The moon hung unusually low, creating an illusion as if you could reach out and pluck it from the night sky. Mrs. Jenkins stood by the flower shop’s glass window, gazing at the moon for an extended period.
While people often extolled the brilliance of the sun, they rarely mentioned the moon’s gentleness. Even when they did, it was mostly in the context of sorrow. The moon could never chase the sun, and people accepted that notion.
But it was only the moon that brought strength in the night, the power to heal all things. The sun, too scorching, would burn those who attempted to draw near in devotion.
Selene, she repeated the name silently in her heart. The former moon goddess, her only true mistress. Among the many deities, Selene belonged to the absolute minority. She could understand the joys and sorrows of the common people. She saw the suffering of the mortal world. Only she considered the lives of the werewolves as lives, rather than ants to be tread upon. Most deities were capricious and self-absorbed, unwilling to be bound by the rules of the divine. Even though the werewolves had evolved and gained self-awareness over the ages, they were still viewed as pets by the gods, observed from behind a glass bottle.
So, when her moon goddess fell, she embarked on a journey to find a way to restore lost deities to their rightful places.
The moment she saw Maggie, she knew that her journey had come to an end. Maggie radiated the unique, potent energy of the fallen moon goddess, making her the moon goddess’s descendant and the method she had sought to restore the goddess.
Selene, I hope we can meet again. I’ll bring the world you wish to see to your doorstep. Please wait a little longer.
Maggie finally had a chance to spend time with Alisa and couldn’t help but chitchat about what had happened to her in recent days.
“Do you need me to give you a crash course on the laws of the werewolf world? I’ve been working hard to catch up on that knowledge lately,” Maggie said enthusiastically. She had never been as intelligent as Alisa, who was astute and skilled in dealing with various troublesome characters. She was also good at dealing with older students, exchanging cigarettes and alcohol for high school students when she was still in junior high. She would then secretly sell these items to younger students. Later, she worked part-time while studying, still maintaining her academic excellence and earning scholarships every year. She didn’t want to miss the chance to show off her newfound knowledge.
Alisa knew that the young girl was eager to demonstrate her newfound knowledge, so she smiled and agreed, “Tell me all about it. It’s best if I can help you in the future.”
The werewolves were not concentrated in a specific area, and their territory was roughly divided into four regions: east, west, south, and north.
“Aldrich wants to compete for the position of Wolf King in the northern continent. The northern continent is a region where werewolves and human society do not interact. Werewolves infiltrate human society in disguise, but humans are unaware of their existence as a separate group,” she pointed out on a map she’d drawn of the werewolf society. “This is the northern continent, and it borders on the west.”
The power structure was entirely different on each continent. The western continent was a classic example. There, werewolves held the dominant position, while humans were mostly slaves or lowly beings, with a lower social status. The eastern continent was a different story; werewolves were banished and couldn’t come anywhere near human society’s boundaries. Otherwise, they would face attacks with weapons.
“What about the south?”
“The south is currently the most peaceful of the four continents. It signed the peace treaty between the werewolves and humans the earliest. Besides not attacking each other, there are designated trade zones. Goods from werewolf and human societies flow into each other’s markets. So, the South Continent is the most advanced among the four. Aldrich has mentioned his political goals to you, right? To have humans and werewolves coexist peacefully. The blueprint for this is the South Continent.”
Alisa expressed admiration, “I’d love to see a place like that.”
Unfortunately, in earlier years, the South Continent was afraid of being invaded by other suspicious groups from different continents. Werewolves and humans built towering defensive walls. There was a border at the edge of the South Continent, and the official city gates to enter the continent. There were even towers close to the sky, meant to monitor outsiders. Mountains and waters surrounded the South Continent, making it almost inaccessible to ordinary people.
“What about airplanes?” Alisa asked. “In this modern age, airplanes should be able to enter, right?”
Maggie smiled wryly, “Believe me, they’ve tried everything we could think of. Once an airplane crosses the border of the South Continent, its signal is lost, the control tower’s signal goes dead, and there’s no way to contact the pilot. There should be a lot of airplane wreckage in the sea near the first defense wall of the South Continent.”
Alisa felt a bit disappointed, “That’s a shame.”
“But they have a special railway for transporting goods and people,” Maggie continued.
Alisa was puzzled, “A railway built on the sea?”
Maggie nodded, “I was surprised the first time I heard about it too. But even Aldrich hasn’t seen this route. I’d really hope we could see it together if we ever get the chance.”
The vision spoken out loud was so beautiful that it momentarily stirred Alisa’s desire. If they could truly become a family and explore a better world together. Except for Marvin. She would never include Marvin in her definition of family.
Marvin sneezed in the garden; perhaps someone was cursing him behind his back. It was most likely that malicious woman, Alisa. He began to miss Grace’s good qualities. Grace was strong and composed. Nothing could shake her will, even he couldn’t compare to her. If Grace were there, even with Alisa’s presence, Grace could console him. Grace, always in his thoughts. He tried to connect with Grace’s mind through his consciousness but failed. Even though it was a long-known fact, he still felt a bit disappointed. Where are you, Grace?
He was so eager for Grace to visit his dreams, even just once. Any hint related to Grace would rekindle his passion and love. Yet, there had been none. The Moon Goddess didn’t grant him the gift of foresight. He could only reminisce about Grace while staring at her old photos.
Marvin thought, when would he be able to free himself from this emotional haze?
“Hey.”
He heard someone calling him, but the warmth of the sun made him unwilling to respond, as if he were avoiding something unpleasant.
“Marvin? Are you just asleep, or dead?”
The unceremonious words made Marvin angry, and he swiped his claws toward the voice. “Get lost! Don’t disturb me.”
“It seems like you’ve forgotten that you promised Aldrich not to harm anyone again.”
Aldrich. Maybe there was something like that. He reluctantly opened his eyes, trying to identify the person. He was still somewhat drowsy. “Alisa? Damn it, why is it you, this persistent woman!”