Chapter 2: Who Are You?

But before he could hit Blaze, His uncles’ wolf quickly shielded him. However, it was too late to counterattack. Thus, the white wolf hit his neck.

“Uncle!” He bellowed.

“I’m alright. Blaze. You should leave now.” His uncle acted as though he was not in pain.

“But uncle--” Blaze would refuse but his uncle didn’t let him.

“No buts, Blaze. Do you want to die with me and lose the only hope of our pack?”

He was dumbfounded as he thought deeply, realizing that his uncle was ready to sacrifice his life in order to save him and their pack. He understood it now!

“I’ll wait for you, uncle!” He grumbled and quickly ran for his life while his uncle fought the enemies, hindering their way so that they couldn’t chase him.

Marcus continued to run, telling him to trust his uncle. And as he kept on running, tears filled his eyes. He convinced himself that what he was going to do was for the future of their pack. Whatever would happen, whether they would lose or win now, their pack had hope in him. Hence, he should stay alive for them, no matter what.

Unfortunately, before he could even reach his destination, he sensed that one of the white wolves was chasing him. Marcus roared, thinking that his uncle had been killed already. With a heavy heart, he ran faster. He did not want his uncle's sacrifice to come to naught.

But the white wolf ran past him, blocking his way to the borderline.

“Little pup, don’t worry. I will not hurt you if you will go with me in peace.” He said, trying to convince him to surrender.

‘Blaze, don’t believe him. I could see in his eyes that he was lying.’ Marcus whispered.

‘I know. But what are we going to do?’ He responded.

Marcus's eyes glowed. ‘He looks weaker now since he has wounds. I’m certain that we can beat him.’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yeah.’

Marcus slowly walked around the white wolf, waiting for the perfect opportunity to attack. However, the white wolf struck first. Good thing Marcus was fast enough to avoid him. Then he counterattacked.

‘Good job, Marcus!’ He praised his wolf when they successfully knocked down the enemy.

But the white wolf immediately got up. “I think I underestimated you, pup.” He muttered, coinciding with another attack.

This time, Blaze was not prepared for his next move. The white wolf hit Marcus on his front leg as he tried to evade. Then, he fell to the ground.

‘Marcus, are you okay?’ He asked worriedly.

‘Yeah, it’s just a simple scratch.’ Marcus replied as he immediately got up.

Then, a mischievous idea flickered in his mind, noticing the sand he was standing at. Marcus quickly turned around and kicked the sand using his back legs and splashed it to the enemy, hurting his eyes.

‘Let’s go now to the maple tree.’ He grunted, rushing to the borderline.

Not long after, he arrived at the borderline. He was anxious, knowing that they were not allowed to go there. Nonetheless, he took the courage and searched for the largest maple tree which he quickly found because of the unique color of its leaves, which was a combination of red and orange.

Blaze breathed a sigh of relief when he finally reached the maple tree. His uncle was right, the enemy would not dare to follow him there. He was gazing at the beautiful tree, amazed by its distinct appearance. However, he suddenly felt pain all over his body. He moaned as he fell to the ground. Then he found himself naked as he shifted back to his original form.

‘Marcus?’ He called his wolf, but no answer. He turned and looked up at the sky. Suddenly, he felt as though everything was spinning. Then he fainted.

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When Blaze opened his eyes, he was already lying on a soft mattress in an elegant room. He suddenly got up when he recalled what happened to him.

He looked out the window and saw beautiful maple trees and colorful flowers, where leaves and petals were swaying through the gentle blow of the wind. He could also see the forest on the other side. Seeing the breathtaking scenery, he realized that the house was located somewhere in the mountains.

However, no matter how beautiful the scenery was, Blaze had no energy to appreciate it. His tears coursed down his cheeks, thinking about their pack, especially his family.

He was in that position when he heard a husky voice of a man behind him. “I’m glad that you’re awake already, Blaze.”

He quickly turned around after he wiped his tears away. Then, he saw an old man in his seventies coming into the room.

“W-Who are you?” He asked the old man, even though he had a clue that he might be the man who picked him up from the woods.

“I’m Fernando, your father’s friend. But you can call me grandpa from now on.” He introduced himself as he sat down on the couch near the window.

“From now on?” Blaze questioned while his heart raced. He didn’t want this feeling.

But Fernando didn’t answer his question. “Did you know you slept for three days?” He asked, changing the topic.

His brows jumped up. “Does it mean that my parents have already come to pick me up? Are they here?” He asked excitedly. He was really hoping that their pack conquered the enemies.

Fernando’s face suddenly turned grim as he lowered his gaze. He didn’t respond to the question.

Blaze could read an explicit sorrow on the man’s face, causing his heart to ache. It only meant that the enemies defeated their pack. His parents didn’t make it.

He looked again outside the window where he could see the green forest. Like an ordinary child, he mourned the loss of his pack and family.

“Mama, papa, uncle!” He screamed, crying his heart out, expressing his grief. As he continued weeping, he promised himself that he would get revenge! He would avenge his family! He would return and retrieve their pack!

Meanwhile, Fernando watched Blaze cry while gently tapping his back. He knew that there were no words that could appease him now. Hence, he let the child cry until he felt better.

After some time, Blaze stopped crying. He felt exhausted as his knees weakened. His expressive brown eyes lost their golden color. He felt numb, as though his heart was replaced by a heavy block of ice. Then, he passed out again.

Blaze slept for another two days. But when he woke up this time, he had a different aura. His golden-brown eyes that turned pale silver had no trace of any emotions. No sadness, no anger, and no pain, either. They're just dull.

The old man who was sitting next to him while reading the newspapers noticed when he sat down on the bed.

Blaze just stared blankly at him. After a moment, he asked. “Who are you?”

Fernando creased his forehead. It puzzled him as to why the child asked him that question again.