Werewolf

Prince Arnold sat cross-legged on the largest ice boulder, deep within the Snow Cave. His eyes were tightly shut, with both hands placed in front of his chest, channeling spiritual energy to restore his strength and heal his body.

The more energy flowed through the prince's veins, the more he was required to focus.

Thud...

A sound echoed as something hit the ground. Prince Arnold heard it, but he needed to remain focused on his meditation.

Boom...

A deafening explosion roared from outside, putting his concentration to the test. Unfortunately, Arnold's focus shattered. The noise had distracted him.

He furrowed his brow as beads of sweat began to form, dripping down his face. Prince Arland's sweet, youthful face grew even paler. His golden-yellow skin turned ashen as the flow of energy through his body was disrupted.

"Damn intruder," a furious shout from the prince echoed throughout the snow cave.

Blegh!

Suddenly, the prince spat out fresh blood, staining the snow-covered floor with his crimson blood. After being unconscious for a few hours, he finally regained consciousness.

"Who dares disturb me?" he muttered, trying to stand up and leave the cave, determined to kill whoever had disrupted him.

Of all the distractions that had interfered with Prince Arlond's meditation, this was the first time he had failed to maintain his concentration.

Arnold stormed out of the cave, his expression full of rage, ready to kill anyone in his path.

"Perfect," he muttered after stepping outside, but there was no sign of anyone-only a white wolf lying weakly under a tree. Part of the wolf's body was covered in snow, and it seemed to have resigned itself to its fate.

"What happened to that wolf?" Arnold approached it. As he drew closer, the white wolf became more visible, lying in the snow, weak and wounded.

"Poor wolf," Arnold muttered as he picked up the wolf and carried it back to the cave to heal it.

"What happened to you for your body to end up like this? Don't worry, wolf, I'll heal you," Arlond said, beginning to channel his magic into the sleeping white wolf before him. He could only transfer half of his magic, as his own condition was not yet fully recovered.

"Rest for now," I said as I returned to the large boulder to meditate. I closed my eyes, focusing again to restore my strength and heal my body.

The wolf I had helped was slowly healing, though not yet fully recovered or conscious. But what could have caused the wolf to be wounded so severely?

I closed my eyes and began chanting incantations. I refocused, aligning my mind and body. I could feel the vibrations of energy flowing back into my body. It was as if my body had become one with the ice boulder I was sitting on.

I felt the energy flow through me, making my body feel better and slightly lighter.

"Huff," I exhaled deeply, the cold air filling my lungs as the energy coursed through me. It wasn't just blood flowing through my veins, but a powerful force pulsing in every vessel, nourishing every cell in my body.

After my final meditation, feeling fully recovered, I slowly opened my eyes. My body was much better, but then I heard the wolf howling in pain. I quickly rushed down to check on it.

"Poor wolf," I sighed, my heart aching to see it lying there so weak. The magic I had given earlier had no effect, perhaps because the wounds were too severe. I had to act fast, offering the remaining magical energy I had accumulated over the past hours.

But the risk of passing out again haunted me. Yet, letting this white wolf die would hurt even more. I had to choose-between life and life. With unwavering resolve, I extended my hand, channeling the flow of my magic, hoping it would be enough to save this noble creature.

Finally, little by little, the wolf opened its eyes, though still weak.

"You are safe here now. Rest for a while, wolf," I said, gently stroking its head.

The wolf laid its body back down on the icy floor of the cave, while I needed to restore the energy I had expended.

"Could it be... that he is the one?" I thought to myself. Indeed, he was Queen Andewi's son. I could sense it from the aura of the Andewi Stone, which every white wolf carries, implanted within them. I let him continue meditating for now.

He probably didn't know who I was-that I was the queen's envoy. I wasn't just a white wolf. I also had a name: Yuzi.

After my strength fully returned to normal, I approached the wolf again. From its gaze, I could sense it wanted to communicate something to me.

I placed my hand on the white wolf, and it seemed like its condition had improved-perhaps something had happened to it.

"You're starting to recover, but you still need to rest. Don't go anywhere just yet; your wounds are still quite serious. We'll stay here together in this ice cave to help you heal. But what exactly happened for you to be injured so badly?" I asked, curious. But how could it possibly answer me? It was an animal, after all, surely it wouldn't understand human speech.

"Finally, I've found you. If you are the son of Queen Andewi, I never expected to meet you," I said.

"Huh?" I was stunned when the wolf spoke, its voice like that of any ordinary human.

"Who are you really?" I asked, my voice firm, ready to fight if necessary.

"Calm down. I'm not an evil sorcerer. I am Yizu, a servant of your mother," the wolf replied.

"A servant of my mother? What do you mean? Are you crazy, wolf? You must want to steal my power, right?"

"It's not like that."

I grew even more suspicious. This was the first time I had ever seen a wolf speak like a normal human.

"So, who are you?"

"I am Yuzi. I can transform into a human. You need to listen to my story and help us fend off the Red Wolves' attack." I continued trying to convince this child, who likely had no idea who he truly was. After all, he had been separated from the queen since birth and raised among humans, making him believe he was fully human.

"So, what are you trying to do here? Tell me quickly!" I snapped.

"The truth is..."