Chapter 45: The Nightmare Realm

Chapter 45: The Nightmare Realm

Hana awoke in a place both familiar and strange. The ground beneath her was so soft, the air around her still and warm, carrying the scent of earth and pine. It was a place she had known well, a place she had once called home. She was back in the heart of her old packs’ territory, the sunlight filtering through the canopy of trees overhead, casting a golden glow over the clearing where she stood.

For a moment, Hana simply stood there, breathing in the peace that had long eluded her. The clearing was just as she remembered it—untouched by time or the ravages of war. The sounds of laughter and conversation drifted toward her, pulling her forward. She began to walk, her steps light and unhurried, as if she were afraid to break the fragile serenity of this place.

As she moved through the trees, Hana’s heart swelled with a bittersweet ache. She could see her packmates gathered in the distance, their figures silhouetted against the sunlight. They were laugh