The players leaned in as their characters faced the unseen threat in the forest. The dice clattered, and the initiative order was set.

Aric's tone was measured but tense. "The growl reverberates through the trees, sending a chill down your spines. From the shadows, a pair of glowing red eyes emerges, followed by a second, and then a third. Wolves, but not ordinary ones—their bodies shimmer with an ethereal light, their forms phasing in and out of reality. They circle your camp, their snarls growing louder."

Ruby's eyes sparkled with excitement. "Sylvia shouts, 'Ghost wolves! I knew this place was cursed!' and fires an arrow at the closest one!"

"Roll to attack," Aric instructed.

Ruby rolled and beamed. "21!"

Aric nodded. "Your arrow flies true, striking the spectral wolf squarely in the chest. It howls, but instead of blood, the wound emits a burst of ghostly mist. The creature staggers but doesn't fall. The others growl louder, angered by the attack."

Weiss raised a hand. "Isolde steps forward, chanting an incantation. I'm casting Ray of Frost at the same wolf."

"Roll to attack," Aric said.

Weiss rolled with her trademark precision. "17."

The Dungeon Master nodded. "The icy beam strikes the wolf, freezing part of its shimmering form. It slows, its movements jerky, but it's still standing."

As combat progressed, the party worked in unison, taking down the wolves one by one. Nora, as Thalia, leapt from her tree to deliver a devastating axe blow, while Ren's Shiori fought with serene precision, dodging their ethereal strikes. Brianna's hammer smashed one to mist, and Raven's daggers found their mark with deadly precision.

As the final wolf dissolved into a cloud of ghostly vapor, Aric's voice softened. "The forest is silent again, save for the rustling of leaves in the breeze. The only signs of the battle are the fading patches of mist where the wolves once stood. As you regroup, something glimmers faintly on the ground where one of the wolves fell."

Blake leaned forward. "Raven approaches cautiously. What does she see?"

Aric smiled knowingly. "As Raven kneels to examine the object, she sees it's an amulet—a delicate silver chain holding a small pendant shaped like a crescent moon. It's tarnished and old, but something about it feels… familiar."

Blake frowned, breaking character. "Familiar? How?"

Aric leaned back, letting the silence hang for a moment. "Raven's memory stirs. Images flash in her mind—foggy, fleeting. A shadowy figure handing her something in the dead of night. A whispered warning. And the faint glimmer of a crescent moon."

The table went quiet as everyone turned to look at Blake.

Blake hesitated, her fingers brushing her character sheet. "Raven… keeps the amulet. She doesn't say anything to the others."

Yang raised an eyebrow. "You're not going to tell us? C'mon, we're a team!"

Blake shook her head. "Raven slips it into her pocket and steps back into the shadows. If anyone notices, she shrugs and says, 'Nothing important.'"

Weiss narrowed her eyes. "Isolde's not buying it. Can I roll Insight?"

Aric nodded, amused by the tension. "Go ahead."

Weiss rolled, then groaned. "7. Never mind. Isolde just assumes Raven found a shiny rock."

Ruby chimed in. "Sylvia's too busy poking the wolf mist with a stick to notice anything."

Pyrrha, who had been quiet, spoke up. "Valeria notices Raven's strange behavior, but she doesn't press her. She knows everyone carries their own burdens."

Aric smiled. "Noted. As you all gather your belongings and prepare to leave the camp, the night feels colder, heavier. The amulet in Raven's pocket seems to pulse faintly, a reminder that its secrets—and her own—aren't finished with her yet."

After the session ended, the players stayed around the table, buzzing with speculation.

"Okay, what was that about?" Yang asked, nudging Blake. "You've been hiding something, haven't you?"

Blake shrugged nonchalantly. "Maybe. Or maybe Raven's just good at keeping secrets."

Ruby leaned in dramatically. "Is it a tragic backstory secret? Like, did your family get cursed by ghost wolves or something? That would be so cool!"

Blake rolled her eyes. "I'm not telling. You'll have to find out in the game."

Weiss smirked. "Fine. But you should know Isolde is going to start watching Raven more closely. Secrets aren't good for team cohesion."

Jaune, munching on one of Nora's mysterious cookies, looked thoughtful. "Do you think the wolves were connected to the light we saw? Maybe they were guarding something important."

Aric stayed quiet, clearly enjoying the players' speculations.

Pyrrha smiled knowingly. "I think we'll find out soon enough. Right, Aric?"

The Dungeon Master only grinned. "The road ahead is full of mysteries. Be ready."

As the players began packing up their dice and sheets, Ruby glanced at Blake with a sly grin. "Raven's hiding something tragic. I can feel it. But don't worry—we'll help her. Or, you know, make it worse."

Blake laughed softly. "Somehow, that doesn't surprise me."

Little did they know, Raven's past—and the secrets of the amulet—were far more intertwined with the campaign's greater story than any of them realized.