Chapter 96 - THE ONLY WAY

Night hangs over the forest like a dark cloak, enveloping every corner in eerie shadows. The moon, hidden behind a veil of clouds, barely casts a faint glow over the landscape, exposing only blurred outlines and ghostly silhouettes among the trees. The stars, shy and distant, flicker barely in the firmament, like small lanterns lost in the immensity of the universe.

Frank drags me to the cabin, with no chance to escape again. Once we're inside, he throws me to the ground and closes the door behind him with a dull thud. "The only way you're getting out of here again is dead," Frank says in a triumphant tone, his voice echoing ominously in the room.

The wind rustles through the leaves blowing through the window, creating a steady murmur that seems to fill the air with a palpable sense of anticipation and mystery. The sound of running footsteps puts Frank on alert, who tenses perceptibly, his gaze fixed on the entrance to the cabin. Is it Genrant who has come for me? The footsteps grow closer, and I fix my gaze on the window, expecting to see someone and wondering who is hiding in the darkness.

"There you are," I hear Frank's voice directed at some indeterminate point behind him. But who is it? The shadows of the trees obscure my view, but the footsteps sound louder and faster. Who is approaching as if running for his life?

Frank is still waiting patiently in front of the door as if the desperate running heard in the distance doesn't bother him in the least. I know it can't be Genrant by the zero expressiveness on Frank's face. Then, someone knocks on the door and tries to open it, but Frank had already slipped the lock on it as soon as we walked in. I try to get up from the floor, still with a sore body, to reach for the gun that had fallen to the floor as soon as I throw myself inside the cabin, but right away Frank detects my movement.

"You better not move from there. I'm not having any of your nonsense right now," Frank says, his tone full of warning as he nails me with a piercing stare.

Frank opens the door with angry patience, and a familiar figure emerges from the woods through the doorway. It is Sora. She enters the hut. Sora, because of you I'm in this hell, what are you doing here? For a moment, I thought I had betrayed them.

"Sora, until you decide to show up," Frank says mockingly. "Your plans didn't go as you expected and you decided to come crawling to me?"

"What the hell are you talking about?" cries Sora in despair as she tries to catch her breath. "I escaped! Do you know what it took for me to break free from Genrant's grasp? He was holding me prisoner. I managed to escape and throw him off before I got here, but it won't be long before he finds us. You left that disgusting smell of that human as a trail all the way here. We should leave that human before it gets here. You won't be able to take on the whole Genrant herd, they're too strong. It's better to escape and make another plan."

Genrant. The name strikes me in my heart. Will he be all right? I want to see him, I want to be safe in his arms again. Could it be that he's close? Should I scream? Will he hear me?

My mind clouds for a moment at the mere mention of Genrant. Images of his face, of his deep-set eyes full of concern, flood my mind. A feeling of longing comes over me, the uncontrollable desire to be safe in his arms, to feel his comforting warmth and protective firmness around me.

I remember the last time I was with him, the way he looked at me tenderly and promised to protect me. Where is he now? Is he desperately searching for me? The thought that I might be in danger makes me feel a knot in my stomach, an anxious worry that threatens to consume me completely.

I want to scream his name, to call out to him, to let him know I'm here, trapped in this nightmare, but an inner voice stops me. What if that only puts him in more danger? What if my call leads him straight into Frank and Sora's trap? An internal struggle rages within me, between the burning desire to reunite with Genrant and the paralyzing fear of putting him in danger. But despite everything, one thing is certain: I can't stay here without him.

Frank shrugs indifferently at Sora's words, his movements tense and full of restrained aggression. A sneer crosses his face as he glares at Sora.

"So what of it? I'm only interested in killing Genrant," Frank replies in a gruff voice. "And you really think the best move is to leave her behind? Even though you know everything Genrant would do for her?"

Sora glares at him, not backing down from Frank's defiant attitude. Her fists are clenched tightly at her sides, her knuckles white from the built up tension. He can feel the anger burning inside him, but he struggles to keep his cool.

"Are you sure he'll come for her? And what will you do if Genrant doesn't come for her in person? Your whole plan to assassinate him will have been in vain. You won't even be able to against his pack. What makes you think you can take Genrant?" asks Sora.

Frank remains unperturbed, his face expressionless as he stares at Sora with a cold, calculating gaze. A cocky smile forms on his lips as he replies confidently.

"I think you're mistaken, Sora. Genrant will personally come for this filthy human," Frank declares, his voice full of malice and self-assurance as he cuts off the space between Sora and himself. "And where is your whimpering puppy?" inquires Frank, his voice laden with disdain.

"My puppy?" Sora's voice sounds funny, like it's about to crack as she averts her gaze from Frank as if she can't look him in the eye. "Eee... he had to stay in the pack," Sora sounds nervous, which is unusual for her. "It was necessary, he'd just be a hindrance." Sora's response rings in my ears, a statement that takes my breath away. How can she leave her own son behind?

But is it real, would Sora be able to abandon her cub just to escape with her life, would she sacrifice her own child that way?