Chapter 55 Wolf's Poison;

Chapter 55 Wolf's Poison;
Eva had always felt at peace in this mountain house. Even in those first days when she had returned to town, she had never felt truly alone. But now, with the Demon King's return, she felt a void inside her, as if she had lost Kael. She placed her fingertips on the midnight seal on her chest, trying to feel his presence.

But one thing she was certain of now: it was time to take the reins. She quickly pulled herself together and got to work.

A little later, the inside of the mountain house was dim with the orange glow of the late afternoon sun. Elly had lit the incense and drawn a circle. Eva sat on the floor, cross-legged, her eyes closed. In front of her lay the items from her grandmother's chest: an old bone comb, dried gerbera flowers, and a small crystal vial.

Elly sat across from her, holding a rolled parchment. She wet her lips and murmured the ancient guardian spells. But nothing was happening. The seal on Eva's chest remained dull. No purple flames. No wind. Nothing.

Asia sat in the armchair in the corner, legs stretched out, crunching on an apple. Each bite shattered the serious atmosphere of the ritual.

Elly opened her eyes in irritation.

"Asia, please. Can you be quiet for one minute?"

Asia shrugged and took another bite. She was grinning with amusement.

"I'm just watching. The ritual doesn't concern me." She waved her hand dismissively. "Besides, the old Rose witches and their guardians could perform magic even in the middle of battle. If an apple bite destroys your concentration, maybe the problem isn't me."

Eva opened her eyes. She took a deep breath. She was tired. Not just physically, but soul-deep.

"It's not working," she said quietly. "Nothing is working."

Elly's face fell.

"This ritual should have connected you. I don't understand it, Eva. Homay's light chose you. The seal is complete. But part of your past is still closed to you. Is it something about you?" she asked.

Eva put her head in her hands.

"Kael is hiding something from me," she said. There was both anger and hurt in her voice. "I saw that the Demon King looks exactly like him. But why won't he tell me? What is he hiding?"

The thoughts crowding her mind were starting to fray her nerves.

"What is the Demon King's purpose? I can't figure that out either. Does he want to destroy an entire race? Dozens of young wolves have awakened in town. There are humans too. I have to protect them. But first, I need to reach myself. All of my power. My past." She was shouting now.

Elly listened quietly, then whispered:

"Maybe we're looking in the wrong place. I can try another spell, or draw a past-echo rune..."

Asia took another bite of her apple. "Not all spells work, Eva. You're not just a witch anymore. You're a wolf. The midnight seal turned a witch into an entirely different race. Maybe the witch race has excommunicated you. That would be funny."

Eva lifted her head. Her eyes flashed. Suddenly, she knew.

"The Ancient Willow," she said. "That's what connected me directly to the Rose bloodline and Homay's light. That's where my witch lineage accepted me. I need to go there."

Elly jumped to her feet.

"Yes! That way you can make your wolf self accepted too. I'm coming with you."

"No," Eva said firmly. "You stay. Joe might come by. The wolves in town are in bad shape. You can help them."

Elly wanted to argue, but the determined look in Eva's eyes silenced her. She just nodded.

Just then, Asia spat the apple core out the window, stood up, and grabbed her jacket.

"I'm coming with you, little wolf," she said with a grin. "If something happens to you alone, Kael will eat me alive. Besides, I'm curious about this Ancient Willow. As they say, two wolves are always better than one."

Eva rolled her eyes but didn't object. Truth be told, she didn't want to go alone either.

A short while later, the Ancient Willow appeared at the mountain peak, standing tall in the valley that was slowly bidding farewell to winter, surrounded by melting snow. The massive hollow in its trunk was dark and silent. But the moment you stepped inside, it opened the door to another world.

When Eva and Asia entered, the darkness transformed into that paradise garden. Asia had never seen anything like it in her life. For a moment, she was breathless, stunned by the enchantment. Eva wasted no time. She sat down in the center of the tree's roots and closed her eyes. Asia stood a few steps away, arms crossed over her chest, keeping watch.

"How long will this take?" Asia asked.

"I don't know," said Eva. "But wait for me. Don't leave."

Asia grumbled.

"Don't worry, I won't. But I am curious... will you find your old self?"

Eva shot her an irritated look.

"Can you hate me a little less today, please? I actually enjoy your teasing, but right now I need to focus."

Asia loved driving her crazy. She stretched out on the lush green grass and rested her arm under her head.

"Fine, focus. I just hope the woman you find is less cranky than you," she said with a laugh.

Eva smiled. Then she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Warmth spread through her body. An energy that started at the tips of her toes and rose to the crown of her head. Suddenly, everything went dark. Then it lit up again. Her astral journey had begun.

Eva found herself in a lush green meadow. It looked like the past. Like centuries ago. The sky was deep blue, the sun warm. And in the distance, a woman in a white dress stood waiting.

The woman slowly turned toward her.

She had a young but mature face, wise and knowing. Purple halos burned in her eyes.

Eva recognized from the halos that she was a Rose woman.

"Welcome, Eva," the woman said. "I've been waiting for you."

Meanwhile, back at the waterfall grotto, things were about to take a turn for the worse. Kael stood at the edge of the sacred oasis, staring at the flowing water. His heart ached. Eva had left. Again. There was so much he hadn't been able to tell her. The past. The Demon King. He couldn't even explain why he had felt the need to hide everything.

And now, Eva was in the forest with Asia. At the Ancient Willow. Unbeknownst to him, she had begun unlocking the doors of this dark past.

Then he heard a voice.

"Kael!"

He startled and turned around. The twins came running. Alex's face was covered in blood. Axel was out of breath.

"What happened?" Kael asked, trying to make sense of their panic.

"Liam," Alex said, gasping. "He's losing himself. He's in the dungeon, attacking all of us like a madman."

Rai jumped down from a rock above, his muscular body hitting the ground with a tremor that shook the earth.

"What's going on?" he grumbled.

Kael clenched his teeth. Without a word, he headed toward Liam in the stone manor's dungeon. Rai and the twins followed.

The iron bars of the dungeon were shaking. Inside, Liam had broken his chains and was pounding against the walls. His eyes were pitch black. No familiar light remained in them. Only rage. Only deep, violent fury.

Black veins ran from his jaw down to his neck, writhing like serpents beneath his skin.

"Wolf poison," Rai whispered.

One of the twins asked curiously:

"What does that mean, Rai?"

Kael's eyes narrowed, his jaw cracking. He knew exactly what it meant. His voice was cold, the words coming through clenched teeth.

"He couldn't control his rage over his brother's death. The wolf inside him is consuming his humanity. Soon, nothing will remain of Liam but a poisoned wolf."

Rai stepped in quickly.

"We need a guardian. Are there any guardians in this century? Eva is a Rose witch. She must have a guardian."

Kael nodded.

"There is. One person remains from the ancient guardian bloodline. Elly."

But time was running out. An enraged roar rose from the dungeon. Liam was bending the iron bars with his bare hands. The bars began to give way. Rai's eyes widened with alarm.

"We have to do something, Kael. If we wait any longer, we won't be able to stop him."

Kael had made his decision.

"You need to contain him until I bring the guardian. There's a town very close by. If Liam escapes from here, he could slaughter everyone. Hundreds of lives would be on our hands."

He paused. The pain in his voice was unmistakable.

"The last time this happened, Eva had to imprison all of us in this cave and curse us for two hundred years. And I can't even tell my wife what's happening. What happened in the past. We cannot live through that again!"

He turned his back and dove into the freezing waters of the waterfall.

Rai and the twins remained at the dungeon. Liam's eyes glowed in the darkness like black jewels.

Axel grumbled with a sarcastic tone.
"Great. Who wants to be wolf food?"
It seemed wolf-sitting had begun...