Silence enveloped. Silence covered all sides. Time seemed to stand still in the thick of the night, which was slowly fading away.Above, in the moments that remained, the full moon still illuminated the earth with its shimmering light. It seemed to keep its promise to stay until morning truly arrived.The cool night breeze began to die down. The rustling of the leaves it caused slowly stopped. Silence and stillness became more pronounced everywhere, accompanied by the fading scent of emptiness, a sign of the end of all things.In the fading darkness, Usher lay powerless on the cold ground. He lamented the situation, gazing at the full moon with increasingly melancholy eyes. He was dying with a pain that could not be expressed in words. His wounds were countless and his blood continued to flow, mixing with the blood of the wolves that had died before him.Usher's face was pale. His breath grew heavier, panting, and short, tangible evidence of deep pain. At the same time, warmth welled
No one spoke. Both Ayla and Vione remained silent in their deep grief. They cried in boundless anguish as they stared at Usher's body lying on the cave floor.Vione wiped the blood and dust from Usher's face. She carefully wiped away the dirt so that she could see Usher's face, the one she had always longed for. "You must not leave me, Usher. You must not go like this."Ayla's eyes closed as her heart grew more painful at Vione's words. She could feel the immense loss Vione was experiencing. A fleeting thought crossed her mind to simply comfort Vione, but she realized that there were no words that could ease Vione's grief."Ayla," Vione whispered, turning to Ayla without letting go of Usher's hand. "Can't you do something for Usher? Please, Ayla. Heal Usher."Ayla looked at Vione with a helpless expression. "Death is something I cannot face, Vione. Forgive me.""Please, Ayla." Vione let go of Usher's hand and reached for Ayla's. She looked at Ayla with pleading eyes. "I can feel it, A
Realizing that Vione had reached a point of desperation, Ayla understood that Vione would do anything to cure Usher. Vione would not hesitate to trade her own life if it meant bringing Usher back. Unfortunately, Vione's determination meant nothing without Rowena's intervention. Ayla could not deny that Vione's hopes clashed with the principles of life that Rowena had steadfastly clung to.Rowena no longer wanted to be involved in the problems of the world. She had withdrawn from the outside world. But Ayla could not forget that Rowena had broken that principle some time ago, especially when she asked for medicine for Usher. Now hope grew. Hopefully Vione's determination would touch Rowena's compassion."Please, Rowena. Have mercy on me. Heal Usher and I will give you anything you want."Rowena was taken aback. Her face dropped. She saw Vione, now hugging her knees with tears streaming down her face. Vione looked truly desperate, her eyes unconsciously welling up."I promise I will giv
The light dimly illuminated the room, casting eerie shadows on the walls from flickering candles. The air was heavy with intentions and hopes that were strongly intertwined.Standing in the center of the special room that had been a place to perform rituals was Rowena. She stood alone, looking at a rough wooden table in front of her. On the table were various herbs, crystals, and mystical artifacts, all of which she examined carefully, making sure nothing was overlooked.Rowena appeared focused as she began the intricate process of preparing the sacred ingredients for the potion. With precise movements, she selected each chosen herb, then crushed them with a mortar and pestle. The aroma of sage, lavender, and wolfsbane mingled in the air, creating an intoxicating blend.Meanwhile, a small bubbling cauldron sat on a nearby fire, sending dancing vapors into the air. There, Rowena carefully poured the crushed herbs into the cauldron. Her lips murmured ancient mantras as she stirred the p
Everything felt unreal, like a fantasy or a beautiful dream often prayed for before sleep. Exactly how Vione felt at that moment. She could hardly believe what her eyes had seen, almost thinking it was just her hallucination, but Usher's voice brought her back to an undeniable reality."Vione."The voice was like a heavenly melody that brought peace to Vione. All sadness and despair suddenly turned to dust that was blown away by the night wind and disappeared without a trace.Vione bit her lower lip. Reality brought unimaginable happiness. Everything vanished from her mind and the only thing that remained was the desire to hug Usher as tightly as possible. "Usher."Vione's embrace trapped Usher. His body stiffened for a moment and he seemed increasingly confused. In the end, however, he returned Vione's embrace a moment later.Usher closed his eyes. Just like Vione, he thought that everything that was happening was not real. He thought it was a beautiful dream given to him by the Moon
Vione could not stop staring at the face she had missed so much. She didn't move an inch from Usher's side unless something important needed to be done.Vione realized that Usher was badly hurt. Ironically, Usher had just come back from the dead. Usher's condition was still very worrisome, so she and Ayla tried to treat him as best they could.Bandages covered all the wounds on Usher's body. Vione was grateful that she was a wolf without claws. Thanks to this deficiency, she had some knowledge of medicine. It was not uncommon for her to get injured when she was bullied by other werewolves.Vione breathed a sigh of relief when the last bandage was properly applied. "You just need to rest for a few days, Usher. You'll recover soon."After finishing his words, Vione started to tidy up the remaining bandages and other things. But suddenly Usher grabbed Vione's hand. He prevented Vione from showing any sign of leaving."Vione."Vione turned. "Yes?"Usher pulled Vione's hand and motioned fo
Usher fell silent as Rowena's question managed to spark a glimmer of hope in his mind. Frankly, there was nothing he hoped for more than a second chance, a chance to make things right, a chance to avoid all the unfortunate incidents.But Usher's logic scoffed at the suggestion. It sounded irrational. There were no second chances in this world, especially not for someone as guilty as he was. Yet there was a part of Usher that hoped for the opposite. If there was a second chance, could he change everything that had happened?Usher took a deep breath and shifted his focus. He narrowed his eyes on Rowena. "Who are you?""I am Rowena, a witch who once cured you of the effects of Mireya's magic. I am also well acquainted with Jemma and Kendrick."Immediately, Usher's expression changed. "Do you... do you know my parents?""Very well," Rowena replied with a slight grin. Her chest felt tight, so she took a deep breath to calm herself. "We've been friends for many years. We are good friends."
The loud sound echoed repeatedly, filling Rowena's ritual room. It came from a large mortar filled with fresh herbs that emitted a pungent aroma. With blank eyes and an expressionless face, Rowena's hands continued to lift the pestle and pound the fresh herbs. It seemed that something had taken over her mind, making her unaware that the herbs had been crushed ten minutes ago.The faint sound of footsteps gradually drew Rowena's attention. She blinked, instantly alerting her entire body. Rowena stopped pounding. She put down the pestle and turned to greet them. "Alpha."Usher's steps suddenly stopped and he looked at Rowena as he returned the salute. "Rowena.""What is it, Alpha?" Rowena asked, leaving the crushed herbs in the mortar. She went to the table to get more ingredients. "Was there something you wanted to say by coming to see me?"Usher squinted. He hadn't expected Rowena to speak so casually."Surely there's a reason you sought me out here." Rowena picked up a crystal bottle