Ciarán

Ever since he was a pup, Ciarán has had a singular, and quite strange, recurring dream. He is walking through an endless abyss, unsure which way is up. He can feel the floor beneath his paws, but when he looks down, all he can see is the same darkness that spans in every direction. After what feels like an eternity of walking, Ciarán finally sees another wolf. The wolf is wearing a dark green cloak, and is staring intently at him. He tries to call out to the stranger; he receives no reply. Then, with a lash of their tail, the strange wolf turns and leaves. It is at this point that Ciarán always wakes up.

That is, until he meets a familiar face in his real life. It's the same wolf. The stranger tells him of a world accessed only through dreams, or through the darkest of magicks—of a power inherited through generations, to control this land, known only as Limbo. The wolf tells him that such a power can be his someday, if he so chooses.

Unable to resist the idea of such power and control, Ciarán agrees to the stranger's proposition. The wolf tells Ciarán that his name is Conrí, and that he is the current leader of Limbo. He tells Ciarán that they are bound through a force much greater than nature, and that once Ciarán crosses the threshold that lies before him, there is no going back. Ciarán simply nods and prepares himself for whatever may reside ahead. But, just like in his dreams, Conrí simply turns and walks away.

Before Ciarán could call after him, a sparkle on the ground catches his eye. It looks like a gemstone, and glows an ominous blue. A black string is laced through it, creating what appears to be a necklace. Ciarán feels an inexplicable draw to the item, and an even stranger urge to slip it over his snout and around his neck.

The second he does so, Ciarán can tell that everything has changed. That night when he has the same recurring dream as usual, Conrí doesn't walk away. Instead, the king of Limbo approaches Ciarán, and leads him to his new pack. The place he will be spending the rest of his life. The place he is eventually destined to lead. This is his new home, and each new face is now one of his people. Ciarán does not quite yet know the full implications of what it means, but there is one thing he knows for certain: he is the new heir to Limbo, and there is no going back.