The violent storm was finally over after I endured a full night of the core elements' harsh attacks. The rain fell heavily onto the building, and some passed through to me. The wind created miniature typhoons surrounding the building and the forest outside, throwing around light rocks which became dangerous projectiles when they reach a certain speed. Flashes of bush fires quickly appeared and instantly disappeared everywhere, but it was the lightning that caused those fire that was the most troublesome. Who knows when and where they could hit.

As the rain slowed down to a halt and clouds slowly disperse, I checked the girl still covered within my wolf body and was surprised to see a pair of eyes staring at me.

I guessed she'd been awake for a while.

The girl didn't move or even tried to move from the spot, which told me that something was wrong. Of course, I realised that she must be afraid of being coiled around by a giant shade wolf for the night, thinking she'll be eaten afterwards. I wanted to change that thought and prove that I meant no harm. It took a while for me to think of a way.

Uncoiling myself from her, I tried to move to the other side of the room, but instead, she ran ahead through what's left of the doorway and towards the entrance. Though the storm had stopped, the mansion was still a dangerous place to run around in. I immidiately followed after her in case she harm herself.

We passed through the hallway and around the corner before she saw the rubble blocking the entrance and stopped. I stopped at the corner, trying not to scare her as much. I stared at her as she looked around the place for another exit, but although the building is old, surprisingly there wasn't once a hole in the wall to escape. I can confirm as such since I searched the two floors.

As I waited, she looked back me as if knowing I'd been there the whole time and stared back fearfully. She must have realised there were no exit to escape from and given up. No, not given up, more like she accepted her fate. Of course, that is only what she must have thought.

Betraying her expectations, I moved towards the rubble instead and only gave a quick glance at her as I pass. She had fear then confusion in her expression just as I thought. Using my mouth, I lifted the rubble one by one towards the side to make way to the entrance. With the natural strength of the shade wolf's body, it was cleared in less than a mintue.

I looked back at the girl again, she still had confusion on her face. Whether she was going to snap out of that state or not, I didn't care. I smoothly picked her up and popped her on my back, her screaming and all. Moving the rubble also helped me adjust my jaw strength so I don't bite her too hard to cause an injury.

While I moved out of the mansion, I looked at the scenary in front of me. A metal fence about two metres tall with bricks as foundations surrounded the mansion's front lawn, which also had a crooked brick path to the missing front gates. The gardenscape was half overgrown on some parts and half burnt on the other by the lightning strikes and the once functional fountain are but a large birdbath with chunks of bricks within. To sum it up, it was a ruin, just like the mansion.

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I checked the girl on my back once again, she didn't look as fearful as before now, but still eyed me cautiously and patiently waited for me to move.

I decided that it was time to move on, but didn't know which way to go. Thinking that the girl may have a place to go to, I looked at her earnestly for a direction. She must have figured it out but heisitated before finally giving me a direction - Northwest.

The moment she pointed, I jumped towards the forest beyond the mansion and dashed through the flora. Various animals were scared away by my presence as they escaped deeper into the forest and not one creature faced me. I didn't realise how fearful just simply presence could be at the time as a shade wolf was and almost disturbed the forest's entire ecosystem. That was a lesson to be learned later.

The girl held onto the fur of the shade wolf tighter with her eyes closed in the beginning, slowing opening them as time past. It got to a point where she was curiously looking around the forest, disregarding the fact that she's still being led by a shade wolf. She even began talking to me after a while, thanking me and telling me about her worries. Thinking that she's only a child, innocent and undoubtfully trusting of a wild beast that saved her, I let her be; though, I would liked to have a word with her parent about this.

She told me her name, Cleft, and that she actually has a twin brother call Wright; interesting naming choices honestly in my opinion.

Apparently, she sneaked out of her village to explore the forest with her brother but was chased by a wild shade wolf, the same one I'm possessing. Her brother ran the other way, trying to distract the wold, but it chased her instead into the mansion instead. By pure chance, the entrance of the mansion collapsed onto the shade wolf, trapping its movement as it bleed out, yet also her inside the mansion. Furthermore, last night's storm stopped her escape attempts as she could only try to stay cozy inside by herself.

The more she explained to me, I realised two things: she was extremely lucky to have survived out here in the woods and she is very talkative, way too talkative in fact. She just continued to ramble more about her life and childish worries as we (well, I) tread through the woods.

Still, I have to say, she really was lucky to have survived so far.

Soon after we left the mansion ruins, I could see an open field with a direct path leading towards a settlement of wood and straw houses. The village had around 10 people, mostly farmers, their wife and children working around the tilted fields of bright orange plants unknown to me. Everyone seemed focused on their individual roles and only occasionally looked around for any wild beasts aiming for their own fields.

I notice there were more houses than people working in the fields. The rest must be in the forest hunting, forging or something. Perhaps they were looking for Cleft since her brother didn't come back for her and must have informed the adults, I thought.

I stood within the edge of the forest, cautious of the villagers, as I brought the girl down from my back. She looked at the distant village in what I thought was shyness, but later realised was guilt from sneaking away without notice.

I nudged her forward and she turned to me in surprise, then gratitude. She thanked me and ran off. Seeing that the shocked adults in the fields saw her running towards them, they approached her and led her into the village happily.

Believing that I did the right thing, I went back into the forest without anyone noticing.

I only hoped that I wouldn't run into any of the villagers still looking for her in the forest as I wondered where 'do I go now'.