The Shadow wears white

Chapter Three: Council of Wisdom

A heavy silence filled the council chamber. No one spoke. The elders exchanged thoughtful looks, each waiting for someone to break the stillness. Alpha Aden's heavy tone had unsettled them all. This was not just an ordinary dream; everyone in the room felt it.

Finally, the oldest among them stood up. Elder Rowan was respected for his wisdom throughout the kingdom. His silver beard reached down to his chest, and although age had bent his back slightly, it had not dulled the sharpness in his eyes. Leaning on his carved wooden staff, he respectfully inclined his head toward the Alpha.

“Your Majesty,” he said calmly, “dreams have always held great meaning for our people. Since the reign of the First Alpha, the Moon Goddess has guided her chosen through visions. Some dreams bring comfort, others carry warnings, while a few reveal prophecies that awaken only when the time is right.”

The chamber remained still, every ear focused on him.

“But before we interpret your vision,” Rowan continued, “we need to understand something first.”

Aden met the elder’s gaze. “Ask whatever you need.” Rowan nodded. “Has anything changed recently? Anything unusual apart from the dream? Strange signs, unfamiliar feelings, unexpected encounters… anything that felt out of place?”

Aden paused, searching his memory.

“For the past few weeks,” he finally admitted, “I’ve felt… different.” Several elders leaned forward. “I can’t explain it, but my wolf has become restless. It reacts to things I can’t see. Sometimes when I walk through the palace gardens, it feels like someone is watching me.” He paused and shook his head. “But when I turn around, there’s no one there.”

His voice dropped. “Now and then, I hear laughter carried in the wind. The same sounds I hear in the dream.” Uneasy glances passed among the elders.

“There’s something else,” Aden added. “Lately, I’ve noticed unfamiliar scents in the air.”

“What kind of scents?” another elder asked.

“I don’t know. They vanish before I can identify them. They’re unlike anything I’ve encountered before.” Silence returned to the chamber as the council absorbed his words. Then Elder Miriam, the only woman among them, spoke gently.

“The dream has been repeating.” Aden nodded. “And with each passing night, it becomes clearer?”

“Yes.”

“And the voice always speaks the same word?” His expression darkened. “‘Choose.’”

Miriam lowered her eyes in thought. “Interesting.”

Elder Gideon crossed his arms. “I don’t believe this is just a dream.”

“Neither do I,” another elder chimed in. “The repetition itself is important.” Rowan nodded slowly.

“Our ancestors recorded countless visions in the Sacred Chronicles. They taught that when the Moon Goddess repeats the same vision, it’s because the dreamer hasn't grasped its purpose.” His steady gaze was fixed on Aden. “Whatever this dream means… it’s calling you.”

A thoughtful frown crossed another elder’s face. “But why two women?”

“That's the question,” Miriam replied softly. “They may represent two people or two kingdoms. They might even symbolize two paths your life could take. Until we fully understand the vision, we cannot know.”

Gideon cleared his throat. “There’s another possibility.” The chamber turned to him. “The hidden faces worry me.”

He leaned forward, his expression serious. “If the Moon Goddess intended to reveal their identities now, she would have done so. The fact that their faces are hidden suggests the time has not come.”

Aden frowned. “So… I’m not meant to know who they are?”

“Not yet,” Gideon replied. “But when destiny decides the moment is right, you will.”

Aden sighed quietly. “I’ve tried everything. I’ve run toward them. I’ve called out to them. But every time, I’m forced to stop, trapped between choices.”

A faint smile crossed Rowan’s lips. “Because destiny cannot be chased.”

Aden looked at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

“The greatest blessings in life can’t be forced,” Rowan said gently. “You can’t outrun fate, Alpha. You can only prepare yourself until the day it finally arrives.” His words lingered in the chamber long after he finished speaking.

Then another elder, who had been silent since the meeting began, finally spoke. “There’s one part of the dream that troubles me the most.”

Every eye turned to him. “The voice.”

His expression grew serious. “‘Choose.’” He repeated the word slowly, letting its significance settle in the room. “That is not just a word. It’s a command… one that determines destiny.”

A chill ran through the chamber. Elder Miriam nodded solemnly. “I believe danger is approaching.” She looked from one elder to another. “But I don’t think the danger is meant for the Alpha alone.”

Her voice grew quieter. “It may threaten the entire kingdom.” A heavy tension hung over everyone present.

“If that’s true,” one elder murmured, “then time is already slipping away.”

Aden rose from his seat. “If this dream truly carries a warning, I cannot simply sit here and wait.”

“No,” Rowan replied calmly. “But patience isn’t the same as inaction.” A reassuring smile touched the old elder’s face. “We will search the ancient records. We will study the sacred scrolls preserved in the temple, and together we will seek guidance from the Moon Goddess. If this vision is tied to an ancient prophecy, we will uncover the truth.”

The other elders nodded in agreement. “We begin at once.”

For the first time since the dreams began, Aden felt a small sense of relief. The burden was no longer his alone. Yet deep in his heart, one certainty remained. The dream was just the beginning. Beyond the borders of his kingdom, two young women kept walking toward destinies they could not yet imagine. And with each passing day, the distance between their lives and Alpha Aden’s grew smaller.