Escape 1

Serenity POV

I don't know how long I've been running through this forest area now. My breathing started to become labored, and my footsteps started to become slower. The worn-out dress I'm wearing is also getting more and more worn out with a lot of soil, water, and also mud that became one, and soiled this dress. The chains that I was still clutching very tightly in my palms. While hoping that no one else would be able to hear the jingling sound of the chain. Every now and then I stopped, and rested behind trees and large rocks. I had even crossed a stream, which signaled that I had entered another area of the forest. It also meant that I had entered another creature's territory.

Bruk

I fell quite hard onto the ground, with both my hands supporting my body so as not to actually lie on the ground right now. My breathing felt increasingly labored, and it felt almost impossible to breathe freely. The energy I had now was already drained. I thought, I can no longer continue this journey, with my energy almost depleted now. Unconsciously, I began to shed my tears silently. Perhaps, this is the destiny of my life that feels increasingly difficult, to be able to face on my own. After all, I never thought that my ordinary, quiet life would turn dark.

"Where else should I go now? I don't have much time to stay here all night. If those warriors realize that I've managed to escape, then they'll definitely report it to Alexander. And... it's certain that Alexander will send them all to go and look for me later. No... no... I don't want to go back into that pack, just to be used as a sacrifice in the dragon bride ritual. I don't want to be the dragon's bride. I must be strong... my journey still feels very long. So I can't give up..."

With the remaining strength I still had, I tried to get back up, even though my legs were shaking badly, and my head was throbbing, I tried to ignore it all. In the end, I forced myself to continue running deeper into the forest area in front of me now.

Srek

Srek

Srek

Instantly I was stopped by the beating of my heart which felt very fast now. The sound of dry leaves scraping instantly made me break out in a cold sweat. I don't know if that sound came from the warriors of The Moon Stone Pack, or if it came from the other immortals who also inhabit this forest now. Damn it. Why do all the troubles always come to me at times like this? Is it possible that in my previous life, I made such a big mistake, that even the Moon Goddess had a hand in giving me punishment in this life?

"Ughh... Ugh..."

Was that a coughing sound? Where did that sound actually come from? I'm sure there's someone injured in this forest. Gosh, don't think too much, Seren. I cursed myself for always overthinking everything. Slowly, I began to walk closer to the direction where the sound came from. Although, I'm not sure what that sound was exactly. It's just that, if I don't find out now, perhaps, I will continue to feel curious. Each of my footsteps continued to walk closer right towards a fairly large rock just to the south of there.

"Ughh... Ughh..."

The coughing sound came back from the direction of the rock. But now it sounded much slower than the first sound I heard. Subconsciously, I accelerated my footsteps to get closer to the boulder. I myself didn't even care about the jingling sound produced by the chains that were still tightly bound around my wrists right now. Until not long after, I stood right beside the boulder, and slowly, I peered right at the back of the boulder.

"Oh, my..." I muttered quickly, after noticing the presence of a man leaning weakly against the boulder.

I quickly approached the man, and realized that the man was not wearing any upper clothes, and was only wearing long cloth pants. Not only that, the man's upper body also bore many fresh wounds, including the blood that continued to flow from the wound there. I myself couldn't see clearly how the man's face looked right now. Because the man's hair was quite long, and it partially covered the man's face. But I could still slightly see that there was blood flowing from the direction of his face there. Instantly I reached out both my hands towards the man's face, and tried to pat him gently.

"Hey, are you okay? Please wake up..." I gently patted the man's face several times, and there was no response.

The man's brow furrowed, and began to grimace in pain once more. I could even feel how cold the man's skin was, and how warm the man's breath was. He was probably injured on the inside of his body by now. Given that there was still fresh blood flowing from that external wound of his right now. I don't know how much blood he has already lost, because of that wide gaping wound over there.

Without saying anything else, I quickly began to gather my strength again, and carried the man's body with my body. Although this man's body felt very large, it would be much easier to carry him, compared to dragging his body. After all, I didn't want to add new wounds to the man's body later.

It was a small stroke of luck when I discovered that there was a sizable cave nearby. I tightened my grip on this man's body, and walked slowly towards the cave there. Until not long after that, we both arrived at the inside of the cave. I slowly laid this man's body there. At that time, I could clearly see the man's face.

There was an elongated scar on the right side of his face. It looked like a sword cut, and it was probably very old. There was no pack identity on the man's body, so I had a little trouble ascertaining which pack this man was actually from. I sighed.

"Damn, I don't even know a special potion to be able to stop bleeding from a wound like this. So far, I've only made ordinary potions for ordinary pain. But this... this is a battle wound. And I have absolutely no idea what the right medicine is for that wound."

I sat right beside the man with a very anxious feeling. I didn't know how to properly help this man. If only I knew a special herb that could stop the bleeding, maybe this man's condition wouldn't be so severe. But as I recall, my mother had told me that only betel leaves could stop the bleeding. I thought I could look for that plant around this forest. Although it's dark, as a werewolf, I should be able to use my senses for that.

I instantly tore off a long section of the dress I was wearing, and used it to be able to cover the wound on the man's body now. Slowly, I sat the man's body down while making him lean against the cave wall, and I began to wrap the piece of my dress around the wound. Tying the piece of dress a little tightly, so as to really make the blood that was still coming out from inside the wound a little less.

"Please endure... I'll be back soon with some herbs..." I muttered.

Slowly, I laid the man's body back down, and started running out of the cave. Turning my gaze in all directions around the cave, I hoped that the warriors in The Moon Stone Pack hadn't noticed my departure from the pack at all. I started walking through the forest area around the cave, and hoped that I could quickly find the betel leaves there now. Although it was very difficult, in the end, I was able to find a creeping betel leaf plant, right near a small stream. Subconsciously, I smiled with a sense of relief at that.

My two hands immediately gathered quite a lot of betel leaves, and pounded the betel leaves using the stone that was inside the small stream right now. By pounding certain leaves, it can provide certain benefits to the body. After not pounding the betel leaves for too long until they were slightly soft, I decided to walk back toward the cave, with my left palm full of pounded betel leaves. The jingling of the chains on both of my wrists I no longer paid attention to, as this man's safety was in my hands. If I failed, I would feel even more useless in this life of mine now. I didn't want to feel like a failure again right now.

With the palm of my right hand, I untied the pieces of my dress from the wound on the man's body, while gently wiping away the remaining blood. "Ughh..." The man again grimaced in pain, to my slight surprise, as he moved his head. After that, I began to take the betel leaf mash inside my left palm little by little, and applied it to the wound on the man's body now.

Every now and then, I gave a little puff on the wound, so that when I applied the betel leaf mash there, the man wouldn't feel too much pain. Not long after that, the betel leaf mash inside my left palm finally ran out, and had completely covered every wound that was present and visible on the man's body now. That instantly made me feel more and more relieved, until unconsciously, I let out my breath there.

I began to change my sitting position, to leaning right against the cave wall, right beside the man lying comfortably now. I thought, the betel leaf mash that I gave earlier, had started to have a little effect on that man. I turned my gaze toward the outside of the cave. It was already very late, and I couldn't start a fire in this cave right now. If I insist on making a fire, perhaps, those warriors could find me in this cave. I don't want to return to The Moon Stone Pack. I don't want to be a bride for the dragon. No...

"I hope that morning will come soon. And I can get back on my way out of this forest. I will never let Alexander rule my life again."

I let out another slow breath, then turned my head towards the stranger who was still lying, and sleeping very peacefully right beside me right now. I guess, the betel leaf mash had really worked, making the wounds on the man's body start to dry up, and no longer bleed like before. I had succeeded, helping that stranger out of his emergency. I had succeeded in helping him. And that, instantly made me feel very relieved.

"You... should be able to survive until tomorrow morning, right? Although I have absolutely no idea about who you are, and where you actually came from... but if possible, you'll definitely be able to return to where you came from safely. As for me, I will also continue my journey that might... still feel very long. Since you are also still in a wounded state like this, let us both take care of each other tonight in this cave. I hope, you can recover quickly..."

I muttered unconsciously, as I felt a heavy drowsiness in both my eyelids right now. I yawned several times, and wanted to close my eyelids even tighter. I thought, I really should take my own time to rest for a while now. Tomorrow will be a very long journey for me to go through in this condition. Although I don't know where to go after tonight ends.

Many things are still a concern that I feel, and I don't want to lose this battle of my life's destiny now. Not with the coercive destiny carried out by the deception, manipulation, lies, and also the betrayal that Alexander had done together with Vienna. I will never let them win.

The cold, damp air in the entire interior of the cave couldn't help me resist sleepiness. Slowly, I raised my palms, and rubbed my face. Trying to bring a little warmth to the cold air. And in the end, I began to feel that I could no longer endure the sleepiness that I was feeling right now. Until, I decided to start lying down right next to the stranger, and hugged my legs tightly to warm myself up in the cave. I began to close my eyelids, and tried to fall asleep quickly now.