"Ghh–AARGH!"
The cry tore from my throat like a ragged, guttural sob, involuntary and raw, as my body jerked violently. I jolted awake as if yanked from a nightmare—though part of me feared I was still in one.
My mind reeled, drowning in the memory of what had just happened. The pain… so vivid. I could still feel it etched into me, like fire carved into flesh, scraping against bone. My eye throbbed, and by instinct, my trembling hand reached up to touch it.
"Hm?"
A dark spot… black, deep… pulsed in my vision. I pulled my hand away and stared at my palm. Nothing. I did it again. And again. The spot was still there—persistent, like a shadow behind the retina.
"That's odd," I muttered, fingers brushing my neck.
No cut. No scar. No trace of pain. It was as if nothing had happened. But I knew it had. I knew.
"Now that I think about it…" I looked around slowly, sweeping the space with eyes still heavy. "Where am I? Is this… another illusion?" The words came out low, tinged with doubt. But then, something cut through the fog of thought—a sensation. Rough… and wet.
"Huh?" I looked down—and there he was.
"Pup?" My arms moved on their own, lifting him gently. That small, warm, living body. "Where have you been all this time?" I whispered, looking into his bright eyes.
Of course, he didn't answer. He didn't need to.
"Wait… could this be another illusion too?" The doubt crept back in, just for a second—but vanished just as quickly.
"No." So many illusions, and he was never in any of them. Not once. This was real. Besides… I had read everything—every last remnant left in the ruins of Erebus. And it had led me to an unavoidable truth: only sentient beings could cross through the mirror.
And he had never entered with me.
I let myself fall back onto the ground. The earth was damp, but I didn't care. The pup still cradled in my arms, as if I feared even the ground might try to take him.
"I was really worried…" I murmured, eyes locked on his.
And for a moment, I let the world go quiet.
✦ ✦ ✦
After some time exploring the area, the realization finally settled in my mind: I had passed through the Demonic Mirror of Erebus. And as a result, I had been thrown into the Black Forest.
The certainty brought a rare moment of relief.
"Never thought I'd be this grateful to be back here." The place was still hostile, but alive—real. No warped air, no whispering voices, no illusion-wrought mazes. Just dense trees, the rustle of leaves in the wind, and the distant stirrings of wild creatures.
I walked to a calm river. The current was gentle, the sound soothing. I knelt by the edge and caught sight of my reflection, slightly warped by the ripples. Same eyes as always. No mark on my neck.
"Was it… just another illusion?" I whispered, scanning the reflection for cracks. But everything remained the same.
I shook my head with a faint smile. "Best not to overthink it right now…"
Truth was, for the first time in a long while, I felt light. Relieved, even. The worst was behind me—or so I hoped.
"I just need a bath…" I muttered, glancing down at myself. My cloak was caked with dust and mud, my clothes in tatters, my body smeared with dried blood and dirt. My hair hung long and wild over my shoulders.
At least the wounds had healed—I looked at the palm that had been burned after the fight with the bear. No trace of pain remained.
Without hesitation, I stripped off what I could, rinsed the garments in the river, hung them over a tree branch, and slipped into the water.
The icy current wrapped around me like a harsh embrace. The shock rushed across my skin, stealing my breath—but quickly gave way to relief.
I let myself sink. The world above blurred into shifting light and shadow, and down here, there was only silence. For a few seconds, I simply existed, suspended in that space between forgetting and renewal.
The tension I'd carried for days finally began to ease from my muscles.
That's when I heard it.
Footsteps—quick and light—on the riverbank. I lifted my head, instantly alert, my senses snapping back to the present. A dark shape leapt from a nearby boulder.
"What—?!"
Splash! Water burst in all directions as something landed squarely on my chest. A wet snout nudged against my face, warm and familiar.
"You...!" A relieved laugh escaped me as I gently held him. "So you're finally awake, huh, little guy?"
The wolf pup looked up at me. During our short exploration earlier, he had dozed off again. With those bright eyes, wet and scruffy fur, you'd never guess he was such a sleepyhead. He let out a soft yip and shook himself right there, flinging chilly droplets all over me.
"Well, since you're so lively…" I said with a half-smile, pushing him gently away.
He spun midair and splashed into the water, paddling easily, his little paws slicing through the surface in fluid motions.
Of course… the white wolf. She had taught every member of the pack how to swim. That explained the ease.
I watched him for a moment, my face calm.
Then a thought crossed my mind.
"Now that I think about it… you still don't have a name."
The pup paused in the water, as if understanding, and turned his head toward me.
"What should I call you, huh?"
I considered for a moment. The first name came to mind almost unfiltered: "Umbra?"
He shook his head.
"Onyx?"
Nothing.
"Duskfang? Storm? Ashen? Fenrir? Eclipse? Xiao Fang? Ragnar? Umbralith?"
Each suggestion was met with a silent rejection—an ear twitch, a slow blink, a slight head tilt.
I sighed, crossing my arms. "Tough customer, huh?"
I tilted my head, closed my eyes, and let something come to me… something that felt right, that had the weight, shape, and sound to match the little being beside me—that quiet, steady presence.
"Shadowfang Axel." His ears perked up. He stood still for a moment, then let out a short, low howl—clear and sure.
"Heh." I couldn't help smiling. "Axel, then?"
A firm wag of the tail sealed the deal.
"Perfect. Now I can stop calling you 'pup' all the time."
A comfortable silence settled between us.
I felt something stir in my chest. A gentle warmth, hard to define. Like a subtle thread had been tied there, in that moment.
Simple, but strong.
And above all, real.
✦ ✦ ✦
After the refreshing bath in the stream, the coolness of the water still clinging to my skin, I focused and summoned the familiar spell. Small flames sparked at my fingertips, and with a single gesture, they flared into a welcoming campfire. The heat from the fire not only helped dry my dirty, soaked clothes, but also brought comfort to my tired body.
While the flames crackled, I took the chance to gather some wild berries nearby—a modest breakfast, but a necessary one.
Axel, at my side, was nibbling on some leaves he found scattered across the forest floor. Though he was still just a pup, there was a quiet wisdom in his eyes, as if he already understood the value of each moment of rest. Luckily, I had woken up early, which gave me the advantage of having everything ready by midday.
When I finished putting out the fire—its last wisps of smoke quickly fading into the forest's crisp air—it wasn't fear of being found that made me erase the traces of my camp. It was something more instinctive. Something deep within me insisted that this place had to remain untouched. I couldn't explain it—I just did it.
A few minutes into our walk, Axel howled, and in that moment, something shifted. It wasn't just the sound of his howl that reached my ears—it came with a strange sensation, a vibration in my mind, like an invisible cord being tugged inside me. What was that? I didn't know. But something in me stirred.
Axel suddenly started to run. His body moved with stunning agility, and his eyes lit up with a kind of urgency I couldn't ignore.
"Hey!" I called out, breaking into a run after him. For a pup, his speed was incredible. Fortunately, with longer legs than him and my energy fully restored, I could keep up. "Where are you going in such a hurry?"
The wind seemed to rise around Axel, as if the air itself was aligning with his motion. His body was now wrapped in a rushing current, his paws pounding the earth with even more speed. He was pulling farther and farther ahead, and a tight apprehension grew in my chest.
'Is it really that important?' The thought echoed in my mind as I tried to close the growing gap between us. I didn't understand what was happening, but the little wolf was so determined—something was calling him. Something was calling me.
With my heart racing, I activated my magic.
— "Breeze!" — I felt the spell take shape beneath my feet. A pulse of wind surged forward, giving me the push I needed to keep up with Axel. Gradually, the distance between us shrank. Our pace intensified, the air around us joining the chase, becoming part of it.
For several more minutes, I ran with everything I had, casting the same spell again and again. The wind howled in my ears while Axel led the way without hesitation, his focus unwavering. And finally, he slowed. I caught up.
We were now in a mountainous area, surrounded by jagged rocks rising like towering walls. The air was thick. The terrain uneven, full of massive stones forming chasms and caves—as if the very earth had cracked and torn apart. Wind whispered through the rocks, making them creak faintly, and from somewhere far off came the sound of running water.
In front of us, the cave entrance yawned like a dark portal, swallowing daylight with its shadows.
I looked at Axel, who had stopped just short of the cave. His ears were low, his eyes fixed on the entrance. His breathing was fast. He looked reverent, like he was seeing something I couldn't yet grasp.
The silence was absolute, nearly crushing. Only the wind moved, brushing softly against the stone.
"Why did you stop, Axel?" I asked, my heart still pounding from the sprint. He stood there, facing something I couldn't see—something beyond me, something important. He didn't answer, but there was something in his gaze that told me he knew exactly what to do next.
Then Axel moved. With a swift motion, he slipped into the cave, darting into the darkness. Without hesitation, I ran after him, my footsteps echoing across the loose stones, my chest tightening as I neared the entrance. The cave swallowed the light, each step inside growing heavier, as if the darkness itself pressed down on my shoulders.
We ran deeper, my eyes adjusting as I followed Axel's silhouette through the gloom. The air grew colder, damper, and a strange scent hung there—wet earth mixed with something metallic. With every step, something loomed closer, a rising sense of urgency, a visceral need to reach Axel.
At last, we reached the depths of the cave. And what I saw shattered me.
Axel was there, still, his body tense, his eyes locked on something ahead. But it wasn't what I had expected. Lying against the cave wall was a massive figure, unmoving, clearly in distress. Axel howled—a sound that tore through the silence, a cry filled with pain and raw frustration.
"No!" I shouted, my chest tightening as the scene before me came into focus. I tried to take a step forward.
"No! You said you'd make it out!" My voice echoed through the cavern.