Entangled Fates

Karenina

The morning was still very dark when a rumbling sound was heard in the wind. There was an old cave in a field near a small village. The villagers used to throw the bones of dead demons into the cave so that they would never return to the living world. They called the wooden structure the Demon Witch Graveyard Cave.

Grumbling sounds could be heard from inside the cave. A few seconds later, a black head appeared, followed by a very large and conspicuous yellow backpack strapped to a young girl's back. Eventually, with great difficulty, the young girl managed to shift and lean against the cave wall to gain strength and support on her back.

"Gee, I'm tired. You'd think I'd be used to it by now," she complained.

It was always painful when she had to walk through the old, dark, smelly cave, carrying not only herself but also her heavy bag with only a rope to guide her. When she finally managed to get her feet back on the ground, her backpack fell with a soft thud beside the well at the end of the cave, and she breathed a sigh of relief.

As she looked around the dark and deserted field, she wondered why he had not visited her at home and rudely walked into her room and asked her to return with him to Moonlit Grove to continue their search for the sacred moonstone. He was always trying to make her feel guilty about being the Chosen One, bound by her werewolf heritage, and that she had to accept her fate. He was a little pushy at times, but she still loved him.

Shaking her head from the drifting thoughts, she looked around the field again, neither seeing nor feeling her werewolf friend.

"Huh, maybe he's doing group business or practicing."

Looking at the weight she was carrying, she sighed. She had hoped that he would be there to take the heavy backpack off of his strong shoulders and save her the trouble, but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Looks like I'm on my own," she said to herself.

With that, she bent down to pick up her backpack when she felt something. Straightening up, she looked in the opposite direction of Moonlit Grove, into the dense forest. Strange. She felt someone calling her.

Then her gaze drifted to the Silverthorn Forest, just beyond the line of trees. As she approached the edge of the forest, a surge of power crept through her fingertips as she reached for the bark of a majestic oak. A longing smile crossed her lips as her memories carried her away, along with the emotions those thoughts brought. Later, she would return to retrieve her bag and head to the Moonlit Grove to reunite with her group, but for now, she had to explore the depths of the mystical Silverthorn Forest. 

As the tall trees of the forest finally came into view, her mind went back in time. Guided by the spirits of her ancestors and the ancient legends etched in her soul, her mind replayed the first time she discovered her werewolf heritage.

Karenina Mason is a hybrid, born to a pureblood human mother who possesses the spiritual powers of her family lineage. Her father, meanwhile, is a werewolf and beta in the Moonlit Grove pack.

She barely noticed the passing minutes or the whispering of the leaves as she walked toward her destination, lost in thought. Then the howling of wolves in the distance broke her reverie.

"Ouch! I'm going to be late! Rylan's going to be so pissed." She tried to turn around and go back to where she came from, but she stopped abruptly when she felt the same sensation as before, as if she was being summoned not by a voice, but by a deep feeling that could not be explained. She raised her hand to her chest and thought, What is this feeling? 

She took a few steps away from the oak, heading in a direction that would take her further away from the Moonlit Grove, but she stopped and shook her head sharply. "What should I do? I should go back to him and the others." But instead of heading toward her friends, her feet seemed to have a mind of their own as she was forced to answer an unknown call.

"I'll be gone for a while. If I don't see anyone soon, I'll come back." With her decision made, she slung her bow and arrow on her back and began to move away from Moonlit Grove and Rylan's territory. She was not too worried about getting lost, knowing that the impatient werewolf would find her one day. Then all thoughts of her friend disappeared as she explored the forest, that strange feeling echoing in her mind.

The trees passed by her side as she began to realize that she was starting to run further and further to the west. Almost galloping, the feeling grew stronger, more urgent, urging her to hurry. Run, run. That's what she realized.

The sound of her footsteps hitting the ground, her panting breath and her racing heartbeat were sounds that were constantly ringing in her ears. However, she was getting tired and had to stop and rest before she passed out from exhaustion. Sitting on a fallen oak, she remained restless. She had to wake up. She had to reach out to the One who was relentlessly searching for her. After a few minutes of rest, she got up, ready to continue her journey. Somehow, this brief rest helped her to regain her strength.

She looked around and noticed that the sun was already high in the sky, no longer morning but evening. She was surprised and thought, How long have I been walking? Maybe I should go back and turn around.