Erika
I read the polished nameplate in front of me—‘Clive Burton, Advocate.’ The name was not unfamiliar. Mum had mentioned it once, saying he could be trusted as a legal partner for our kind.
Taking a deep breath, I steadied my slightly erratic heartbeat before stepping into the restaurant where we had arranged to meet.
As I approached his table, Burton straightened in his seat. His sharp eyes studied me with caution. “Are you related to Mrs. Howards?”
“Amelie Rae Howards is my biological mother.”
He gave a single nod, digesting my words carefully. “Very well. Let’s get straight to the point. What can I do for you?”
I glanced around, ensuring no eavesdroppers lurked nearby. The restaurant was bustling with office workers on their lunch breaks, each engrossed in their own world. Still, I had to be cautious.
Leaning in slightly, I lowered my voice. “I want to erase my identity—officially declare myself dead—and create a new one, as a human.”
Burton didn’t respond immediately. A brief pause followed before he finally spoke. “It won’t be easy,” he admitted, “but you can trust me to handle it.”
“Good. Name your price.”
He hesitated for a moment, but I knew it wasn’t a matter of principles—it was a matter of cost.
Reaching into my bag, I pulled out a chequebook and penned down a substantial sum. As I handed it to him, he accepted it with reluctant fingers, though his wary gaze never wavered.
Null-we called them that because they are humans unaffected by supernatural.
always had a price. As long as you could pay enough, they would comply.
Wasting no time, I left as soon as my business with Burton was concluded. My next destination was my mother’s house in Slona, on the western border of Emerald Earth. She was a fire-elemental witch, passing down her magic to me. The combination of werewolf and witch blood made me an elemental werewolf.
I needed to find her before she teleported to Fluburn, the city of fire witches. Only she could explain the magical ritual meant for our kind. The mere thought of it made my pulse race—I hadn’t realized Alpha Rufus would go to such lengths to claim my heart.
When I arrived, the house was empty. Scorch marks marred the wooden floor of the living room—a clear sign of my mother’s departure.
Instinctively, I scanned the room for a clue she might have left behind. She had a habit of leaving cryptic messages—an enchanted goblet, a gemstone with an unusual glow, even a severed hand that once assisted with household chores.
My eyes landed on a small chest, about the size of a baseball glove, secured with an upside-down padlock on one of her bookshelves. It was unmistakably a sign. Beside it lay a blank parchment.
With a flick of my wrist, my fiery claws ignited, revealing my mother’s handwriting on the paper.
‘Seek out Morpheus and bring him this casket. Then, you shall rise like a Phoenix.’
Morpheus? Who was he?
I had so many questions about the ritual described in the book I found, yet my mother had left me with another riddle. Oddly enough, I did not complain. I simply set off to find Leighton, following the instructions she had left.
***
The cabin stood alone in the heart of the oak forest, hidden near the border between Emerald Earth Pack and Sapphire Water Pack. Though it was summer, a fine mist curled around the structure, obscuring the details of the weathered wooden exterior.
A shiver ran down my spine as a tall figure in a hooded cloak emerged from the doorway.
Was this Morpheus?
“I have been expecting you, Erika Howards,” he said, his deep voice resonating like distant thunder.
Tightening my grip around the small chest, I stepped forward and extended it towards him. “My mother asked me to bring this to you. She said I would rise like a Phoenix.”
Morpheus studied the casket, his eyes gleaming with something unreadable. He ran his fingers across its surface before murmuring an incantation in a language I did not recognize. The carvings on the chest glowed briefly with golden light before fading.
“This,” he said at last, “is the Moonbound Casket—an ancient artifact that can only be opened by its rightful owner and their descendant. It was used by witches to aid Dud-wolves in obtaining their wolves.”
I frowned. “Dud-wolves?”
Morpheus nodded solemnly. “They are born without a wolf spirit, making them weaker than others. This ritual requires the sacrifice of the hearts of four elemental wolves to implant a wolf soul into a Dud-wolf. And you, Erika, are one of the four elemental wolves needed.”
Cold dread seeped into my bones.
Alpha Rufus.
He knew. He knew I was an elemental wolf with fire abilities.
Was this why he made me his Luna?
If he truly intended to take my heart, it meant he sought to complete this ritual.
Morpheus observed my shifting expression, stepping closer as though reading my mind. “You have already begun to connect the dots, haven’t you? Someone has plans far more sinister than you anticipated. Be careful, Erika. Do not let him take what he desires.”
My hands curled into fists, my fingernails digging into my palms. If Alpha Rufus was targeting me, then he must be after the other three elemental wolves as well. I had no idea who they were, but one thing was certain—I still had time.
Drawing a slow breath, I steadied myself. “I won’t let this happen. I’ll expose his plan before the Elders.”
Morpheus’s lips quirked in a ghost of a smile. “A wise decision. But tread carefully—he will not stand idly by.”
I nodded. My mind was made up. I would pretend to know nothing, act as though I were still oblivious, allowing him to believe he had the upper hand—until the right moment came to reveal his treachery.
If he wanted to play his game, I would let him think he was winning.
“Leave the casket with me,” Morpheus said. “I will help you, Erika.”
