The Divine Lycan

Chapter 20

The Duskwind Pack, nestled deep within a remote valley, was a small and close-knit pack. The looming mountains and dense forests that surrounded them had always provided a sense of security, a natural barrier from the outside world. But today, that sense of safety was overshadowed by the growing despair that hung over the pack like a dark cloud.

In the center of the pack, the Alpha’s home was a hive of worried activity. Alpha Alaric, a towering figure of strength and authority, stood by the large wooden table in the family’s gathering room. His stern features were etched with worry, the weight of his responsibility heavy on his broad shoulders. Beside him, Luna Elara, her usual calm demeanor shattered by grief, clutched a small amulet to her chest, her eyes red-rimmed from crying.

Their daughters, Michael’s sisters, were also there, their presence adding to the tension in the room. The eldest, Lydia, stood near the fireplace, her arms crossed tightly over her chest as she tried to hold back her own tears. The youngest, Mari, sat on a low stool, her wide eyes filled with confusion and fear, not fully understanding the gravity of the situation but feeling the heavy sadness all the same.

“Are you sure he’s not already undergoing the second tribulation?” Elara asked, her voice trembling as she looked to her husband for answers.

Alaric sighed deeply, his eyes flicking to Lydia and Mari before settling on Elara. “I don’t know,” he admitted, the uncertainty in his voice cutting through the air like a knife. “After the first tribulation, he came back… changed. He didn’t remember anything that had happened, but he was so different. He wouldn’t talk to us, wouldn’t let us help him. He just kept crying, as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders. I don’t want that to happen again.”

Lydia’s face tightened with concern. “But what if it’s already happening, Father? What if he’s out there, alone, going through something terrible and we’re not there to help him?”

Alaric turned to her, his expression softening as he saw the fear in his daughter’s eyes. “We’ve done everything we could to keep him safe, Lydia. We tried to keep him here, to protect him from the prophecy. But maybe… maybe this is something we couldn’t stop, no matter how hard we tried.”

Mari looked up from her seat, her small voice cutting through the heavy silence. “Is Michael going to be okay? He’s my big brother… I don’t want him to be sad.”

Elara’s heart broke at the sight of her youngest daughter’s innocent worry. She knelt beside Mari, wrapping her arms around her and pulling her close. “We all want him to be okay, sweetie,” she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure he comes back to us.”

But even as she said the words, Elara knew that there were no guarantees. The prophecy had cast a long shadow over their lives from the moment Michael was born, and now, it seemed that shadow had finally caught up with them.

“We tried to keep him from leaving the territory,” Alaric continued, his voice heavy with regret. “We thought if we could just keep him here, the prophecy wouldn’t come to pass. But now… what if we were wrong? What if he’s out there, lost and alone, and we can’t reach him?”

Lydia’s eyes filled with tears, and she quickly wiped them away, not wanting to show weakness. “We have to keep searching for him. We can’t just give up, Father.”

Alaric shook his head, his expression pained. “No, Lydia. The more we search, the more attention we draw to ourselves. If anyone realizes that we’re looking for Michael, they might start to suspect the truth—that he’s the Divine Lycan. And if word of that gets out…”

He didn’t finish the sentence, but the implications were clear. The Divine Lycan was a being of immense power, a force that could be shaped for good or evil depending on who found him first. If Michael fell into the wrong hands, the consequences could be catastrophic.

Lydia opened her mouth to protest, but before she could speak, Mari tugged at her mother’s sleeve. “What’s a Divine Lycan?” she asked, her innocent curiosity cutting through the tension.

Elara hesitated, glancing at Alaric before answering. “It’s… it’s a special kind of wolf, blessed by the Moon Goddess. They’re very powerful, but it’s also a heavy burden to carry.”

Mari frowned, not fully understanding but sensing that it was something serious. “Is Michael a Divine Lycan?”

Elara’s heart ached at the question, and she hugged Mari tighter. “Yes, he is, sweetheart. But we love him, no matter what.”

Alaric stepped closer to his wife and daughters, his presence solid and reassuring even in the midst of their uncertainty. “We need to be careful,” he said, his voice steady. “We can’t risk drawing suspicion. If anyone finds out that Michael is the Divine Lycan, they’ll come for him. And we can’t let that happen.”

“But we can’t just do nothing,” Lydia insisted, her voice filled with frustration. “He’s our brother. He’s your son. We have to find him.”

Alaric placed a hand on her shoulder, his grip firm but gentle. “I know, Lydia. But sometimes, the best way to protect someone is to let them go. We have to trust that Michael will find his way back to us when he’s ready.”

Elara nodded, though her heart was heavy with doubt. “We’ll pray,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “We’ll pray that he’s safe, that he finds his way to good people who can help him.”

As they stood together, the weight of their decision settling over them like a heavy cloak, the sun began to set, casting long shadows across the pack. The search was over, at least for now, but the hope that Michael would return one day remained a fragile flicker in their hearts.

And as the darkness fell, the Alpha and Luna silently prayed that their son would find his way back to them, and that the prophecy that had haunted their family for so long would not come to pass.

For now, all they could do was wait.