The Wolf Who Could Not Return

The water beneath him seemed to explode, splashing violently in every direction. A crocodile’s jaws opened wide below him. Fortunately, his sharp reflexes allowed him to leap backward just in time before those jaws could reach him.

“Grrrr!”

“Grrr!”

The two predators growled low. Their eyes locked onto each other with piercing hostility.

Sirius bent his legs, and the crocodile stepped back. But before it could return to the water, Sirius had already leapt toward it.

The crocodile reacted by snapping its jaws at Sirius’s body, but Sirius twisted midair and evaded the bite. He then sank his fangs into the crocodile’s back.

The crocodile rolled into the water. Its body writhed. The once calm lake was torn apart by the thunder of their battle at its edge.

Until suddenly, a pillar of blood shot up from below, hurling both of them in opposite directions and forcefully intervening in their fierce clash.

When he lifted his head, Sirius saw Valeria standing at the riverbank with her hand extended forward. Her hair was loose this time. The night wind swept through it, revealing a blood red color that contrasted sharply with the blue surface of the lake.

“Explain now, what is happening here?”

The woman’s eyes glowed crimson. Her expression was firm, her intimidating aura melting into the air around her. Under the gentle moonlight, her shadow covered part of her face, which still dripped with water.

Sirius lowered his head slightly. His feet were still submerged in the lake. “I was only drinking. Then that crocodile tried to prey on me, Lady.” He glanced at the crocodile across from him. “I merely returned the favor.”

“No, Lady. He is the one who entered my territory without permission.”

“Your territory? I have only just arrived here. And you suddenly attacked me.”

“Enough, both of you!”

A single shout was enough to seal their mouths. She glanced at them one after the other before letting out a long sigh.

Her gaze settled on the crocodile. “Misunderstandings like this would not happen if you were more careful, Krosch.”

The crocodile called Krosch immediately lowered his head, submerging part of his face into the lake.

Valeria turned toward Sirius. “I believe you should have already met Rianna. What happened that made you run all the way here, naughty boy?”

“I… I just could not resist this forest, Lady.”

Valeria remained silent, looking at him like a mother scolding a misbehaving child. “I understand. This is my fault for failing to consider your wild instincts as well.”

Sirius fell silent, trying to avert his gaze to the side.

She then waved her hand lightly. A wide grin spread across her face. “From now on, make this entire forest your playground, naughty boy.”

Sirius’s jaw dropped. He could not believe Valeria’s reckless decision.

“W-what?! Lady, are you seriously allowing this wild dog to roam freely around your castle?!”

“Is that a problem for you? This is my home, my forest, and he…” She glanced at Sirius with a mysterious look and a thin grin. “…is a very interesting naughty boy. Trust me. You will like him, Krosch.”

Krosch cast a sharp glance at Sirius across the lake, forcing Sirius to turn his face away awkwardly.

Meanwhile, Valeria laughed heartily, clearly enjoying the awkward tension between the two as her personal amusement.

“Well, perhaps you will not like him immediately. But sooner or later, you will feel what I feel about him.”

Krosch only snorted, sinking his face deeper into the lake.

“Lady, why are you giving me this forest?”

Valeria turned back to Sirius. “Judging from your wild instincts, you clearly do not belong in a palace. You are better suited to live here with Krosch. Besides, I need someone to clean up the monsters that keep appearing in my forest.”

Sirius tilted his head. If monsters and demons came from the same origin, why not simply turn monsters into soldiers?

Valeria’s lips curled upward once more. “I know what you are thinking. Don’t worry. Monsters lack intelligence. They would only become livestock, research material, or pests that annoy me.”

Sirius nodded.

“Remember, you are only allowed to hunt monsters. Do you understand?”

“I understand.”

“Good.”

The sound of leather shoes stepping on wet soil approached.

From the scent alone, it was Rianna. The girl hurried forward, lifting her long skirt that brushed against the dirty ground.

“Eh, Lady? Why are you here?”

Valeria clicked her tongue. “Do you expect me to sit with those people? Boring. I refuse to stay with them for too long. Especially if I have to listen to that bitch talk.”

“B-but…”

“Sssst.” Valeria placed her finger on Rianna’s lips. “I already left one of my bats behind. So do not worry.”

Rianna’s tail and ears drooped. “You are always so reckless, Lady.”

“Enough. Let us go back. I want to sleep. Ah, one more thing. Let that naughty boy explore his new home for now. You can teach him tomorrow.”

Sirius flicked his tail, confusion filling his mind.

Valeria and Rianna then left, abandoning him alone with Krosch.

“What are you staring at?!”

After snarling at him, Krosch submerged himself to the bottom of the lake, leaving Sirius standing at the lakeside, water still dripping from his body.

Sirius leapt out. After shaking himself dry, he continued walking through the forest, savoring its beauty.

Beneath thousands of shimmering stars, the thick canopy around him swayed under a gentle southern breeze.

The friction of branches blended with the songs of night insects, creating a symphony that only nature could perform as its maestro. Fireflies danced through the air, as if adding liveliness to the grand concert.

The scent of dry leaves filled his lungs, a sign that autumn was approaching its peak. The season that marked his birth eight years ago.

Sirius fell into thought.

He was uncertain how he felt about his birthday. His emotions were tangled. One thing was certain. His desire to meet the woman in his memories had not faded in the slightest.

Even so, there was exhaustion from waiting for so long. From wandering for so long. From being trapped in a forest for years without realizing it.

He lifted his gaze toward the sky. His eyes closed. Moonlight bathed his face.

Do I… truly desire her? Am I truly worthy?

In eternal silence, his muddled thoughts tried to reconstruct the woman’s face from fragments of memory vaguer than thick morning fog.

Yet in the middle of his reverie, a slash of claw shaped magic flew toward him. His tail lifted and deflected it, even with his eyes still closed.

“Grrrr…”

Sirius opened his eyes and looked toward the source of the attack.

A giant bear with crystals embedded in his back stood to Sirius’s left. His claws glowed, as if announcing himself as the attacker.

Always like this… the world never lets me simply remember her face.

The bear slowly approached. Drool flowed freely from his mouth.

He raised his body, slightly larger than Sirius. Both arms lifted. His claws reflected the moonlight.

“Graaaawr!”

His roar echoed throughout the forest. But before he could even swing his claws, his left arm was already severed. Blood poured out, soaking the ground beneath him.

Crunch… crunch…

The sound of cracking bones and torn flesh made the bear turn his head back. His eyes widened when he found Sirius chewing on his right arm.

“What are you looking at? Do you not realize you are already a corpse?”

A second later, the bear’s head fell to the ground. His neck had been cleanly severed. Blood gushed forth like a fountain.

Sirius lowered his head, licking the blood pooling beneath his feet before turning the bear’s corpse into his dinner.

****

Unbeknownst to him, his actions were being observed through the glow of a crystal orb displayed before Valeria, who sat with her legs crossed upon her throne.

The vampire lifted the corner of her lips sharply. “Watching that boy is far more interesting than attending meetings with those fools.” Her crimson irises shifted to Rianna. “What do you think, Rianna?”

Rianna, standing beside her, narrowed her eyes. “Extremely fast. I could barely see him.”

Valeria snorted softly. “Decapitating that bear with his claws before the beast even realized it. No wonder the forest without a king made him its king. The last one to rule there was the second demon king.”

“But Lady… there is something else about him. He is too… human? What do you see in him, Lady?”

Valeria fell silent for a moment, her fingers tapping the armrest of her throne.

“That boy seems to carry memories from his past life.”

“Oh. That is a rare case.”

“Almost unheard of.” Valeria leaned back. “Something must be preventing him from forgetting. I am curious.” Her sharp fangs gleamed as she smiled.

Rianna sighed, resting her hands on her hips. “Goodness. You truly love collecting unique subordinates, Lady. Such a troublesome master.”

Valeria shrugged.

“We shall see. Now then, Sirius… what will you do next, I wonder?”