Chapter 18: An Incarnate

Verona

My eyes opened slowly, blinking as they struggled to adjust to a blinding brightness. I realized I was lying on a cold floor. The chill seeped into my skin, and when I shifted, I felt water beneath my palms. The floor was wet. Cold. Unforgiving. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, my breath coming unevenly.

Just moments ago, I had been with Evan. I could still remember his voice, his hands steadying me. So how did I end up here?

I rose carefully to my feet, my movements cautious as I looked around. Nothing made sense. The space around me felt endless, empty—like nothingness stretched in every direction. No walls. No sky. Just an eerie openness that made my chest tighten.

Then I noticed it again.

The bright light.

It hovered not too far from me, glowing softly, pulsing as if it were alive. I turned toward it, my eyes narrowing slightly, and for reasons I couldn’t explain, it drew me in. Something about it felt familiar. Safe. Like it belonged to me.

I took a slow step toward it.

The moment I did, it drifted back.

“Why are you doing that?” I asked, my voice echoing strangely in the emptiness, even though I knew it wouldn’t answer me.

Still, I felt compelled to follow it. Each step I took made it retreat just a little farther, as if it were leading me somewhere. My pace quickened, my steps growing faster, more desperate. I reached out—

And just as my fingers were about to touch it, everything shifted.

I was yanked away from that place so suddenly that my breath left me in a gasp. When my senses returned, light flooded my vision—warm, vibrant, alive. I turned slowly, stunned.

I was standing in a garden.

Flowers stretched as far as my eyes could see, their colors rich and overwhelming. The air was sweet, heavy with fragrance, and it wrapped around me like a gentle embrace. I looked down and realized I was standing on a bed of flowers, their petals brushing against my feet.

“But… where did that light go?” I muttered softly.

My heart pounded as the question settled in.

Was this a dream?

It felt like one—but at the same time, it didn’t. Everything was too vivid. Too real. I could feel the ground beneath me, smell the flowers, hear my own breathing.

This wasn’t just a dream.

And that realization sent a quiet shiver through me.

“Verona.”

A soft voice—one that sounded disturbingly like my own—called my name.

Fear rooted me to the spot. My body stiffened as I slowly turned toward the sound, my heart hammering violently in my chest. And the moment I saw her, my breath caught painfully in my throat.

Standing before me… was me.

And yet, it wasn’t.

“W-who… who are you?” I stammered, the words barely leaving my lips as shock washed over me.

She was dressed in pure white, the fabric flowing as though it was made of light itself. Her hair was longer than mine, not black but a soft golden brown that shimmered faintly. Her skin was paler, almost glowing, and when I lifted my gaze to her eyes—

Ember.

They burned softly, warm and powerful all at once. There was a grace in the way she carried herself, something effortless and divine, a presence so overwhelming that it made my chest tighten.

She took a step closer.

Instinctively, I stepped back.

It felt wrong—like standing in her presence alone was a sin I had no right to commit.

“I asked who you are,” I said again, my voice shaking despite my effort to sound firm.

She stopped moving and smiled gently at me.

“Can’t you see?” she asked softly. “I am you.”

My breath hitched.

“I’m you, Verona,” she continued, her voice calm, reassuring. “We are one.”

I stared at her in disbelief. She was nothing like me. She looked like light itself—while I… I didn’t even know what I was.

“A-are you my wolf?” I asked hesitantly.

She shook her head and stepped closer again, and this time, I didn’t retreat.

“I am not your wolf,” she said. “A wolf can never be taken from its vessel, Verona. It can only be suppressed.”

My throat went dry. “Th-then… are you my essence?”

Her smile widened, warm and knowing, and she nodded.

“The essence of a werewolf is like their soul,” she explained gently. “Once it is taken, they cannot access their power in their human form. The wolf suffers, confused and can go berserk. But yours, Verona…” her eyes softened. “She was suppressed by magic, so she's there, waiting.”

She lifted her hand slightly.

“And now that I have returned to you, you will finally be whole again.”

Something inside me responded before my mind could. When she raised her palm toward me, I mirrored her without thinking, placing my hand against hers.

A strange warmth spread through me.

“You, Verona, are my incarnate,” she said quietly. “In time, you will understand. The world ahead of you will be harsh, unforgiving—but you have the wisdom to survive it.”

She leaned closer, her forehead nearly touching mine.

“And please,” she whispered, her voice barely audible, “take care of our love.”

Before I could ask what she meant—before I could even process her words—she pressed her lips to mine.

—

I gasped sharply and sat upright, my chest heaving as air rushed painfully into my lungs. My heart pounded wildly, and it felt as though something heavy was lodged inside my chest.

A hand gripped my shoulders firmly.

“It’s okay. It’s okay, Verona,” a familiar voice said urgently. “I’m here.”

Evan.

I turned my head and saw the worry etched deeply across his face, his brows drawn together tightly. My surroundings came into focus slowly, and I realized I was back in my room.

Obed stood nearby.

So did Lydia.

The last thing I remembered before everything went dark was being in Evan’s arms.

“Oh, thank the goddess you’re awake,” Evan breathed, pulling me into a tight embrace. His heart was racing against my ear.

When he finally released me, I looked up at him. “What… what happened?”

His jaw clenched, and before he could answer, Obed spoke.

“Your body couldn’t handle the return of your essence,” he said grimly. “You collapsed and remained unconscious for three days.”

My eyes widened instantly as I turned back to Evan.

“Three days?” I whispered.

He nodded immediately, his face twisted with relief and lingering fear.

“You were supposed to wake up almost immediately,” he said quietly. “When you didn’t… goddess, Verona, you terrified me.”

“I’m just glad you’re awake,” Lydia added gently.

Obed exhaled sharply. “Your body is too weak. We need to—”

“I don’t think so,” I interrupted.

All of them froze, their attention snapping to me.

“I met someone,” I said slowly.

The room went completely silent.

Evan straightened at once. “Who?” he asked, his voice sharp with urgency.

I looked at all of them before my gaze settled back on him. “She looked like me. She called herself my essence—and said I was her incarnate.”

Evan stood abruptly, staring at me in stunned disbelief.

When I glanced at Obed and Lydia again, they wore the same expression.

“What… what’s wrong?” I asked nervously.

Obed finally broke the silence. “No one has ever spoken to their essence before. And being an incarnate…” his voice lowered. “It means this is not your first time in this world.”

I froze.

What the hell did that mean?

And then her final words echoed in my mind—

Take care of our love.

Did she mean Soren?

The thought made my chest tighten—but I kept it to myself.

Some things felt too sacred to share