I glared at the two guards, their faces pale and sweaty, as they hung from the chains in the dimly lit dungeon.

"You fools," I spat, my anger simmering. "You let him slip right through your fingers, with a hostage nonetheless! I wouldn't have cared if he was the only one that left." I growled trying to keep my anger together.


They whimpered, their eyes pleading for mercy. But I had none to give.

"How could we have suspected him, he was one of your generals." Fair but not enough reason.

"You were supposed to be watching the perimeter, not sipping wine and telling stories," I sneered, my hand cracking the whip. "Damien and the girl, they could be anywhere by now."


The guards cried out as the whip struck their skin, the sound echoing off the stone walls. I didn't care. They had failed me, and failure came at a price.

"You should have been more vigilant," I growled, my eyes blazing.


"Now, you'll pay the price for your carelessness."

I raised the whip again, the guards' screams filling the air as I unleashed my fury upon them.

They would learn to be more diligent in the future. Or they would suffer the consequences.

As I finally stopped, my chest heaving with rage, I turned to my Amelia.

"Make sure they're kept alive. For now. But let the others know: anyone who fails me will face the same fate."

Amelia nodded, her expression grim. "It will be done, father."

She looked as angry as I was, of course she should be

I turned back to the guards, their bodies broken and bloody.

"You're lucky I need you still. But don't think this is over. You're not forgiven. Not yet."

"No matter what happens, we are to find Damien and Leila by sun set." I ordered and the guards scurried off.


I stood atop a hill, gazing out at the assembled army before me.

The remaining guards, now bolstered by fresh recruits, formed a sea of determined faces or rather they feigned it.

Amelia approached me, her expression bland.

"Dad, we're ready to move out," he said.

I nodded, my eyes scanning the horizon. "Good. We'll search the woods, sector by sector. I want Damien and the girl found, and I want them found now."

Amelia nodded, his voice echoing across the army. "Move out! Search and retrieve!"

I should have put her in charge from the onset.

The army surged forward, a tide of steel and leather flowing into the woods.

I followed, my eyes fixed on the treeline, my mind racing with strategies and contingencies.

As we combed through the underbrush, the silence was oppressive, punctuated only by the rustling of leaves and snapping of twigs.

I knew Damien and Leila were out here, hiding, waiting. But I would find them. I always got what I wanted.

Suddenly, a shout went up from the left flank. "Sir, we've found something!"

I rushed over, my heart quickening. A soldier held up a piece of torn fabric, a snippet of Leila's dress.

"They can't be far," I growled, my eyes scanning the surrounding trees. "Fan out, search every inch of this forest. I want them brought to me, alive."

The army dispersed, a deadly, determined force, scouring the woods for any sign of Damien and Leila.

I stood watch, my eyes fixed on the horizon, my mind burning with a singular focus: capture, and revenge.

As the sun began to set, casting a golden glow over the forest, I received a report of a possible sighting.

A scout that had spotted a figure, possibly Damien, near an old abandoned cabin a few miles east.

I mobilized a team of my best men, including Amelia, and we set out towards the cabin.

Our approach was stealthy, our weapons at the ready. As we closed in, I could feel my heart racing with anticipation.

We surrounded the cabin, and I signaled to Amelia to take point.

He crept forward, his gun trained on the door, and motioned for me to follow.

I entered the cabin, my eyes scanning the dim interior.

And then, I saw him. Damien, sitting in the corner, his eyes fixed on me with a defiant glare.

"Ah, Antonio," he said, his voice dripping with contempt. "I knew you'd come for me eventually."

I sneered, my gun trained on his head. "You're a fool, Damien. You think you can outrun me? Outsmart me?"

Damien smiled, a cold, calculated smile. "I've been waiting for you, Antonio. And I have a surprise for you."

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows. Leila, her eyes blazing with determination, a gun held firmly in her hand.

"Let him go, Antonio," she said, her voice steady. "Or I'll make sure you regret it."

My eyes narrowed, my finger tightening on the trigger. But Damien just chuckled, a low, menacing sound.

"You're not the only one with tricks up your sleeve, Antonio," he said. "And you're not the only one who wants revenge."

"Hmm."

"Actually, they told me you were stupid, I didn't expect you to be this stupid. Do you really think you can catch up with Damien and Leila?" I stared in confusion as the figure I thought to be Damien and Leila transform to a volana wolf and her vessel, Hera.

And then she broke out in a run.

I stormed through the forest, my men fanning out behind me, until we reached the small clearing where Hera was standing, her eyes fixed on me with a calm, ethereal gaze.

"Ah, Hera," I sneered, my hand closing around her wrist like a vice. "You're going to tell me where Damien and Leila are. Now."

Hera's expression didn't change, but her eyes seemed to bore into mine, as if seeing right through me.

"I don't know what you're talking about, Antonio," she said, her voice like a gentle breeze.

I laughed, my grip on her wrist tightening. "Don't play dumb with me, Hera. I know you're involved in this. You're going to tell me where they are, or you're going to suffer the consequences."

Hera's gaze never wavered, but a small smile played on her lips.

"You can't hurt me, Antonio," she said, her voice dripping with an otherworldly confidence. "I'm not like the others."

And with that, she vanished. One moment she was there, the next she was gone, leaving me holding nothing but air.

I spun around, my men staring at me in confusion. "Find her!" I bellowed, but it was too late. Hera was gone, and I was left with nothing but my own rage and frustration.

I glared at the spot where she had stood, anger surging through my veins.

Who was this woman, and what was her connection to Damien and Leila?

And how could she just disappear like that?

But deep down, I knew. Hera was no ordinary woman.

A volana wolf, I thought they had gone extinct.