18. Information about 'rifts'

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

Michael slowly picked up the bowl, careful not to spill a drop. The second the soup was lifted off the ground, Wanessa's eyes followed it her nose twitching as she instinctively stepped forward. The scent still lingered in the air, rich and familiar, and though she didn't say anything, her body moved on its own. Michael raised an eyebrow.

"Well, at least we know she still has her priorities straight."He said.

Wanessa shot him a glare but didn't argue. Instead, she trailed after him, her head slightly lowered as if unwilling to admit that she was following the soup.

Elias chuckled.

"See? I told you. She can't deny what she really is."He said.

Wanessa growled lowly, but the effect was ruined by the way she visibly inhaled the scent as Michael walked.

I smirked.

"So all we have to do is use food to get her to listen to us?I asked.

Michael snorted.

"Would've been useful to know that before she ran into the forest and nearly ate leaves for dinner."He said.

Wanessa huffed, her ears flicking back.

"I wouldn't have eaten the leaves if you didn't keep forcing your disgusting food on me!"Wanessa groaned.

Terrence raised an eyebrow.

"Disgusting?"He asked.

"Yes." She snapped. "It's nothing like what I ate before! It's bland and dry and-"

"And not from your world." Elias finished. "You left the Blue Moon Pack seven years ago, right?"

She frowned.

"Yes."She said.

"And that was the same time you… changed?"He asked.

Her tail stilled. Elias nodded.

"Then it makes sense."He said.

Michael frowned.

"What makes sense?"Michael asked.

"The Rift."Elias said.

We all turned toward him. Wanessa narrowed her eyes.

"The what?"She asked.

Elias looked at her carefully.

"The night you had your incident, the same one that made you feel like you don't belong here, there might have been a Rift between two worlds."Elias said.

Wanessa stiffened, her claws digging into the stone beneath her.

"A rift… between worlds?"Wanessa asked.

Elias nodded. "It doesn't happen often, but when it does, strange things occur. Sometimes, people go missing. Sometimes, they come back… different."Elias explained.

"Are you saying she literally fell into another world?"Terrence asked.

"Or another version of herself did." Elias replied. "Or maybe two different Wanessa personalities switched places."

"That's not-"She started.

"It would explain why your memories don't match up," Elias continued. "Why your instincts tell you one thing, but your mind tells you another. If you came from somewhere else, it means your body belonged here all along… but your soul was taken elsewhere."

"That's ridiculous."She growled.

Elias sighed. "Is it?"

I frowned. It sounded ridiculous. But when I looked at Wanessa, at the way her tail flicked anxiously, the way her ears trembled ever so slightly, but she wasn't arguing. She was afraid it was truth. Then we reached castle and Michael put soup on the table with made Wanessa transform back into her human form. A deep, authoritative voice suddenly cut through the tension.

"The Rift." King William said, stepping forward. "I've heard of it before."

We all turned to face him. He nodded, his expression unreadable.

"There's a book in the archives about it."He said.

"The records mention unexplained disappearances, and people who changed overnight, as if they weren't the same person anymore." His gaze flickered toward Wanessa. "If the Rift was involved in your past… then the answers might be in that book."

"Well, shit."Michael groaned.

"So you're saying that I really am from another world?"She asked.

Elias exhaled.

"I'm saying that if the Rift was involved, then anything is possible."Elias said.

Wanessa's amber eyes darkened. I could see the war raging inside her between wanting to deny it, to prove them wrong, and the terrifying possibility that it might be true. That something had happened to her that night, and that she might never be the same again.

AT THE SAME TIME

XAVIER'S POINT OF VIEW:

She had eaten every last drop of the soup, her hands still resting around the bowl as if savoring the warmth. The tense lines on her face had softened, her body no longer trembling as much as before. Her dark lashes fluttered slightly, her head tilting as if she were fighting the exhaustion creeping in. She looked... peaceful. More at ease than she had in days.

King William, seated at the head of the table, cleared his throat, drawing everyone's attention.

"Rifts between worlds." He began, his voice low but firm. "They are not just myths or stories passed down by scholars. They exist."

The flickering candlelight cast deep shadows across his face, making his words seem even heavier.

Michael furrowed his brows.

"You actually believe in that?"Michael asked.

"I do."Dad said.

I exchanged glances with Terrence. Even he seemed unsettled by how serious father was.

"So, you've known about this all along?"I asked.

King William sighed, rubbing his temple.

"I didn't know for certain, but there have been records. There have been moments in history where people beasts, even have appeared in places they shouldn't be. Some recall memories of lands we do not know. Some vanish without a trace. And sometimes, when the conditions are right…" He glanced at Wanessa, his eyes darkening. "They cross over."

My gaze shifted to Wanessa, who was still holding her bowl close, her breathing slow, steady. She was barely listening now, her body sinking deeper into her chair. The warmth of the soup, the exhaustion from the past few days, it was all pulling her under.

"So… I really don't belong here." Her voice was barely a whisper, her fingers gripping the edge of the table as if afraid to let go.

I reached out without thinking, my fingers brushing against hers.

"You're here now. That's what matters."I whispered.

Her eyelids drooped slightly, her body relaxing against the seat. It was the closest she had come to feeling safe, and I wasn't going to let that slip away. Elias suddenly chuckled, shaking his head.

"You're treating this like it's a tragedy." He muttered. "But look at her. She's here. She's real. Whether she came from another world or not, does it really change anything?"Elias asked.

Terrence crossed his arms.

"It changes a lot, Elias."Terrence said.

Elias rolled his eyes.

"Does it? She's still Wanessa. And as far as I can tell, she's more wolf now than ever before."Elias said.

Wanessa let out a soft, content sigh and curled up slightly in her seat, her head nearly resting against my arm. I glanced down, watching the way she unconsciously leaned into the warmth.

"She's exhausted," I said quietly.

Michael ran a hand through his hair, exhaling.

"We can continue this conversation later. She needs rest."He said.

"Agreed."Dad said.

Wanessa shifted slightly, her fingers curling into the fabric of her dress as if seeking comfort. Her breathing was even, and for the first time in days, she looked... at peace. Even if she had come from another world this was her home now. And I wasn't going to let her forget that.