His Return

[A day before Levi's death] 

"I…but why? He took something precious from us!" Sir Bernard strumbled as his gravelly voice resounded throughout Levi's chambers. 

She, who was consumed by wild, impatient thoughts, remained silent in the darkest corner of the room. The room was reduced to silence, one could hear a tapping on the window, of tiny droplets of rain that were painting themselves on the thick walls of Ephraim Castle. 

"Bernard…you and I know that my hands are tied. I don't have a choice but to allow it to happen!" Levi pointed out shortly after she stepped into the light and shuffled towards the confused Sir Bernard. 

"You know what'll happen if I don't allow it to take place! HE will wake up in him, he lives in him— the world doesn't know yet…as of now!" Levi expressed, her forehead frowning at the words she puffed, for they did not sound right to her— liking it or not, she had to admit it to herself. 

Her icy, blue eyes glistened with pure agitation as they watched her partner, who at this point was in disagreement with the words she just aired— as he shook his head and reverted his eyes away from her. 

Outside the spacious, dark compartment, flashing lightning lightened up the night sky like fireworks. As if sensing the tension between the two individuals, crashing thunder began roaring furiously across the sky. 

The wind howled, encouraging the heavy rain to pour sideways. As soon as it became, the sizzling, electrifying lightning zipped across the sky, disclosing both Sir Bernard and Levi's despaired faces. 

"I don't understand! He took HIM away from us…I mean, how can you excuse that?" Cheesing out, Sir Bernard growled as his hands cupped Levi's cheeks, which were blooming in sudden discouragement. 

"I know…but are we innocent really? Need I remind you of the deed?" Levi threw a query that, for some reason stirred up Sir Bernard's puffs to show a new pair of heels. 

"But…!"

"As the Ephraim of the Fridolf Pack, I have decided to wash Adolphus with my blood as he will become the new Alpha male, in my absence and please respect that, my love!" 

Levi concluded as she marched out of the room, disheartening Sir Bernard from airing any more utters. 

•••

[Three days after]

Sudden vehement, tumultuous thuds echoed throughout the darkened forest. Rain was heavily pouring down upon the galloping 'beasts'. 

Growls and barks that synchronised with the lightning bolt were heard in and out the tiny forest. Big hands with long, crooked nails reached over at the black-haired creature's neck, in an attempt to squeeze it till it choked. 

To the grey-haired wolf, it came as a surprise immediately after the black wolf threw a series of punches at its face. "You are not worthy of that title Liam! You are weak!" The black wolf's deep voice blurted out while it continued to fight its way for freedom from the grey wolf's grip. 

The black wolf groaned with its feline eyes squeezed to protrude from its expression. The grey wolf remained hushed and took the initiative to plaster the black wolf's face with its mighty fists—his eyes already turning yellow. 

"Liam! Stop it already!"

A white she-wolf came running towards the two—infuriated wolves who were about to send each other to kick the bucket. Liam, the grey wolf reacted by tightening his grip and silently observed himself drag the black wolf by its neck on the muddy ground. 

Small stones victoriously hit his face every time he was dragged. "Why don't you come and take it!? Liam growled—with his fists cluttering the face of Mario, the black wolf and made it a goal to eliminate any vision Mario might have had at that point. 

Indignation only overwhelmed Liam's system, he howled with his claws ready to leave a mark or two on Mario's face. "ADOLPHUS NO!" The she-wolf roared after she dashed to them. Taking his human form, Liam grabbed Paige, the she-wolf by her neck and hissed down at her. 

Silence lingered for a moment before Liam could utter a puff. 

"Don't ever in your life do what you just did!" A guttural demand puffed out Liam's twisted lips while his eyes took the chance to go back to their normal grey colour. His face painted with indignation, he walked away from the scene.  

                         •••

[A day at the NORSE palace]

The approximate three days have already passed and Amethyst has not yet accomplished her mission. Having many people flood the palace over time made it hard for her to follow up with her strategy. 

On one breezing morning, Amethyst decided to smell the roses outside the palace. She spent most of her time contemplating how she'll ever pass her way to princess Olivia's room. 

With a mind caged with thoughts, she hushedly sat on a tree behind the detached cottages, where maids were supposed to rest in. Her eyes peered down at the bottle that Mother of Whispers had given her. Its glow had dwindled since it was daytime. "One drop at a time. Overdose will result in mutation." She recalled her sayings after she had shaken the liquid inside. 

Despair quickened itself to cover Amethyst shortly after she had called her mother's name out loud. "I'll not give up that easily." She encouraged herself while she put back the bottle in her pocket. For the first time in 9 years, Amethyst has survived through the night without having nightmares of her mother. 

"I'll have to rendezvous with Wendell before noon!" She cooly huffed with a half-smoke standing still on her scarlet lips. One, two, three puffs and she ecstatically inhaled the tobacco in her dull lungs. A feeling of discouragement overwhelmed her after she began feeling like she was at the bottom of every bottom. 

 "He's close!"

 A disembodied voice whispered in her pointy ears promptly after she had shut her eyes. 

Shuddering, she opened her eyes in a hurry and searched around for the one responsible for the whisper. To her surprise, there was no one but herself. 

"Rebecca!" Emelia's voice was heard from behind and she turned her back swiftly at the owner of the voice. "Princess Olivia seeks your presence!" Without blinking, Emelia stormed away as if she were on a spell. Her eyes remained cold and black as she walked away. 

"Wendell?" Amethyst asked, tilting her head. There was a sudden yank by the appearance of grey eyes in her vision. "He's close!" Whispers decided to encircle Amethyst's head over time, making everything too blurry to grasp. 

•••

"Where…..am I?" 

Emerald eyes ought to nervously move around in an unfamiliar room, that was covered by red, deem lights and a lavender aura that pervaded her snubbed nose. 

With shortened, slow moves, she raised her head to meet up with a pair of hazel eyes eyeing her with unconstrained glee. "You finally woke up!" Olivia lubriciously murmured down at the befuddled Amethyst. "Come on now, let's finish what we started." 

Giving Amethyst a hand, she then went on to undress herself to let her fair skin clutter Amethyst's head. "CORVUS, your time is now!" Wendell's face appeared before her after a familiar voice whispered in her head. Breaking away from disarray, Amethyst took in a deep breath whilst her mendacious eyes gaze at Olivia with ardent. 

"Curse you, Wendell!" 

She huffed after realising that 'this' was Wendell's spell. Having to play along, Amethyst took out her trembling hands and placed them on Olivia's ashen cheeks. "Sleep tight!" 

Her honeyed voice whispered after she had placed her lips on Olivia's thick, peached lips. 

After the count of three, Olivia fell asleep and gave Amethyst permission to accomplish her long 'lost' mission. Taking out the bottle, she crossed her fingers and her eyes turned yellow—"Great seas and waters! Open! Let me in!"

Her hands trembled convulsively as the wall behind the dressing table began opening. Following the instructions, she poured only one drop and repeated her spell. The wind blew across her face after the wall opened. 

"Aclina!". "Corvus". 

Whispers leaked themselves into Amethyst's figure as she shuffled towards the darkened hallway. Her feet stumbled upon two shining stones, one black and the other red. Each one of them had marks written on them. Soon as she went over to touch the black stone, she heard sudden voices that hustled her to a forest covered by snow.  

While she was searching for where she could be, she heard a cry of a creature unknown to her. Her eyes caught up with a girl maturing sixteen playing with a white horse. 

The girl's smile was so bright that it caught Amethyst's attention. All of a sudden, the girl grew wings and horns, her blue eyes glistened as they fixed themselves on Amethyst's confused figure. 

The horse neighed, almost wanting to run away. "You! Fly away!" The girl giggled as she flew high, her eyes still placed on Amethyst's figure. 

                   "Nekrós"