MY EFFORT EXTENDED THE LIVES OF ALL THE ELDERS. Although living in a coma for a month and a half was unsatisfying, it was still a blessing given their circumstances.
“What is the likelihood that the four elders will live?” inquired Elder Kirin.
As of the moment, only Elder Kirin and I were left in one of the rooms. Luke and the others were still in the previous room, discussing werewolf matters.
“80-20%,” I replied. “80 being them overcoming the curse and not dying,” and before Elder Kirin could sigh, I added, “However, whatever power they lost as a result of the curse will never return.”
“What?”
“The curse was created for a reason. Taking your abilities and transforming them into something else. There’s no way the powers would return.”
“The guts!” Elder Kirin exclaimed, stamping his staff on the ground. “I thought the world was obliterating this realm. In the end, someone caused the disaster! I will never let her go once I find her!”
I scoffed. “You don’t even know how the curse was transferred from their bodies. Yet, you dare imagine things. With the ability to curse the elders, don’t you think the perpetrator is more powerful than all of you combined?”
That made him pale.
“And by the way, don’t put all your hopes on me,” I reminded before it was too late, “When we finally find out the cause of the curse, you should start your next move. I, maybe, am a witch, but I don’t have the ability yet to kill this entity.”
It was good to be direct. Just in case they decided to give me the job later on.
“You have nothing to worry about,” he assured, “This is a war declared against us, the werewolves. We will never hide only to watch other people do our work for us.”
I nodded.
“Oh, yeah. By the way,” said I when I suddenly thought of something, “How did you know that I am not a person of this realm?”
Elder Kirin opened his mouth to respond when a guard knocked and said, “Elder Kirin, Alpha Severino and his group have arrived!”
I could not help but gasp, and chills instantly ran through my entire body. The elder must have felt my sudden change in demeanour as he asked, out of concern (perhaps), “Are you alright?”
“Of course,” I replied with a reassuring smile. “Your long-awaited visitor has arrived. We can’t afford to keep that important person waiting, can we?”
Elder Kirin checked on me first through his eyes before nodding his head.
While walking in the hallway, my instinct was high again. It was telling me that something was odd. Something strange was about to happen. I felt this kind of weirdness when Nieva and I used the spell from grandma’s grimoire resulting in my doom. My nerves were taut, my stomach churned, and something was screaming in my head. As to what the screamer was telling me--- well, probably distressing things.
However, since my first encounter with the Blood Clad Pack was unpleasant, I ignored it.
Oh, how I wish I did not!
If I had only left this abhorring place right away, the following events would not have happened!
---
Warning! Violence Ahead!
It was the shadow of death. I could feel death looming around. The atmosphere started to get heavy, and I could smell the metallic scent of blood.
Someone was on the verge of death. But I was sure it was not me.
“They did not get into trouble, did they?” I inquired, but not expecting an answer.
The elder must have smelled the blood as well because he began scowling. He then raised his hand to unlock the door. However, seconds turned into minutes, and the door remained shut.
“What are you afraid of, elder?” I teased, raising my brow, “I thought you, the elders, were omnipotent, the good-for-something ancestors of the werewolves. Yet, here you are, standing like a statue with your nerves eating you up because you are scared of facing an alpha.” Then, I sighed as I continued, “How disappointing.”
“What do you even know,” he spat while glaring at me. “The Blood Clad Alpha is someone we, elders, could not defeat. Otherwise, the number of werewolves and witches who died in his hands would not amount to hundreds,” he paused before adding, “We could not control him.”
I did not respond. I simply waited for the elder to take his time before opening the door. I could understand his emotions in some ways. The sense of foreboding, the fear of losing one’s life, and the bitterness of defeat. I felt all of those emotions when I came across that pack. It was not pleasant! Especially when you consider yourself the most powerful being in the world. It bruises our ego!
“I truly think that we should enter the room, Elder Kirin,” I called out when the elderly guy had not opened the door yet.
He looked at me, emotionless. And as he took a deep breath to get his non-existent courage, he boldly opened the door.
And when I said earlier that the shadow of death was looming, I wasn’t making a joke. The elder and I almost lost our eyes on the scene before us. Our eyes widened and nearly bulged out from our sockets because of the terrifying state of a very familiar man.
Lake, the man who was supposed to accompany me to the summit, was kneeling, his arms missing, his face covered in blood, and his eyes drooping. I could even barely hear his breath!
Regardless, I could tell he was pleading from the look in his eyes. It matters not whether he was begging to be saved or to die. With Lake’s current condition, all thoughts had been erased, leaving only pity and anger on his behalf.
And so, for the first time in my life, I growled. I growled in anger!
“What the fuck have you done to him?!”
I looked at the perpetrator, the person with the most distinguish aura, the alpha of the Blood Clad Pack, and the man whose face looked unbothered.
And yet, despite the anger and energy I was releasing, he merely looked at me and said, “Good that you are here. I’m starting to get impatient from waiting.”
Before I could question him, my vision went black, and a searing pain shook my nerves. Before the darkness finally ate my consciousness, the last person I saw was the stupid, hateful filthy mutt licking his bloody lips.