Casey’s Regret

Cora’s POV:

A long and daunting name was listed on the diagnosis column—'Neurogenic Wolf Spirit Atrophy'.

The senior doctor hesitated before explaining to me, “This is an incurable disease.”

I was a professor of healing studies, so, of course, I knew about it. However, I could not understand how such a rare illness could fall upon me.

I decided to donate my body to the Central Research Institute for further research on spirit atrophy.

I carefully filled out the ‘Spirit Severance Donation Contract’, formally renouncing the right for my wolf spirit to return to the pack's sacred grounds after my death.

Only when I reached the column for 'Immediate Family Signature' did my pen stop.

By law, if a direct relative was still alive, their consent was mandatory, or the donation would not be accepted. In this world, I had only him.

In the end, I reached him through the mind link, my voice hoarse as I said, “Will you sign the Spirit Severance Donation Contract for me?”

I tried to make my tone sound calm, but there was only silence on the other side. The wordless pause stretched unbearably long.

I whispered tentatively, "Casey?”

The next moment, a voice I knew sounded familiar, yet it was laced with disgust. “Are you out of your mind?”

The words lodged in my throat. Before I could say another word, the mind link was cut off with a sharp tone.

Six years had passed, yet his hatred had not faded in the slightest.

That night, I booked the earliest flight to Moonshadow City. That was where Casey was stationed now.

When I arrived, he was hosting a banquet, and the wolf guards blocked my way.

“Commander Casey of the Silverfang Patrol is celebrating his sister’s birthday today. He has reserved the entire building. Outsiders are not allowed.”

I softened my voice, pleading, “I’m here to meet Commander Casey… I’m also his sister.”

Casey had only one blood relative in this world—me.

The guards, of course, did not believe me and wanted to chase me away.

Just then, the banquet hall doors opened, and a tall figure slowly emerged. His voice was cold and familiar, edged with mockery. “Stop trying to claim kinship.”

My whole body trembled.

After six years, the brother who had once sobbed through our mind link, begging me to see our mother one last time, now looked at me with nothing but indifference.

My throat tightened, and not a single word would come out.

Casey walked past me. I panicked and blurted, “It'll only take a few seconds… I just need your signature.”

I hurried after him, fumbling through my bag for the contract and a pen.

At that moment, a woman leaped down from the carriage and called out cheerfully, “Casey, over here!”

She was the star of tonight’s banquet—his foster mother’s daughter.

Casey’s gaze passed right over me and landed on her.

As I was blocking him, his expression instantly darkened. Suddenly, he snatched the pen from my hand, flipped to the last page, and signed without hesitation.

“Don’t ever come looking for me again, not even if you need someone to claim your corpse.”

The words cut through me like claws raking across my chest. I stood frozen for a long moment before finally nodding.

Only after getting my response did he finish the last stroke. With the signature complete, he said coldly, “Now, get lost.”

Instinctively, I stepped aside. His face lit with a carefree smile as he walked toward that woman.

I slipped out through the side door, turned back in a daze, and collapsed onto the ground. Looking down, I pounded my legs that were growing weaker by the day. How many more days could I hold on?

…

The next morning, I returned to the academy to teach. I had just finished my lecture when I saw Casey standing at the classroom door, frowning at me. I froze for a moment.

The dean gestured for me to go over. Casey’s voice was low but sharp, sounding accusatory. “Care to explain this?”

I did not understand.

Then, his gaze swept the classroom. One of my students immediately hurried out, calling, “Casey.”

It was then I realized—his foster sister, Victoria, was one of my students. No wonder her voice had sounded so strangely familiar to me last night.

“I didn’t know—”

Casey cut me off, saying, “Resign.”