From the blue sky, I gazed into the distance at a vast island wrapped in a blanket of white snow. I descended, stretching my wings gracefully as I flew toward the mysterious island that had haunted my thoughts for so long.

I glided between the bare trees covered in snow, their leaves long since fallen in preparation for the long winter. The cold air refreshed my lungs as my obsidian wings stretched against the wind.

I kept flapping my wings, maneuvering through the barren branches. My dark feathers scattered chaotically onto the ground, a stark contrast against the endless white of the snow.

"Caw... caw..."

My sharp cry shattered the silence that enveloped the valley, disrupting the tranquil symphony of nature.

This scene reminded me of when I first hatched into this unfamiliar world. I had been somewhat unlucky, as the winter that year lasted longer than usual. Back then, I was weak and helpless. Even so, I had no choice but to survive in the merciless cold.

Damn, my wings...

Lost in nostalgia, I suddenly felt a numbness creeping into my wings after flying nonstop for two hours. I realized I had been pushing myself too hard. Crossing a hundred kilometers of ocean, even with brief rests on floating ice, was still too much for a raven like me.

My eyes darted around, searching for a suitable perch. Once I found one, I descended and planted my feet firmly on the chosen branch.

Flying this far had left me feeling a little hungry. I quickly scanned the trees around me, searching for something edible. Before long, I spotted a small creature, no bigger than a human finger, wriggling lazily nearby.

My eyes widened instantly. How lucky.

It was a woolly bear caterpillar, a creature capable of surviving even in subzero temperatures. In this season of scarcity, these little things were lifesavers for omnivorous birds.

Shifting my body, I snapped it up with my sharp, curved beak. Delicious...

I closed my eyes and grinned. A mix of sweetness and spice filled my throat as the chewy flesh slid down, satisfying my rumbling stomach.

I noticed more caterpillars clinging to the branches. Without hesitation, I hopped from bough to bough, hunting them down to fill my belly.

With my energy replenished after devouring every woolly bear scattered on the tree, I tilted my head back, watching as the sun reached its peak in the sky.

Enough rest.

Once again, I spread my wings, preparing to delve deeper into the forest, hoping to satisfy my curiosity.

"Caw. Caw." My cry echoed through the vast sky. My eyes keenly surveyed the dense woodland from above.

A surge of curiosity welled up inside me as I spotted a flicker of violet light in the distance, right at the heart of the forest. I hastened my wingbeats, eager to reach it as quickly as possible.

There.

After a while, my vision finally captured a clear sight of the forest’s center.

In its heart lay a clearing, as if the trees deliberately kept their distance. In the middle of that clearing was a nearly frozen lake. The mysterious light originated from behind a massive boulder on the lakeshore, encircled by golden chains.

The golden chains clinked softly, as if something on the other side was pulling at them. There had to be something behind that boulder.

I circled above before descending gracefully, landing on the nearest tree branch. And that was when my eyes widened in disbelief at what lay beyond the massive rock.

So Beautiful...

I saw her, a stunning girl bound by those golden chains. Her jaw was clenched tight, anger flickering across her face as she struggled, desperately trying to break free.

Even in her tattered, ragged clothing, she looked breathtaking. Her porcelain-white skin gleamed under the light, and atop her head rested a pair of wolf-like ears. Her piercing golden eyes burned with intensity, her long, deep-purple hair cascading down her back. A single sharp fang peeked from her lips, adding to her fierce expression.

A silver pendant with a violet gemstone shimmered, its glow cutting through the clouds, as if warning that her resistance was utterly futile.

"Damn it! This is useless!" she growled in frustration.

I could feel the anger and resentment radiating from her. And yet, something about her felt strange. My curiosity compelled me to fly closer.

Who was this girl? What had she done to end up bound here like this?

I descended from the tree, soaring toward her without hesitation, landing right in front of her. Our eyes met in a silence that felt oddly suffocating.

Through those sharp golden irises, I caught glimpses of sorrow and pain, emotions she tried so hard to conceal.

"Tch," the girl finally broke the silence with a scoff. "Did you come here just to mock me too, you ugly bird?!" Her voice was loud, filled with burning fury.

Despite her threatening tone, I could hear the bitterness and loneliness hiding beneath her hoarse voice. Boldly, I stepped closer.

"Tch. This is the first time a bird has dared to come this close to me." A smirk played on her lips, laced with mockery. "Are you not afraid of me, you damned bird? I could eat you whenever I want."

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Her intimidation didn’t faze me. If anything, I moved even closer, meeting her gaze with unwavering intensity.

"How dare you..."

Her face flushed red with frustration, fists clenched tight. She looked like a volcano on the verge of eruption.

"What the hell do you want, you ugly bird?! If you came here just to ridicule me like the others, you’d better leave before I make you my meal!"

I remained still, refusing to budge. Instead, I deliberately provoked her by giving her a look of pity.

"Get out of here, you damn bird! Leave! Leave!"

Her fury exploded, and she lashed out at me with an aggressive shout. "Save your pity for yourself, you damn bird! I don’t need it!" The golden chains clinked violently as she swung her clawed hands. "Get out of here, now!"

"Caw. Caw."

I tried dodging her swipes by hopping around, but she relentlessly attempted to chase me off. I took flight, perching on a tree to maintain a safe distance.

She stomped toward me, still shouting in rage. "Leave, now! Don’t you even know who I am?! I am Fenrir, the strongest wolf in Norse lands! I do not need pity from a lowly creature like you!"

I froze the moment she uttered her name. Fenrir? That monstrous wolf? Could it really be her? But wasn’t Fenrir supposed to be male? Was this really the Norse mythology I knew? Something didn’t add up.

My thoughts were abruptly shattered when Fenrir started shaking the tree I was perched on. Her strength was incredible, it felt like she was trying to uproot the entire thing.

Snow and leaves rained down as the tremors shook the branches. She was serious about driving me away.

"Caw. Caw. (Damn, she’s really mad!)" I cried out in panic. "Caw. Caw. Caw. (Alright, alright! I’ll leave!)"

Flapping my wings, I swiftly took off, putting distance between us.

Just before I disappeared from sight, I caught a glimpse of her sinking to the ground, a sorrowful expression flickering behind her sharp golden eyes.

Why did she look so sad? Was she lonely?

I wasn’t sure what was going on, but that expression of hers... I had a feeling it would linger in my mind.

I would return soon.

*****

[PoV Fenrir]

I took a deep breath, my body sinking to the ground, defeated by the sudden pain piercing my heart.

"In the end, I drove him away, didn't I..."

Throughout my life, I had always been feared and hated by every creature in Norse lands because of my strength and the prophecy of destruction that followed me.

The gods saw me as a threat, so they sealed me away in this remote valley, Lyngvi.

The fire of hatred and anger constantly raged in my heart, burning away all the emotions I might have once felt. I had forgotten what it was like to be cared for, how to interact with others. Only loneliness and fury remained.

Revenge? Hatred? Perhaps those were the right words to describe my feelings. I wanted nothing more than to take vengeance on the gods who had treated me this way.

Without realizing it, tears streamed down the corners of my eyes.

"Why... why am I always like this?"

My heart had hardened, wrapped in darkness. Then that raven came to me. He had the audacity to meet my gaze. Even if only for a moment, his presence had eased my burden just a little.

But my heart felt torn when I saw that bird pitying me. The only way I knew to rid myself of that pain was by chasing him away.

Unfortunately, that only hurt me even more. I had knowingly driven away the only creature that might have cared about me.

"I... I just wanted a friend."

Lost in thought, I did not realize evening had fallen over the forest until the sun fully retreated beyond the horizon. The sound of night insects began to echo around me.

Suddenly, my ears twitched. I caught the sound of rustling approaching from behind.

"What a coincidence," I murmured, wiping away my tears. "Maybe eating something will ease this pain a little."

I stood up, revealing my sharp claws, ready to attack and make whatever approached my dinner. But then my nose picked up a familiar scent. A distinctive smell, something that instantly reminded me of a certain creature.

"Wait, this scent..." My nose flared as I tried to recall whose scent it was. My eyes widened in realization. "Is it that raven from earlier?"

And just as I thought that, the raven emerged from the trees, flying toward me with a shiny red apple clutched in his beak. He dropped the apple into my outstretched hand.

"What does this mean?" I stared at the raven, but he did not respond. He only flew away to perch on a nearby tree.

Once more, I looked at the apple, then at the raven, who seemed to be watching me. A small smile curved on my lips as I realized what he meant.

"So that is it. You want to be my friend, huh?" I asked, gazing at him gently.

"Caw."

The raven responded with a loud caw. Even though I could not understand bird language, I knew exactly what he meant.

Without hesitation, I took a bite of the apple. It was just a winter apple, not as delicious as those from other seasons, but for some reason, I could not stop eating. Every bite filled my heart, nearly dead from loneliness, with a warmth I had not felt in so long.

Before I knew it, tears spilled down my cheeks.

"This is really good..." I mumbled, devouring the apple until nothing remained.

Then I turned my gaze to the raven, who was now drowsing on the tree branch. I spread my arms, calling out to him.

"Hey, bird, come here!" My voice was softer and friendlier. I did not want to scare him. "I will not eat you. I promise!"

For a moment, the raven hesitated. But in the end, my coaxing worked. The little bird flew into my embrace.

I walked toward the massive rock that anchored my seal, settling down as I always did. Placing the raven on my lap, I gently stroked his black feathers.

He seemed comfortable, curling up even deeper into my lap. His eyes drooped heavily, closing shut several times.

"Are you sleepy?" I asked, caressing his head softly. "Go ahead and sleep. I promise to protect you. No one will harm you."

The raven no longer hesitated, shutting his eyes completely, allowing himself to nestle into my lap.

Silence returned to the valley once more, but this time, it felt different. No longer did I feel that crushing emptiness. Instead, warmth filled my heart. After so long, I finally felt the joy of having a new friend, bringing an uncontrollable smile to my lips.

"You are really careless, you ugly raven..." I murmured, brushing my slender fingers against his sleeping face. "I could eat you if I wanted to."

A soft smile lingered on my face as I watched the little bird sleeping peacefully in my lap, making me feel sleepy as well.

"Yawn," I stretched my arms upward. "Now I feel like sleeping too."

I curled up, carefully cradling the raven in my arms like a sleeping doll. Slowly, my eyes drifted shut, and I fell into a deep slumber, holding the little bird close.

Unbeknownst to me, far in the future, this encounter would change the fate that Yggdrasil had set for us, the lonely wolf girl and the raven in my embrace.