In the dead of night, within the realm of dreams, Marvin encountered Grace.
On the edge of the forest, a wounded Marvin noticed someone approaching. He turned warily, asking, “Who’s there?”
“I think you need this,” Marvin raised a vial of medicine meant to heal his injuries.
“You should be in the forest, celebrating with Aldrich and the wolf pack,” Grace replied.
“But you’re crying.”
“I am not!” Marvin retorted, his fur bristling.
“Many times, right here, I’ve heard you cry.”
“You were eavesdropping!”
“In this hidden place, I found it before you.”
“You should have told me instead of watching me make a fool of myself, and more than once!”
“Admit you were crying?”
Marvin looked disgruntled, “I can’t beat you.”
Ignoring Marvin’s protests, Grace approached him and forcibly extended his injured arm, saying, “Hold your hand still, and don’t make a sound.”
The antiseptic stung his injured flesh, and Marvin struggled to endure the pain. Grace fixed him with a stern look, “It’s just a slight sting; don’t make a sound.”
Marvin jerked his shoulder back, the pain contorting his features, “You look down on me, and I don’t need your help.”
“I won’t leave; I saw you return a fallen chick to its nest during a competition.”
“What of it? I still lost the match, and everyone’s attention was on Aldrich and you.”
Grace chuckled and rose from her seat, “You exude sensitivity and lack confidence, and I shouldn’t have come to help you.”
“Go on, leave. I didn’t ask for your concern.”
Marvin watched helplessly as Grace walked away, his inner turmoil driving him to rush after her. He was shaken awake before he could reach her.
“Grace, don’t go…”
Maggie stood by his bedside, the room bathed in bright light. “Marvin, wake up.”
“Maggie, it’s you-” Marvin rubbed his head, his dream of pushing Grace away still fresh in his mind. He spoke with a heavy tone, “How did you get in?”
Maggie shook her head. “Aldrich gave me a spare master key. But that’s not important. Marvin, I think something might have happened to Aldrich.”
“He used to spend the night away often; there’s no need to worry.”
“This is different, and it caught me by surprise.”
“Don’t fret. I’ll go find Grace. Make sure to lock the door.”
Marvin reached for the covers to lie down, but Maggie stopped him. “No, Marvin. Aldrich isn’t away for work this time. Charlie found the Energy Bead, and Aldrich went to meet him. He left late last night and hasn’t returned yet. I’m really concerned.”
“Keep in mind, no one on the ground ruled by The BlueMoon Pack is more powerful than Aldrich.” Marvin’s words carried a hint of envy.
“But it shouldn’t take this long. I want to go to the Moonlit Forest to find him, but it’s not safe for me alone. I need your help.”
“The Moonlit Forest!”
Marvin suddenly sat up, and Maggie covered her face in shock. “Why aren’t you wearing clothes?”
“Which guy sleeps all neatly dressed?”
Marvin leaped out of bed, shifting into his wolf form, while Maggie kept her eyes tightly closed, her cheeks flushed pink. She couldn’t help but think that the Barrett family had impressive genetics, with each male family member having an incredible physique.
“Hurry up!” Marvin, in his wolf form, urged her. “If it weren’t an emergency, I’d definitely praise you, Maggie. You’re so innocent!”
“I can ride your wolf?” Aldrich had mentioned that he only let Maggie ride his wolf.
Marvin crouched down, “There’s no faster way. You should have told me by noon today.”
“It seems Aldrich lied to me again. The Moonlit Forest isn’t as peaceful as it sounds, is it?” Maggie carefully sat on the wolf’s neck.
“The Moonlit Forest has another name: the Forest of Seclusion. Creatures entering it outside of the Spring Hunt have never returned.”
With Marvin’s words, the wolf leaped out of the open window, swiftly heading into the distance.
The room’s door made a creaking sound as Alisa entered. A gust of night air flowed in through the wide-open window, tousling Alisa’s long hair.
She brushed her hair behind her ear and stood by the window, only to witness a shadow move rapidly under the night sky, soon vanishing from Barrett Manor.
“There’s just too much, Maggie. You have so much here.”
Alisa mumbled to herself, picking up Maggie’s misplaced master key card from the table. She resembled a witch basking in the silence and darkness of the night as she made her way to the neighboring building.
The patrolling security guards nodded respectfully at Alisa, who responded with a smile. In her mind, she thought, “I’m going to give you a surprise, Maggie, and you’ll thank me for it.”
With Maggie’s master key card in hand, Alisa swiped her way through the sealed building. She pressed the button for the elevator to the top floor, and her journey was unimpeded, as if she were walking in her own exclusive kingdom.
Upon reaching the top floor, Alisa happily drew open the massive floor-to-ceiling curtains. Moonlight streamed in through the transparent windows, revealing an exquisite collection of gowns covering the entire floor.
“It’s really beautiful. Aldrich’s love for you is so much, isn’t it…”
Alisa’s hand ran across the rows of gowns. Standing in the center of the green gown section, she couldn’t help but exclaim, “It’s so beautiful.”
In the moonlight, the gowns emitted a faint but extremely bright glow. Despite the absence of a night breeze, the gowns’ delicate fabrics seemed to shimmer like the Milky Way in the night sky, silently flowing. The touch of green seemed to gather all the beauty in one place.
“It’s such a pity that these beautiful dresses are about to be ruined.”
The cold iron scissors clashed with the moonlight, producing a chilling gleam. Alisa had taken the scissors from her toolbox.
“Maggie, if this is your happiness, I will destroy it all.”
The small, sharp scissors moved closer to the delicate gown, starting from the waistline and slicing down to the hem. One by one, Alisa wielded her scissors. The ethereal fabric made not even a sound as it was silently and ruthlessly destroyed.
Surveying her handiwork, Alisa wore a satisfied smile.
It wasn’t until midnight that the sprinting Marvin finally brought Maggie to the edge of the Moonlit Forest.
Marvin’s gray wolf stopped, and he said, “We need to know Aldrich’s exact location.”
Maggie nodded, waiting quietly.
The gray wolf sighed, “I mean, you should ask Aldrich about his location.”
“But I don’t have a wolf, and I can’t establish a mind link.”
“You have powerful wolf pups.”
Maggie lowered her head, feeling guilty. “I can’t communicate with the babies either.”
Marvin twitched his ears, clearly disappointed. “I overestimated you.”
“But you have a wolf.”
“I haven’t contacted Aldrich proactively for many years because of what happened with Grace.”
“That shouldn’t matter; you’re brothers.”
“Fine, I’ll try.”
In the dark night, the Moonlit Forest resembled an icy and profound citadel, where all creatures passing through turned eerily silent. Towering trees stood frozen in perpetual stillness, and an endless sense of desolation pervaded.
Every minute of waiting meant an added danger for Aldrich. Maggie couldn’t help but break the silence and asked Marvin, “So, any response?”
“Aldrich had better be in real trouble, or I won’t bother reaching out to him again.”
“He didn’t respond to you?”
“He’s as silent as still water. I suspect someone may have knocked some sense out of him, disconnecting his abilities.”
“Marvin! Please don’t say something so dire!”
The gray wolf shook himself. “Sorry, Maggie, hold on tight. We’re charging in to see the sorry state Aldrich’s in. It’s quite a rarity!”
“Ah… Too fast!”
The sound of the wind quickly drowned out Maggie’s exclamation as their figures rushed into the Moonlit Forest. They blended in like a drop of water merging into a motionless sea, without causing the slightest ripple.