Chapter 56
Ella's POV
When I groggily came to, orange firelight danced before my eyes.
The warmth of the campfire enveloped me, yet a cold remained deep in my body—the kind of chill that seeped from the marrow, making me curl up instinctively. I tried to move my fingers, only to find my entire body ached as if crushed beneath boulders.
"Oh, the young miss is awake!" a rough male voice rang out nearby, clearly delighted.
"Quick, quick," another voice urged.
I turned my head with difficulty to see three unfamiliar men gathered around the fire, their faces sharply defined in the flickering light. Strangely, they seemed somewhat familiar, yet I couldn't recall their names no matter how hard I tried. This sense of déjà vu only heightened my unease.
I instinctively tried to pull back, only to realize I was lying on a crude bed of animal pelts. Looking around, I found myself in an ice cave, icicles hanging from the walls, the air thick with damp cold.
"Don't be afraid, miss," one of the men with a full beard said quickly, raising his hands in a clumsy gesture as if to prove he meant no harm. "I'm Brian. These two are Gregory and Zachary. We're all former subordinates of your father."
Father?
I froze. The word stirred ripples in my mind, and blurred images began surfacing from the depths of memory—flames, war cries, and a tall figure shielding me from behind. But these memories were like reflections on water; the harder I tried to see them clearly, the more they shattered.
"You..." My voice came out hoarse, barely audible. "You knew my father?"
The three men exchanged glances, complex emotions flickering in their eyes.
Just then, a deep voice resonated in my mind: They are indeed your father's former subordinates. They're not lying.
I jumped, nearly leaping off the pelts. This voice—it wasn't coming from outside, but echoing directly within my consciousness.
"Ignis?" I asked uncertainly in my thoughts.
It's me. The voice carried a soothing quality. Don't be afraid, little master. You've just awakened your wolf spirit. Your memories will gradually return.
My hand unconsciously pressed against my chest, feeling that strange yet familiar power flowing within. Right—I had awakened my wolf spirit and fought against Stella... Everything had happened too fast. I still hadn't fully adjusted to this new presence inside me.
"Miss?" Brian asked cautiously. "Are you alright?"
I took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I... haven't quite gotten used to having a wolf spirit yet."
Brian nodded, understanding flickering in his eyes. He sat down by the fire, gesturing for the other two to relax as well, then spoke slowly: "You've just awakened your wolf spirit—your memories will return gradually. About your father..." He paused, his voice growing heavy. "The Crimson Flame Warlord was always respected within the Blood River pack. He was righteous and kind, incredibly powerful, but it was precisely because his prestige among the people ran so high that Alpha Louis saw him as a threat that had to be eliminated."
I gripped the pelts tightly, my knuckles white from the pressure.
"Years ago, the Crimson Flame Warlord was supposedly ordered by Alpha Louis to carry out a special mission," Brian continued. "The two had a disagreement about this task, and ultimately it seems the mission was never completed. Combined with the fact that his great battle against Stella ended in a draw, the Alpha believed the Warlord was deliberately prolonging the conflict to maintain his own importance." Indignation filled his voice. "Any excuse will do when you're determined to condemn someone! The Alpha began fabricating charges against the Crimson Flame Warlord, secretly purging his entire clan. Miss, you are the sole survivor."
Those suppressed memories suddenly flooded back like a tidal wave—firelight, screams, blood. I saw clan members falling one by one, saw myself being pushed into a hidden passage, saw my home behind me consumed by flames. Searing pain shot through my head until I nearly passed out. I clutched my head, nails digging into my scalp.
"Miss!" All three men stood up simultaneously, though they didn't dare approach.
Finally, the pain subsided slightly. I lifted my head, my voice trembling as I asked: "What kind of mission would make the Alpha turn so viciously on my father?"
Brian shook his head, looking puzzled. "We don't know the specifics, but supposedly it had something to do with elemental power."
"Elemental power again?" I murmured to myself.
First there was the ice element Kane wanted to seize, then the fire element sealed within me, and now it connected to my father's mission... What was the link between all of this?
Gregory sighed, picking up the thread: "Elemental power made the Crimson Flame Warlord what he was, but it also destroyed him. No Alpha would allow one of his own people to possess such world-shattering might."
"And that traitor Nicholas!" Zachary suddenly spat through gritted teeth. "He actually betrayed the Warlord and became Louis's blade!"
I felt dizzy. Too much information, too many truths, and yet I knew nothing of my own past. "Then where do we... go from here?" I heard myself ask, my voice full of helplessness.
The three men suddenly dropped to their knees in unison. Brian spoke solemnly: "Since you are the Crimson Flame Warlord's daughter, the inheritor of the fire element, we pledge to follow you."
"No, no." I waved my hands frantically. "Before I recovered my memories, I was nothing but a slave in Blood River, never having any choice. Now that I've learned my true identity, carrying elemental power and becoming the center of this maelstrom..." I smiled bitterly. "The world is vast, yet there's nowhere for me to go."
I thought of Ruby. She had once asked me what Free Haven was like. Back then I could still paint her a beautiful dream, but now, I didn't even know if I could make it there alive.
"Why don't we go to Free Haven?" I suggested softly. "It's a place without pack politics, without oppression."
The three men exchanged glances, then nodded firmly. "Wherever you go, miss, we'll follow!"
Careful! Ignis suddenly warned in my mind. There are many wolf paws outside the cave.
Brian and the others immediately grew alert, quickly rising and moving to the cave entrance to look out. I struggled to my feet and followed them.
From this elevated position, I could clearly see squads of warriors marching through the canyon below. Their armor reflected the moonlight with cold gleams, their orderly steps raising clouds of dust.
"Blood River pack is about to go to war with Silver Moon," Brian said grimly. "These are just the advance forces."
My heart seized. Julian, and... and Kane.
"Boss, you sealed Silver Moon's ice element," Zachary reminded him. "Silver Moon is in for it now."
I looked at Brian in shock.
"It's none of our concern," Brian said coldly. "That boy chose to shield that traitor himself." He turned to me, his tone softening. "Miss, if we're going to Free Haven, we should leave soon. If this becomes a battlefield, we won't be able to escape."
I nodded hesitantly, but my mind was in turmoil. Silver Moon was going to war with Blood River, Julian had lost his ice elemental power, and Kane...
No. I couldn't think about him anymore. He had made his choice, and I had made mine. Our paths had diverged long ago.
Yet when I thought of the war, of the coming slaughter, my heart still clenched involuntarily.
"Miss?" Brian looked at me with concern.
"I understand." I tried to make my voice sound steady. "Let's go."
But just as I turned away, I couldn't help glancing back at that vast army in the canyon below.
Many would die in this battle.
And I was no longer the slave who could only passively await fate's arrangement. The Crimson Flame Warlord's blood flowed in my veins; I possessed the power of the fire element.
Perhaps one day, I too could become a true warrior like my father.
But for now, I just wanted to survive.