356- Fragments of a Forgotten Legacy
POV Viktor Averwyn:
I forced my mind, trying to remember what I had answered—if I had truly been there. My heart screamed that I had.
He spoke to me, casual things about a hunt the next day, when the snow outside would be thinner. It was an ordinary day in a large cabin during winter, the white pines outside looking like a painting through the window.
All the anguish I had been feeling faded. I wanted to stay there—with them.
Then I realized I had stopped speaking. His expression turned concerned. And unconsciously, I asked why.
He looked at me, taking advantage of the chatter in the kitchen to confide:
“Do you remember my suspicions? The ones I talked to you about? I think they’re not just in my head. Something is going to happen.”
I didn’t move, afraid everything would vanish.
“They’re uneasy. And that irritates me. We built something beautiful and prosperous here. Everyone lives in peace. But they think we have too much support, too much power. Packs keep arriving, as do caravans of humans. All seeking our valley. Do you know what they’re saying?”
I stared at him, every detail vivid.
“That the prophecy is real and coming true. That’s why so many are coming—wanting to live nearby, to be part of it. My name and your mother’s are reaching distant lands, son. Aslan and Lioara, with their destined offspring. Some don’t like it. They fear it might be true. I suspect they’re planning to stop it. I just don’t know how.”
Fear returned to me—along with anger. Ready to fight, outraged at the injustice. Wanting to ask who those traitors were. But my voice was stuck.
Aslan leaned forward, his eyes locked on mine, his voice low:
“Stay alert. And don’t forget—if anything happens to me, take care of your mother and your siblings. Do you promise? Don’t abandon them. Ever.”
Everything vanished suddenly, and the air left my lungs as the office returned—the exposed stone walls, the glowing monitors, the marked map on the table.
“Fuck!”
I stood abruptly, finishing my drink in one gulp. That wasn’t a dream. I was remembering more and more. Even his name.
There had been an attack—I felt it deep inside. Our parents were dead. And my siblings…
I paced, my mind struggling to separate fantasy from reality. My instincts aligning with reason.
Aldren and Edric. It could only be them.
I had just thought we were on opposing sides, and now these memories came out of nowhere—as if reminding me of an old promise. What the hell!
I stopped, thinking about his words. Prophecy.
Many said they were just legends, while older wolves believed them to be real. Children especially loved telling them, waiting for the day when Supreme Alphas would rise—beings above all others, bringing an end to everything in fire.
Nonsense. Stories that had spread among packs for centuries. Three wolves unlike any other—some said immortal, others said living far beyond normal lifespan.
Aslan and Lioara, with their destined offspring.
Was that why entire packs were moving to the valley?
Believing that Aldren, Edric, and I were those Supreme Alphas?
Of course it wasn’t real. But what if they had believed it back then? What if it sparked suspicion—my father’s fear that something was being plotted against him? Just the belief alone could breed envy, hatred, a desire to destroy.
That still didn’t explain why we were alive, without memories, separated. Nor the certainty that something terrible had happened to Lioara and Aslan. If they were murdered, why weren’t we killed too?
There were still Lucian, Konrad, the Elders. There had to be another explanation—but it unsettled me. Stirred my emotions.
Because even if it was all confusion, the feelings were real. There was a bond between the three of us. I saw it in the boy with Aldren’s age, in the child with Edric’s eyes.
I circled the table, barely noticing the monitors. I called Edric immediately, and he answered almost at once.
“Decided to come to your senses? Do you know how many wolves died yesterday from your explosions and gunfire?”
His irritated tone grounded me slightly. If I wasn’t even sure of what I remembered, how could I convince him we might be brothers?
“Viktor?”
It made no sense. They would think I had gone mad.
I stopped attending the Elders’ council meetings centuries ago, when I began having flashes of betrayal and attacks without understanding them. I trusted my instincts—the feeling of danger, the certainty of a traitor nearby.
Without proof, I withdrew. Protected my territory. Built my own world.
Only when I began seeing visions of my mother did that sense of danger grow stronger—along with my desire to uncover the truth.
That’s why I had recently returned to the Council—watching, gathering pieces. It worsened with Seraphine’s arrival, Konrad’s attempts, the war.
“Viktor? Are you there?”
Edric’s voice pulled me back.
“I’m here.”
“What do you—”
“I’m not ending the war. I just called to tell you and Aldren to be careful.”
Silence.
“Are you threatening us?” he asked coldly.
“No. You’re not my enemies.”
“Then surrender to the Elders. Let’s talk.”
“I need to protect my people, Edric.”
“I don’t understand what you’re getting at.”
“Something tells me we should be on the same side.”
“You expect us to ignore the laws? Forget that you killed one of us?”
“No. I want you to investigate. Try to remember the past. Konrad was never one of us.”
He sighed, and I knew I couldn’t push further. But I wouldn’t break that promise.
“If you attack from the east field, you and Aldren shouldn’t go in.”
“Why?”
That was where the deadliest traps and explosives were.
“Let others go first. You’ll see.”
“Viktor—”
I hung up, throwing the phone aside. Furious with myself—and even more worried.
If I revealed too much, I would weaken myself. I just hoped they would listen. Think about it. Believe me.
I walked to one of the windows and opened it, feeling suffocated inside. Too many thoughts, too much to reconcile.
Then something caught my attention—a flash of color near the houses. I saw Seraphine’s long curls shining in the sunlight.
For a moment, I was pulled away from everything else.
I had thought that after the fight the day before, she would hide in the castle. But she was there again, integrating herself into the village, leaving the school surrounded by children. They sat on the grass beneath a large tree, the little ones attentive as she smiled and spoke.
I was surprised she hadn’t retreated, and I scanned the surroundings, expecting trouble. Lana and Raluca were taking turns replacing Adelina, but neither was there now.
I allowed myself to watch the human—barefoot, in a simple green dress, beautiful.
That alone was enough to calm me.
For a moment, I didn’t move.
I just watched her.