Chapter 3

Adventures were released into the game. Loads of Jammers rushed into the Adventure Base Camp to play the new adventure, Return of The Phantoms. Liza, who was the tutor of how to combat phantoms was exhausted.

Two wolves, spawned into the adventure. Liza instinctively greeted the two wolves then began blabbering about how the phantoms have invaded Bunny Burrow and have captured four bunnies. She said a final "Good Luck!" to the two wolves, then slipped back into the shadows of the trees. Liza heard a squeal of delight as the two wolves found a treasure chest, hidden in the trees. Liza smiled. Then her smile faded when she heard a bloodcurdling scream cut short.

Eyes widening, Liza slowly peeked out of her hiding spot and saw a huge shadowy wolf, their fangs sunk into the little wolf's neck. Her friend clawing desperately at the huge wolf, only to trigger it to knock the other wolf down to her paws. She cried in pain, reaching for her friend only to be flung away in a splatter of blood.

The wolf lay still as blood started pooling around the unmoving body. Liza covered her mouth in shock as she witnessed a horrific scene right in front of her. The huge wolf dragged the two bloody bodies into a void.

Then suddenly sharp claws wrapped around Liza's neck, threatening to sink them into her neck. A sickly sweet voice, a lot like the one that Mira described whispered into her ear. "Scared, aren't ya?" It chuckled. "That will happen to every animal in Jamaa..and even you too!" Liza tried to escape. But she couldn't move. "You see how that wolf killed them? That is only a small portion of our power. Thousands of those wolves will raid Jamaa. It will be war. We will take Jamaa." Liza couldn't speak. The claws withdrew.

Liza gasped. She needed to tell the other Alphas! The sun is already setting and she knew that the Alphas aren't busy. She teleported to Jamaa and set out to gather every Alpha into her den.

0o0

"Good work". Shadow Sir Gilbert said. The huge wolf dropped the two bloody bodies down onto the ground. Placing a paw on the blood soaked fur of the little wolf, Shadow Sir Gilbert murmured a chant. Instantly dark, shadowy magic swirled around the bloody body and the body came alive. Her fur was pitch black and her red glowing eyes showed nothing. He quickly did the same thing to the other dead wolf who also instantly came "alive" again. "Go. You have no time to waste". Shadow Sir Gilbert ordered.

Another huge animal, this time, a cheetah came and dropped a few bloody bodies down at Shadow Sir Gilbert's paws. Shadow Mira grinned. This was all coming together. War has already started.

0o0

"What is it"? Graham asked. The other Alphas also looked at Liza curiously. "Jamaa is going to be attacked!" Liza shouted. "It's not the Phantoms! I'm sure about that. They are these huge shadowy animals that kill Jammers in one blow!" "In one blow? Not even a Phantom can do that! No creature in the world can do that!" Cosmo said. "Where did you witness such thing"? Sir Gilbert asked. "In the Return of Phantoms adventure! I-I couldn't protect them! I couldn't move!" Liza pleaded. "You have to trust me!" "Maybe it's the phantoms playing tricks after all! They might be dangerous but I also think they also have a sense of humor!" Peck laughed, then looked at everyone who glared at her, She shrunk and averted her eyes murmured a small "Sorry." "Even if it's true, nothing I can't handle! One chomp of my new mechanical chomper plant will kill 'em all". Graham chuckled. Greely, who sat there silent and thoughtful finally spoke.

"I think it might be a new evolution of phantoms. It can maybe transform into a wolf. It's just a guest." Greely said. A swirl of light blue magic formed around the Alphas. The blue light turned into the shape of a heron. "Mira!" The Alphas gasped. Mira took form and landed gracefully on the ground.

"I overheard your conversation". Mira said. Her eyes narrowed. "I think you may have encountered a Shadow Wolf". "Shadow Wolf"? Liza asked. "Is that the huge wolf I saw in the adventure?" "Probably. I seen them a few times and I saved the Jammers from the shadow animals. They are not easy to fight, but if you have your will strong and light in your heart, a single surge of magic and kill them". Mira explained.

"Easier said than done, I suppose?" Greely growled. Mira nodded. "Indeed". "Liza was not lying, those shadow animals are quite dangerous, more dangerous than a phantom. We need to develop something in time before we are out numbered".

"I have noticed a decrease of guards for the past couple of days". Sir Gilbert murmured. "The other guards told me they just disappeared. We have sent small but well equipped patrols through the phantom populated areas but they found nothing".

"Even if you manage to defeat the Shadow Animals, they have a leader. Or I might say, leaders". Mira said.

"What?" Graham asked. "They have more than one leader"?

"Indeed. They have 7 leaders. They are exactly like us, they are identical to us, but they are much powerful. I call them the "Shadow Alphas"." Mira explained.

"S-so you mean there's a replica of us"? Cosmo asked.

Mira nodded. "That is true. But the Shadow Alphas are much stronger than us. We must make a change. We have to stop this. For Jamaa".

"For Jamaa!" The Alphas cheered.