Chapter 20 #2
“Lilia,” I looked at her earnestly, ensuring she could feel my sincerity, “I promise you, even if Anna has nothing to do with the curse, even if she can’t extend my life by a single second, I will still love and protect her as I do now.”
A flicker of wavering emotion passed through her eyes, but the wariness remained.
“Does breaking the curse require taking a child’s life to sustain your own?” she asked directly, her voice trembling slightly.
My heart tightened. I hadn’t expected her to ask this so bluntly. Indeed, ancient legends mentioned a dark method of prolonging one’s life at the cost of a child’s, but that was forbidden dark magic, not the true path to breaking the curse.
“Lilia,” I looked at her, seeing the fear and worry in her eyes, “no matter what breaking the curse requires, I promise you, I will never harm Anna. Even if it means I must face death from the curse, I would never touch a single hair on her head.”
She stared into my eyes, searching for any trace of deception. I could sense the struggle within her—she wanted to believe me, but the wounds of the past made it impossible for her to let her guard down easily.
“How can I trust you?” she asked softly. “I trusted you once before, and the result…”
“Lilia,” I took a step closer to her, my voice low and resolute, “I swear, I will protect Anna with my life. If the curse must claim a life, I would rather it be mine than any innocent soul, especially Anna’s.”
A flicker of emotion passed through Lilia’s eyes, and her lips trembled slightly as if she wanted to say something. Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps interrupted us.
“Mommy! Perock! Come see my new toy!” Anna’s voice rang out from the other end of the hall.
We turned to see Anna running toward us excitedly, holding a glowing orb in her hands—a magical decoration from the party that changed colors based on the emotions of the person touching it.
In that moment, a chill ran through me, and my wolf instincts made the hairs on my neck stand on end. The air around us carried a faint trace of something that didn’t belong in this banquet hall—the scent of dark magic.
“Anna, stop!” I shouted, my voice sharp with urgency, my body tensing as the threat crystallized. Lilia stiffened beside me, her own instincts kicking in, her posture shifting to defensive, her eyes scanning the room for danger.
Before my words could fully register, the hall’s towering stained-glass windows exploded inward, shards raining down like glittering daggers, their crash a deafening roar that drowned out the music.
A black shadow vaulted through the breach, landing with predatory grace—a rogue werewolf, its massive frame twisted by dark magic, its eyes glowing a malevolent red, its matted fur etched with pulsating black runes that reeked of corruption.
Its gaze locked on Anna, its intent unmistakable, a chilling focus that sent my blood boiling with protective rage.
Instinct surged, overriding thought. I shifted mid-leap, silver-gray fur rippling across my body as I became my wolf, my powerful form crashing into the rogue with a bone-jarring impact, sending it skidding across the floor.
It recovered with terrifying speed, snarling, its claws gleaming with venomous sheen, its movements unnaturally fluid, driven by a force beyond flesh. It quickly got back on its feet, assuming an aggressive stance, ready to attack again.
“Protect the princess!” Sam roared, his voice echoing with urgency.
In a flash, he transformed into his werewolf form, leading a squad of guards who had also shifted into their lupine shapes, he charged toward the rogue wolf with unyielding resolve.
A smaller contingent of guards remained in human form, clutching silver-tipped spears with firm grips.
They swiftly formed a protective barrier around Anna, their eyes darting in every direction to ensure no threat could breach their line.
Meanwhile, the remaining guards sprinted toward Lilia’s position, determined to shield her as well.
But the rogue werewolf was a force beyond comprehension—its speed and raw power defied anything ordinary.
With a single, devastating swipe of its claw, it sent our three wolves hurtling through the air, their bodies crashing against the stone wall with a bone-jarring impact.
Sam’s sharp claws aimed directly at the rogue’s heart in a desperate attempt to end the fight.
Yet the rogue wolf evaded him with ease, its movements almost supernatural, and with a brutal kick, it sent Sam sprawling to the ground.
“It’s a rogue werewolf enhanced by dark magic!
Ordinary weapons won’t work!” an elderly witch shouted in alarm, his voice trembling with realization.
But the warning came too late. In mere moments, six more wolves were struck down, their bodies crumpling to the ground as blood pooled beneath them, staining the cold stone.
“Anna!” Lilia let out a piercing scream, her maternal instinct overriding everything as she rushed to her daughter’s side in an instant.
I quickly leaped forward, positioning myself as a shield in front of them.
Newly arrived guards encircled the rogue wolf, raising weapons imbued with protective enchantments, their faces set with grim determination.
The beast let out a guttural roar, its massive frame colliding with the guards in a frenzy of claws and teeth, tearing into them with savage ferocity.
I joined the fray, diving into the chaos, but the rogue wolf was cunning beyond measure.
It dodged my attacks time and again with eerie precision, while effortlessly overturning guards who attempted to flank it.
Anna stood frozen in place, her small face drained of color, her amber eyes wide with terror.
Lilia dropped to her knees beside her, gripping Anna’s shoulders tightly with both hands, forcing herself to remain composed despite the fear etched into her features.
“Anna, listen to me,” I heard Lilia say, her voice steady and resolute despite the chaos around them.
“You need to get out of here right now, okay? These soldiers will escort you. Remember what we practiced at Fellinger—run to the safe house, they will guide you. Don’t look back and don’t stop for anything. ”
“But Mom—” Anna’s voice quivered, tears welling up in her eyes, threatening to spill over as her small frame trembled.
“Don’t be afraid, sweetheart,” Lilia said quickly, pressing a tender kiss to her daughter’s forehead. “Mom will be fine. We’ll protect you, but you have to run. Right now, go!”
The soldiers standing by Anna’s side glanced at me for confirmation.
I gave them a firm nod, and they immediately moved to escort her away from the danger.
Then, Lilia turned to face the rogue wolf, her entire body beginning to radiate a golden light, a sign of her own transformation and readiness to fight.
But before we could react, the rogue wolf kicked aside the last guard attempting to block its path.
With a deafening roar, it charged in the direction Anna had fled.
I launched myself into the air, slamming into its side with all my strength, knocking it off course and sending it crashing into the ground nearby.
At the same time, I caught sight of Lilia’s golden wolf form, poised and ready for battle, her eyes burning with fierce determination.
“Lilia, get out of here with Anna!” I shouted through our mental link, urgency lacing my thoughts. “I’ll handle it.”
But Lilia didn’t back down. She ran toward me, taking her place by my side, her presence a steady anchor in the storm of battle.
“I will fight with you together,” she said firmly, her gaze locking with mine.
We shared a brief, unspoken understanding as we assumed defensive stances, perfectly in sync.
A surge of exhilaration coursed through me. This was only our second time fighting side by side, yet the connection between us felt as natural as breathing.
The rogue wolf halted a few meters away, its chest heaving as it emitted a low, menacing growl.
Its eyes were devoid of any semblance of reason, hollow and consumed by a bloodthirsty urge, a clear sign of the dark magic controlling it.
I could sense the overwhelming power of the spell binding it—far beyond the capabilities of an ordinary sorcerer.
This was something ancient, something sinister.
“Protect Princess Anna!” I broadcasted through the mind link to all the soldiers in the court, my voice a command that brooked no hesitation. Then, I lunged at the rogue wolf with every ounce of strength I possessed.
We clashed in the center of the hall, a brutal tangle of claws and fury.
The sickening sound of tearing flesh and snapping bones reverberated through the space as we fought.
The rogue wolf’s strength was staggering, far greater than I had anticipated, clearly amplified by the dark magic coursing through it.
Its attacks were wild and reckless, driven by a desire for mutual destruction, heedless of its own survival.
Lilia, with astonishing agility, maneuvered behind the beast while it was preoccupied with me.
Seizing the moment, she slashed at the vulnerable spot on the back of its neck with a precise strike.
The rogue wolf howled in pain, whipping around to retaliate, which left a critical opening in its defenses.
I seized the opportunity, lunging forward and sinking my teeth into its throat with a savage bite.
Blood sprayed everywhere, a hot, metallic torrent, but the creature seemed impervious to pain. If anything, the injury only fueled its frenzy, making it more erratic and dangerous. With a sudden burst of energy, it reared up and flung me off, sending me skidding across the ground.
Lilia moved faster than lightning, intercepting the rogue wolf’s path and colliding with it head-on. Their forms tangled mid-air in a violent struggle, and my heart clenched as I watched Lilia’s wolf form get slammed to the ground with a bone-rattling thud.
“Lilia!” I roared, rage and fear surging through me as my muscles tensed. With a strength I didn’t know I had, I launched myself at the rogue wolf, my claws piercing through its chest and tearing straight into its heart.
The beast let out a final, anguished wail before collapsing. Its body dissolved into a pool of black liquid, seeping into the ground and vanishing—a telltale sign of a creature bound by dark magic meeting its end.
I turned immediately to Lilia, who had reverted to her human form. She lay on the ground, pale and drenched in cold sweat, her breathing shallow.
“Lilia!” I shifted back to human form as well, rushing to her side and kneeling beside her, gently supporting her trembling frame.
“Anna… is Anna okay?” she asked weakly, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes unfocused and glassy.
“She’s safe. You blocked the rogue wolf’s path. You made it. The soldiers have taken her to the safe house,” I reassured her urgently, my heart twisting at the sight of her pale, pained expression.
“Thanks goddess… that’s good…” Lilia managed a faint smile, but suddenly, her expression froze.
“Watch out, Your Majesty!” Sam’s desperate shout pierced the air.
I turned just in time to see a dark mist erupting from the remains of the rogue wolf’s body. It moved with a life of its own, a sinister force surging straight toward me.
In the next second, I was shoved aside with a strong force. Lilia collapsed to the ground in my place.
“Lilia!” I cried out, my voice raw with panic.
It was too late. Time seemed to stretch into an eternity in that horrifying moment. My eyes widened in disbelief as the black mist surged into Lilia’s body, vanishing as if it had been absorbed.
Everything around me seemed to stop, the weight of what had just happened crashing down on me like a tidal wave.
“Lilia, no!”