Chapter 76 Another nightmare

Chapter 76 Another nightmare

ELARA

I was running.

I didn't know where I was going.

I only knew I had to keep moving.

Branches slapped against my face as I ran through the forest, my bare feet hitting the cold, damp ground. My lungs burned, and every breath came out in painful gasps.

Behind me, something growled.

Then another.

Then another.

Wolves.

No.

Not ordinary wolves.

Rival wolves.

I could hear them crashing through the trees, getting closer with every second.

“Keep running!”

A voice shouted from behind me.

I didn't turn around.

I couldn't.

I was too afraid of what I would see.

My heart hammered violently against my chest as I pushed myself harder, stumbling over roots and nearly falling.

I didn't understand what was happening.

Why were they chasing me?

What had I done?

I looked over my shoulder for just a second.

That was a mistake.

Several wolves were racing between the trees.

Their eyes glowed in the darkness, and their teeth were bared as they chased after me.

But there were people among them too.

People.

My people.

People I knew.

At least, I thought I knew them.

Their faces were strangely blurred, like my mind couldn't hold on to them.

I recognized their bodies.

Their voices.

Even the way they moved.

But whenever I tried to look directly at their faces, everything became distorted.

“Get her!”

Someone screamed.

“She can't escape!”

Another voice laughed.

My stomach twisted.

I knew that voice.

I was sure I did.

But who was it?

I couldn't remember.

I ran faster.

My foot caught on something, and I fell hard onto the ground.

Pain shot through my knees.

I gasped and quickly pushed myself up.

Too late.

A wolf landed in front of me.

I froze.

It was enormous.

Its black fur seemed to blend into the darkness of the forest, while its golden eyes stared directly into mine.

I stepped backward.

The wolf growled.

“No…”

My voice trembled.

I turned to run, but another wolf appeared behind me.

Then another.

They surrounded me.

I looked around desperately.

There was nowhere to go.

The people stepped out from behind the wolves.

I recognized their clothes.

I recognized their voices.

But their faces remained hidden.

One of them stepped forward.

“Elara.”

My blood ran cold.

He knew my name.

“Please…”

I backed away.

“Who are you?”

The figure laughed.

“You really don't remember us?”

I shook my head.

“No.”

Another person stepped forward.

“You will.”

There was something about the way they said it that terrified me more than the wolves.

I turned and ran anyway.

A wolf lunged.

I screamed and threw myself to the side.

Its claws tore through the sleeve of my shirt.

I fell again.

The wolf spun around and charged at me.

I crawled backward, desperately searching for something I could use to defend myself.

A stone.

A branch.

Anything.

My fingers closed around a broken piece of wood.

It was useless.

The wolf came closer.

I raised the stick with shaking hands.

“Stay away!”

The wolf growled.

Then it jumped.

I screamed.

I closed my eyes.

I waited for its teeth to sink into my flesh.

But it didn't happen.

Instead, I heard a strange sound.

A howl.

Not from the wolves.

Something else.

The forest suddenly became silent.

I slowly opened my eyes.

The wolf that had been about to attack me was lying several feet away.

Dead.

My breathing stopped.

I stared at it.

What had happened?

The other wolves began growling.

Then they backed away.

All of them.

Even the people behind them seemed frightened.

I looked toward the trees.

Someone was standing there.

A girl.

She was completely still.

She looked young, perhaps around my age.

But there was something about her that didn't seem human.

Her hair was white.

Not blonde.

White.

It fell down her back like snow, glowing faintly beneath the moonlight.

Her eyes were pale, almost silver.

She wore a long white dress that moved gently despite the fact that there was no wind.

I stared at her.

She stared back.

Then she smiled.

“Run.”

I blinked.

“What?”

“Run, Elara.”

Her voice was calm.

Too calm.

“But—”

“NOW!”

Something inside me obeyed.

I turned and ran.

The wolves immediately charged after me.

But the girl stepped forward.

She lifted one hand.

The entire forest shook.

A powerful wind exploded through the trees, throwing the wolves backward.

I stopped and looked behind me.

The girl stood in the middle of the chaos.

Her white hair flew around her face.

The wolves were scrambling away from her.

The people who had been chasing me were gone.

All of them.

The girl looked at me.

“Don't stop.”

I ran.

I don't know how long I ran.

Minutes.

Hours.

Maybe seconds.

Everything felt unreal.

Eventually, I reached the edge of the forest.

I stumbled forward and fell onto my knees.

I looked back.

The forest was completely silent.

No wolves.

No people.

No girl.

Nothing.

I pressed a hand against my chest, trying to calm my racing heart.

What had just happened?

And who was she?

I looked down at my torn sleeve.

My hands were still shaking.

Then I noticed something.

There was a small white feather resting in my palm.

I stared at it.

I hadn't picked it up.

It hadn't been there before.

I closed my fingers around it.

Suddenly, a voice whispered in my ear.

“You've been running from them for a long time.”

I spun around.

No one was there.

My heart stopped.

“Who are you?”

The forest gave no answer.

I looked at the white feather again.

Then, suddenly, everything went black.

I woke up with a gasp, my heart pounding as the terrifying dream slowly faded from my mind. But the white-haired girl remained vivid.

TBC