The Wolf Girl's Secret Box

Early morning in Xiba Town. Sunlight spilled across the windowsill, filling the room with the scent of buttered pancakes, while deafening rock music blared from the next room. Adeline Kane rolled over twice in bed before finally losing her temper. The poor alarm clock was hurled against the door, crashing to the floor and splitting in two. "Alec Kane! Turn off that stereo or I’ll toss it in the trash!" The rock music lowered, and that little pest Alec started tattling again, his voice carrying clearly: “Mom, look! Edren threatened me again!” “Quiet, kids. Come down for breakfast. Your bus will be here soon.” In the open kitchen, Mom Catherine poured pancakes into bowls and ladled milk over them. Dad Fermison, wearing black-rimmed glasses, skimmed the morning paper. Upstairs, the boys were fighting over the bathroom again, their clattering echoing through the house. “Dad, shouldn’t we just install another toilet? I don’t want to end up on the community front page with headlines like ‘Brothers Fight Over Toilet, Questioned by Police.’” “Don’t worry, Mom.” Fermison looked up from the paper, pushing his glasses higher. “Middle school boys are always like that. I used to do the same when I was young.” “Did you fight your roommate over the toilet?” Catherine asked, wide-eyed. “Not exactly.” Fermison set the paper aside and leaned in for a kiss. “Just saying, even the most successful men have childish childhoods.” Catherine laughed and kissed him back. “Oh Mom and Dad, I’m still a minor! Can you show a little consideration? I’m only in eighth grade.” Alec came downstairs first and walked in on the scene. Clearly, his younger brother had won today’s bathroom battle. The teasing didn’t put a dent in the couple’s morning affection. Alec just shrugged, as if used to it, grabbed a pancake, and started eating. A cheerful alarm sounded outside—the brothers’ school bus had arrived. “Edren, hurry up! The bus is here!” Catherine called to her eldest son. “I’m ready!” Edren shouted from upstairs. Moments later, he grabbed his jacket and backpack, burst out of his room, and slid down the banister to the first floor. “Watch yourself, you little rascal!” Catherine shrieked. “Take your breakfast!” Edren circled back to the table amid his mother’s soprano, freeing one hand to grab a cream pancake. All the while, he protested, “I still prefer strawberry flavor.” “Be careful on your way,” Catherine said. “See you tonight!” Edren waved his breakfast as he stepped out to the bus. On the school bus, Alec claimed the back window seat, headphones on, pretending not to know his older brother. The bus doors closed. Alec glanced around. Several girls, each with an empty seat beside them, stared at Edren with wide, sparkling eyes, as if saying, “Hey, Edren, sit with me! Sit with me!” Heartthrob, Edren Kane. Edren lifted one corner of his mouth in a charming smile. With his free hand, he straightened his rumpled collar and swept his fringe back from his forehead. With mock elegance, he approached the closest girl. “May I sit here?” The girl was instantly overjoyed, her freckles dancing on her nose. “Of course! It would be my pleasure.” Edren shot a smug look at Alec’s feigned indifference before sitting beside the freckled girl. Alec stared out the window, but he was acutely aware of every move in the bus. He saw where Edren sat, and shock and disbelief swept across his face—the girl next to Edren had fair skin, large aqua-blue eyes, and long blond hair tied in playful braids. Freckles dotted her nose, making her even cuter. This was Alec’s secret crush. Adeline approved of Alec’s taste. But since Alec had picked a fight first thing that morning, Adeline decided to teach his little brother a lesson. Instead of napping on the bus like usual, he chatted with the girl the whole ride. When they got off the bus, Adeline glanced at Alec. His face had gone green. Her mood immediately lifted. The Kane brothers attended Xiba Middle School. Older brother Edren was in ninth grade, younger brother Alec in eighth. In another year, these sworn rivals would end up in the same upper grades. The thought alone made Alec dread the future. Edren was Xiba Middle School’s heartthrob. Yes, the heartthrob. From sixth-grade little sisters to eleventh-grade big sisters, they were all his fans. The girls who secretly admired him could link arms and circle the campus three times. The school even approved an official “Edren Fan Club.” There were even a few female teachers in the club—it was insane! What was so great about Edren, anyway? He was self-important, petty, and always pretending to be a gentleman. They should see his real self. Alec gritted his teeth as the crowd swept him into the classroom building. He absolutely wasn’t taking petty revenge or badmouthing his crush just because she liked his older brother. Really, he swore. Adeline had no time for his brother’s grumbling. The moment he entered the classroom, girls flocked to him. With his birthday just two days away, they were preparing gifts early. Since last week, his desk had been piled with presents of all shapes and sizes. The girls always found excuses to linger by his seat. Adeline answered their questions politely while waiting for the day’s first teacher to come to his rescue. “Aedren, can I come to your birthday party?” “Of course.” “Aedren, what about me?” “Everyone’s welcome anytime.” He brushed off their enthusiasm, his gaze drifting to the empty desk diagonally behind him. Its owner hadn’t arrived yet. What will he give me this time? he wondered. But the owner never showed up all day. “Can anyone recap what we covered last class? If no one volunteers, I’ll call roll.” The history teacher’s voice rang out. She was an elderly woman with thick reading glasses and graying hair. It was a wonder the school hadn’t retired her yet, but she still taught history to the entire ninth grade. Oddly enough, her classes always had the highest attendance. Unfortunately, someone was missing today. She flipped through the roster, searching for a familiar name. “Oli...vit? Olivette? Who is Olivette?” “Ms. Camella, Olivette hasn’t been here at all today,” the boy sitting beside the empty desk volunteered. “Do you know what he’s up to?” the old lady asked. “Probably off saving the world, like Peter Parker,” the boy shrugged. The class burst out laughing. “Young people these days, always so restless,” Grandma Camella sighed, opening her history book. “Now, let’s talk about our nation’s architectural history…” Edren chewed his pencil, propping his head in his hand. His silver-gray bangs fell over his eyes as he cast a casual glance at the empty desk behind him to the right. The girl beside him caught his eye, her own widening instantly. She raised her hand to her chest and waved at him shyly. Edren offered a quick, awkward smile before looking away. Thursday afternoons were reserved for club activities at school. Since term began, Edren had received invitations from over a dozen clubs—dance, badminton, basketball, swimming, even the gender education club. He wasn’t interested in any of them, politely declining every time. The girls, however, weren’t so easily dissuaded—especially since they knew Edren’s soccer team didn’t have practice that day. To avoid the mobs, Edren decided to slip home early. During the day, the Kane parents were both at work, leaving the house silent. Edren wandered around, finding the place empty. He tossed his backpack onto the sofa, opened the fridge, and gulped down several mouthfuls of ice water. Then he noticed a large delivery box on the dining table. Picking up the note beside it, he recognized Catherine’s handwriting: Adeline & Alec: Your great-aunt has passed away. Her will states that the contents of this package are to be given to the eldest son of the Kane family. So, Adeline, this package is now yours. Love, Mom. “Great-aunt?” Edren shook the note, then tossed it aside. He racked his brain but couldn’t recall a single memory of this relative. For as long as he could remember, their family had few relatives. Every Christmas, it was just the four of them, and visitors were rare. Edren’s attention shifted to the delivery box. He picked it up and gave it a shake—it felt light. He pressed his ear to it but didn’t hear a sound. Hesitantly, he tore off the wrapping. Inside was another box—a beautiful, deep red wooden box, intricately carved and without a lock. It wasn’t large, maybe the size of a dictionary. A wave of familiarity made Edren pause and examine it more closely. But when he lifted the lid, it held only a small note. Just an ordinary box, as plain as could be. The note read: This is a magical box. Try putting something inside? Edren turned it over in his hands, feeling a pang of disappointment. No puzzle mechanism, no hidden compartment, nothing magical at all. The empty box and its note together felt like a poorly executed joke. Maybe it was an antique, but Edren knew nothing about art. He tossed the wrapping aside, cradled the box in one hand, and headed upstairs to his room. He didn’t waste a second wondering what to do with it—he simply shoved it under the bed.