Chapter: Chapter FourThe silence that fell upon the teepee was heavy. Laila waited in deep confusion for the next person to speak, hoping to provide context for what was said earlier. Samantha stared wide-eyed at the elderly woman for a moment before switching her gaze to Laila. All Laila could do was stare back at her, for she had become speechless, with many questions in her head.After what felt like an eternity, the woman finally let go of Laila’s hand; this diverted her attention from Samantha back to her. Laila looked closely at the older woman’s features; her eyes were the major attraction of her face. Their shade of blue was so light they could have been transparent; they were like clear pools of water. The elderly woman sighed, and what followed was one of the most confusing interactions Laila had ever had with a person.“Your name is Laila, and you have come from far in search of someone”“Yes, that’s correct”That was what
Última atualização: 2026-09-01
Chapter: Chapter ThreeAfter receiving the good news that she would be assisted, Laila exhaled loudly before leaning on the tree behind her. She had to take a moment to process everything that had happened thus far, while her animal companion simply looked on, as if waiting for her.As she got herself together, Laila looked at the wolf before her. Now that she was calm, she could appreciate its beauty, the way it stood in place, the way its fur danced in the wind; it was truly a magnificent creature, one that she could only admire from afar. It was almost as though Laila was being taunted; rather, she was taunting herself by recognizing just how beautiful the species really was, after years of convincing herself they were demonic creatures that were sent from hell to terrorize her.Trying not to let negative thoughts cloud her mind again, Laila got off the ground and dusted dirt off her jeans. Looking at the wolf who was also staring straight back at her, she gave a warm and welcoming smile; it was Laila’s
Última atualização: 2026-08-31
Chapter: Chapter TwoOn the top floor of the pub, Laila lay uneasily on her bed in her room. It wasn’t because the roof was so close it could fall on her head at any moment, or because the floor beneath her was vibrating due to the loud music; the reason for her apprehension was her recent findings. The realization of how bad her situation could become tied her stomach in sailor knots. Her plan already wasn’t easy from the beginning, it took everything in her to even be in Grimshore, to be indirectly told that her work would now be ten times harder than what she was expecting was a blow Laila was struggling to recover from.Moving from the bed to the window nook, Laila leaned her head against the window where she stared at the starless night sky, its infinite darkness was consuming, yet beautiful. The thought of disappearing in it was surprisingly pleasant; at that moment, any place would be better than the hellhole she entered.The scenery from where Laila sat gave the impression that the town she was in
Última atualização: 2026-08-28
Chapter: Chapter OneIn a small office with minimal furniture and monotone colors, Laila sat anxiously across Mr. Barnes, the human resource manager, and in his hands was her letter of resignation; the piece of paper, as disposable as it was, held the last string tying her to the life she would soon have to forget. The silence was nerve-wracking, and each minute in it slowly drove Laila insane; she cursed at her impatience, bitterly remembering that it was not always that thin.Mr. Barnes finally took his eyes off the paper before him and aimed them at Laila; the attention he suddenly gave her after a while startled her up straight as she awaited his comment;“Well, Laila, I will say it’s a shame you have to leave”“I feel the same”“Are you sure you can’t work around it? I’m willing to overlook the mistakes you’ve made”“I know you are, sir, and I’m grateful, but I think it’s best if I just leave. I’ve already messed up one too many times, and I’m afraid I might become bad for business”“But it’s not you
Última atualização: 2026-08-28
Chapter: PrologueIn a green-and-white bus that drove smoothly up a steep hill, Laila rested her head against the window, hoping to regain the few hours of sleep she had lost during her early-morning preparations. The bus was due to leave at one, yet she had been whisked out of bed by her overly excited roommate at five, as if time would move faster if they were ready early; it only added to her long list of irritations from the trip, and it hadn’t even started yet.The whole situation was enough to upset anyone; at least, that’s what Laila told herself to justify her sour attitude toward her friends. Had it been a genuine trip, she wouldn’t have been the way she was, since it wasn’t; it was an elaborate scheme to have her paired with a guy she had never even heard a voice from. The only thing she could do was swallow her mouthful of venom and quietly endure the mess she had gotten herself into.To her left, Laila was nudged by her seatmate. As she had never been good at pretending to sleep, she had to
Última atualização: 2026-08-28