Chapter 19 - The Harvest

Darkness.

That was all Sid knew as the river swallowed him whole. The raging current dragged his battered body for who knew how far. Water filled his ears, blood blurred his vision, and consciousness slipped through his grasp like grains of sand in a storm.

He didn't remember when it ended—but eventually, it did.

A dull light pierced his eyes as the warmth of sunlight touched his soaked skin. His body stirred faintly along a muddy riverbank, clothes torn, breath shallow, a bloodied trail painting the path of his survival.

With a groan, Sid's eyes cracked open. Pain erupted from every fiber of his being. His right arm screamed the loudest—mangled and swelling from the brutal bite of the Alpha. He barely turned his head without gritting his teeth.

"…Alive," he muttered, disbelief mixing with relief.

Slowly, he rolled to his side and sat up, breath ragged. His spatial ring glowed faintly as he retrieved a roll of bandages, a vial of medicinal salve, and a stitching needle. His left hand trembled, but it had to be enough.

No complaints. No hesitation. No time.

He gritted his teeth and poured the salve over the deep punctures in his arm. Steam hissed from the wound, his nerves flaring as if lit on fire. He clamped his mouth shut, refusing to scream. He couldn't afford to draw attention.

One stitch at a time, he closed the bite. His hand was unsteady, but each loop was driven by grit alone. After wrapping the wound tightly, he treated the claw slashes along his torso, face, back, and legs—each wound a reminder of the wolves' fury, each scar proof of his survival.

Finally, when the immediate bleeding was under control, Sid forced himself to stand. His knees buckled, but he caught himself against a tree.

He had to move.

Even from here, he could still hear them.

The howls. Distant, but haunting. Echoing across the trees like the wails of spirits.

They were still searching.

Still angry.

Still hungry.

Sid moved quickly but carefully, finding a hollow beneath the roots of a twisted tree surrounded by thick brush. It wasn't perfect, but it would keep him hidden from wandering eyes—and noses. There, he collapsed again, muscles drained, his heartbeat loud in his ears.

Only when silence returned did he dare to breathe freely.

Hours passed. The sun began its descent. Hunger gnawed at his stomach, but something else burned stronger—curiosity.

From his spatial ring, he pulled out two orbs. They pulsed softly in his palm.

Life cores.

One belonged to a regular wolf. The other—the glowing, larger core—belonged to the Alpha.

He didn't waste time. He held the smaller one first, brought it to his lips, and swallowed.

It dissolved on his tongue like dust and fire. Warmth rushed into his limbs. His wounds pulsed, his breath deepened, and his strength began to return—but only slightly.

It was enough to hold him steady, no more.

Sid frowned. "Not bad... but not enough."

Then he reached for the second.

The Alpha's core.

It felt heavier in his hand. More alive. It flickers like a beating heart. The moment it touched his tongue, his eyes widened.

It was like swallowing a storm.

Energy surged into him like a crashing wave. His body convulsed, then steadied. His veins lit up with light, a low hum vibrating under his skin. His wounds tightened, then began to close at a visible rate. Torn muscles stitched together. Bruises faded. His right arm, though still sore and swollen, no longer burned with pain.

Sid's jaw dropped.

It wasn't just healing—it was transforming him.

He clutched his chest, feeling his core pulse with unfamiliar vitality. Power danced inside his blood, sharp and wild.

He sat in silence for a long moment, processing it all.

That was no ordinary beast.

And this… was only the beginning.