Chapter 3: 6:34 a.m.
Loiza POV
I woke up to an intense itching sensation on my Crescent Moon mark—it’s always a warning. Damn! I shot up in bed, the clock reading 4:31 a.m. I rushed to the window. Everything seemed calm, but the mark flared up again, even more painfully.
Sweat beads started forming on my forehead. I ran to the front door, sniffing the air with my eyes shut, trying to catch any scent, but... nothing. My senses sharpened as I strained to see through the darkness, listening carefully for any signs. But still, nothing.
By now, the mark was burning me, agony shooting through my arm as sweat ran down my temples. I ran inside to grab my phone, hoping to reach the Alpha. The pack Link wasn’t responding, and I shouted to my parents to get up immediately, waking the entire house. Just as I grabbed my phone, Dad appeared in the doorway, panic in his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, wide-eyed.
“Dad, I’m trying to Link the Alpha. Get in touch with General Braka and check if anything’s approaching the island. Something’s happening, I’m not sure what, but I think it’s already here!”
I didn’t need to say more. He and my siblings sprang into action, calling everyone and linking to the pack. My sister, started making coffee so we could stay alert.
Then, the ground shook.
The tremors were strong, but I couldn’t feel anything from tectonic plates. Only the burning pain from my mark. I forced myself to stay calm, focusing on the ground beneath me, trying to make sense of it all.
“Everyone, stay alert!” I barked, heading outside to get a better sense of the situation. My father finally got in contact with the Alpha while I concentrated. Then, a thought hit me—Mt. Cemí. And with it, the unmistakable scent.
“Do you smell that?!” I shouted, almost pleading.
“What smell?” Guanina, my sister, asked, clearly confused. I looked at my brother Urayoán for confirmation. He was the pack's best tracker, and if anyone would know, it was him. He looked uneasy but shook his head. “No.”
I turned back to my father. “We need to evacuate the island now! Tell the Alpha to find any allies we have! Sound the alarm!”
He could see the mark glowing red on my forearm, knew it was burning me from the inside out. My family scrambled to make the necessary calls. My father answered, “Alpha Gúarionex has been informed. They’re trying to contact allies now, but what’s happening?”
“Dad, you need to take charge,” I said, voice sharp. “We need to evacuate—Mt. Cemí is going to blow!”
I knelt on the floor, placing my hand on the earth, trying to calm the tremors, stop the magma below. I’m a Priestess, but this wasn’t something I could control—not yet.
“Where’s Yaya?” I asked desperately, trying to reach her through the Link. But there was no answer.
We had a small airport with an emergency plan in place, but no one had expected today to be the day. The house was chaos—everyone grabbed what they could, loading up bug-out bags. As the first plane filled with women, pups, and the Elders prepared to take off, the explosion happened.
Boom.
It was 5:06 a.m., and the eruption’s plume was already visible, thickening with the sun’s rise. The ground shook violently. I staggered, falling to the ground. “Can you smell it now?!” I shouted at Urayoán. He glared back at me, sarcasm dripping from his voice, mouthing, “No shit.”
People were heading to planes and boats. The main goal was evacuating the pack, saving who we could. The Alpha had contacted two allies in the U.S.—Virginia and another nearby—but we didn’t have time to waste. The first plane left, and I turned to the mountain, horrified at what I saw: lava spilling over the caldera.
I shouted to my father, needing to go to the mountain. “I have to try to stop it. Please, just make sure the others get out safely!”
My father and the Alpha knew what needed to be done, and I knew my duty. “Find Yaya and send her to me!” I yelled as I grabbed the fastest dirt bike and headed up the mountain toward the flow of lava.
With every ounce of my focus, I tried everything I could think of—pushing my energy into the earth, trying to cool the magma, stop it. I even tried summoning water from a nearby river, throwing it over the molten rock like ice into a furnace. It was useless. The lava kept coming, unstoppable.
I linked with the Alpha. “I’m slowing it, but I can’t stop it. You need to pull back!”
“Get back to the airport!” he ordered. His voice hardened with authority, the Alpha command cutting through my resolve. “Now!”
“No!” I shot back. “This is my duty!”
“Your duty is to obey!” His command was absolute. It left no room for debate.
Reluctantly, I gave in, knowing I couldn’t defy him—not like this. I backed away from the lava, my heart heavy with failure, and raced back down the mountain.
By 5:57 a.m., the lava had nearly covered the mountain. I reached the airport and was rushed onto the last plane. I tried linking with my father but got no response. Panic was starting to set in.
“Where’s Dad?!” I asked Urayoán, my voice frantic.
“Most of the warriors are helping with the evacuation,” he replied, his voice tight. “I haven’t heard from him in about fifteen minutes.”
My thoughts raced. “What about Mom? Yadiel? Yaya?”
“I don’t know about Mom, but Yadiel’s with the Alpha,” Aymaco, my oldest brother, answered. The pilot’s voice cut through the chaos, telling us we were about to take off. The cabin was full, but there were still too many unanswered questions. I couldn’t find anyone.
“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice breaking. “Did the Alpha get in contact with any allies?”
At that moment, I felt it—the Alpha command had vanished. That could only mean one thing: Alpha Gúarionex was gone. I couldn’t reach Yadiel either, and my heart sank as the tears began to fall. I looked out the window and saw Karaya Island burning, consumed by fire.
It was 6:34 a.m. as the last glimpse of home faded from view. I felt so drained, every ounce of strength gone. Another tear fell, sizzling as it landed on the mark on my forearm. I closed my eyes, the darkness swallowing me as sleep claimed me, giving me a brief respite from the weight of the loss.
