Chapter 79 CHAPTER 79
Lisa slept peacefully, her breaths slow and even, her face soft against the pillow. Mooncrest Castle was quiet around her, wrapped in a stillness that only deep night could bring. Yet inside her mind, a subtle shift rippled through the bond she shared with Celia.
Celia stirred.
And in the next heartbeat, she slipped away, from the human realm, from Lisa’s sleeping body, from every weight and worry tethered to the waking world.
The wolf realm opened beneath her paws like a blooming horizon.
Warm winds swept across endless green plains, carrying the glow of soft morning light though the sun was nowhere in sight. Flowers shimmered with a faint golden hue, the sky painted with colours that shifted gently like watercolour strokes. Everything here felt alive - vibrant, breathing, ancient.
Celia inhaled deeply, her white fur lifting with the breeze.
The last time she was here, she had left Kael lying weak and nearly lifeless under the large round-topped tree - the one whose branches curved protectively over him like a sacred canopy. The thought made her chest tighten.
She bounded across the meadow, paws brushing the grass in quick, graceful strokes.
But when she reached the tree…
Kael was gone.
The patch of flattened grass where he’d lain was empty.
Celia’s heart dropped.
Her breath caught in her throat.
Kael?
She spun in circles, sniffing the air, searching frantically. Panic clawed up her spine. He had been too weak to walk the last time she saw him. If something happened - if he had been taken….
“Looking for someone?”
Celia whipped around.
A grey-furred, elderly wolf stood a few meters away - tall, regal, with calm golden eyes. The healer.
“You frightened me,” she breathed, trying to steady her pounding heart.
The healer’s whiskers twitched in a soft, reassuring smile.
“He is safe, child. Come. I will take you to him.”
Relief washed through her in a shaky wave.
She followed him across the shimmering plains until they reached a cave carved into a rising hillside. But it was unlike any cave she knew. Soft light glowed along the walls, warm and golden, as if the rock itself carried a heartbeat. Pearlescent strands of wool-like fibres covered the floor, forming a thick, gentle bed.
And lying upon it…
Was Kael.
Strong.
Resting.
His chest rising steadily.
Celia stepped forward slowly, her breath catching.
The moment she crossed the threshold, Kael’s ears twitched. His eyes opened - deep amber, warm, instantly focused on her. He didn’t need to see her to recognize her. He felt her presence before she even moved.
“Celia…”
Her heart trembled at the sound.
She rushed to him, lowering her head to press her muzzle against his neck. Kael shifted, leaning into the touch with a low, relieved rumble.
“I couldn’t find you,” Celia whispered. “I thought something happened. I panicked.”
Kael nuzzled her cheek. “The healer moved me. I was almost gone when he found me. But he’s been treating me, feeding me strength. I can feel myself returning… slowly.”
She pulled back, examining him with worried eyes. “You do look better. Much better.”
“I am,” Kael admitted. “But I’m still too weak to reach Sebastian. I can’t talk to him. I can’t guide him. I can’t even sense where he is.”
Celia’s chest tightened. “He’s frantic,” she said softly. “He thinks something is wrong with you. He fears the worst.”
Kael’s ears flattened. “I feel like I’m failing him. He must think I abandoned him.”
“You didn’t,” Celia insisted, placing her forehead against his. “You’re healing. That’s what matters now.”
The healer bowed his head once and stepped out of the cave, giving them privacy. Celia sat beside Kael on the soft ground, letting the magical glow warm her fur.
After a long moment, Kael spoke quietly.
“Celia… there’s something I’ve wanted to ask you.”
She turned toward him.
“Are you rejecting me?”
The question hit her like a blow.
Kael’s eyes dimmed with sadness. “Is it because Sebastian rejected Lisa? Because I couldn’t stop him? I tried. I never agreed with him. I wanted him to choose you both. But he didn’t listen. And now you think I’m unworthy….”
“No,” Celia whispered, cutting him off with a gentle brush of her muzzle. “It’s not that.”
“Then what?” Kael asked softly, his voice trembling. “Why do you sound like you don’t want us to be together?”
Celia looked away, pain rippling through her chest.
Because she did want him.
Because the bond stirred when she looked at him.
Because her wolf heart yearned for him in ways she didn’t understand.
But she wasn’t alone in this body.
And Lisa, her Lisa, had been broken by Sebastian.
“It’s complicated,” Celia whispered. “But listen to me… what you need to do now is focus on getting better. You need to return to Sebastian. To warn him. To fight what’s coming.”
Kael frowned. “Celia… what’s happening in the human realm?”
So she told him.
She told him about the witches.
About Sarah’s true identity.
About the drain on Sebastian’s strength.
About Lisa’s rescue.
About Mooncrest’s protection.
About Ethan and Liam and the elders working day and night.
About the danger creeping into both realms.
Kael listened silently, dread clouding his eyes.
When she finished, he sighed deeply. “If I tell Sebastian that Sarah is a witch… he may not believe me. She’s driven a wedge between us. He thinks I dislike her out of jealousy.” His voice cracked. “He doesn’t trust me anymore.”
Celia touched his cheek with her muzzle. “Then he will have to learn. But you must heal first. The human realm needs you. Sebastian needs you.”
After a long moment Kael nodded. “You’re right.”
Silence settled between them, soft and heavy.
Celia stood slowly. “Are you strong enough to go outside?”
Kael pushed himself up, shaky but able. “I think so.”
They stepped out into the sunlight together.
The meadow stretched endlessly, blooming with life. The wind rippled through the grass like waves through water. Birds circled high above, their wings catching the golden glow.
Kael lifted his head to the warm air. “I forgot how good this place feels.”
Celia nudged him playfully. “Then come on.”
She darted forward, tail swaying high.
Kael growled in surprise - then laughed, the sound deep and rich as he chased after her.
They ran through the plains, weaving between tall grasses, leaping over stones, brushing against wildflowers that released trails of glowing pollen. For a while, they weren’t burdened wolves. They weren’t halves of humans or servants of bonds or victims of spells.
They were just Kael and Celia.
Two young wolves beneath an endless sky.
Two souls forgetting pain.
Two hearts remembering joy.
Kael eventually slowed, panting lightly. Celia walked beside him, their shoulders brushing—warm, close, familiar.
He looked at her, voice soft. “I’ll get stronger. I’ll return to Sebastian. I’ll help him. I promise.”
“I know,” Celia whispered. “And I’ll be here. Whenever you need me.”
They stood side by side as the wolf realm wind brushed through their fur, warm and glowing.
For the first time since Kael collapsed, hope flickered - gentle, real, alive.
And somewhere far away, in the human world, Lisa stirred in her sleep, a faint warmth blooming in her chest - Celia’s happiness reaching her in dreams.
The storm was still coming.
But here, in this peaceful moment, the wolves had each other.