[That man's POV]In the darkness of the night, Emily's grandmother, Ms. Anastasia, slowly takes her steps and enters the confines of Saintmau without caring for her life. She knows that the way back from here is very difficult and may be impossible, but to protect her granddaughter, she could step into Saintmau a thousand times. She could have risked her life a thousand times to save her from the werewolf.She was treading carefully through the streets of Saintmau in the moonlight, lest she step on the grave of a Vargulf werewolf who haunted the town at night.The stories of the Vargulf had been passed down for generations, and while some dismissed them as mere superstition, others believed in their existence. She had heard in the stories that the witches of Saintmau had died and the Vargulf werewolves had been trapped beneath the soil. Their bodies twisted and contorted into grotesque forms.They had been cursed by True Alpha Alparic, who sought to punish them for their wicked deeds.
[The man's POV]Esen was sleeping with her head on Altan's lap for a long time. He had been awake for over three hours, and yet he didn't wake her up. She slept with her hair loose in front of her face. The strands of hair were the only thing standing between him and a pair of her closed eyes. She looked like one of those pictures of women from the late 1920s. Altan carried her up in his arms and laid her on her bed. Her long dark hair was tousled from where it had been tossed off of his shoulder by her unconscious body.Her skin was almost always a deep olive color, but tonight her rosy cheeks stood out even more than usual. His eyes softened at the sight of her soft lips and closed eyelashes. He took off her shoes and saw that the bottom part of her feet had become black and hard. There is a thick layer of white wolf hair on her feet and legs, which she cut down with scissors. He smiled at her because of this act and softly kissed her feet. While kissing her, he paused for a moment
[That man's POV]Ms. Anastasia didn't know what Reaper Swithin's enmity was with that man he was calling "Lowell,'' or who he was. She didn't know if he had come to save her or to take his own revenge. The only thing running through her mind at the moment was the book "Exorcism: Eldritch Werewolves," for which she had come here. In it, the Witch Rosaline had written all the methods and magic spells of how a human can be turned into a werewolf through rituals like bloodletting and werewolves' balls.She had included illustrations of these techniques. There were pictures of people who had been transformed into wolves in this book, and for those magic spells and rituals, she had to get her book at any cost - for a price. The price was life, or rather, freedom from werewolves.Witch Rosaline is the head of the Witch Obaven Circle of Nightshade, who has taken shelter in a Dark Shadow Coven after the War of Dark. The witches were defeated, and many died, forcing them to live out in the open
[That man's POV]The sky is clear blue. The stars are all dead. And the sun shines on a world of white sand, black rocks, blue birds, yellow flowers, green trees, and people who have never seen anything as beautiful. Esen and Altan are walking at a distance from each other. They are not close, but they are not far apart."Believe it or not, only I can walk with you in the journey of life," Esen looks back at him at his words, his head tilted up and he is looking in the sky, trying to find that one particular star - the North Star.It is an expression so simple, yet it speaks volumes about his emotions in that moment. He was sad, confused, angry, and worried. But he was also content with everything that was happening around him.The journey from Tergersaintne Territory to her house was made by both of them in silence. Both had a lot on their minds and were unwilling to speak more about it. His eyes were turning red due to intense crying in the cave.All the way, Altan was looking for
[That man's POV]"Where did you go?" asked Emily. "Do you know how worried I was for you all night? If something happened to you, where would I go? Besides you, who else do I have in this world?" Emily cried and hugged her grandmother.Ms. Anastasia's hands were on her shoulders, yet she embraced Emily fiercely. Emily buried her face into the warmth of her grandmother’s bosom as her tears wetted her sweater and the smell of cinnamon and cloves filled her nose. She didn't mind though.Her embrace was just like a warm blanket after a cold winter. "Hush, hush little girl. Your grandmother is here now," she cooed softly and pressed her cheek against Emily's head to comfort her. "I will never leave you again."Ms. Anastasia, who had returned home from Saintmau a while ago, started reading the book Exorcism: Eldritch Werewolf as soon as she arrived. She wanted to find out how she could become a werewolf and how she could stop herself from becoming a vargulf.Seeing Emily sleeping, she didn'
[That man's POV]"Why did you come home early today? It's only 12 o'clock in the afternoon, usually you come at 5 o'clock," Ms. Anastasia asked worriedly about her coming home early today, while she was standing ready to go somewhere."Early, yes. Lowell is coming for dinner today, that's why. I told you in the morning. It seems old age is taking its toll on you, Gran. You are starting to forget things now," she smiled and looked at her grandmother from head to toe."Where are you going now and how is your health?" She placed some shopping bags from her hands on the table and started checking her temperature by placing the backside of her hand on her forehead. "And of course, you didn't get your sleep, right?" she asked angrily. "How many times have I told you that…""That I am 70 years old and not 17 years old," Ms. Anastasia answered, interrupting her. "You told me this so many times that if there were a deaf person in my place, he would have heard and remembered. And ever since you
[That man's POV]"What if I kissed the mole on your thigh?" "What if I kissed your lips long enough to let my body heat join yours and make you forget there was even air between our skin?" "What if I touched your shoulders and we lay in each other’s arms and slept, dreaming of things we couldn't control?" "What if I kissed your arms and took a little taste of you so that I'll remember what you taste like?"His words stung her like acid, and his touch burned her, but she didn't want to lose the feeling of his hand roaming over her body. She wanted him as badly as he did. Her eyes fluttered shut, a shiver racing up her spine at his touch, a gasp of pleasure leaving her lips when his palm settled on her breast."I want to kiss your mouth hard enough so you will forget about your every pain and sorrow," he said. He desperately kissed her lips that the wind around them refused to let go until they were finished. She breathed heavily and pulled him away from kissing her."Please stop," she
[That man's POV]"What was feared, happened. I saved my granddaughter from the werewolves twenty years ago, but now I don't know why it seems difficult. I don't know what goddess of the moon has written in my granddaughter's life," Ms. Anastasia thought. "She is an angel sent to me from the stars because of her purity and innocence, so she can't die in werewolf's hands or worse than them. It's as if there are more of these creatures waiting for her, hiding among us. And she is one of their targets.""My granddaughter has been a victim for many years because of the supernatural creatures that prey on our village with such malice. They came for me, for her; the werewolves wanted to kill us both at once. I had no chance to escape, so I had to fight with them." Ms. Anastasia was crying and talking to herself while cooking the fat over the fire that she had brought from the cemetery.As the fat was melting, its stench was rising in the whole house. She couldn't be bothered about that thou
[Author's POV]She stood up, holding her injured arm, and slowly limped along the path which leads upwards. The walls were covered with small scratches and scrapes as she climbed the steep path up to the opening of the hole. She looked up at the top of the rocks towering over her. They were dark grey, and looked smooth like marble. They sparkled under the light, like the scales of some strange beast she’d seen once in a book. But unlike any beast she’d ever seen or even read about, there was nothing alive behind these cliffs. There is nothing to be afraid of.She looked down and saw that the trail leading up to the hole was covered in sand and stones. It led straight up to the top, but there was nowhere near enough room for a large animal like the Stalagtor to go through. The tunnel curved sharply to the right before turning around the corner. The tunnel was much smaller than the one she was used to climbing, but somehow she was sure that she knew exactly what she was heading towar
[Elara's POV]I continued coughing violently until my throat hurt, and I couldn’t even feel my legs anymore. Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled blindly along the cold tunnel. When I reached the end of the passageway, I collapsed onto the ground, still coughing uncontrollably. After a few moments, my breathing began to slow, and I rested my head against the cold floor. Stalagtor was nowhere to be seen. I lay there for a few more minutes before finally deciding that moving wasn’t an option. Even if I could stand on my own two feet now, I knew I wouldn’t make it to any place safe. I had run out of energy hours ago, when all my body wanted to do was collapse in relief. The only thing keeping me going right now was the faint hope of survival.I stood up and walked towards the edge, where I saw a huge sculpture of my face cemented in the water, stuck in place like a dead fish. Frowning, I knelt down and tried to touch the water slowly, but it kept slipping through my fingers. The water s
[Elara's POV][Lost her memory of past few days]I backed away as the creature launched its attack. Clutching the sword from the temple, I struck at it, but the blade passed through its misty fog as if it were nothing. I knew it wasn’t my mother. The Echo Wraith always appeared as a familiar face—a loved one, a long-lost friend, or a figure from the victim’s past—only to grotesquely distort and morph into a disturbing mask of anguish or malevolence. The expressions on its face are exaggerated and twisted, reflecting the lies and deceit it preys upon. One moment it might seem sorrowful, and the next, it could sneer with malevolence. Its misty form occasionally shimmers with an eerie glow that highlights its undulating contours and shifting visage, creating an unsettling contrast with the surroundings.The Echo Wraith’s movements are eerily silent and fluid, and its presence brings a numbing cold that enhances the sense of an entity from beyond, making its touch feel like the icy grip o
[That man's POV]The locket lay there, in the same dirt where the Pawn Clara had bumped into the Elf Trixie. Bishop Eloise watched carefully, moving her eyes around as if she were going to steal something, but she did not see anyone.She took a cold breath and instructed Elf Trixie to lay Pawn Clara down in the shade, as her body burned in the sun. It wasn't just her hands or arms; the entire rest of her was on fire. She could feel it burning through every cell that made up her body – inside and out.Bishop Eloise bends down and starts running her fingers through the dirt to pick the locket up. She quickly picks it up and moves towards Pawn Clara, cleaning the dirt off it. But she is surprised to see Rook Theia and Gobi Zalika from behind the tree.Elf Trixie first glances at the two of them and then glances at Pawn Clara. Blisters are forming due to burns on her body."It's okay, just relax. You're all right," said Elf Trixie, trying to calm Pawn Clara.Pawn Clara was not responding;
[That man's POV]It took a long time for the Gravefur Pack to reach Markkhstan Dari, as the town was quite far from the forest, and the entire pack had to be carried along. But they made it there with barely any problems, as if nothing terrible had happened while they were out there trying to find their pack mates.They arrived at the town with little fuss. The townspeople were still shocked over what had happened, but they managed to keep their shock hidden. Because this was the second time a werewolf had stepped into that place, no one wanted to see this happen again.As soon as they reached Markkhstan Dari, they spread all around. They did not know how their pack mates were doing or what their condition was.The smell of the town was a little strange this time, it was the same energy that Alpha Altan had felt in the pack house a few days back. It looked like they had found a strange new land.“This place is weird,” says Ultima Wolf Drik. “I’ve been here before. It smelled good, but
[That man's POV]Hearing the chirping of birds, it is time for the moon to go back to sleep in the sky where they belong. The sun has just set, and the light of dawn is beginning to illuminate the land from a distance. But today, it doesn't feel peaceful as usual; no one knows what news this day's sun is bringing. No one knows for whom this sun will be the cause of victory and for whom it will be the cause of defeat.A group of people gathered under the cover of trees in front of Dark Shadow Coven. It was Strigoi who had come to get their revenge. They had already waited a long time. One by one, they took out their weapons; some were armed with swords and knives, while others were holding sharpened stakes. Their expressionless faces showed no sign of emotion or mercy.Some were dressed in the dark robes of the vampires. Most of them carried a bow, a quiver full of arrows, and a dagger for each hand and they all stood ready to do battle. They were prepared and ready for the war.The St
[That man's POV]"Where is Gamma Kai?" Alpha Altan questioned Alpha Lowell with a roar of anger. In search of him, they were dispersed in two places: some wolves went to the city where he used to live, and some were looking for him in the Nagosia forest. But halfway, they saw the Vanara Pack, which was coming to attack them."Calm down, calm down," Alpha Lowell said to Alpha Altan with a sarcastic smile."You need to get ready for battle before we start it off. We have to take their numbers into consideration," Alpha Altan growled, his teeth bared and bloodlust evident on his face.Alpha Lowell continued to provoke him without missing a beat; he wanted to take revenge for the condition of Howl Wolf Thor, for the blood of Triple Changer Oz, and Theta Wolf Azeil.But Alpha Altan had no time for all this; he needed to find Gamma Kai. He needed to make sure that he was safe, that he was alive, that he wasn't hurt.But one thing still confused him: if Vanara Pack is here for the fight, th
[That man's POV]When they reached the north side, they saw that it was a different world, but there was not much hustle and bustle like the city. Silver lake with diamond ore looked so beautiful in the morning, and the rays of the sun falling on diamond ore under the silver water made it as if everything was covered in glittering stars.In the winter, when snow and ice were still here, it looked like a diamond trapped inside a glass jar. There were many wildflowers growing around the silver lake.The town was small but charming with small houses like huts made of transparent colorful stones and green trees surrounding them. Everything seemed to be glowing under the golden light. It was as if the whole world was made up of jewels and crystals. The townspeople seemed to live in harmony with each other. They didn't know that they were living in heaven.As they walked through the town, they couldn't help but feel a sense of peace and tranquility. The air was fresh and clean, and the soun
[That man's POV]The sun of the day had set with all its light and rays, but the moon was yet to rise. Far away in the clear sky, the little North Star was watching every scene happening on earth, as if someone had placed a spy to keep an eye on the earthlings, and was keeping them from discovering the secrets that lay beneath their beautiful surface.The North Star was a benevolent being who looked out over every life form that inhabited the earth. The North Star knew everything that happened on earth, and what went on in heaven.Zeta Eli was sitting in the packhouse looking intently at the open sky. A little more than three minutes had passed since he had started staring up into the clear blue sky.His face was calm, like when you are meditating; no thoughts, no worries, nothing to distract you, nothing to distract your mind. He could stay there for an eternity without even noticing that time had passed.Sometimes a gust of wind blew the hair in front of his eyes and tossed it from