Part II — The Children of the Fallen King The frightened cries echoed once more.
Small.
Weak.
Yet unmistakably alive.
Drake’s exhaustion vanished.
He sprinted across the shattered colony, leaping over broken pillars and fractured stone until he reached the collapsed nursery.
The entrance had completely caved in during the Alpha’s final clash with the Hollow Antler Tyrant.
Massive slabs of ancient rock sealed the passage beneath layers of rubble.
Another faint chirp reached his ears.
The cubs were still inside.
“They’re trapped…” The relic answered immediately.
Three life signatures confirmed.
Vital signs…
weakened.
Drake’s expression hardened.
“They’re injured?” Unknown.
Oxygen levels decreasing.
His heart skipped.
The nursery had become a tomb.
Without another thought, Drake transformed.
His body expanded violently as white armor spread across his skin.
The familiar pain was still present, but it had changed.
The transformation no longer felt like something forcing itself upon him.
It felt…
Natural.
His breathing steadied.
His vision sharpened.
Even the Bonefang instincts had changed.
They no longer screamed.
They whispered.
Calm.
Focused.
Controlled.
Drake noticed immediately.
“…The evolution…” The relic responded.
Alpha inheritance has stabilized instinct synchronization.
“So that’s what changed…” The Alpha hadn’t merely strengthened him.
It had taught the beast inside him discipline.
There would be time to understand that later.
Right now…
The cubs needed him.
— Drake dug with everything he had.
His massive claws shattered boulders that would have taken ordinary Hunters hours to move.
Broken pillars were pushed aside one after another while clouds of dust filled the colony.
Every few moments he stopped.
Listening.
The cubs still cried.
Good.
They were alive.
He continued.
Minutes passed.
Sweat soaked his armor despite his transformed body.
The rubble slowly disappeared.
Then…
A tiny claw emerged between two cracked stones.
Drake immediately dropped onto one knee.
“Easy…” He spoke softly despite knowing the cubs couldn’t understand human words.
Carefully, he lifted the largest slab away.
A small opening appeared.
Three frightened crimson eyes stared back at him.
The eldest cub immediately placed itself before the other two.
Its tiny body shook violently.
Its fangs were barely developed.
Its legs trembled.
Yet…
It still growled.
Drake smiled sadly.
“…Just like your father.” The cub didn’t move.
Its growl became louder.
Not because it believed it could win.
Because protecting the others mattered more than surviving.
The resemblance to the Alpha was unmistakable.
— Drake slowly stepped back.
He lowered himself onto one knee.
Then…
He bowed his head.
No sudden movements.
No aggression.
Only patience.
The cubs watched him cautiously.
The eldest never lowered its guard.
The relic quietly observed.
Host displaying submissive body language.
“I’m showing respect.” Clarification accepted.
Drake remained perfectly still.
The cave fell silent.
Only the distant dripping of water disturbed the quiet.
Finally…
The smallest cub cautiously peeked around its older sibling.
It sniffed the air.
Once.
Twice.
Then its ears twitched.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
It stepped forward.
The eldest immediately nudged it back.
The little one ignored the warning.
It continued walking toward Drake.
Its nose lifted.
Then…
It gently touched Drake’s forearm.
Drake remained motionless.
The cub sniffed him again.
Its expression slowly changed.
Confusion replaced fear.
It circled Drake once before returning to his right hand.
Specifically…
The crimson mark hidden beneath his skin.
The cub inhaled deeply.
Then looked back toward its siblings.
A soft chirp escaped its mouth.
The eldest stopped growling.
The second cub cautiously emerged from the tunnel.
Soon…
All three surrounded Drake.
They sniffed his armor.
His claws.
His face.
Finally…
The eldest reached his right hand.
Its crimson eyes met Drake’s.
For several long moments…
Neither moved.
Then…
The cub lowered its head.
Only slightly.
Drake felt his chest tighten.
“…It knows.” The relic answered.
Alpha bloodline recognized.
Inheritance accepted by offspring.
The cubs didn’t see Drake.
They smelled their father’s legacy.
— Drake slowly reached out.
The eldest flinched.
But it didn’t retreat.
His hand gently rested upon its head.
The cub closed its eyes.
Not from fear.
From familiarity.
The scent of the Alpha still lingered within Drake’s evolved bloodline.
Tears threatened to escape Drake’s eyes.
“…He really trusted me.” — The three cubs finally stepped free from the ruined nursery.
For the first time, Drake could examine them properly.
The eldest was noticeably larger than the others.
Its armor had already begun hardening around its shoulders.
Small scars covered one side of its face.
Perhaps from rough play.
Or early training.
The second cub was calmer.
It constantly observed its surroundings before moving.
Its ears never stopped twitching.
Always listening.
Always thinking.
The youngest…
Was completely different.
It wandered toward everything.
Sniffing broken bones.
Climbing fallen pillars.
Poking Drake’s tail every few moments before jumping backward whenever he looked at it.
Drake couldn’t help smiling.
“…You’re trouble.” The tiny cub proudly chirped.
The relic interrupted.
Behavioral assessment.
Drake sighed.
“Go on.” Offspring One.
High aggression.
Leadership tendencies.
Offspring Two.
High awareness.
Elevated environmental perception.
Offspring Three.
A pause followed.
Curious.
Drake laughed.
“That’s your scientific analysis?” Accurate.
“I’ll admit…” He scratched behind the smallest cub’s ear.
“…you’re not wrong.” The cub immediately leaned into his hand.
The eldest watched carefully.
After a few moments…
It quietly walked over and sat beside Drake.
Not touching him.
Just…
Remaining close.
Drake understood.
Trust wasn’t given.
It was earned.
Today…
He had taken the first step.
— The colony remained silent.
Without its Alpha…
It felt empty.
The great guardian who had protected this place for countless years was gone.
The cubs wandered toward the stone hill overlooking the settlement.
Almost instinctively.
Drake followed.
The three young Bonefangs stopped before the freshly covered grave.
None of them made a sound.
The eldest slowly lowered its head.
The others copied it.
No one had taught them.
No ritual had been performed.
Yet somehow…
They understood.
Drake looked at the grave.
Then toward the distant tunnels leading out of the colony.
The cubs could not remain here.
The Hollow Antler Tyrant had discovered the nest.
It would return.
Next time…
There would be no Alpha standing before it.
The relic spoke.
Colony no longer viable.
Drake nodded silently.
“I know.” Survival probability within current territory…
Low.
He looked toward the three cubs.
“They need somewhere safe.” Silence followed.
Then the relic surprised him.
Host possesses Alpha bloodline.
Drake frowned.
“…So?” Host may lead.
The words lingered.
Not command.
Not ownership.
Lead.
Drake slowly looked at the cubs again.
The eldest was already watching him.
Waiting.
Not because it understood everything.
Because it needed someone to follow.
Just as it had followed its father.
Drake smiled weakly.
“I don’t know if I’m ready.” The eldest walked over.
It gently nudged his hand.
The same gesture the Alpha had once used with its children.
Drake closed his eyes.
“…Neither was he.” He looked toward the dark tunnels beyond the colony.
The Dead Ruins had changed.
The Hollow Antler Tyrant was still alive.
The cubs had lost their home.
And somewhere beyond these ancient caverns…
Luna was still waiting for him.
Drake took a slow breath.
Then rested his hand upon the eldest cub’s head.
“I made your father a promise.” His voice was quiet.
“But I don’t break promises.” The three cubs looked up together.
Drake smiled.
“Come on.” “We’re leaving home.” Far above the colony…
Beyond countless layers of stone…
The first rays of dawn touched the world outside.
Deep within the Dead Ruins…
A new journey had begun.
To Be Continued…
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