I kept myself at a safe distance from the pack of wolves, anticipating the moment when the white wolf would transform back into a human and finally reveal his true form. Ash floated in the chilly air, setting a scene that was hard to comprehend, especially as the pack steadfastly refused to leave the side of their alpha.

The urge to scream at the top of my lungs engulfed me, aware that Lysander might not recognize his brother's call. The reality could deviate from my expectations. The other wolves might view me as dangerous, while I attempt to draw the white wolf's attention. A feeling of despair seeps into my thoughts, a sense of hopelessness enveloping my being, as the thought of Lysander losing his humanity to the beast within him fills my heart with dread.

Hiding in a shack nearby, Phillip refused to leave me at the mercy of the pack wolves, nocking an arrow on his bow, ready for an incoming attack. He quietly spoke through the gaps in the wooden planks that hid his presence. "We should leave, while there's still a chance."

"I can't. I have to know if that alpha wolf is Lysander."

Phillip retracted his arrow, his beliefs challenged, the moment I voiced my comment. "It's impossible. No man can become a creature of hell like that white demon. I refuse to accept that such witchcraft is able to manifest in this world."

"It's not witchcraft, is an ancient curse living inside my brother. Lysander is an adopted child, just like me. Arland took us under his care and raised us as his own children. I find it hard to believe that Lysander had become a vicious monster, single-handedly defeating an army of savages."

I was desperate for explanations. I didn't understand why Lysander had chosen to leave his family for a pack of starving wolves. I needed to understand what compelled him to yield to the beast within him. My feelings were ablaze with intensity, as I witnessed everything I cherished being ripped away from my life.

"Randall, we need to leave. These beasts don't understand the difference between friend and foe. We should leave the questions for another day and run away now that we have a chance."

I summoned all the bravery I could gather, then turned around and walked away from the scene. Climbing onto my horse, I cast one last look over my shoulder. The white wolf, standing over the vanquished barbarian, kept its fiery red eyes fixed on me. I know in my heart; that the Demon Wolf recognized who I was.

Phillip came up beside me, mounted on his horse. "The town has been completely evacuated, sir. I suggest we depart at once. We need to join Bernard and the others if we hope to survive. One arrow it's all I have left, not enough to fight a couple of those beasts if they decide to attack."

"You're right. Let's get going."

As we rode into the now-deserted town, a sudden sight caught my attention. Audrey's wagon appeared on the road, entering town. I signaled Phillip to keep an eye on the wagon, understanding that if Audrey returned, her brother would be nearby.

As we galloped toward the wagon, a swift shadow pursued us. Phillip shoots the last arrow he had, failing to land a hit on the fast-moving shadow. I brought my horse to a stop and dismounted, observing a black wolf materializing before us.

"I am out of arrows," Phillip said.

"Do not worry, he's friendly."

The black wolf underwent a transformation, its fur replaced by human skin, and its teeth retracting into a human jaw. Caleb advanced, steam emanating from his skin in response to the chill of the night air, trying to soothe his heated body.

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"Do you understand what happened to your brother? Do you have an idea of what he has become?" Caleb asked.

I lowered my head, recalling how Audrey, his sister, had been the only one to warn me about the potential consequences if the beast within Lysander took control of his body. Back then, I had complete confidence in Lysander to keep the beast dwelling inside him in check.

"Come inside," Caleb said, opening the wagon's door. "You might not like what you are about to hear."

We entered Audrey's wagon, finding her in a state of deep meditation. Caleb, being the last entering the wagon, paused from shutting the door, and began to sniff the air around us.

"We should move away from Bortoli. His new pack is scouting the area. It is just a matter of time before we are found."

Audrey's eyes suddenly opened, revealing an eerie absence of pupils, as she focused on her tarot deck. With skilled movements, she fanned out the cards and deftly selected one of them, a card labeled, 'The Tower'.

"I bet that is not a good sign," I said.

"Chaos, destruction, sudden change. These are the consistent visions I see for Bortoli. This is the third time I've drawn the same card while focusing on the town's future."

Audrey rose from her chair and retrieved an ancient-looking book from beneath the table. "I apologize if my eyes appear unusual to you. It's crucial that the connection between me and the mind I'm journeying through isn't broken abruptly."

"You were inside someone's mind?" I asked.

"Yes, my brother's. It's the only way I can see his surroundings while he scouts the area. I should have taken my brother far from here by now. Yet, I can't bear the thought of him living under that curse forever. Yesterday, we circled back around the mountain pass, making our way to the northwest part of the forest in search of the monkshood flower. I was determined to seize this chance to find a cure, especially since we were closer to locating the plant. However, what we stumbled upon in the forest sent chills running through me."

Caleb took a seat at the table and opened the aged book. "We circumvented the barbarian encampment and saw that your brother had been captured and severely beaten, almost to death. As half of the barbarian horde started moving towards Bortoli, something began to happen. Under the full moon's light, Lysander began to transform, his screams of excruciating pain echoed through the night. It was a transformation unlike anything I've ever seen. His primal instincts surfaced, and he became what the barbarians referred to as The Demon Wolf."

Caleb turned the pages of the ancient book, revealing illustrations depicting encounters with an ancient creature, a wolf unlike any other. "It was unbelievable, what I witnessed. Your brother gave in to the beast within him, savagely attacking and killing every barbarian in his path. But the most horrifying part was what happened next. Those barbarians didn't stay dead. Shortly after being bitten, they transformed into wolves themselves."

Caleb's revelation provided a clear explanation for why Lysander was accompanied by such a large number of wolves. My brother had turned more than half of the barbarian horde into wolves.

"You need to understand, that Lysander's transformation isn't just physical. The more he succumbs to the beast, the more he loses himself. If the beast fully takes over, he won't be your brother anymore. He'll be a danger to everyone, including you."

"I have shot arrows at these wolves. Yet, they walk away unharmed. How is this possible?" Phillip asked.

"Trying to kill these wolves won't be an easy task." Audrey took the book from Caleb's hands and rapidly flipped through the pages. "It's here, I'm sure of it. I have read how to kill these demons, using Mother Earth as a weapon against them."

Finally, she halted her swift page-turning, a smile spreading across her face as she found what she was looking for.

"According to this book, to defeat the wolf, you must first eliminate the demon within. If the demon wolf bites a man and he survives, that man then carries a lesser version of the curse. This grants him enhanced strength, speed, and a remarkable ability to heal unnaturally."

As Audrey continued reading from the book, a flood of memories about Lysander's early years came rushing back to me. I recalled the day we brought him home and how peculiarly fast his wounds healed. I remembered our races, where I would be on horseback, yet he could keep pace with my horse on foot.

His ability to adapt to every situation was something I found unusual for a child of his age. But like Arland, I forged a brotherly bond with him, completely ignoring his wild nature. That probably was the biggest mistake I have ever made.