CHAPTER 13. LOST HOUSE

On the slopes of Wolf Mountain, it was once filled with mystery and legend. Now, hundreds of years later, its name still echoes throughout. However, the werewolves that inhabit this place have changed over time. After a terrible incident centuries ago, the site has metamorphosed into the White Wolf Village, where the lost past and memories reside.

At this moment, Diego stood on the slopes of Wolf Mountain, his heart filled with deep nostalgia. This place had undergone a drastic change from what he had once known. Diego felt like he was in a completely different world.

"Everything has changed. I even feel like a stranger," he muttered as he sat on one of the large old trees that had been alive for thousands of years, trying to piece together the irregular pieces of memories like a puzzle.

From the top of a tall tree, Diego enjoys the natural beauty of the mountains, a living landscape filled with magical elements and mystery. Lush trees shaded a path made of sparkling clean stones, giving the impression of having entered a different world.

This white werewolf village consists of buildings made of beautifully polished natural wood and blends in with the surrounding nature. The snow-white roofs stand out among the trees, creating a stunning contrast.

The cool evening air, accompanied by the distinctive song of birds and the sound of the rushing river in the distance, was soothing to the wolf prince's melancholy heart. Occasionally, he would jump up and harass some minor children passing by, pelting them with tree branches.

The white werewolves who inhabit this village have ice-blue eyes that sparkle in the moonlight. They live in harmony with nature, can communicate with wild animals, and maintain the balance of the mountain ecosystem.

In addition, the white werewolves also coexist with humans. Diego was shocked to discover that there was a werewolf-human intermarriage. They had even given birth to a generation of half-demons.

As he sat daydreaming, a voice greeted Diego. "Hey, what are you doing up there? Are you lost?"

Diego lowered his gaze and saw an older woman waving at him and saying something, but he couldn't quite make it out. The wolf prince decided to climb down from the tree.

"You called me?"

"Yes. I called you. I saw you in that tree for days. Are you looking for something or lost?"

Diego scratched his long hair in thought for a moment. "I don't know, I don't know either. These mountains used to be my home, but something happened, and it all disappeared instantly."

The older woman looked closely at Diego's face while sniffing his scent. "Are you a werewolf-like us?”

"Yes, I am the last wolf prince of the Eastern wolf clan," he said, patting his chest proudly.

The woman's eyes rounded, and her face showed shock. "Are you the prince of the Eastern wolf clan? It's not like - ." The woman narrowed her eyes to stare so intently at Diego's face that the man felt uncomfortable.

"Stop looking at me like that, Grandma!"

"Grandma, you called me!" Suddenly, the older woman looked annoyed and threw a punch at Diego's face, which sent him staggering backward.

"Hey! What are you doing!" Diego was startled while holding his cheek. The man was inflamed and accidentally raised his voice. This attracted the attention of the locals.

They flocked to Diego, and some men revealed their wolf form. They thought Diego had done something terrible to their leader.

"Who are you? Why hurt my grandmother?" angrily shouted a man in the form of a white wolf, the old woman's grandson.

"What did I do to your grandmother? I should be asking her why she hit me in the face?" Diego asked back while pointing his index finger in the face of the older woman in front of him, seemingly a disrespectful gesture in the eyes of the locals.

"Bastard! How dare you be rude to our chief!" One of the men came forward first and deliberately delivered an impromptu attack. Diego, unprepared for the sudden attack, bounced several meters until his body hit some tree trunks.

This situation eroded Diego's patience, who immediately rose to fight the white wolf nation. Fortunately, the older woman, the elder of the white wolf pack, immediately prevented the fight. She struck the tip of her magic staff, causing the ground to shake violently.

"Stop! There is no bloodshed in my place!" he bellowed with a furious look.

"But, Chief -."

"You don't have to worry. He's one of my father's family," the old woman explained, much to the surprise of everyone, including Diego.

"You can't just talk, Grandma! How am I related to you?" protested Diego, who was silenced when his eyes caught sight of a familiar object. It was a small copper plaque in the shape of a fang, one of the heirlooms and identifying marks of each Royal family member.

"Where did you get that? Give it to me!" Diego tried to grab the plaque, but he was too quick.

"Sorry, this is mine. A gift from my father."

"Oh, it turns out your father was a master thief." Diego's words made the older woman's ears heat up until her face turned red like a tomato.

"Listen carefully! My father is Prince Arnold of the Eastern Wolf Clan."

"What? That's impossible!" screeched Diego as he stared at the old woman before him. He still couldn't believe that the wrinkled-faced, white-haired, stocky woman was his niece..

"You're Arumi?" guessed Diego, frowning at the thought of his niece's cute, age-defying face.

"Yes, I'm Arumi." The older woman smiled as she walked over to Diego and hugged him. Meanwhile, the man remained where he was, unsure whether to feel happy or sad about the fact that he had an old niece.

"I'm thrilled to see you again, Uncle," she said, releasing the hug from Diego.

"Me too. Although I'm having a little trouble with what to call you in the future?"

"You can call me what you used to."

Diego scratched his head in thought for a moment. His eyes looked at his nephew, seemingly assessing something. A few seconds later, he shook his head. "I can't. Yumi was called when you were cute and funny, not like now," he said with one hand pinching his nephew's sagging face.

The white wolf pack had lowered their guard and seemed more relaxed, especially after their leader introduced Diego as one of the family. As a result, they flocked to give a welcome as if they were welcoming an honored guest. A variety of fresh meat was served to the wolf prince.

"I can't remember the last time I ate this well." Diego sat back and stroked his stomach.

"Life is good here." The older woman beside Diego suddenly became gloomy; she let out a long sigh with her eyes far ahead.

"It's not like you imagine. I truly live alone with no identity and no family. For centuries I was in this place, enduring all circumstances in the hope that everything could return to the way it used to be. Until I finally met them."

The man could say no more as he looked down regretfully. His hands were clenched tightly, his jaw hardened. "I'm sorry. I wish I hadn't believed what that man said."

There was silence for a few seconds. Until finally Arumi took Diego to a secret place. The two of them withdrew from the crowd of white werewolves that had gathered around the campfire that night.

"Where are we going?" Diego asked, following his nephew.

"Can't you stop babbling like a girl? You've repeated the same question almost ten times."

"Don't blame me for asking. You're not giving me a clue." The two of them argued in the darkness of the forest. Passing through a rushing river, they arrived at a cave almost covered by a tall, thatched house.

"We have arrived." The older woman pointed toward a dark cave that was almost invisible because of the shrubbery around it. Then the older woman cast a spell; magically, the shrubbery around the cave disappeared. Now, the entrance to the cave was visible, with a yellow light emanating from inside the cave.

Diego didn't ask many questions and immediately followed his nephew into the cave. Once inside the cave, Diego was shocked to see a collection of statues lined up neatly.

"You brought them to this place?"

"I kept them all here. Our family," said Arumi, who chose to sit next to the statues of her parents.

Diego shed his tears again in front of the statue of his family. But something mysterious suddenly called to his grieving soul.

"What is it?" asked Diego as he approached a small wooden box lying alone on a large rock.

"I don't know either. It's been near these statues," said Arumi. "Is it yours?"

Diego picked up the box and looked inside, which was a necklace with a red gemstone pendant. When Diego touched the chain, an energy flowed into his bloodstream. It drew him into a flash of long-forgotten memories.

"Finally, I can recognize the woman," Diego explained after waking up from the mystical effects of the necklace he was holding.

"Who are you talking about, Uncle?" asked Arumi curiously.

"She's a woman who would die for a loser," Diego explained as he draped the mystical object around his neck.