The she-wolf, whom Lyra had named the Guardian of Whispers, stared at them with dead eyes. Her dark fur seemed to absorb light, and her presence emanated a deep, boundless sorrow. Lyra felt that this was not a being consumed by the Shadow of Oblivion, but by something equally destructive – loss and despair.
"You are mistaken," Lyra said, her voice gentle yet firm. "Life is not always easy, but oblivion is not peace. It is annihilation."
"What do you know of oblivion?" the Guardian of Whispers snarled, her voice sharp like broken glass. "I saw the fall of this city. I saw my loved ones cease to exist, not from death, but from… an absence. An absence of memories. An absence of self. It is better not to remember than to live with that pain."
Lyra understood. The she-wolf had witnessed the spread of the Shadow of Oblivion in this place and had seen its effects on those she loved. Her mind was a refuge from that pain, a void she had consciously chosen.
"I know what loss is," Lyra said, recalling her own pack and the pains of her past. "But memory, even painful, is part of who we are. Without it, we are nothing. And we are here to help you reclaim it. To help this city breathe again."
Kaelan, standing beside Lyra, felt the deep sorrow emanating from the Guardian. He felt empathy, but he knew he had to trust Lyra. This was her battle.
Lyra raised her hand, and a stream of green, Primeval Magic flowed from her palm. She did not direct it against the Guardian, but enveloped her gently, like a soothing rain. The magic touched her fur, then delicately penetrated her soul.
The Guardian of Whispers hissed, but did not attack. She felt a warmth that had long been alien to her. Lyra poured her own memories into her – memories of pain and loss, but also of love, hope, and rebirth. She showed her visions of her pack, Kaleb, the Heart of the Forest, the Song of Life. She showed her that despite the darkness, there is always a glimmer of hope.
A struggle arose in the mind of the Guardian of Whispers. The emptiness she had nurtured for so long began to tremble. Old memories began to emerge – faces of loved ones, children's laughter, the beauty of the City of Whispers before its fall. The pain was intense, but it was also accompanied by… longing.
Tears began to stream down the she-wolf's cheeks, and her dead eyes began to gleam. Her dark fur began to flicker, as if light was trying to break through. She began to tremble.
"It… it hurts," she whispered, her voice now full of emotion, pain, and relief. "But… I see. I remember."
Lyra continued, supporting her with her magic. Kaelan watched in awe. Lyra was not fighting an enemy, but healing a soul.
When Lyra withdrew her magic, the Guardian of Whispers fell to her knees, her body trembling. Her fur became lighter, and her eyes, though still sad, were full of life and awareness. "My name is Elara," she said, looking up at Lyra. "Thank you, Luna. You saved me from the worst oblivion."
Elara, though still weakened, was free from the void. She told them the story of the fall of the City of Whispers – how the Shadow of Oblivion, instead of consuming their existence, began to erase their memories, gradually stripping them of their identity. Many inhabitants surrendered, seeking solace in emptiness, but Elara resisted, becoming the guardian of what remained, even if she herself paid for it with her memory and emotions.
"The bastion is there," Elara said, pointing to the gigantic, mutated root in the center of the city. "It was the Fountain of Memories. A vessel of Primeval Magic that protected our memories. When the Shadow of Oblivion attacked it, it became corrupted and its power dormant. It's still there. But it's trapped in darkness."
Lyra approached the Fountain of Memories. It was covered in a viscous, black substance that pulsed ominously. Lyra placed her hands on its surface. She felt the Primeval Magic fighting the darkness of the Shadow of Oblivion.
"We must cleanse it," Lyra said. "But this plague is different from the Heart of the Forest. This is more… personalized. It focuses on memories."
Kaelan and Elara stood beside Lyra, ready to help. Lyra closed her eyes and focused, pouring her Primeval Magic into the Fountain of Memories. This time, in addition to pure life energy, Lyra summoned the Song of Life. It was not a melody she knew, but one she felt vibrating in her soul. It was a song of memories, emotions, joy, sorrow, love – everything that constitutes existence.
Green light shot from her hands, enveloping the Fountain. The black substance began to hiss and recede, but this time it did not dissolve. Instead, luminous, ethereal images began to emerge from within it – glimpses of memories that the Shadow of Oblivion had tried to consume. There were faces of werewolves, scenes from city life, fleeting moments of joy and love.
The Shadow of Oblivion began to react aggressively. Mutated shadows that had hidden in the city's nooks and crannies began to emerge and attack. "We'll protect you, Luna!" Kaelan shouted, shifting into his wolf form. He and Elara stood to defend Lyra. Elara, though still weak, fought with renewed strength, using her claws and teeth to tear apart the Shadows that tried to approach them. Her eyes burned with determination.
Lyra, despite the chaos around her, did not stop. She completely immersed herself in the Song of Life, allowing it to flow through her and into the Fountain of Memories. She felt memories returning, life regenerating. A stream of green light shot from the Fountain of Memories, spreading throughout the city. The black substance that covered the buildings and the ground began to fade and disappear, revealing clean, restored matter beneath. Destroyed trees began to sprout green shoots, and the sweet scent of blooming flowers filled the air.
The City of Whispers began to breathe. The cleansing of the Fountain of Memories not only caused the plague to disappear but also brought back fleeting memories into the air, which slowly began to return to the werewolves who had survived in hiding.
When the last Shadow vanished, Lyra sank to the ground, exhausted but with a feeling of profound relief. Kaelan and Elara rushed to her side.
"You did it, Luna!" Kaelan said, joy in his voice.
Elara knelt beside Lyra, her eyes filled with tears. "You brought life back to my city. You brought back our memories. You are the true Luna."
The werewolves who had been hiding in the nooks of the City of Whispers began to emerge, their eyes disoriented, but hope began to appear on their faces as they saw the city regenerating. Lyra felt memories returning to them, like a gentle rain.
The cleansing of the City of Whispers was another step. Lyra knew it was not the end. Many more bastions remained to be cleansed, and the Song of Life was still a melody she had to fully master. But now they had another ally, Elara, whose mind had been healed, and hope that spread through the air like a fresh breeze.