Chapter 1. Wolfspring

"What has just happened?"

Something weird was happening to Ryn. Her body felt as if it were being drawn into the ocean. She tried but couldn't open her eyes.

"I can't even move!" The young lady became terrified.

Ryn's chest was tightening and burning. She was struggling to breathe. Ryn continued to try to move her body, but her arms and legs were helpless.

"Help! Please help me! Anybody, please help me!" Ryn yelled angrily, but nothing came out of her mouth.

"Am I going to die?" The anxiety set in.

Ryn felt her spirit tear away with immense power in the following second. Everything happened so fast. She was repeatedly pressed on the chest. It stung, but Ryn felt enormous relief moments afterward. The girl vomited a lot of water. It was agonizing, but her breath returned. Ryn felt as if she had suddenly turned her life back.

"Ryn! Open your eyes! Wake up!" A man's voice penetrated Ryn's hearing. The voice sounded distant. Then Ryn felt someone vigorously pat her cheek. Okay, this is painful. Ryn demanded that whoever did it cease.

It took Ryn a lot of effort to open her eyes.

"Phew... thank goodness......."

Ryn heard the man sigh in relief and then wrap his arms around her.

"Oh my goodness! I was terrified," the man later admitted.

Ryn fought to regain her concentration. Then a terrifying fragment of the episode rushed into her mind. Ryn's heart began to beat quickly. The young lady opened her eyes wide and moved away from the man who helped her.

"Hey, chill out! I won't hurt you," the anxious man said.

Ryn took deep breaths as she regained her recollection. Her pupillary movements were erratic.

"I never did it!  I did not murder them!" Ryn exclaimed, rudely shaking her head.

"Can you tell me what happened? What are you talking about?" the man said as he rested his hand on Ryn's shoulder.

"I-I watched him murder them. It wasn't my fault! I did not do it! I am not the one--" Ryn's remarks fell flat as another instance rushed across her mind. The girl locked her gaze on the man. Her eyes were filled with terror. Ryn struggled to take a breath. "He... he killed me!" she stammered on.

"What?" The man squinted and furrowed his brows.

Ryn gripped the man's hand firmly.

"He killed me!" she exclaimed emphatically.

The man groaned and licked his lips. He looked at her briefly before saying, "I think you hit your head on something at the bottom of the lake."

"I'm not making this up. I saw it myself. He slaughtered them with such zeal," Ryn added.

"OK, it appears that something happened to you. Can you get up?" said the man, holding his hand.

"What? Do you not believe me?" Ryn wrinkled up her face, her breathing erratic.

The man sighed and rolled his eyes. "We'll discuss it as we go. It's risky around here. We should leave immediately," he replied, gazing around as if watching something.

Ryn did not comprehend. She remembered everything that had happened. The agony of the dagger piercing her heart was still fresh in her mind. Her entire body shivered, but this man did not believe her.

"Hurry up. We've got to leave before they sniff us out," the man said again.

When he noticed Ryn wasn't getting up immediately, he grabbed her hand. Ryn eventually followed the man away from the spot.

Ryn looked around as they continued walking. They walked along a weedy forested path. The girl's damp garments didn't make her cold since her brain worked hard to process what was happening. What was the name of this place? What brought her here, and who was this man?

"I've warned you repeatedly to stay away from the lake," the man remarked, swinging his legs.

The man's voice drew Ryn's attention. "Who are you?" she questioned, turning her head. "What exactly is this place?"

The man's steps came to an abrupt halt. The man looked to Ryn, a puzzled expression on his face.

"Who exactly am I?" The man directed his finger at himself. With a discordant laugh, he looked away. "Are you asking who I am? That isn't funny!"

The man shook his head and continued on his way. He was leaving Ryn with a question unanswered.

"Hey, you haven't answered my question yet!" Ryn ran after the man.

"Do I have to?" With one eyebrow raised, the man looked across.

Ryn accelerated her steps till she was at the man's side.

"Of course so! I'm unsure why I'm in this weird place, and... what was I doing in that lake?" Ryn insisted.

He came to a halt, rolling his eyes lazily. He sighed loudly and then turned to face Ryn. He stared carefully at Ryn's face, waiting for the girl to declare it was all a joke. However, the girl did not say anything. Instead, he saw just perplexity in the girl's eyes.

"Let me check your head," he replied, running his palm over Ryn's.

"What the hell are you doing?" Ryn turned her head away from him.

"I'd like to examine your head. I'm worried you hit your head on something at the lake's bottom and got amnesia," the man replied.

Ryn pursued her lips together. She wasn't joking, yet this man kept misinterpreting her words. He recognized her name, but she had no idea who he was. She then reasoned that she should pretend to have amnesia to determine what was happening.

"Let's just say I have amnesia. So, will you tell me what happened?" Ryn inquired.

"Seriously?" The man exhaled heavily. "Fine, if that's what you want. Let us begin with introductions. My name is Lance Morgan. The most charming Omega in the Freemega pack. You satisfied?" He went on with two lifted brows.

Unfortunately, that response did not help Ryn comprehend the problem. What the man had said had perplexed her even more.

"Omega? A pack? Are you referring to werewolves?" Ryn bit her lower lip to keep from laughing.

"Does that sound funny?" Lance asked, catching Ryn's attention once more.

The girl licked her lips and produced a solemn expression. Didn't she have amnesia? So why not act that way and bombard this person with questions?

"Sorry," Ryn apologized. "So...where are we now?" Ryn inquired.

Lance resumed his trek, and Ryn followed.

"Wolfspring," Lance said in response.

"Wolfspring?" Ryn asked, her brow wrinkled severely. "Why does the name sound like a brand of dog food?" she asked quietly.

"I heard you!" Lance said.

Ryn gave a silly grin.

"Now, talk about Omega, the pack, and Wolfspring. Could you please explain further? I'm still confused. Do you consider yourself a Wolverine? Hugh Jackman, I mean?" The girl probed a pleased smirk at the prospect of Lance bragging.

Lance cast a lazy glance at Ryn. He was well aware that she did not believe what he stated. He considered testing to see if she had amnesia or was playing a joke on him.

"If you want to get the answer, try chasing me!" the man exclaimed as he ran away from Ryn.

Ryn yelled, "Hey, don't leave me!"

When she looked around, she trembled since no one was there. She then looked in the direction Lance was running, but he had already vanished.

"Damn! He ran away so quickly," the girl complained.

Ryn chased Lance down as he called his name. She ran for a long time but couldn't catch up to Lance. The girl finally came to a halt and looked around. When she discovered no one, her body shivered. A rustling sound from the bushes caused the girl to turn her head hastily.

"Who's there?" Ryn inquired as she noticed the moving bushes.

The other side returned the rustling sound. Ryn swallowed as she tilted her head that way.

"Lance! Is that you?" The girl was terrified.

There was the sound of bushes moving once more. Ryn hurriedly turned her head, and then a creature with a horrific visage emerged before her eyes. Ryn let out a shrill cry. She lurched backward and fell to the ground due to the shock. The girl closed her eyes and held her breath. She staggered back as the beast approached with a menacing roar.

"No way, no how!" Please don't eat me! Please, stop! I don't want to die!" Ryn took a deep breath. She was unable to move. When she saw that horrible creature, her entire body went limp. Burning golden eyes, sharp fangs, and a terrifying roar.

The horrible face gradually altered not long after. There were no longer any razor-sharp fangs or flaming golden eyes. The ugly face had reverted to normal, and...

"Lance?" Ryn spoke quietly.

Lance raised one of his lips. "Now do you believe?" questioned the man, holding his hand.

Ryn remained rooted to the ground. Ryn was terrified of taking Lance's hand. As she gasped, the girl looked around furiously.

"Oh? Ryn, stop joking around. It's not funny!" Lance sat up straight and sighed tiredly.

Ryn gasped, "You-you... that thing..."

"Yeah, that's me." Lance reached out once more. "Get up! I won't hurt you," he added.

Ryn ventured to take Lance's hand this time. She stood up with the man's assistance and kept her eyes open. Her gaze was still darting about her surroundings. As though terrified that the dreadful thing will return.

"We'd better get home quickly. Walter must be concerned because you've been gone for so long," Lance suggested.

He snatched Ryn's hand away, not caring whether she was still stunned by what she had just witnessed. They continued going among the purple flowers that covered the area. Lance appeared to be treading carefully. As though being in contact with the flowers was a disaster. They finally arrived in a community that seemed to be traditional. Wooden houses stood out visually in various locations. Some persons were observed working together. Children rushed around, occasionally disturbing the flower-planting women. The corners of Ryn's lips raised unconsciously. She had never seen anything like this before.

"Do you live here?" Ryn inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah,  I do. And you, too," the man said.

Ryn then switched her gaze to the water vessel on her right. When the girl looked up, she noticed an unfamiliar face reflected in the water. Ryn arched her brow. She was intrigued. The notion did the same when she touched her cheek.

"This isn't my face," Ryn claimed, turning her head to the right and left.

"If it isn't yours, who owns it? Stop uttering nonsense!" Lance went away, shaking his head.

Ryn stayed in place, unable to move her gaze away from her reflection. Her mind began to make connections between the strange occurrences she was experiencing. Ryn opened her eyes and deeply breathed as she finished putting the piece together.

"No! This can't be," she grumbled as she glanced around.