart and pretending the problem wasn’t there? In the world they lived in now, that seemed impossible. There were always people, forces, who would never allow two Alphas to coexist peacefully. Someone, somewhere, would always try to stir conflict.

“What about when you turned into an Alpha?” Lupus asked, his tone cautious. “It didn’t happen the way you expected, right? You must have questioned that a lot.”

Steve nodded slowly, his expression tightening.

Lupus’s eyes narrowed slightly. Part of him wondered if there had been another hand at play, someone powerful watching from afar, influencing things. After all, Kai himself had become an Alpha under mysterious circumstances, breaking the very rule that said there could only be two in the world. Now, there were three.

It was a dangerous pattern, one worth paying attention to.

Before anyone else could speak, Gary suddenly raised his voice. “I want to ask something,” he said, his tone serious.

Everyone turned to look at him. Even Kai seemed puzzled by the sudden interruption.

“How long do Werewolves live?” Gary asked.

The group exchanged confused glances. It was such an odd question to ask after everything they’d just heard, so out of place that even Kai gave him a questioning look.

Steve blinked, then chuckled softly. “Oh... that’s a strange question,” he admitted. “But I’ll be honest with you. Most of us don’t end up living to our full potential. We’re always fighting, always getting into trouble. So a lot of us die long before we reach our limits.”

He paused, thinking back. “But I’ve heard of some Werewolves, strong ones, living up to a hundred and twenty years or more. Maybe even longer. It’s not something most people keep track of.”

Gary nodded slowly, letting the information sink in. A lifespan longer than humans, but not by thousands of years. And yet...

His mind circled back to the story. The name Unzoku. That same name existed in his own time, thousands of years later. That shouldn’t have been possible.

He stared into the fire again, his thoughts racing. If Rogan feared that name then... and it still exists now... what kind of being could live that long?

“What happened at the end of your story?” Gary finally asked, breaking the silence. “You said Rogan mentioned Unzoku before he died. Did you ever find out who he was? Or why he was so afraid of him?”

The fire popped loudly, sending a trail of sparks into the dark sky, and everyone waited quietly for Steve’s answer.

***

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