Chapter 254: Working Together
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Esme was exhausted.
By the time she stumbled back into her cabin, she didn’t bother with the lantern or even removing her shoes. She collapsed straight onto the bed. Her body yielded to the weight of exhaustion, though she could not grasp the reason why today, of all days, the fatigue clung to her bones like lead.
Not to mention but it was strange how quickly everyone had moved on from the siren incident last night. Their reactions were unnervingly detached, as though the tragedy had been nothing more than a lucid dream. No one really had the time anymore to grieve anyone.
She shifted restlessly beneath the thin sheets, rolling from one side to the other in search of comfort, until at last she pushed herself upright with a frustrated sigh.
Sleep wasn’t what she needed at the moment. She still hadn’t unraveled the mystery of her powers, and she was being obviously neglectful about it too. Resting would not bring her any answers, so she might as well keep herself busy with learning more about her powers.
Best to make use of the moment of peace she had right now to gather whatever she can about her powers.
Noticing the books lined near the small bookshelf, her mind turned to the book her Aunt had given her, the one she had barely begun to decipher before it was ripped from her hands by the true bearer.
That memory burned in her chest.
She was only able to discover the reason behind her illness, but if the true bearer had been so desperate to get his hands on those books, then the pages must have held more than riddles. Perhaps they were even meaningful explanations that held the key to her imposter wolf.
The thought chilled her.
If the true bearer wanted the wolf within her, it could only mean two things: either the wolf carried a weakness that could be exploited... or a strength so lethal it posed a threat even to the true bearer. This was merely her speculation, but to understand the risk, she needs to know more about this imposter wolf if she wants to have any chance of sniffing out even a bit of the true bearer’s goals. There has to be some reason why he’s doing all this.
Another reason that was far beyond dominating the realms.
Letting out a sigh, she glanced at the mirror hanging on the wall. It was through such a reflection that the imposter wolf had last revealed itself to her, its presence lingering like a shadow at the edge of reality. She wondered now– if she called to it, would it answer her? The creature had already vowed to aid her in overcoming the true bearer. Surely, then, it would not resist a simple conversation.
Rising from the bed, she approached the mirror and stared blankly at her own reflection.
Her own eyes met hers, but the silence in the glass felt heavier than usual— mocking almost. Other wolves could call to their spirit counterparts with ease, slipping into that bond as naturally as drawing breath. But for her, the process was anything but instinctive. Every attempt felt clumsy, as if she were fumbling with something closer to witchcraft than to the sacred bond it was meant to be.
Now that she thought about it, this creature had actually come to her by ritual.
Clearing her throat, Esme spoke clearly into the still air. "Imposter wolf, may I have a word with you? The matter is super urgent. And don’t bother pretending you can’t hear me, I know you can."
There was a moment of silence after she uttered those words. Was she silly to think the wolf would reveal itself simply because she wanted it to? The wolf already made it obvious that it had a mind of its own, but that still doesn’t give it the right to ignore the owner of whom it bonded with either.
If it wanted to be stubborn, she’d be stubborn as well. When she parted her lips to try again, the mirror’s surface suddenly rippled.
This time, however, her own reflection was not staring back at her. Instead, the wolf revealed itself in its true form.
Majestic.
Yeap. That was the only word that came to Esme’s mind as she took it in: the proud arch of the wolf’s neck, the fiery blue flames for fur, and golden eyes that seemed to pierce straight through her. For a fleeting moment, she forgot herself, temporarily lost in the awe, but then she blinked and composed herself, forcing the thought aside before it could root too deeply.
"Imposter wolf. Really?"
The wolf’s unimpressed voice resonated in her mind, but Esme ignored the bite in it and pushed forward.
"I figured," she said evenly. "If we’re going to face what’s coming, then we should at least know something about each other. As for me... I don’t have much to share. Though I suspect you already know all there is to know about me."
The wolf was quiet for a moment before responding: "you really believe that you’re going to be capable of facing what is to come? I’m afraid I highly doubt that."
Esme frowned. "Why? Why do you say that?"
The wolf let out a low growl, its form flickering with the eerie glow of blue fire as it said: "I am what your people call a "blood wolf," and as you can guess, I was awakened by the ritual your people dared to perform that night. My kind are bound to power, not to bonds. Our Alpha nature makes us untethered– solitary. And as an Alpha, I cannot take a mate, nor surrender myself to the weakness of attachment. It is the law of what I am. We are not like the other spirit wolves that take root within your people."
"You’re an Alpha?"
"By nature, yes," the wolf replied. "We exist to balance chaos across the realms, that’s why your people tried to summon me in the first place. But in this world, we cannot exist here without a vessel. That is why your father was willing to uphold this gift, despite knowing the consequences."
The flames along its body flared, the shadows leaping across walls as it added: "Do you understand now why I doubt you? Mate bonds are associated with love, and love was never written into what we are, that’s why I can’t accept it. It’s more of a flaw that comes with the power we possess. We are creatures meant to forge balance, and to be alone for eternities. Do you still not get what I’m trying to say?"
Esme’s heart leaped as she met the wolf’s golden gaze, and even though she got the message the wolf was trying to pass across, she could not bring herself to believe it.
"But after we get rid of the true bearer, maybe I can send you back to where you came from," Esme proposed carefully, as she watched the wolf’s ears twitch in surprise. "Listen, I understand that this isn’t fair to both of us. We’re both victims of circumstances, forced into something we didn’t choose. But if we continue to hold grudges, then we’ll never make it through this alive. That’s why I’ve decided that once the true bearer is defeated, I’ll find a way to help you return to where you came from. Until then, we’re going to have to stand together. Otherwise, we don’t stand a chance. So what do you say, agreed?"
The wolf’s gaze narrowed, suspicion glinting in her cold gaze. "And if you fail to send me back?"
"I won’t." Her answer was immediate, too fierce for someone who wasn’t entirely sure herself. The wolf probably knew this too.
A heavy silence pressed between them, before the wolf’s presence pressed deeper into her thoughts.
"Fine," it said at last. "But first, let’s start with your powers, and how you’re going to use them."