Chapter 29

• Olivia's POV
• I slipped out of the palace under the cover of night, the cold air biting against my skin as I made my way to the forest. My heart pounded in my chest, filled with both fear and anticipation. I had to do this. I had to find out who I truly was, where I came from. Being an orphan was hunting me for the umpteenth time in my lifetime. I couldn't stay in that palace any longer, with everyone watching me like a ticking time bomb. Even Bustan, with his reassurances, couldn’t ease the uncertainty growing inside me.
• The letter I had carried with me since I was a child—worn and fragile from years of being folded and unfolded—was my only clue. It spoke of a village deep in the forest, far beyond the palace borders. A place where I could find the answers to my origins. I needed to understand my powers, my place in the world. I needed to know why I was different.
• The trees loomed high above me, but I pushed forward, determined to find this village, this hidden piece of my past.
• The wind rustled through the trees, whispering secrets I couldn’t yet decipher. I held the letter tighter, feeling the weight of it in my hands as if it could lead me to my destiny. The words were faded, but I had memorized them long ago: “Mesopotamis, my grand mother lived there.” I should have tried looking for her long ago but I never thought it was necessary, now I do.
• The forest grew darker, more quiet, the deeper I went. Curiousity and anxiety was tugging at my heart. My heart raced as I imagined what I might find. Would I finally understand my powers? Would I learn why I was different from the others, why I was able to wield abilities no one could explain?
• Suddenly, a noise broke through the silence. A rustling in the bushes to my left. I froze, my breath catching in my throat. My senses sharpened as I scanned the area around me, but I couldn’t see anything beyond the thick brush. I took a cautious step forward, fear gnawed at me. I thought of many things I could do.
• Then, before I could react, something lunged at me from the shadows.
• I spun around just in time to see a figure emerge from the darkness—Kim. Her eyes glowed with a dangerous gleam, her lips curled into a cruel smile. Behind her, a group of wolves appeared from all sides, their teeth bared, growls echoing through the forest. I was surrounded. I searched around to see if there was anyone belonging to the hunters so I could conclude she was the betrayer but there was none. They were all wolves.
• “Well, well, well,” Kim said, her voice dripping with mockery. “What’s a little lost pup like you doing out here, all alone in the big, bad forest?”
• My chest tightened as I stared at her, trying to control the rising panic. Kim had always been a thorn in my side, but this was different. The look in her eyes told me that she wasn’t just here to taunt me—she was here to destroy me.
• “I’m not afraid of you, Kim,” I said, though my voice wavered slightly.
• “You should be,” she replied, stepping closer. “Bustan can’t protect you out here. No one can. You don’t belong in that palace, and you certainly don’t belong with him.”
• I clenched my fists, feeling the energy inside me stir, ready to explode. “What do you want?”
• Kim laughed, the sound cold and sharp. “What I want is to show you your place. You think you’re special because of your little powers, don’t you? But you’re just a lost wolf, pretending to be something you’re not. And now that Nate is after you, well… it’s only a matter of time before you realize who you really belong to.”
• Anger surged through me, mixing with the fear. “I don’t belong to anyone!”
• Kim’s smile twisted into something darker. “We’ll see about that. But first, I think it’s time we end this little game.”
• She raised her hand, signaling the wolves surrounding us. They growled louder, their eyes fixed on me, ready to pounce. My heart raced as I realized I was outnumbered, trapped with no way to escape. But I wasn’t about to go down without a fight.
• I closed my eyes, reaching deep within myself, calling on the power that had been growing stronger with each passing day. The forest seemed to respond, the wind picking up, swirling around us. The wolves hesitated, sensing the shift in the air, but Kim remained unfazed.
• “You think your little magic tricks can save you?” she sneered. “You’re nothing compared to me.”
• I opened my eyes, feeling the energy pulsing through me, stronger than ever before. “You’re wrong, Kim. I’m more than you’ll ever understand.”
• With a surge of power, I unleashed the energy inside me, sending a shockwave through the forest. The ground trembled, and the wolves backed away, their growls turning to whimpers as they felt the force of my power. Kim’s smug expression faltered for the first time, a flicker of uncertainty crossing her face.
• But I wasn’t done yet.
• I remembered the stories—the legends of the ancient guardian wolves who protected the forest and those who sought their aid. In a moment of desperation, I called out to them, I growled as I did the first time. Nothing happened. Then I spoke the language we communicated with.
• “Guardians of the forest, hear me! I call upon you for protection!”
• For a moment, nothing happened. The forest remained still, the wind dying down, leaving an eerie silence in its wake. But then, from the depths of the trees, I heard it—a distant howl, low and haunting. It was followed by another, and another, until the sound echoed all around us, growing louder with each passing second.
• Kim’s eyes widened in fear as the howls drew closer, and suddenly, the trees seemed to come alive. Massive wolves, larger than any I had ever seen, emerged from the shadows. Their fur was dark as night, their eyes glowing with an otherworldly light. These were the guardians—the protectors of the forest, summoned by my call.
• Kim took a step back, her confidence crumbling as the ancient wolves circled her and her pack, their growls rumbling like thunder. “No… this can’t be…”
• But it was. The guardians had come, and they were on my side.
• I stood tall, my power flowing through me like a river, unstoppable and fierce. “Leave now, Kim, while you still can. Or the guardians will tear you apart.”
• Kim hesitated, her eyes darting between me and the massive wolves surrounding us. She knew she was outmatched. With a snarl of frustration, she turned and fled into the shadows, her pack following close behind.