'A hero willing to sacrifice for his family, huh? You are quite a hypocrite Chehin. Indeed. We are really siblings,' Theta spat in her mind.

She too had a family once, but no matter how hard she plead everyone turned their heads away from their deaths. Her heart throbbed upon the mere fleeting thought of her parents. Her only consolation was the fact that her parents were together right now and they were from worldly suffering – and that they could not see how their child turned into a monster in barely human skin.

Theta's thoughts were pulled back to reality when the trembling of the ground worsened. The carriage she was hiding in crumbled to the ground before the flames devoured it. She moved behind a torn tent, it was previously owned by Chehin and now it was laid to waste after the previous batch of wolves shredded it to pieces. She resumed watching, eyes knowing what would come up next for it was part of the first of her grand plan.

Chehin nodded at his small group. With his heart ramming his ribcage, he ran forward with his spear raised. "The one who can kill the most number of wolves, I will reward you! So, survive and send those wolves to their mothers' wombs!"

"Aye!"

"Yes, Third Young Master!"

"We are with you, Young Lord!"

Chehin's motivational speech lifted up the dwindling hope of his men. They followed Chehin's lead as they raced to intercept the momentum of the wolves. War cries and howls clashed amid the silence of the long night.

The clashing of the weapons they wield against the claws and canines of the gigantic wolves overpowered the cackling sound brought by the storm of flames that surrounded the entire campsite.

Chehin spotted the alpha of the pack – a one-eyed gray-furred wolf at the center of the pack's encirclement. He turned around to his men who were all fighting for their lives, backs against each other to protect themselves from any sneak attacks. "I will take down that mutt! So… stay alive while you're at it."

Not waiting for his comrades' replies, Chehin dashed to the center. His fully-loaded crossbow aimed for the wolves that attacked him from both sides while his spear was readied for the snarling one-eyed alpha. "Die!"

Making use of a dead wolf's body as a ramp, Chehin jumped high as his right hand raised – aiming for the alpha's head. One shot, one kill, and he was aiming for this chance while taking the lead for the offense. Like what he remembered from his father's teachings, the offense was the best defense.

Five meters… Three meters… Two meters away from the wolf. As Chehin jumped down, the wolf decided to follow suit and leap up to meet Chehin in midair!

Growl!

The one-eyed wolf displayed wild tenacity, both agile and fierce to his offense. It glided with lethal grace away from the spear's blades. Landing where Chehin was standing a few moments ago, it turned around to the direction where Chehin landed and released a chilling howl – calling for more of his brethren from deep within the Valley of Trials.

Chehin, on the other hand, landed on the spot where the wolf was standing earlier. Blood gushed from the claw marks deeply embedded on his left thigh. Hissing from the strained pain, he loaded his crossbow and aimed it at the snarling wolf. Arrow after arrow, he bid for time – waiting for his father and brothers to come.

A series of howls shattered Chehin's plan. There was no more time to delay. Death was fast approaching for him and for his men. Jaws clenched together, Chehin attacked once more. With two weapons at his disposal, Chehin undermined the alpha.

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Arrowheads and claws intercepted midair.

Spearheads and canines clashed between a man and a beast.

Awooo!

One howl, then another, and another… the reinforcement was there!

Chehin lost his footing. The one-eyed alpha took this momentary lapse as a chance by leaping forward against Chehin, its jaws aiming for his jugular.

Having been knocked down by the gigantic wolf, with his back against the bloody ground, Chehin felt the tremors of the incoming wolf pack. His heart pounded, overpowering the snarls of the wolf atop his limped body.

One big bite would it take for Chehin to lose his life and the wolf knew it.

One last struggle for Chehin as he stretched his fingers – his crossbow and spears only a few inches away from both of his hands. Amid his desperate action, he failed to notice how the wolf stepping on his chest looked ahead – eye staring at the shadow hiding in the darkness as if the alpha was asking for permission.

Theta shook her head.

One quick death was a luxury for Chehin. And luxury was something Theta would never give to any of those responsible for her parents' sufferings.

The one-eyed wolf saw Theta's signal. Like an obedient puppy, the one-eyed wolf stepped onto Chehin's wrists – breaking them in the process – before he remained standing atop Chehin's heaving chest.

"Aaaaah!" Pain wracked Chehin's mind as his wrists lost strength. The sickening cracking sounds from both of his wrists made him want to curl and hug his hands, but the presence of the salivating wolf hovering over him made it impossible. With reddened eyes, he screamed. "Kill me, mutt! Kill me before my father and brothers see me in this state! Kill me!"

Thrashing his body with no regard for his life and death, Chehin's resigned screams muted the anguished pleas of his men as they succumbed to their deaths through the wolves' jaws.

Meat after meat, bone after bone, Chehin heard everything until there was silence… there was nothing. Just him and the wolf over him. He did not know what sick joke the alpha was playing with, but it was pushing Chehin's mind to the edge.

The hope in his eyes completely vanished from his brown-colored eyes. Chehin's blank eyes were like two pools of an abyss of misery – dull and hopeless. His violent thrashing had long seized as he remained completely limp at the mercy of the one-eyed wolf. His gaze fixated on the starless night sky above them all.

Chehin's mind was too ruined that he failed to hear the sound of hooves hitting the ground, making it tremble against his dislocated back.

General Ronin was back along with his two sons. Their lightning speed was a dead giveaway of how worried they were.

"Rea! Axue! Chehin!" General Ronin screamed atop his lungs – his family occupying his mind.

An apathetic ghost of a smile appeared in Theta's eyes.

Hope was a cruel thing.

Theta watched as Chehin regained his will to live upon hearing his hero's call. Having his spirit lifted, Chehin started to thrash again – this time, with all his might.

Since Chehin was situated nearest to the borders of the campsite, General Ronin, who was leading his cavalry, saw his third son first. Like Chehin, a breath of relief filled his lungs upon seeing him struggling.

"Stay right there and don't move, son!" Without delay, General Ronin pulled the fully-loaded crossbow at his back. The great warrior Ronin aimed for the wolf's head with his right hand while his left hand held the reins.

At the same moment, Theta grinned cruelly. Her eyes gleamed with pure malice. "Yes, just like that. Just within your reach…"

The arrow was released.

Everyone held their breaths as Theta kept herself calm.

Before the arrow could hit the wolf, Chehin's neck had been clawed.

The blood of the beast and the blood of General Ronin's son intertwined, bathing them together as they lay motionless on the ground.

"Nooo!" General Ronin, who was a couple of meters away from his son, cried in anguish – breaking the silence of the night as the wolves retreated. It was as if they were only waiting for General Ronin to come and see his son's demise.

"Brother!"

"Chehin, hang in there!"

Theta's grip on the stone tightened. Her smile had long been vanquished while watching the scene before her, but this time, it was not them that she was seeing but a bruised girl crying for her fallen mother.

"The trap has been set," said Ruka who suddenly appeared after the show ended.

Pulled from her trance, Theta nodded her head without looking back. "Good. Are the other households there already?"

"Yes. Just like what you predicted."

Theta nodded – an act of dismissal for Ruka who retreated to the shadows once more.

"Now. I must play my part well," said Theta. Tiny wisps of dark smoke escaped from her fingertips. It swirled like snakes towards the dying Chehin.

With the stone in her left hand, Theta hit her head precisely. And the next thing she knew, everything went dark.