Chapter 6: Escape

Estella's mind drifted back to the cold, damp reality of the dungeon. The heavy chains around her wrists bit into her skin, a cruel reminder that she was still trapped in this nightmare.

The memory of her parents' deaths lingered like a ghost in her heart, suffocating her with grief. Tears streamed down her face as she curled into herself, her body trembling from exhaustion and sorrow. What's the point of living? She whispered inwardly.

They're gone. Both of them. I have no one left. Reyna, her inner wolf stirred within her. "Are you listening to yourself, Estella?"

Her voice filled with both anger and desperation. "Would your father want you to die after him? Is that what he fought for? Is that what your mother sacrificed for?"

Estella clenched her fists, guilt clashing with grief. "I don't know what else to do, Reyna," she choked out. "They're dead. Nothing mattersanymore."

"Then who will avenge them? Reyna snapped. Who will make their murderers pay if you give upnow?"

Estella bit her lip, her mind clouded with despair. But Reyna wasn't finished. Her voice softened, but there was an edge of steel beneath it.

" If you truly want to die, that's one thing. But why do you have to take me withyou?" Estellafroze.

"My life is tied to yours, Estella. If you die, I die too. Is that fair to me?"

The weight of Reyna's words crashed over her like a tidal wave. For the first time since she had been thrown into this dungeon, something other than grief burned in her chest. It was anger.

A deep, rage that clawed its way through her pain. She sucked in a shaky breath, wiping her tears with the back of her hand. "I... I want to be stronger," she whispered, her voice still fragile but firming with every word. "I want to avenge them."

Reyna exhaled, the tension in her voice easing just slightly." Good", she murmured. "We'll get there one day, Estella. We'll bathe in the blood of our enemies".

A shiver ran down Estella's spine at the dark promise, but she embraced it. " But right now", Reyna continued, her tone sharp with urgency, we need to find a way out ofhere.

Estella took another deep breath, then slowly raised her head. The sorrow was still there, but something else had awakened inside her—something fierce, something dangerous.She would not die in this dungeon. She would make them pay.

Estella examined the chains binding her wrists, her eyes narrowing at the rust forming around the hinges where the shackles connected. Time had weakened the metal, but not enough to break free easily.

Flexing her fingers, she recalled an old trick—one that would cost her pain but might grant herfreedom. Taking a deep breath, she gritted her teeth and forced her thumb inward. Agony shot through her hand as the joint strained, then—pop! A sharp, searing pain spread through her wrist.

She bit her lip to stifle a cry as her thumb dislocated. Wasting no time, she twisted and struggled, slipping her hand through the loosened shackle. It scraped her skin raw, but she ignored the sting. One handfree. Now herankles. She scanned the floor and spotted a loose stone near her foot.

Shifting her weight, she nudged it carefully until it dislodged, revealing a jagged edge. Biting back her desperation, she positioned the rusted hinge of her ankle shackle against the stone and began sawing. The rough metal resisted at first, but as she worked tirelessly, the rust crumbled. Minutes stretched into eternity until—snap! The weakened shackle gaveway.

Heart pounding, she scrambled to her feet, only to face her next problem—the iron bars of the cage. There was no lock she could pick, no weakness she could exploit. Panic threatened to take hold, but she forced herself tothink.

Then, her eyes caught something—a shallow groove in the stone wall. A shape almost too subtle to notice but familiar. Recognition sparked in her mind. It was just like the hidden mechanism she had used to escape her mother'sroom. Her mother's words echoed in her head: All the houses have hidden mechanisms likethis.

A surge of hope flooded her. Without hesitation, she pressed her fingers against the groove and pushed. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, with a low grind, the wall shifted. A section slid open, revealing a narrow passage leading intodarkness.

Estella's breath hitched, but she didn't hesitate. Slipping inside, she moved quickly, following the passage's twists and turns. The air grew damp and thick with the scent of moss and earth. Then, after what felt like forever, she emerged into the deepforest.

She didn't stop to marvel at her escape. The demon wolves would soon realize she was gone. If they caught her, there would be no secondchance. Breaking into a sprint, she raced through the trees, branches clawing at her skin. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but she pushed forward.

This is his fault! she thought bitterly, cursing her grandfather—her father's adopted father. If not for his stubborn, outdated rules, she wouldn't be trapped in this nightmare. Why did we have to remain hidden? Why couldn't we live like the other packs, mingling with humans instead of rotting away in the middle of nowhere?

But there was no time for resentment now. Survival came first. And Estella had no intention of being caughtagain. Estella's legs ached with every step, but she pushed forward, her body running on sheer determination.

After seven days of wandering the dense forest, surviving on bitter wild fruits and the memory of the single river she had found, she finally stumbled out onto a strange, open path. A road.

She squinted against the bright sunlight, her eyes adjusting to the sight of sleek, metal creatures racing past with a loud roar. Cars. She had read about them in books, but seeing them in motion, so fast and powerful, made her breath hitch.

Her grandfather had always enforced strict traditions, forbidding any contact with the outside world for reasons he never fully explained. Now, standing here, faced with something she had only ever imagined, she wondered why he had kept them isolated.

A sharp honk split the air as she darted forward without thinking. The screech of tires burned her ears, and before she knew it, she was staring at the wide-eyed face of a man gripping the wheel of the car.

"What the hell?!" he shouted, his voice thick with panic. "Are you stupid? You could've gotten yourself killed! If you want to die, don't make me the one who does it!"

Estella barely heard him; her mind registered one thing—he was human. Her first time seeing one with her own eyes. Humans are quick to pity others, even though they can be cruel too.

That was what she had read. If she was going to survive, she needed hiskindness. Without hesitation, she let her body go limp and collapsed onto the road, her voice breaking as she sobbed.

"Please… I was kidnapped! I only just managed to escape… They—they were going to kill me!" Her tears mixed with the dirt and dried blood on her face, making her look even more pitiful.

The man hesitated, his anger fading into concern as he took in her tattered clothes, the scratches and bruises covering her arms and legs, and the patches of dried and fresh blood on her skin. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. "You look like hell."

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his dark hair. "Get in the car."

Estella didn't hesitate. She pulled open the door and sank into the seat, the strange scent of leather and something artificial overwhelming her senses. She fought the urge to fidget, keeping her expression neutral despite the unfamiliarity of everything around her.

As they started moving, she turned to the man. "How do I get to the Northern Territory?"

He frowned. "Northern Territory? You mean SkyfireCity?"

The man shot her a curious glance. "Wait… have you been kidnapped since you were a kid or something?"

But He didn't press further. Instead, he explained the transportation system—buses, trains,tickets, and, stations—things that all sounded so foreign to her. She listened carefully, memorizing everydetail.

Then he said, "We're going to the police station. They'll help you from there."

Estella's heart clenched. The police? Would they really help her… or would they discover what she truly was? She tightened her grip on the seatbelt, forcing a calm expression. "Alright," she murmured, even as her mind raced with possible escape plans.

For now, she just had to keep playing the role of a helpless human girl.