The moment they stepped back into the territory of the Silver Pack—
Something shifted.
The air, once merely cold, now felt suffocating. Heavy. Still. As though the very land itself held its breath in anticipation of what was to come.
The children slowed.
Their laughter had long since faded.
Their small hands, once full of forest treasures, now hung empty at their sides.
And then—
They saw him.
---
At the entrance of the orphanage stood the Alpha of the Silver Pack.
Waiting.
Unmoving.
Like a storm that had already chosen where it would strike.
Beside him stood his son and daughter, their expressions laced with satisfaction, their lips curved into cruel smiles that held no innocence—only quiet, eager malice.
They had spoken.
They had told.
And now—
They were watching.
Waiting.
For the punishment to unfold.
---
The childrens are frozed.
No one dared to take another step.
No one dared to breathe too loudly.
Because they all knew—
This was not about all of them.
This was about her.
Lily.
She stood slightly behind the others, her small frame trembling, though she tried—desperately—to steady herself.
Her wide, butterfly-like eyes lifted slowly toward the Alpha.
There was no anger in them.
No rebellion.
Only fear.
And something deeper—
Something far more painful.
Loneliness.
---
In this pack, she was no one.
An orphan.
A burden.
A mistake that had somehow been allowed to exist.
And yet—
She was different.
Too soft.
Too hopeful.
Too alive.
Even after everything—
After years of mockery, of hunger, of being pushed aside like something unwanted—
She still smiled.
Still believed.
Still hoped.
And that—
That was something the Silver Pack could never forgive.
---
The Alpha stepped forward.
Slow.
Measured.
Each step deliberate, echoing against the silence like a warning.
His gaze fell upon Lily.
Sharp.
Unforgiving.
"How dare you…" his voice was low, controlled, yet filled with something venomous, "…set foot in the Dark Forest?"
Lily's lips parted.
"I—I…" she tried to speak, her voice trembling.
But she never got the chance.
---
The sound of the slap cracked through the air like thunder.
Her head snapped to the side.
The force of it stole her breath, sent a sharp ringing through her ears.
For a moment, she could not see.
Could not think.
Could only feel—
Pain.
---
"In this pack," the Alpha continued, his voice rising slightly, "everything exists under my command."
He grabbed her arm, his grip harsh, unforgiving.
"My rules define your existence."
He pulled her forward, forcing her to stand before everyone.
"And you—"
His voice dropped lower.
Colder.
"A nameless orphan with no blood, no lineage, no value—"
Another strike.
Harder.
"How dare you break them?"
---
Lily stumbled, her knees nearly giving way beneath her.
"I'm sorry…" she whispered, her voice barely audible. "I didn't mean to… I just—"
Her words dissolved into a broken breath.
Tears slipped down her cheeks.
But they made no difference.
They never did.
---
The blows continued.
Relentless.
Each one stripping away what little strength she had left.
Her body, small and fragile, could not endure such force.
Her vision blurred.
Her hearing dulled.
The world around her faded into distant echoes.
---
Behind her—
The other children stood frozen in place.
Their faces pale.
Their eyes wide with terror.
Some cried silently.
Some turned their faces away, unable to watch.
But none of them moved.
None of them could.
Because fear held them tighter than any chain ever could.
---
At last—
The Alpha stepped back.
As though he had grown tired.
Or bored.
"From now on," he declared, his voice cutting through the silence like a blade, "this girl will receive no food."
A ripple of shock moved through the children.
Lily's body trembled.
Her lips parted, but no sound came out.
---
"And hear this clearly," he continued, his gaze sweeping over them all.
"Anyone who dares to feed her…"
His lips curved into something dark.
"I will kill them."..smirked.
A pause.
Deliberate.
Cruel.
"Or worse…"
"I will send them to the Vampire Territory."
---
Silence fell.
Heavy.
Final.
---
Then—
Without warning—
He kicked her.
---
Lily's body collapsed instantly, the impact stealing what little strength she had left.
The ground met her with cold indifference.
Her vision darkened.
Her body refused to respond.
And within seconds—
She slipped into unconsciousness.
---
The Alpha turned away.
As though she had ceased to exist.
His children followed him, their soft laughter lingering like poison in the air.
---
Only after they were gone—
Did the others move.
---
They rushed to Lily.
Carefully.
Fearfully.
As though even touching her might bring punishment upon them.
"Lily… wake up…" one whispered, their voice shaking.
"She'll be okay… right…?" another murmured, though doubt filled every word.
They lifted her gently.
As though she might break if held too tightly.
They carried her back inside.
Laid her upon her bed.
And stayed beside her—
Helpless.
---
Far beyond the Silver Pack—
Deep within the ancient, cursed depths of the Dark Forest—
She watched.
---
The Witch.
---
Her eyes gleamed through the darkness, reflecting something far older than the forest itself.
And then—
She laughed.
---
Not softly.
Not kindly.
But with a jagged, fractured sound that twisted through the trees like a living thing.
"Aah… Luna…"
Her voice echoed, low and distorted, as though spoken through layers of time.
"How exquisite…"
Her lips curved into a cruel, delighted smile.
"To see you broken so easily."
---
She lifted her hand.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
The air around her shifted.
Darkened.
Something unseen began to move—
Not warmth.
Not comfort.
But a cold, invasive force that slithered through the distance like a shadow searching for its prey.
---
In the orphanage—
Lily's body trembled faintly.
Her wounds began to close.
Not gently.
Not with care.
But as though something was forcing her flesh to obey.
Rewriting her pain.
Erasing it.
Claiming it.
---
"I cannot allow you to shatter yet," the Witch murmured, her voice dropping into something darker.
"You are far too important."
Her smile deepened.
Possessive.
Hungry.
---
"Five thousand years…" she whispered.
"I have waited."
Her gaze burned with something ancient.
Unforgiving.
"And now…"
"You reborn again... This time I won't make any more mistakes."
---
"My toy "
The name fell from her lips like a brand.
A mark of ownership.
---
"You will rise again…"
Her voice turned colder.
Sharper.
"Not as you are…"
"But as I desire."
---
A faint chuckle escaped her.
Low.
Satisfied.
"You will lead me to him…"
Her eyes darkened.
"To your mate."
---
Silence.
Then—
A whisper.
Soft.
Terrible.
"My next toy."
---
Back in the orphanage—
The children stared in shock.
Before their eyes—
Lily's wounds vanished.
Her bruises faded.
Her breathing steadied.
As though nothing had ever happened.
---
"It's… the Witch…" one child whispered.
"She saved her…"
Another nodded slowly.
Their fear… began to change.
Twist.
Transform.
Into something far more dangerous.
Belief.
---
Morning came.
Soft light filtered through the broken windows of the orphanage.
Lily stirred.
Her eyes fluttered open.
Confusion filled her expression.
Slowly, she sat up.
Her hands moved over her arms.
Her face.
Her body.
No pain.
No wounds.
Nothing.
---
"She…" Lily whispered softly.
A small, innocent smile formed on her lips.
"She protected me…"
Her heart filled with warmth.
Trust.
Gratitude.
---
Unaware—
That it had never been protection.
---
After finishing her chores in alpha's house—
As she always did —
She found her friends.
Their eyes met .
A silent understanding passed between them.
---
And together—
Carefully.
Quietly.
They slipped away once more.
Toward the Dark Forest.
---
This time more cautious.
More aware.
Ensuring no one followed.
---
But none of them realized—
They were not walking toward safety.
---
They were walking—
Willingly—
Back into the arms of something that had already claimed them.