It was unclear when, but now Rowena realized that she enjoyed wandering through the forest. Alone, with no one to accompany her, she felt the warmth of the forest embrace her with love. Her empty soul was filled, her silent world enlivened by the gentle whisper of the wind and the rustling of the leaves. Each step she took brought her a soothing peace.
Rowena’s footsteps stopped just as she emerged from the dense canopy of tall trees. Now there were no trees to block her view. So, she lifted her face and her eyes fell on the full moon.
Rowena smiled sweetly; her eyes filled with the sparkle of love. Her feelings warmed, and unconsciously her hand rose as if to reach for the full moon. Then her lips spoke softly: “We will meet again, Ivan.”
Her hand lowered again and Rowena gave one last smile before continuing her journey. She re-entered the Amerotha Forest, and not long after, a loud roar was heard.
Rowena quickened her pace, her heart pounding with unstoppable enthusiasm. She almost ran, until a call brought her to an abrupt halt.
“Rowena!”
Rowena was startled. Her brow furrowed in doubt. She thought it was impossible for someone to call her, especially since it was already night. “Maybe it’s just my imagination.”
Rowena’s feet were ready to retreat. But the same call was heard for the second time.
“Rowena!”
This time Rowena couldn’t ignore the call so easily. So, she looked around with a puzzled expression on her face. The sound seemed to be getting closer.
“Rowena!”
Rowena shook her head. “Impossible. No one can get close to this place. It’s just not possible.”
The reason was that the area had been enchanted by Rowena. As a result, no one could perceive the existence of this area, let alone set foot in it. The area was completely hidden from the sight of ordinary people.
Rowena had proven the effectiveness of her spell for years. In all that time, no one had even come close, let alone set foot there. This anomaly made her question it. “Who is he? Why do I feel him coming closer? How can he know of my presence here and…”
Something caught Rowena’s attention, cutting her off mid-sentence. There was a subtle vibration in the air, an unusual disturbance. She felt it clearly, causing her forehead to crease and her eyes to narrow suspiciously.
Rowena’s confusion quickly turned to concern. She immediately raised her hand, spreading her magic to every corner of the forest, trying to sense the strangeness.
A sight made Rowena freeze. At that moment, she saw the invisible magical barrier protecting the area tremble slightly. Then fine cracks appeared on its surface, like glass struck by a hammer from the inside. These cracks emitted a soft blue light that gradually spread, indicating that someone had managed to penetrate the spell.
Rowena was stunned as the fine cracks slowly disappeared, signaling that her magic barrier had returned to normal. Unfortunately, it was not a good sign.
“Impossible,” Rowena whispered as she left. She decided to meet the person who had called her name and managed to penetrate her magic barrier. “Who is this man? How did he get past my barrier without breaking it?”
Rowena quickened her pace. Ignoring the bushes blocking her path, she continued on until the figure of a man came into view.
“Rowena! Where are you, Rowena?”
Rowena couldn’t have been wrong. The young man who had called her name, the one who had managed to get past her magical barrier, was him. Her eyes widened. “Alpha Usher.”
Rowena’s whisper, carried by the wind, reached Usher’s ears. He turned, his face showing immediate relief at seeing Rowena.
“I’ve finally found you, Rowena.”
Rowena froze as Usher walked up to her. “You.” She struggled to speak. Her confusion about someone finding her there was nothing compared to her confusion when she realized who it actually was. In the end, she could only whisper in disbelief. “How could you find me here? How did you get past my barrier? You…”
Rowena’s words stopped when she saw the necklace around Usher’s neck. Her focus shifted to the pendant, which looked unusual, a half-moon pendant.
Rowena felt another jolt hit her chest. She shook her head as she reached into her coat pocket, but it was empty. She found nothing, even though she clearly remembered that the item she was looking for had been there a few days ago. Then, at the perfect moment, a realization dawned on her.
Rowena’s hunch couldn’t have been wrong. One look confirmed her suspicion, especially as the pendant reflected the light of the full moon with its silvery sheen. This gave it a familiar energy glow.
“That necklace,” Rowena said in a low, almost whispering voice. “Where did you get it?”
Usher touched the pendant around his neck and felt the energy emanating from it. “It’s your necklace, isn’t it?”
Rowena didn’t answer, but asked Usher again. “Answer my question,” she said firmly. “Where did you get this necklace?”
“Would you believe me if I told you I got this necklace from you?”
Rowena took a step back. Her lips turned pale and her eyes widened. “Impossible.” She shook her head several times. “Be honest with me, Alpha. Tell me the truth. Where did you get the necklace?”
“I knew you wouldn’t believe it,” Usher said, taking a deep breath. “So, you probably won’t believe me when I tell you that the matching necklace is in the hands of my Luna, Vione.”
Rowena’s eyes closed dramatically. The world seemed to shake, her legs trembled, almost unable to hold her up. “This is impossible. How could it be?”
At this point, Usher could do nothing but rack his brain to find the right way to convince Rowena. The option of explaining the real situation was there, but he hesitated, not wanting to act rashly.
“Alpha.”
Rowena’s voice interrupted Usher’s thoughts. He looked at Rowena and noticed that there was a difference in the way she looked at him. “What is it, Rowena?”
“Tell me,” Rowena said with a trembling voice and a piercing gaze fixed on Usher. “Are you from the future?”
*