"Reid?" Theodore looks at the boy in astonishment, "How can you find us?" He lifts off the cloak's hood, revealing the face of a young boy, his icy eyes piercing Alderic cautiously. Reid only lets down his guard after realizing how close Alderic is to Theodore as if he were a dear friend. Observing the surroundings, Reid can take a faint guess at what happened: "You should thank the man next to you, not me." He stands while crossing his arms, "The marks he left on the trees help me trace you better." The grin shines on Alderic's face. He eagerly turns to Theodore, waiting for a compliment. "But what you did was too risky in this kind of weather. You could put both him and your life on the edge."

Reid approached Alderic then pulls his collar, forcing him to look into his eyes, in a solemn tone he speaks, "I don't know what your intention is. But if you lay a hand on Theodore and hurt him." Reid growled, "I will hunt you down and tear you to pieces till the end of my breath." Facing such a threatening welcome, Alderic remains unmoved. "No worries, boy. I do not intend to hurt your doctor." He rolled his eyes at Theodore, smirking, "However, I can't promise to not lay my hands on him." Fortunately, Theodore arrived just in time to save Alderic from Reid's punch. "He is our guest, and don't be affected by his teasing." Finally, Reid lets go of Alderic, then coldly throws a bag at him, "Supply and weapons. 2 minutes," his gaze returned to the entrance.

After checking his wounds, Theodore holds onto Alderic's arm to help him stand up. The headache comes soon enough, forcing him to lean on Theodore's shoulder. Having a shorter figure, Theodore can't help but feel a warm breath hitting his neck, sending a shiver across his body. Theodore never caught himself in a situation like this, eventually, the warmth of someone warmed up his cheek to his ear. "Are you alright? Can you walk?" Theodore asks, concerned, as he can feel Alderic's body shaking lightly. The response to his back is a soft nod and an assuring smile, and soon Alderic lets go of the firm shoulder, leaving Theodore with a strange feeling... Emptiness.

"The storm has damaged the path to the faculty. We have no choice but to take a detour." Exactly as Reid stated, the sight he encounters outside the cave is not what he expected. The heavy rains have caused trees to fall, and the ground is much muddier. Not to mention, God knows where they are in the forest right now. "What about the road I take?" Alderic adds with a frown but only shakes his head in response. "No need to worry, I know the way home." Reid raises his finger, pointing at his head, "It's all in here."

Because of the muddy ground, they have no choice but to walk across the forest, with Reid taking the lead. "Thankfully, we have Reid on our side," Theodore muttered. "Can we rely on his memories to get back on track?" Alderic wondered after he accidentally heard Theo's muttering.

They embark on the journey to the mansion, with such serene scenes of a forest after it has been raining cats and dogs. Birds chirp busily. Bees and butterflies wake full of life, idling and flying around blooming flowers. Crisp light gleamed through the leaves, bathing the whole forest in a calm hue of green. For a doctor like Theodore, who has grown accustomed to the laboratory rather than adventure, this trip was definitely exciting, a once-in-a-while opportunity to use a change of scenery. Theodore closed his eyes, inhaling the freshness lingering in the air, easing his mind. Deciding that's enough, Theodore steals a glance at the other man. Despite being injured earlier, the man remains solemn, walking at a slower pace. Theodore took that as a cue to match his speed, as though such a move would show how much Theodore cared for the others. Reid, in Theodore's mind, was a young and skinny boy with dark hair and eyes—a boy who may appear unapproachable to outsiders, but only those who are mutual can see what's beneath layers of walls built up to protect his weak self. A kind-hearted boy. Unfortunately, Reid is not on the outgoing side. Most of the time, Reid just decides to stay in his room.

A loud beast's growl interrupts the stream of thoughts that appear behind the trees, putting everyone in an alarming state. "This is... the same sound that drew me into the forest." Theodore was surprised as he recalled his rustic memories. Reid stood up and closed his eyes, his hand pressing against the ground. Within a few minutes, his normally calm tone becomes startled. "Not good. The beasts are running close to us. We have to move now." Reid immediately guides them to a smaller, darker, and more dangerous path that may protect them, daggers in hand, ready to charge anytime. Alderic is biting his lips in fury, "My blood may have attracted it to us." His hand grabs the knives tightly, "I'm terribly sorry." The wound, though, has been taken care of, yet a few hints of blood still appear behind the white cloth. To everyone's surprise, Reid, for the first time, takes Alderic's side. "They must have sensed us from afar, even before the injury leaked. So-". Then the brutal growl echoed again, shaking the entire forest in fear. The growl was filled with agony, keening on trying to burn the forest in the flames of its fury.

Now that it's closer, the sound of wolves. Those black wolves, children of the Moon, hungrily hunted for their prey, and soon they came to where the team was. Hiding behind a tree, Theodore can see their yellow eyes piercing through the dark, their fangs shining like silver, sharp as knives, eagerly biting through the flesh, desiring the richness of blood. Thanks to Reid, Theodore holds a dagger close to his chest, forcing all his might to stay focused in this dangerous situation. From the sound of footsteps, he dubiously counted the number of them .3...5...they have been outnumbered.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Then, from the corner of his eyes, Theodore can see Reid and Alderic sharing a mysterious glance as if they were both agreeing on something. Wasting no time to prepare, both of them charged to attack the wolves. "NOW!" Having the advantage of agility, Reid quickly took down a wolf nearby, striking a straight line through its heart. The wolf growled in agony as it collapsed into a pool of blood, alerting the others to attack. Within a few minutes, Alderic had left a neat line at its head. When compared to the number, the efforts quickly become dust. A wolf with its deadly claws left a crimson line on Reid's arm, causing him to frown in pain, yet the dagger still attacked with all its might. Blood drops mixed with sweat soak the black cloak. With the limitations of combat, Theodore decides to hide to avoid being a distraction. A black wolf, disguising itself in the dark, shows up from nowhere, its eyes targeting Theo. When Theodore does not notice, the wolf strikes, forcing Theo's body to hit the ground in pain. Theodore quickly pulled out the dagger, blocking its fangs with all his might. The strength of a man, sleepless and starving for a day, is no match for a wolf as fangs get closer to his face. A knife quickly struck the wolf's head, ending the life of the beast. "Be careful, Theodore." Reid pulls Theodore up, "We have to run, or all of us are going to die here."

Three of them start to run, cutting through the dark path with the wolves chasing behind. Cutting through endless trees, they have run for what seems like minutes or hours. Theodore's legs now weaken, and an urge to slow down and rest becomes more tempting than ever. Judging by the rapid breathing of the two others, he knows it's just a matter of time before they run out of energy. Every cell in him yearned to live, his mind was constantly put in a tense state, commanding his whole body to search for an escape. Is this what it's called

"Survival instinct"? ... Theodore laughs to himself... Right...There are still things I have to do. Reid takes the lead, using his knife to clear the way, while Alderic takes care of the back, ensuring the safety of Theodore in between. A wolf suddenly catches up with Alderic, jumping in his direction. A rock from Reid quickly knocks down the fierce wolf despite tossing it from afar, much to Alderic's surprise. What astonishes him is how that young boy can handle both searching for the way and guarding them simultaneously so there is nothing that can escape his keen observation. Not to mention the preciseness of his attack with that unbelievable speed as well as the ability to bear the pain. Blood sipped through the wound in the arm, dripping onto the ground.

Too skillful indeed...

Until they reach the end of the road and face a cliff, the bottom of which is obscured by fog. When things couldn't get worse, the wolves arrived where they were standing, threatening them with their furious growl. Reid bit his lips, trying to find a way out of this dire situation. All of a sudden, those ugly waves of memories he thought had disappeared after ages once again proved how they still lived, flowing in his veins. Those same wolves, the crimson drops blooming on the snow, the push of his poor mother trying to buy his life from Death. Reid gripped his fist tight... No, things have changed... This time, he will not allow it to happen. "Stand back." Reid gritted his teeth. Taking steps forward, he is ready to protect the two behind. His eyes are piercing, ready to peel off the skin of any stupid thing that dares to touch those he protects. The feelings coming from him are far more than defense... he is ready to sacrifice himself for them...

"Reid!" Theodore's voice trembles as he realizes Reid's intention, "Reid, don't you dare forget what you have promised!" Reid was startled at Theodore's clear voice, like a lighthouse guiding him through the storm, "If you do that, mark my words." He screams, "I will never forgive you." A boy in ragged clothes and bare feet wandered aimlessly through the snow. A boy who never imagined fate would be so kind as to assist him in falling into the warm embrace of a doctor who saved him from the depths of hell. Yes, a pledge... How could he forget... If you have lost the purpose of living, then promise to live for me... So we can see how beautiful the snow actually is. Reid looks at Theodore with a smile, a genuine smile that a young boy like him should have...I do not even have a chance to understand why he said that.

Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath, "Do you trust me?" He turns to Alderic. Alderic is astonished for a second, then replies with a determined nod. Theo is wrapped in someone's firm arms the next thing he knows; as if he is afraid of Theodore being hurt. The warmth. The steady heartbeat. The strength of Alderic. They slowly put his nerves at ease. He felt... "protected." Theodore's cheeks flushed as he remembered how good he felt. He felt joyful—a strange feeling he has ceased to know.

Then, they take a leap. A leap in which they do not fathom how their fate will unfold. They took a step forward with all their might and bravery, but with a small glimmer of hope, fate might choose to let them live. And there And there they are, floating in the air, falling off the cliff, fury raging on their heads. into the unknown, the fetal sounds growing more and more distant, to be replaced by the sound of the wind current.