The Herbalist

Escape game

- Agneska -

Our journey was long, stressful, and surreal. We changed cars twice, and I couldn't help but marvel at Tobias's ease with carjacking. He didn’t seem like the "criminal type." He carried himself like someone well-educated—an odd juxtaposition to the rough-and-tumble act of stealing cars. Then again, he was a bear. Maybe my assumptions needed reevaluating.

We abandoned the first car in a tiny village called Drochevo. Hiking through the forest, Tobias waited until we were deep in the woods to shift into his bear form. His fur bristled as he carried me across the shallow river marking the border between Belarus and Ukraine. It wasn’t the most comfortable ride—I felt every muscle ripple beneath me—but it was effective. Once we crossed, we trekked for another two hours until we reached a small town called Shats’k, where Tobias stole another car.

He was like a machine, relentless in his focus on Romania. Why Romania? He still hadn’t explained, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. His answers had devolved into grunts, and even my most persistent questioning couldn’t break through his gruff silence. I was too exhausted to press him. By the time we were driving through the dark Ukrainian roads in our second stolen car, I dozed off, clutching my seatbelt like it was my only tether to reality.

When I woke up, we were in Lviv. Tobias maneuvered the car through side streets, avoiding the bustling main roads. He stopped only to pick up essentials—food, clothes, toiletries—and seemed on edge the entire time. At one point, he retrieved a burner phone from a locker near a post office, sent a single text, and promptly destroyed the phone.

Paranoid much? Or maybe he wasn’t paranoid at all. The fact that the Purifiers’ Guild kept finding us hinted at something bigger than just bad luck.

We were scouting for another car to steal when two men approached us. They spoke English, which immediately set off alarms in my head. Tobias froze. I wanted to bolt, but he stood there, rigid, as if waiting.

One of the men pulled a gun. Tobias raised his hands in surrender. I almost gasped aloud. Why was he surrendering? This wasn’t like him. He could take down these men without breaking a sweat—or a paw. My eyes darted around, looking for an escape route. The second man stepped closer, producing handcuffs. Handcuffs? On Tobias? I almost laughed.

Before the men could act, the deafening roar of a motorbike split the tension. It tore down the street, headed straight for us. The biker—a tall figure clad in all black and wearing a full-face helmet—veered dangerously close, spooking the two men. Tobias seized the moment. He grabbed me and shoved me toward the motorbike, practically tossing me onto the back seat. The biker revved the engine, and before I could process what was happening, we were speeding away.

When I turned back to look, Tobias was gone.

I clung to the biker, my heart pounding. Who was this person? And where had Tobias disappeared to? My questions went unanswered as the biker drove us far from the city, navigating winding roads with alarming precision. It was nearly an hour before the scenery changed to thick forests and towering mountains.

A road sign flashed by: Skolivski Beskydy National Park.

We didn’t stop until we reached a small, picturesque village nestled in the woods. Quaint log cabins dotted the area, and the air was fresh and crisp. Under different circumstances, I might have appreciated the beauty of the place. But right now, all I could think about was how far I was from Tobias—and how little I knew about this new stranger.

The biker pulled up to a stop, nodded for me to dismount, and sped away without a word.

“Welcome to our pack, Agneska.”

I jumped at the voice and spun around. A man stood there, tall and broad-shouldered, with piercing eyes and a disarming smile.

“I’m Mihai, the Beta. Did you have a pleasant journey?”

“What? Erm... It was quiet. But I’m safe, so I guess I can’t complain,” I replied awkwardly.

He chuckled. “Yes, Radu is a man of few words.”

“Radu?” I repeated, realizing he must have been the biker. “You could say that.”

Mihai didn’t elaborate, instead gesturing for me to follow him. “Let me show you to your cabin. You’ll be staying with us for now.”

“Do you know if Tobias is okay?” I asked as we walked.

“Don’t worry about him,” Mihai said lightly. “He’s following protocol to come here, but he should join you by tomorrow.”

Protocol? What kind of protocol required leaving me behind with strangers? I didn’t push the matter. Exhaustion was catching up to me again, and all I wanted was a bed.

Mihai led me to a cozy cabin that was sparsely furnished but welcoming. “Rest here,” he said. “I’ll collect you for dinner later. The Alpha will want to meet you.”

Alpha? The term rang a bell, but I couldn’t place it. Too tired to question him further, I mumbled a thank-you and collapsed onto the bed.

When I woke up, Mihai was knocking at my door. He escorted me to a large, rustic building that looked like a community center. Inside, a cafeteria bustled with activity. People—men and women of all ages—ate and chatted, but the moment I walked in, all eyes turned to me.

Mihai guided me to a table at the front, where two people were waiting.

“This is Alpha Andrei and his mate, Ileana,” Mihai said by way of introduction.

Andrei was an imposing figure, with a quiet intensity that made me uneasy. Ileana, on the other hand, was warm and soft-spoken, a stark contrast to her partner.

They welcomed me politely, though I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was being scrutinized. Andrei spoke little, mostly about the Guild and the dangers they posed to their community. According to him, the Purifiers’ Guild was a global organization, infiltrating law enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world.

“At first, I thought you were paranoid,” I admitted. “But after the last couple of days... maybe you have a point.”

He nodded solemnly. “The Guild’s reach is vast, but so is our determination to protect our kind.”

His words hung in the air, heavy with meaning.

After dessert—a surprisingly delicious apple crumble—I caught Andrei watching me intently. His gaze was piercing, almost unnerving.

“You have a great mission ahead of you, quiet one,” he said cryptically.

“Mission?” I repeated.

“Taming your destined will not be an easy feat.”

“My... destined?” My heart skipped a beat. “You know him?”

“I know of him,” Andrei replied.

“What’s he like?” I asked hesitantly.

Andrei’s lips curled into a faint smile. “He does not like our kind. He does not like many kinds, in fact.”

I groaned inwardly. “Fantastic.”

“Rest now,” Andrei said, his tone firm. “Tobias will return tomorrow, and you have a long journey ahead. When the time comes, you can count on us as allies.”

“Thanks,” I muttered.

“Don’t thank me yet.”

Back in my cabin, I lay awake, my mind racing. Everyone here seemed to know more about me than I did. Andrei’s words replayed in my head, filling me with a mix of dread and curiosity. Who was my "destined"? And why was I so important?

Sleep came fitfully, but when it did, my dreams were haunted by questions I couldn’t yet answer.