Chapter 3: Unwanted Legacy

The dim light of the cave flickered as the fire crackled, casting long shadows across the walls. Lia sat cross-legged on the ground, her fingers still trembling from the strange connection she felt with the wounded noble wolf. Cassian—she had learned his name as he rested—lay against the rock, his breathing shallow but steady. The moment of vulnerability had passed, but the tension between them was far from gone.

She studied him from a distance, her golden eyes narrowing as she recalled the strange words he’d spoken earlier. The Heart of the Greykin. The key. What did he mean by that? Her mind raced with possibilities, none of them comforting.

“You still haven’t explained why you’re here,” she finally said, breaking the silence. Her voice was cool, almost detached, but the sharpness in her words revealed her unease. “What’s this mission of yours? And why the Heart of the Greykin? You’re not here for some artifact. You’re here for something else.”

Cassian’s eyes, still clouded with the haze of pain, flickered up to meet hers. His gaze was unreadable, but there was a flicker of something—something hidden beneath the surface.

“I’m here because my family sent me,” he said, his voice low. “My brother, Silas. He’s the one who ordered the purges of your people.”

Lia felt a stab of pain in her chest, sharper than any injury she’d ever received. She stood abruptly, her fists clenched by her sides. “You’re telling me you’re related to the monster who killed my village? Your brother led the massacre?” Her voice rose, full of fury and disbelief.

Cassian flinched, but he didn’t retreat. “I didn’t want it,” he said quietly. “I never wanted any of this. But I am bound by blood, Lia. My family’s power… it’s in my veins, and it’s not something I can easily escape.”

Lia took a deep breath, trying to control the whirlwind of emotions threatening to consume her. The sheer audacity of his words. The man who had been sent to destroy her people, to lead them to the slaughter, was now here, in her cave, asking for help.

“I don’t care about your family,” she spat. “Your blood means nothing to me. Your brother is a killer. You’re just another part of the problem.”

Cassian’s eyes darkened. “I know. I’m not asking for your forgiveness, Lia. I’m asking for your help.” He winced as he shifted his weight, the movement making his wounds ache. “If we don’t find the Heart of the Greykin, my brother will succeed in wiping out every last Greyskin. Your people, my people... we’ll all be gone.”

Lia crossed her arms, her anger still simmering beneath the surface. His words struck a nerve, but she wasn’t about to let him manipulate her. She had been alone for so long, forced to survive in a world that wanted her dead. The last thing she needed was to be dragged into another noble’s war.

“Why should I help you?” she asked coldly. “You’re part of the system that oppressed my people. You’re the one who stands by while your brother burns villages and hunts us down.”

Cassian’s gaze softened, a hint of regret in his eyes. “I never wanted this. I never wanted to be part of their world. But now, I don’t have a choice. If I don’t stop Silas, if I don’t stop what’s coming, everything will burn. Everything.”

Lia was silent, her mind whirling. The rage and bitterness that had sustained her for so long warred with the flicker of something else—a strange, reluctant empathy for this man who was more lost than she had first realized.

“What do you need from me?” she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper. She knew it was foolish, but a part of her had already made the decision. Despite everything, despite the hatred she felt for the pureblood wolves, she couldn’t turn her back on the fight. Not when it was so close.

Cassian let out a breath, his shoulders relaxing slightly as if he had been waiting for this moment. “I need you to help me find the Heart of the Greykin. It’s the only thing that can break the curse. It’s the only thing that can stop Silas.”

Her mind raced as the words settled in. **The Heart.** A myth, a legend, a fairy tale told by the old ones. But if it was real, if it was truly the key to ending her people’s suffering, she couldn’t ignore it.

“I don’t trust you,” Lia said, her voice firm. “But I’ll help you. For my people. For the ones Silas killed. But the moment I’m done with you, I want nothing more to do with your family, your war, or any of it. Understand?”

Cassian nodded slowly. “I understand. This isn’t just my fight, Lia. It’s ours.”

She turned away, the weight of her decision settling heavily on her shoulders. But in that moment, something inside her shifted. **She had a choice.** And despite the bitter taste in her mouth, she chose to fight. For herself. For her people. For the freedom that had been stolen from them.

“I’ll help you find the Heart,” she repeated, this time with more conviction. “But I’m doing this my way.”

Cassian’s eyes softened, a fleeting moment of gratitude flashing in his gaze. “Thank you.”

Lia didn’t respond. She didn’t need to. The road ahead was unclear, and the journey would be dangerous. But for the first time in a long while, she felt a flicker of something more than survival—a spark of hope.