Chapter 1

I immediately got up. Since I took a bath early this morning, I decided not to take another bath and just changed into another dress. But this dress was different from the one I wore early this morning. The dress I chose to wear for tonight's barbecue was a flowy one with pink and white roses as flower designs. I partnered it with pink lace shoes. When I got satisfied with my look, I smiled from ear to ear.

I went out of my room to search for my father and brother. Since the sun was slowly hiding into the dark, I was guessing that my father and brother were at home now. I roamed around the house to search for my brother and my father.

When I asked a maid their whereabouts, she immediately answered me after praising my cute motif of appearance for this night.

"Thank you!" I cheerfully said and immediately went out.

Father and brother were both in the garden, laughing and bonding with each other. I ran towards them.

"Daddy! Up! Up!" I motioned my arms up, waiting for my father to lift me up. He chuckled at my clinginess towards him.

My brother also laughed at what I did. They always find every single thing I do a cute one. Although my brother teased me that I wasn't actually cute, he loved to give me candies and pinched my cheek to see my cute reaction. He was silently simping her adorable little sister. But since he didn't want to be called a lame one by his friends, he tried to hide it, so I had no choice but to just secretly thank him.

"Avery, you're too old to be lifted." brother tried to tease me and tickled my side.

"Arnold, no one's too old for love. Okay?" I pouted at what he said. There was nothing wrong with asking for hugs and kisses from time to time.

He chuckled and kissed my cheeks many times. See that? I knew that he actually loved seeing me cute. What a sly brother. Hmpf!

Even though my dad was still holding me up, he continued to attack me with kisses too to the other side of my cheek. We continued laughing, and eventually, my mother joined us.

Evening came, and everything was set. The meat and fish that they caught were ready to be grilled. My brother was starting a fire after his mother ordered him to. I rushed towards my room to get the teddy bear my father had bought me yesterday. It was a blue bear, filled with flowers on its dress. This was the one I wanted to show to Elen, but she didn't meet me, so I would show it to her today.

I was about to finish when I heard a minor knock on my door. I immediately opened it, and my mom was outside. Smiling from ear to ear. I knew that she was happy for tonight.

I smiled sweetly back. Shy about what she would say to me. "You look so pretty tonight, honey." She smiled and kissed my head.

She then hugged me so tightly. While we were hugging, a sudden feeling of fear crept into my heart. My heart beats insanely fast; I was sweating so much even though I didn't do anything.

My mom stopped and looked at me with worries in her eyes. "Why, what's wrong?" I could feel panic in her tone.

Before I could even say a word, shrieks filled our surroundings. My mother rushed outside our house. I ran after her, curious about what she saw.

When I saw what was happening. I just stood there. I was so shocked by what was happening. The market that I could barely see from my room was burning from afar. Everyone was panicking.

I walked towards the crowd where everyone was running from left and right. Women were screaming, children were crying also scared for their own lives. Men transformed into wolves to protect their families and loved ones.

In the middle of this, I started to process everything. We were being attacked. My whole body was shaking in fear. I began to cry, looking for my family. They were out of my sight.

"Mommy, Daddy, Arnold," I said in between my sobs, still trying to look after them.

I started to lose hope when suddenly a hand pulled me out of the crowd. It was mom.

She looked like a disaster. Her body was filled with scratches. Even so, she still smiled at me. Trying to make me feel better, but it is not working. I knew how much we were in trouble.

We ran holding hands towards the back of our house. We ran very fast to avoid getting attacked by the wolves. I withdrew my hands when we arrived at the back. My mind was filled with questions and explanations of what was happening.

"What is happening, mom?" I asked her straight in the eyes.

Tears slowly rushed down her cheeks. I could feel how scared she was too. No one expected this to happen.

"Avery, you listen to me. I know that you are smart and strong. But I have to tell you this. We are being attacked by the Balthers Clan, honey. He brought all his high-ranking soldiers and wild bears to attack us. It seems that he really planned all of this. Now that I have explained what is happening find your brother in the forest. He is with the other children there. Do not come back until your brother tells you so. You listen to him. Okay? I love you, Avery, so so much."

That moment hit me. As of now, I can't do anything to protect all the people that I love. Even with what was happening. All I could do was just look at them suffering.

I nodded, agreeing with what my mom wanted me to do, even though my face was full of tears. She hugged me tightly, seizing every bit of it. We did not stop crying even when she lost the hug to go back there. She gave me her last kiss on the forehead and waited for me to run into the forest.

I was running so fast. Incredibly fast. Even with my knees shaking, I continued to run to go to my brother. I was in the middle of the forest when I heard a familiar voice screaming so loud.

It was a mom!

I completely lost my mind. A sudden urge to go back and see what was happening is eating me. I ran back to the entrance of the forest.

I had to see what was happening. I had to see my mom! I have to save her. It did not matter if I died today. I would try to keep her.

When I arrived at the forest entrance, I hid first to see what was happening. My whole body froze with what I was seeing. My mom. She was... she was being burned alive. Several other people I was familiar with were being burned alive. A couple of men, topless, were the ones to add fire and woods, while the enormous and gigantic wolves surrounded the fire and would bite the head of someone trying to run.

Screams and shouts filled the atmosphere. I could feel how much they were suffering and how much it hurt. The fire was not just burning their body but also their soul.

My heart was broken into tiny million pieces. Our people, my mother... they were dying. My tiny body trembled and shivered. Even though my eyes were not running out of tears, my voice was trapped inside my throat. I couldn't move. Even though I wanted to run to them and save all of them. I couldn't even blink.

I did not stop looking at them until my mom's eyes met mine. Even though her lower body was being eaten by the growing fire, she smiled and mouthed I love you before the fire swallowed her whole.

I knew at that moment that it would be a nightmare for me. That it would haunt me forever. My mom's smile fades when she's slowly losing consciousness. She was now dead.

My mother... was now dead...

I ran back to the middle of the forest with all my might. I tried too hard to find my brother. Until I reached a cave deep in the woods. The entrance was small, and you had to crawl to enter inside. To my shock, the space inside the cave was huge. It felt like an abandoned space of nature. It felt like a comforting chamber ready to protect you against anything.

My intuition was correct; they were here. My brother, the children, the people who survived, and my father. I ran towards them, for I knew they were unaware that mom was gone.

"Dad, Arnold... I-I'm s-sorry... Please, f-forgive me," I said and kneeled in front of them.

They were so confused about what had happened. "Why? What is happening? Where is your mom?" father asked worriedly.

"M-Mom... Mom... is..."

Tears rushed down my cheeks. I felt like dying just by telling the truth to them. I couldn't say anything. It hurt. It hurts so bad!

My brother also kneeled down and shook my shoulders. "Avery! What happened to mom!" His eyes are filled with anger, resentment, hatred, and rage.

I just could not stand telling them what really happened. All I could do right now was looked at them with pain. No words could describe how much I was grieving.

My dad kneeled down and cried like a river. My brother silently sobbed and punched the floor. Everyone was quiet, and sobs just filled the whole place.

Until my father changed into his wolf form and howled a cry in the air. It was followed by my brother; the remaining men and women survivors changed into their wolf forms and howled crying.

Hours passed, and I was still crying. I wanted to breathe fresh air but knew that as long as my brother was awake, he wouldn't let me. On the other hand, my father is being treated right now for all of his bruises. His body was filled with scratches and blood.

Deep in the night, when everyone was sleeping. I tiptoed my way out of the cave. I was hoping to breathe some air and continue my never-ending cry there.

As I mourned my mother died, an unfamiliar young wolf was in front of me. I was ready to fight to protect myself, but our eyes met. The wolf's eyes were glowing beautifully in the middle of the darkness but seemed sad. I could not stop myself from looking at it. The comfort, peace, and safety that it gives me are immaculate. The wolf slowly walked toward me.

I was deeply hypnotized by his eyes that I knew I would die if he attacked me. Fortunately, he just sat beside me. It seemed that he was trying to calm me down. He nuzzled my back gently with his flurry head. I bowed my head and continued to cry. I seized this moment of tranquility. I had the most challenging night of my life.

When words couldn't describe how you feel, actions depict what was inside you. That was what my mom always would say. I knew she would say that if she was here right now.

I saw the wolf beside me, and we locked our eyes. Every time we closed our eyes, there was really this feeling that I couldn't explain. I smiled at the wolf and whispered.

"Thank you so much."

As I blinked my eyes, I went back to my reality. The fear and the shaking of the knees were back.

That wolf was gone.