The night sky was full of stars, yet the air felt strangely heavy.
Alice shivered, curling into herself as the cold bit through her thin clothes. The iron chains still
bound her legs, the metal freezing against her skin.
Around the camp, some soldiers had already fallen asleep, their snores mixing with the
crackling fire. Others moved lazily, kicking dirt over the campfires, preparing to rest for the night.
The forest around them was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then Alice heard it.
Faint at first.
Hoofbeats.
Many of them.
Her heart skipped.
Horses?
At this hour?
She lifted her head, straining to listen.
The sound grew louder—fast, approaching.
But the soldiers didn't seem to notice.
Alice's fingers tightened around Lisa's shawl.
She lifted her head, listening carefully.
The sound grew louder—fast, closing in.
Suddenly, the soldiers stirred. Those asleep jerked awake, hands flying to their weapons.
Others quickly drew their swords, eyes searching the darkness.
"Who's there?" one guard shouted.
The hoofbeats thundered into the clearing.
Dark shapes burst from between the trees, surrounding the camp in seconds. Powerful horses
snorted, stamping the ground as armored riders pulled tight on their reins.
The soldiers froze.
These riders were too organized. Too confident.
Too dangerous.
The horses came to a sharp halt, forming a circle around the camp.
Silence followed.
Then one rider dismounted.
He stepped forward slowly, boots crunching against the dirt.
A long cloak fell behind him, and stitched upon its back was a silver wolf crest—
The symbol of the Northern Territory.
The soldiers' faces drained of color.
Even Alice, though confused, sensed something had just gone terribly wrong.
Or… perhaps terribly right."We heard you're traveling with a strange girl," the rider said, his
voice calm but firm. "Silver hair. Blue eyes. Where is she?"
The soldiers exchanged uneasy looks.
"What do they want her for?" one whispered.
Alice's breath caught. Panic rose in her chest.
Why were more soldiers looking for her?
Had something changed… or had things just become worse?
The commandant stepped forward respectfully. "She's with us."
The rider's sharp gaze swept over the camp. "The Prince has requested the girl. We're taking
her."
A tense silence followed.
The commandant hesitated only a moment before nodding. "Very well. You can take her."
He turned sharply. "Remove the chains."
A soldier hurried to Alice, unlocking the cold iron from her ankles. The sudden freedom made
her legs shake as she stood.
Her heart pounded wildly.
What was happening?
She stepped down from the cart, walking slowly toward the lead rider. Every soldier's eyes
followed her.
Stopping before him, she swallowed nervously.
"What… what do you need me for?" she asked, her voice barely steady.
The rider looked down at her, his expression unreadable beneath the torchlight.
"The Prince has asked for your presence," he replied. "And we must leave now… before
something goes wrong."
As if on cue, a cold wind suddenly swept through the camp, snuffing out the remaining fires.
The horses shifted nervously.
And from somewhere deep within the forest…
something was roaming