Chapter 20 (Fright)

Athena’s POV

“Ma'am, are you okay?” Yifa called out to me from behind.

As I opened my eyes, the wolf before was absent. The rustling leaves in the bushes signaled it escaped.

“Did you see that?” I asked Yifa.

“See what?” she replied, looking in the direction of my pointed hand.

“Never mind.”

Although I ventured back to the arena to observe others, my heart still raced from the encounter.

From a distance, I spotted Ralph and waved with a brief smile, which he reciprocated. Despite attempting to enjoy the festivities, the lingering unease led me back to my room.

With twilight settling in and the wolfing-out time approaching, marking the peak of the celebration, Ralph visited my room.

“Are you okay? You look worn out,” he observed with concern.

“I'm fine. Maybe just tired,” I reassured him with a smile, hesitant to burden him with the uncertainty surrounding the wolf encounter.

“Will you be able to come to the arena later?” he inquired.

“Of course.” After spending little time he return