Prologue

March (5 months before)

Heat wafted from the tall, gleaming mansion. Ember arms licked the door and cracked as the flames engulfed what Layla thought would be her home forever. The bright flames took over the house in a matter of minutes. Layla brought her blanket arm to her face and breathed a deep cough.

This was unfair, she thought to herself just when things seemed to be looking up. She didn't know what to do at all in that moment.

She had just been offered to go to one of the top Academies to further her studies the night before, and then this happens.

This was something that she could not afford to fix like as she had her grades. This was her home. The only home that she had. The only thing left to her by her parents that she'd never met besides the pictures and furniture. All of it was gone now. Ashes and small pieces of fire were riding on the wind now.

Her grandmother took care of her until she was a junior in high school. But she had passed then and now Layla was all alone. What would she do? She was already at her wits' end taking care of everything she could. Seeking all of the help that she could get. And five months before she could get out of the hell her life had become, her house was burning down to the ground.

Layla looked up towards the sky, with her arms hanging by her sides. She was half expecting to see that the sky was still bright with stars but was met with the darkness. The smoke had prevented there from being a chance to see the stars tonight. The burning house seemed to be a lantern in the thick darkness.

As she continued looking, she thought about what her grandmother told her,

“You will always prevail in the face of adversity, no matter what it is.”

She didn't feel like that tonight. She wasn't even sure how the fire started to begin with. She had been asleep by 11:30PM, it had to be well past 3AM now.

“The gods are always watching our progress. Yours especially youngster,” her grandmother had said. She had never really paid any mind to the things that her older grandmother had said. She was sometimes not in her right mind, but she always made sure to tend to Layla's every need.

But for some odd reason, she found herself thinking about what she would say whenever Layla would tell her goodnight.

Layla shook her head and moved to sit by the giant tree in the front yard while she waited for the firefighters. It would take them a good fifteen minutes to get to her. She was on the outskirts of her city and was a little way away. And she had been outside for maybe ten. She needed to sit.

Sitting underneath the giant oak, she pulled her legs close to her chest. It was chilly out, but thankfully she'd grabbed the blanket as she ran out. She leaned her head back against the aged wood and stared off into the treeline for a minute, thinking of what her plan of action would be.

And that's when she saw it. There just where the trees began, stood a beautiful rusty wolf. It stared back at Layla with intense eyes. Ones that made her skin begin to prick as if there was a current of electricity bolting through her.

She clutched the ground to snap into reality. And it became clearer to see. Its eyes were like golden suns beaming in the darkness. She corrected herself, stars. Not suns. Golden stars. She wasn't able to produce a sound as it turned swiftly, running through the dense woods.

For some reason, she found that she was shaken. She knew instantly that this would be a night she would never forget. That this might be something she’ll find revisiting her in her dreams.

She looked over to the left of her and realized that the firefighters were arriving. She had been so out of it that she didn't even hear the sirens get closer. She stood quickly, waving them down.

As soon as the truck stopped in front of her, a firefighter ran to her.

“Are you ok? Is there anyone else inside!”

“No,” she said hoarsely. “Just me, it's my house. Was.”

He nodded slightly, “We’ll put this fire out, don't worry ma'am. Stay here.”

She nodded and turned to watch him run with the rest of the men to put out the fire.

Thankfully she still had her car. And her keys to them were always left above the tire. A habit that she got from her grandmother. A way to never forget the keys.

Walking to the car, she dropped and rose quickly as she grabbed the keys. As she opened the door, she looked back to see if there was any chance that the wolf was back and watching her. But there was nothing but darkness and trees and the hooting of an owl late in the night.

Climbing to the driver's seat and closing the door beside her, Layla leaned forward and clutched the steering wheel with both hands on the top, her forehead lying against them. Now she could process. She began to cry. Tears were streaming as she sat there. Unable to control them.

This was a mess. SHE was a mess. And she didn't know where to begin cleaning. She didn't know how she'd do anything anymore. Soon her tears stopped, staining in the trails of soot that dusted her face.

Her shock and grief were turning into rage. Burning so hot that it could melt the car that she was sitting in.

She took a deep breath and squared her shoulders as she lifted her head. The house was gone. She looked around her car. Thankfully, she had rushed into the house tonight after working her last shift. Her purse was still here.

She grabbed it and began looking at the contents of the bag. Finding her wallet, phone, and charger.

“Nice,” she chuckled aloud to herself.

At least the universe didn't completely hate her.

She plugged her phone charger into the car and looked for her phone to plug in. She had some juice left thankfully-16 percent to be exact.

She texted her cousin asking if she could stay a while. She immediately said yes and that her room from when they had sleepovers was still ready for her at any time.

Putting the keys into the car, Layla began to peel away from the driveway. Looking at the remainder of the house, though it was nothing more than mere framing now. The firefighters had begun packing up and the one who approached her nodded goodbye as she pulled out into the street. She nodded back, put the car in drive, and headed to her cousin's house.