Chapter 10 – The First Dream

The dormitory was unusually quiet. For the first time since arriving at Wolf Academy, I found myself looking forward to the silence. Anna was already asleep in the bed across the room, one arm hanging over the edge of her mattress, a book lying open on the blanket beside her. She had insisted she wasn't tired less than ten minutes ago. She hadn't even made it through a single chapter. A faint smile crossed my face.

"I wish I could fall asleep that fast."

She mumbled something I couldn't understand i in her sleep and rolled onto her side. Lucky her. I changed into an oversized T-shirt, brushed my hair, and climbed into bed. The room was dark except for the moonlight spilling through the window. I stared at the ceiling. Sleep refused to come. My mind replayed the last few days over and over again. The acceptance letter. Principal Luca. The strange way every student looked at me. Rafael. Matteo. The courtyard. The Alpha auras. Everyone dropping to their knees...except me. I frowned.

"What was that?"

Nobody had explained it. Nobody even tried. Instead, they had stared at me as though I had broken one of nature's laws. I sighed and turned onto my side.

"Maybe wolves are just dramatic."

The thought almost made me laugh. My fingers slipped beneath my shirt until they found the familiar chain resting against my skin. The amulet. I pulled it into the moonlight. The silver pendant rested in my palm, cold and perfectly smooth. Ever since I was little, I had worn it around my neck. Mom had told me never to take it off. Not for swimming. Not for sleeping. Not even for a minute. Whenever I asked why... She always smiled.

"Because one day you'll understand."

I never did. I traced the delicate patterns engraved into the metal. They looked strangely familiar now. Almost identical to the symbols carved into the ancient tree in the forbidden garden. A chill ran through me.

"No..."

That had to be a coincidence. Didn't it? I closed my fingers around the pendant. For a brief moment... I could almost swear it answered. Not with words. With tiny warmth.  Barely noticeable. Gone before I could decide whether I had imagined it. I let the pendant slip back beneath my shirt.

"I'm spending too much time around magical trees."

That had to be the explanation. Nothing else made sense. Outside, the wind rustled through the academy gardens. The sound reminded me of silver leaves dancing above my head. Of the strange peace I had felt standing beside Luca beneath the ancient tree. It had been the first place at Wolf Academy where I hadn't felt... wrong. Where nobody whispered. Nobody judged. Nobody reminded me that I didn't belong. A yawn escaped me. Finally. I reached over and switched off the small bedside lamp. Darkness settled around the room. The moonlight faded behind drifting clouds. I closed my eyes. Slowly...

The sounds of the dormitory disappeared. Anna's quiet breathing. The wind outside. The ticking clock above the door. Everything faded. Silence surrounded me. Then... A single white feather drifted past my face. I blinked. Another followed. Then another. Snow? No. Feathers. Hundreds of them floated lazily through the air before dissolving into tiny silver lights. The darkness began to change. Soft white mist curled around my feet. Cold enough to see. Warm enough not to hurt. The floor beneath me vanished. Grass appeared instead. White. Not covered in snow. White by nature. I looked down in disbelief. Every blade shimmered faintly beneath my bare feet. I hadn't even noticed my shoes were gone. I slowly lifted my head. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction. Towering white trees rose toward a silver sky, their branches woven together like the ceiling of a cathedral. Leaves shimmered softly whenever a gentle breeze stirred them. The air smelled impossibly clean. Fresh rain. Wildflowers. Moonlight. Everything was silent. Not empty. Peaceful. It felt... familiar. As though I had walked these paths before. As though somewhere deep inside me... I remembered this place. I took a cautious step forward. Nothing happened. Another. The forest remained perfectly still.

"Hello?"

Only my own voice answered me. I wrapped my arms around myself.

"Okay..."

"This is definitely a dream."

Somehow... That thought didn't make me feel any better. Far in the distance... Something moved. A shadow. Large. Too large. It disappeared between the trees before I could focus on it. I stopped breathing. The forest fell silent once more. Then... I heard it.A single heartbeat. Not mine. Deep. Steady. Powerful. It echoed through the white forest. The mist around my feet began to swirl. Every instinct told me I wasn't alone anymore and for reasons I couldn't explain...

I wasn't afraid. Another heartbeat echoed through the forest. Closer this time. I slowly turned toward the sound. The mist parted between the white trees. A figure emerged from the shadows. At first, I thought it was a horse. It was far too large to be anything else. Then it stepped into the pale moonlight. My breath caught. A wolf. No... Calling it a wolf didn't seem enough. It towered above the surrounding bushes, its broad shoulders almost reaching the low branches of the silver trees. Every strand of its thick fur shimmered like liquid silver beneath the moonlight, reflecting soft waves of light with every slow movement. It was beautiful. Powerful and majestic. Unlike anything I had ever imagined. The wolf stopped several yards away. Neither of us moved. Its presence should have terrified me. Instead... An overwhelming feeling settled inside my chest. Peace. As though I had finally found something I hadn't even realized I'd been searching for. I stared at it. The wolf stared back. At least... I thought it did. Its face remained hidden. A strange silver light surrounded its head, making it impossible to distinguish its features. I couldn't see its eyes. Couldn't see its expression. Only its silhouette.

"Who are you?" I whispered.

The wolf didn't answer. A gentle breeze stirred the forest, carrying silver leaves through the air between us. One landed at my feet before fading into tiny particles of light. The wolf took one slow step forward. I did the same. Neither of us broke eye contact. Another step. The distance between us grew smaller. The strange warmth inside my chest spread through the rest of my body. I should have been afraid. I wasn't. Instead... I smiled.

"I know you."

The words escaped before I could stop them. My own voice sounded unfamiliar. Soft and certain. As though I had known the answer all along. The wolf lowered its massive head ever so slightly. Almost... As if acknowledging me. I swallowed.

"Have we met before?"

Silence. Yet somehow... It didn't feel empty. The forest itself seemed alive, listening. Watching and waiting. I took another careful step. The wolf remained perfectly still. Only a few feet separated us now. Its silver fur moved gently with the wind. It looked unbelievably soft. Without thinking, I slowly raised my hand.

"I won't hurt you."

The words felt ridiculous the moment they left my lips. If anyone was capable of hurting the other... It certainly wasn't me. Still... The wolf didn't move. My fingertips came closer. Just a little more... The warmth beneath my shirt suddenly returned. Stronger than before. The amulet. Even inside the dream, I could feel it against my chest. It pulsed once. Then again. The wolf's head lifted. The peaceful silence vanished. Its entire body became tense. Not because of me. Because of something behind me. A cold wind rushed through the forest. The silver leaves shivered violently. For the first time... The wolf growled. The sound rolled through the trees like distant thunder. Not angry. Warning.  Every instinct inside me screamed to turn around. I couldn't. My eyes remained fixed on the wolf. The silver light surrounding its face brightened until I had to shield my eyes. Then... A voice echoed inside my mind. Deep. Ancient. Gentle. Filled with urgency. One single word.

Run.

The forest disappeared. I gasped and shot upright in bed. My heart hammered so violently that it hurt. The room was dark. Anna was still asleep across from me, completely unaware. For several long seconds, I couldn't breathe. It had felt so real. Too real. I pressed a trembling hand against my chest. Heat spread instantly beneath my fingers. Confused, I pulled the pendant out from beneath my shirt. The silver amulet glowed faintly in the darkness. Not brightly. Just enough to chase away the shadows resting against my blanket. I stared at it in disbelief.

"No..."

The warmth grew stronger. It wasn't painful. If anything... It felt familiar. Comforting. Exactly like standing beneath the ancient silver tree. I tightened my fingers around the pendant. The glow slowly faded. The room became dark once more. Outside, somewhere beyond the dormitory windows, the wind whispered through the trees. For just a second... I could have sworn it sounded like footsteps moving through leaves. I looked toward the window. Nothing. Only moonlight. I let out a shaky breath and lay back against the pillow.

"It was just a dream."

I repeated the words several times. None of them sounded convincing anymore. I closed my eyes. Sleep never returned. Because no matter how hard I tried... I could still hear that voice.

Run.

The dream was over, but the warmth wasn't.