Godiva PoV.
My feet were on the wet soil. I could see the heavy rain pouring down all around me. I felt strange that my body was not wet. I just realized that I went back in time.
I faltered, feeling hesitant to take a step forward. Beside me, Faith stood with her gaze fixed on a cabin no bigger than the guardhouse of the Moonstone warriors. The sound of lightning rumbling in the sky almost startled me.
Despite not being drenched by the rain, the cold pierced my bones. Coupled with the number of wolves surrounding the cabin, it managed to make my guts shrink. I couldn’t move my legs because they were too stiff to take a step.
“Let’s go to the cabin.” Faith stepped steadily in front of me.
I couldn’t help but follow her. I was also curious about my biased past. The fact that Castor revealed earlier was enough to convince me to explore everything.
I was finally able to move my feet. I stepped slowly and tried not to make a sound, even though I knew we wouldn’t be seen. It felt like I was staking out the targeted house, and I was the stalker.
I could feel the warm air from inside the cabin. I guessed that maybe the people living inside were warming up the fireplace. My eyes widened when Faith magically went through the door to enter the place.
Were we just projections?
Whatever the answer, it was at least a relief that I was usually unseen. The other reason was because I realized that we were uninvited guests, and anyone would be suspicious if they could see us coming in the weather like this.
I followed Faith’s actions, and sure enough, I was able to get through the door as she did. I stood side by side with Faith. I circulated my gaze around the cabin and noticed a woman with the same hair as me. She was half-lying on the bed with her upper body higher than her legs.
She was probably in her early thirties, maybe more. I saw her struggling to breathe and straining. In front of her was a woman in her sixties who was giving her instructions.
“I can see a head. Keep pushing, Selene!”
For about fifteen minutes, the young woman did the same thing over and over again until I could hear the small cry of a baby. I leaned forward to get a clear view.
The old woman wrapped the little baby up. I noticed that the blanket wrapped around the baby’s body was exactly the same as the one shown by Castor. The young woman placed the baby very carefully on her lap.
The young woman smiled weakly and held the baby in her arms. Tears trickled down her cheeks. Instantly, both the woman’s and the baby’s bodies glowed a silvery blue color.
“From this moment on, your name is Godiva. Godiva, my child-as the only descendant of the Moon Goddess, your life will be full of trials. Until it comes, you will not know your true identity. Moonstone is the lead in your life. I am sorry that I cannot accompany you in the same world, but the wolves will always guard you from our enemies. Goodbye, my daughter. I love you.”
The woman touched her forehead. She gently pulled out the crescent moon mark on his head to form a diadem. She tucked the diadem into the folds of the baby’s blanket.
She gave myself the baby version to the old woman with a bitter expression. Upon doing so, the woman wavered and fainted. Her body lying on the bed gradually faded away like scattered ashes, as did the light surrounding her.
“Wolves!”
The old woman looked toward the door. I saw a single black-furred wolf enter the cabin. Its larger body compared to the others characterized it as the Alpha. The black wolf advanced toward the old woman.
“Protect Godiva with all your body and soul. She is precious to all of us. Do not stop until you find a safe place for her.”
I saw the black wolf bow its head. The old woman walked to the corner of the room and picked up a baby basket. She gave the baby basket to the black wolf, who bit the handle instead. The old woman put me into the basket and covered me again with a thick flannel cloth.
I followed the black wolf, who walked out of the cabin. Together with the other two wolves, the black wolf began to run through the forest. I realized that the rain had stopped and turned into a clear night sky with a full moon.
I knew the part where I arrived at the orphanage, according to Castor’s story. There was a part where my heart felt both pain and relief. My heart ached because I was born and my mother died afterward. I was relieved because I knew the mother who gave birth to me.
I couldn’t cry anymore. Everything was too sudden for me. Accepting the reality that ended in bitterness, I kept quiet and just walked out of the cabin to go back to where I first came.
I felt the touch of a hand on my shoulder. I had almost forgotten Faith because of what I had just seen. She took me into her arms and rubbed my back a few times.
“Why do I have to deal with something like this, mom?”
“Believe me, everything will be fine in time. I’m sure that the Moon Goddess will never abandon you werewolves. The goddess’ power is limitless. We must return.”
I nodded solemnly. There was nothing else to see in this place. The wolves had already left and ran in different directions.
Faith loosens her embrace. She took my hand and started casting a spell that I didn’t understand. I felt a sensation like being pulled into a noisy vortex that made me sick to my stomach.
I guessed that we were only traveling for a few hours. Until I arrived at the room where Faith was staying and found neither Castor nor Pollux. I went straight to the toilet and vomited the contents of my stomach into the closet. This journey through time is really draining my energy.
“Are you alright, dear?” I looked toward the door and saw Faith standing there, looking at me.
“I’m just nauseous, probably because of the travel.”
“I’ll take you to your room.”
“No need, mom. You must be tired, too.” I stood up and washed my face with water, then added, “I’ll go to my room by myself. Thank you for accompanying me.”
“I’m happy to help.”
I left the guest room and went back to my room. When I arrived at the room, I saw only Castor standing facing the window. I didn’t see Pollux’s presence.
He stared at me and led me to my bed without speaking. Castor had always understood the things I needed. He didn’t ask how our travel was going.
I felt his warm embrace wrap around my body as we lay on the bed. With his hand in my hair, it did not take long for me to close my eyes.
“Sleep well, my precious. Sweet dreams,” Castor whispered in my ear.