Chapter 13. Into The Unknown

The air was thick with tension. The words “Shadowfang Ruins” hung in the air, too heavy to ignore, too dangerous to embrace. Alex’s hand still hovered over Samantha’s mouth, her eyes wide with fear, while Ronan’s face had gone pale. Derek, ever silent, stood apart, but his gaze remained locked on Samantha with an intensity that made her feel as though she was standing on the edge of something vast and incomprehensible.

“Are you insane?” Alex whispered, voice trembling. “The Shadowfangs? No one comes back from there. Not a single soul who has ever entered those ruins has lived to tell the tale.”

Ronan, his hands clenched into fists, took a step forward. “It’s not just a myth, Sam. It’s a place filled with curses, dark magic, and monsters. You can’t go there, not without the blood of a wolf. You’ll be walking into your own grave.”

Samantha took a deep breath, trying to steady the pounding of her heart. She had expected this reaction, but that didn’t make it any easier to hear. She turned her gaze to the distance, where the forest grew darker and the shadows of night were beginning to creep in.

“I don’t have a choice,” she said softly, but firmly. “I need answers. I’ve spent my whole life as an outcast—this pack, this world, they don’t see me. I need to know who I really am. And I need to find out why my parents left me, why I was abandoned.”

Alex, Ronan, and Derek exchanged uneasy glances. Derek’s jaw tightened, his lips pressing into a thin line as he looked away. It wasn’t easy for any of them to hear this. After everything that had happened, after everything they had lost, she still wanted to go to the most dangerous place of all.

“You’ll be risking your life,” Ronan said quietly, his voice thick with emotion. “This place—it will take everything from you. It won’t care who you are, whether you’re a human or a wolf. You have to understand that.”

“I understand.” Her voice was unwavering. “But this is the only way. I can’t keep running. I need to face whatever I’m meant to find. I need to know my past, my real family. The Shadowfang Ruins are the key.”

Alex stepped forward, her face a mixture of worry and resolve. “If this is what you really want… then we’ll help you. We’ll tell you the way.” Her voice cracked slightly as she looked at Samantha one last time. “But Sam, you have to promise me you’ll be careful. You can’t go in blind. The risks are too high.”

Samantha nodded solemnly, her eyes fixed on her friend’s face. She could see the fear, the love, the hesitation. It hurt her more than anything to put Alex through this, but there was no turning back.

“The way to the Shadowfang Ruins…” Derek spoke for the first time, his voice steady, though his eyes were distant. “There’s only one path. You need to travel north, through the Wildthorn Forest. The trees there grow so thick that the sunlight barely reaches the ground. There’s a river to the west of the forest—it’s the only way across the land that leads directly to the Ruins.”

Alex’s eyes flickered, her expression tight. “You’ll need to stay off the main trails. The creatures that roam those parts aren’t… friendly. You’ll have to be quiet, stay hidden. And when you reach the Ruins…” She paused, her breath catching. “You’ll know you’re there. The moment you step into the place, you’ll feel it. The air is different, heavy, like the ground itself is watching you.”

“You need to keep your guard up,” Ronan added. “Don’t trust anything, not even the shadows. The Ruins are full of illusions. They play tricks on your mind. You’ll see things… things that aren’t real.”

Samantha’s heart pounded in her chest. She had heard of the Shadowfang Ruins. Tales passed down in hushed whispers around the fire. But hearing the truth from them, the people she trusted most, made the fear settle deep in her bones.

“I’ll be careful,” she promised. “Thank you… for everything. For bringing me the supplies. For helping me, even if you don’t agree with this.”

The silence between them was heavy, but no one could say anything else. The words were already spoken. The decision was made.

Samantha turned her back to them, looking at the darkening forest ahead. It was time.

“We’ll be here,” Alex said quietly, her voice breaking. “We’ll wait for you. We’ll always be waiting for you to come back.”

Ronan’s voice was steady, but the emotion beneath it was palpable. “You’ll always be my sister. I swear, I’ll find you, Sam. No matter what.”

Derek said nothing. He didn’t have to. The silence between them said everything.

Samantha turned, her eyes meeting Derek’s for a fleeting moment. There was something unspoken between them, something that neither of them had the courage to confront. But in that look, she felt the bond they shared. The hope, the fear, and the desire for something more.

She turned back to face the path ahead.

“Goodbye,” she whispered to no one in particular.

And with that, she walked away.

Alex, Ronan, and Derek stood watching her as she disappeared into the trees. Alex wiped her eyes quickly, trying to hide the tears. Ronan stood rigid, like a rock in the wind, and Derek… Derek watched until the last trace of her was gone from sight.

“Will she make it?” Alex asked, her voice small.

“I don’t know,” Ronan replied quietly. “But I’ll make sure she doesn’t go alone, even if I have to search the entire world to find her.”

“We’ll find her,” Derek added, his voice firm, though there was an undeniable crack in it.

And then, with one final glance, they turned back toward the Black Witch Pack. But each step felt heavier than the last. They couldn’t help but feel that they had just lost something—something that could never be replaced.

As Samantha walked deeper into the woods, her heart still racing, she couldn’t help but feel the weight of what she was about to face. Every step took her further from the people she had once called family, but closer to the answers she had spent her entire life searching for.

The Shadowfang Ruins were calling to her.

And she would answer.