Chapter 19

Then-

"Wolf, what's wrong?" asked a voice that Wolfie knew all too well.

Tom who got up earlier than Wolfie couldn't help but feel the sticky sensation between her legs. So, he headed to Dark Lake to bathe alone. He even caught some fish for breakfast after cleaning his body. Until finally as he was walking back to where they had slept last night, he could hear Wolfie's cries from a distance.

Tom was startled by the sound of the crying, so she quickened her pace and saw Wolfie crouching down crying with his shoulders shaking violently.

Tom noticed Wolfie's swollen eyes filled with tears, bringing a sinister grin to her heart.

'Very cute.' Tom thought. 'At this rate, he really does look like a little dog abandoned by his master.'

Wolfie raised his head, looked right at the person in front of him and couldn't believe it. When Tom's figure was finally clear in his eyes, he jumped into Tom's arms, roaring even louder.

"I thought... you don't want me anymore... Hhhnnn..." Wolfie cried in Tom's arms.

Tom gently patted Wolfie's head to calm him down. He felt like he had just abused a child.

What's worse, he was the one who had just been 'tortured' by the child...

"Uncle... I think I've found something I really want." Wolfie said earnestly.

It turned out that the center of the world where the Labyrinth Palace was located was ordered by him. When his heart is calm, there is no longer any need to wander. A door whose frame was made of ice suddenly appeared behind Wolfie.

"Wolfie, that..." Tom said in surprise.

"That's the exit." Wolfie's voice sounded a little shaky.

Tom couldn't bear to imagine Wolfie being alone again when he left this Labyrinth Palace, so he asked, "Will you come with me?"

Wolfie smiled grimly, "Uncle… When we, the twelve Beasts, were given our respective territories, we swore not to leave the palace until the end of our lives… Uncle, please, you have no idea how cruel the Beasts are. others, I really don't want to see you hurt, I beg of you..." Wolfie said pleadingly and grabbed Tom's hands in his.

"Wolfie, at the end of the Twelve Palaces, there is the answer I've been looking for. It's also the reason I entered the palace. I can't give up..." Tom said. His hand gripped the back of Wolfie's hand which was shaking slightly.

"..." Wolfie was silent for a moment as he stared at Tom, as if trying to record the figure of the man into his mind, burning him into his heart.

"Then..." Wolfie pulled Tom into his arms, burying her canines into the man's neck.

"Ugh?!" A mysterious golden orb suddenly appeared between his mouth and Tom's neck. Almost in an instant, the orb disappeared into Tom's body.

"Then... Promise me to stay alive." Wolfie said as he licked the fresh blood that dripped from Tom's neck.

Even though the breakup hurt him deeply, Wolfie pushed Tom for the first time.

"Come on... The exit has a time limit. Uncle... Goodbye." Wolfie said smiling. But in Tom's keen eyes, he could see that Wolfie was hiding his sadness by giving Tom a smile.

A wave of unease suddenly rose in his heart, he couldn't explain it properly but he had a bad feeling, as if... when they parted, he wouldn't be able to see Wolfie again...

"I'll be back... to pick you up." Tom said firmly.

"Hn?? What are you saying...?" Wolfie asked confusedly.

Tom took off the shell necklace that Chief Rages had given her and then wrapped it around Wolfie's neck, "This is a safety talisman, take care of this amulet. When I get rid of the King of Salem, I will definitely come back for you. Therefore, Wolfie, you must wait for me.. ' said Tom. His hand gently grabbed Wolfie's left cheek.

Tom rarely made promises, but when she did, she would definitely keep them, all in all.

"Uncle..." Wolfie's voice trembled from holding back tears.

'I hate parting with you. I hate myself for not being able to continue protecting you.' Wolfie could only blame himself for his inability to protect the man he loved.

Wiping away her tears, Wolfie put on a goofy smile, reassuring Tom, "I'll be waiting for you!"

And Tom left.

The world became silent as if it was only Tom.

The petals of the locusts fell to the ground as if the trees were weeping, the fallen petals reflected the sadness in their hearts...

However, under the locust tree, there was a young man sitting leaning against the tree trunk. He smiled, as if he was waiting for someone.

The youth closed his eyes with a calm expression and his hands tightly gripped the shell necklace hanging from his chest.

The flower petals dance with the wind.

Nothing has changed.

Except for the blood flowing out from the side of the young man's mouth...

~~~~

This is a world completely surrounded by an extremely eerie darkness.

The blood-red moon hung high above the pitch-black curtain of night.

The air that smelled fishy of blood with animal skulls spread all over the place. Tom covered her mouth and nose with her hands as she stepped forward. Then, right in front of him, he could see several gigantic beasts being torn in two, the stench of their blood not even drying out.

This place... like hell.

In the darkness, he could still recognize an ancient castle from a distance. Tom knew that the palace was where the next Beast would reside, but her feet refused to move forward even though she tried so hard.

Suddenly there was a very deafening sound.

"AOOOWWWW!!!"

Among the shadows of the trees, a wild beast resembling an adult-sized brown bear dashed out of the darkness! But the beast didn't even glance at Tom at all. The beast only ran at top speed as a lightning shadow followed it right behind it. In an instant, a hole pierced the brown bear's chest, blood spurting onto Tom's face.

To be continued