The tour van pulled off the freeway into San Diego just after sunset, the sky soaked in violet and gold. Palm trees lined the boulevards like guards for a kingdom built on ocean air and rock ‘n roll dreams. The roar of beach traffic, neon bar signs, and distant music felt like an invitation.

Cassie peeked out the tinted window and grinned. “You smell that?”

Jonah sniffed. “Is that… fried fish and reefer?”

“No,” she said, eyes gleaming. “That’s the scent of a damn good crowd waiting for us.”

Outside the venue — an old coastal arena-turned-modern amphitheater — fans were already lined up in looping clusters, snapping photos of the fully wrapped tour van as it glided into the artist loading zone.

The band’s name stretched down the side like a claw slash across chrome: FERAL ECLIPSE — flanked by stylized silhouettes of the pack and blazing orange-red beams that shimmered under the streetlights.

Someone shouted, “THAT’S THEM!” and a small mob broke into cheers.

Inside, the green room was stocked, sleek, and echoing with last-minute soundchecks. Gabriel sat cross-legged on a couch, plucking gently at his backup bass with one ear cocked toward the door.

Thane paced slowly, scrolling on his tablet, reviewing audio feeds, setlists, and pre-show tech notes. He glanced toward Gabriel, who was humming softly between notes.

“You ready for this one, my wolf?”

Gabriel looked up with a spark in his eye. “Always.”

Outside, reporters jostled for better angles. One young journalist from a local station turned to her cameraman, nearly breathless.

“This show sold out in nineteen minutes. It’s their first time in San Diego and the venue literally had to upgrade the stage rigging just to accommodate their lighting load.”

Behind her, a drone buzzed up over the crowd for an aerial livestream. A fan in a Feral Eclipse tank top shouted, “ROWAN SENDS HIS LOVE!” and several people nearby howled in unison.

The energy was electric.

And back inside, Mark leaned into the control booth with a devilish grin. “Alright,” he muttered. “Let’s see how far we can push this system tonight.”

The crowd was chanting before the house lights even dropped.

“FERAL! FERAL! FERAL!”

And when they did?

The stage exploded in red.