Possessed By The Alphas

3-The Other Dimension

The moonlight shone brightly in the vast sky, which was adorned with stars that sparkled like diamonds. The cool breeze caressed every living creature that night. Nothing could be heard but crickets chirping, which sounded like a lovely song to the ear. Furthermore, fireflies flew freely and hugged each petal and leaf that swayed in the wind. Because of its magical beauty, the entire place seemed enchanted.

Slow footsteps could be heard from a few distances. Seven-year-old Relina sobbed as she whispered her parents' names. Her feet seemed to have no direction. She continued walking until she found herself in front of a very large tree.

The beads of tears that were flowing from her eyes subsided gradually. She gently wiped them away and then examined the tree's entire form, from bottom to top. She had never seen a tree so large, nearly as tall as a three-story mansion, in her entire life. Its massive roots have almost reached the surface of the ground. Numerous vines wrapped around its body and reached the ends of its branches. Its leaves were barely visible due to the fireflies that encircled it like thick clouds.

Relina suddenly remembered her grandfather telling her that the trees surrounded by many fireflies were the home of fairies and other creatures that our eyes couldn't see. However, instead of being terrified, her eyes were filled with wonder. She had the impression that there was something in this tree that suddenly dispelled her fear and replaced it with security.

She felt relieved in some way because, after several hours of walking, she finally found a place to rest. Her legs were trembling from exhaustion and numbness. She walked slowly towards the tree, but a strong wind blew before she could get close. She was fortunate that she was quick to grab one of the protruding roots, or she would have been blown away by the wind.

Relina slowly straightened her spine. She had a small scratch on the right side of the upper portion of her eyebrow from a sharp branch, but she just pushed through the pain and got back on her feet when the tree was suddenly engulfed in penetrating light.

The light was so intense that Relina struggled to open her eyes. She soon heard large footsteps approaching from the light in her direction. She tried but was unable to open her eyes. The light gradually faded after a few minutes.

Relina slowly opened her eyes, she was confronted with a strange creature she had never seen before. He had a substantial build. His hair was white and hip-length. His ears resemble those of a dog. He was dressed in a red kimono that complemented his porcelain skin. His eyes were as blue as the deep blue sea, gleaming in the moonlight.

Slowly, the demon wolf took a step in her direction. His feet were bare, but he was unconcerned about the massive roots he was trampling. His gaze was fixed on her. She appeared to be a statue due to her shock at the time.

The demon wolf bowed his body slightly as soon as he reached Relina. He then grabbed her hair, which was slightly protruding at the side of her ear, and brought it up close to his nose as if sniffing it. From the moment he saw her, he knew she was a human. Only now after fifty years had he smelled a mortal; with fragrance, reviving the blood of a demon. It was as if she was enticing him to try some of her blood.

"What is a human being like you doing in this place? Don't you know that entering this territory is forbidden? Be thankful that you are not overwhelmed by the creatures roaming in the middle of the woods." The demon wolf smirked and released Relina's hair.

"Those creatures love mortals because their blood and flesh are so fresh and tasty," he added as he looked at Relina's red, swollen eyes.

"Go back to where you came from before they could smell you," the demon wolf said as he straightened his stance and turned his back, but Relina spoke up before he could take a step.

"C-can you please help me find my way home? I'm lost in the woods and my mom and dad have been worried about me for a long time," Relina stated, holding her chest.

"You don't know how you got in here? Are you kidding?" the demon wolf exclaimed as he abruptly came to a halt.

Relina suddenly became speechless. She didn't know how to explain everything that had happened to her. All she remembered was she found herself in the middle of the woods when she opened her eyes. She tried to call for help several times, but no one heard her except the insects and other animals present at the time. Fortunately, there were no stray wild animals nearby, or she might have died by now.

"Believe me, mister. Please, I beg you. Please help me find my way home," Relina said begging, tears welling up in her eyes.

The demon wolf faced Relina again, and his expression abruptly changed. He took another step in her direction without saying anything. As soon as he got close to her, he gave her a sharp look and slowly raised his right hand to her level. He then tilted his head in the right direction.

"Aren't you afraid of someone like me, kid?" the demon wolf asked, his nails suddenly grew longer. His blue eyes turned blood-red. His entire appearance was gradually changing, but instead of being terrified by what she was seeing, Relina suddenly embraced him.

"Please don't hurt me; I'll do whatever you want as long as you return me to my parents," Relina pleaded as she hugged the demon wolf.

Something seemed to be playing in the demon wolf's mind after hearing what Relina said. It was so pleasant to hear every word she said, and it made his blood race even faster.

"Are you sure, kid, that you want to deal with someone like me? I want to remind you that in exchange for promising to take you back to your parents, I'm not going to ask you for anything lightly; are you ready to do anything I ask?" Relina took her body away and lifted her face to look at him.

"Yes, mister," Relina said, "I'm ready."

Relina awoke from a dream coldly sweating. She dreamed of that creature again. She stroked the right side of her neck. She couldn't figure out why, every time she dreamed of him, her neck ached, as if something had bitten her, causing so much pain and weakness throughout her body.

She then discovered herself in front of a very huge tree. Nobody could help but be in awe at its height and size when taking in its entire shape, but she was the complete opposite because instead of being in awe, the fear in her chest grew stronger.

Relina compelled herself to stand up despite the fear that gripped her entire body. She held onto her chest as she studied the tree's overall shape in front of her. She could not be mistaken—that tree was where she had encountered the demon wolf in her dream.

She slowly shifted in her direction. Her eyes grew wide at what she saw. The location in her dream even included the entire environment in front of her. Every gust of wind was accompanied by the enormous trees and their luxuriant foliage. The vast meadow looked like a tropical paradise because it was covered in stunning, vibrant flowers. Even the snow-white clouds surrounded the vast, blue sky.

Relina's dream contained everything her eyes saw and reached. It would have been nice to look at the inherent beauty of the entire environment, but it couldn't take away her extreme fear and apprehension for her safety. Safely and quietly observed everything she saw, but behind its natural beauty lurked a slew of creatures ready to attack her at any moment.

She wished to believe that everything that was happening to her was a bad dream, but why did she feel this way? Why did her chest feel so tight with fear and anxiety?

The absence of the creature would have allowed Relina to leave, but she didn't know how or what she would do to leave this place even if they had already split up before they arrived.

Since Relina was an ordinary person, in contrast to the elements that inhabited the location, she was certain that she was in a different area of the dimension and will have a difficult time becoming trapped there. She had to put her security in God's hands until she could figure out how to escape this situation because if she made even one mistake, it would be the end of her life.

"It was good that you enjoyed looking around; isn't it wonderful to look at everything you see? You will see and achieve even more than that, Relina because from now on, you will be here to live in this place with me."

Relina was taken aback. Her entire body trembled even more when she heard the voice from behind her. She assumed the demon wolf went to another dimension, but she was mistaken. The faintest hope that she would be able to flee that place vanished like dust in the wind.

"Why are you suddenly stunned? Are you still afraid of me? Shouldn't you

be thankful that you're still alive? If I planned to hurt you, I should have done it earlier," the demon wolf said as he walked in Relina's direction, but Relina bravely snatched the necklace from her pocket before he could get close.

Relina's hand trembled as she faced the demon wolf with the necklace in her hand. She had no choice but to believe in whatever power and ability this necklace possessed.

She was convinced that this necklace would aid her in her fight against the demon wolf. She knew it would be difficult for her to overcome it because she lacked much of its power, but she would try to defend herself. She would do everything in her power, even if it meant losing her life.

"Don't ever make the mistake of coming near me because I will make sure that you will never succeed in what you are planning against me. If you think I am afraid of someone like you, you are mistaken. Go on, try to come near me so you would know what I mean!" boldly said Relina to the demon wolf, but despite the courage she had drawn from her chest, her face and the trembling of her whole body could not hide the intense fear she felt.

The demon wolf came to a halt once he noticed the necklace Relina was holding. As soon as he saw it, he immediately displayed shock on his face. He couldn't possibly be mistaken; it was the necklace made of the sacred and potent stone of the Irudes, which was made specifically to provide resistance to various kinds of creatures.

There was only one person the demon wolf knew who owned the necklace, which had been handed down through the generations for a very long time. He stopped wondering about the reason why he and Relina had parted ways before they arrived at the location because it was due to its power. Why could he easily touch her if she already had this stone from earlier? Did it mean it was no longer able to adequately protect her due to its diminished strength?

"Do you think I'll be scared of that thing?" the demon wolf smirked. "If you think that will save you against me and all the creatures that have roamed this place, you are mistaken because its power is not enough to protect you."

"Do you know that behind every tree you see in the woods are the creatures you will never want to meet on your way? It only means that from the beginning before you came here, that thing was useless because it didn't protect you. So if I were you, it would be better for you to just bury your plan to flee this place in oblivion," the demon wolf added.

Relina started crying after hearing everything the demon wolf had told her.

"That's not true! You're a liar! You just want me to see if I can use this necklace against you!" Relina yelled as she tightened her hold on the necklace.

Everything the demon wolf told Relina was false, in Relina's opinion. If the necklace couldn't shield her, her grandfather would never have given it to her. Her grandpa wasn't lying. It was true what he said about the power and abilities this necklace possessed. Most importantly, his grandfather loved her dearly and would never allow her to be in danger.

Yet why?

Why was Relina experiencing this? Why did she think everything this creature said to her was true? Why did it allow this creature to take her to this dimension if the necklace she was holding had strength and power? Although she didn't want to, this was what the situation wanted to convey to her in terms of what was going on. What if it was true that it was powerless? What would she do next?