Werewolf

I stood in the parking lot, surrounded by quiet faces. Everyone had arrived; the servants had finished loading the bags. Now we waited for the king's arrival, for the departure signal.
My thoughts swirled like leaves in a hesitant wind. Leaving... Did it bring joy or sorrow? I couldn't pin down the feeling. Instead, an empty space seemed to echo inside me, a soft ache pulsing through my heart.
The stillness stretched, broken only by distant murmurs and luggage straps creaking. My eyes drifted, unfocused, caught between staying and going, like a thread pulled taut between two unknowns.
I looked up to see Amelia's arms were tight around her parents, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. The ache in the air was a palpable goodbye's bitter taste lingering like morning mist.
Then she stepped away, her eyes red-rimmed as she walked toward me. Tears clung to her lashes like fragile jewels. "Da

The car left one after the other as Orion watched his gaze clenched like a fist around departing shapes. A pang settled in his chest, heavy as stone. 

He felt his heart ripped out, like part of him was wheeling away with Davina's leaving car. His heart throbbed raw; he curled fingers into his chest, pressing like he could contain the ache.

"If it cuts this deep when she goes, why did you push her away?" A low voice spoke beside Orion, words dropping like quiet stones into dark water.

Orion's jaw tightened. His eyes didn't shift from the now-vanishing cars as if answers might lie in the retreating distance.

Suddenly the voice pressed harder. "Now you're feeling, it hurts too . Does it taste like regret, Orion?"

Orion's eyes narrowed, a warning edge to his voice as he said to his Gemma. "Shut it, Damon."

Damon made a low hum of defiance and didn't back down. "No he will not. He's spe

“Though Davina is Orion destined mate and one of the keys to the prophecy, she will never be Orion mate. And it will weaken the prophecy, it only matters of time for me to rule the Lycan empire” Asher thought and he heard a knock on the door of his chamber, which brought him out of his thoughts “come in” an then the messenger he sent to Ronan walked in.

“Have you given the letter?” Asher asked the messenger. “Yes and he said you should not worry that he already knows she is King Orion mate and they will never be together” the messenger replied.
“Alright, anything else,” Asher asked. “He also said you should start preparing very soon. He will need you to start the plan as he will soon declare war,” the messenger said.

“Okay you can go and make sure no one finds anything wrong, also keep a low profile for now” Asher said to the messenger. The messenger nodded and left. “I should also start preparing for a retreat for myself, I never trust Ronan. I have to act fast” He said leave in the shadows.

Asher thought of the time Ronan messenger approached him at that time he was still thinking of waging a war against the empire and he rule in his city and couldn't help have a flashback about that day.

The moon cast its silvery glow over the city, at a building a lavish sanctuary carved from ancient stone and adorned with intricate carvings and an ominous aura hung in the air. 

The vast halls echoed with whispers of secrets long embedded in its walls. Asher reclined on a designed couch in his chamber, the dim flicker of candlelight casting eerie shadows on his sharp features and raven-black attire. 

He exuded a dangerous allure, his narrowed eyes fixated on the figure who stood before him. The messenger, dressed in simple garb, delivered an important news. 

"My Lord, they have publicly announced the Lycan opening to the world," he stammered, his voice barely above a whisper.

Asher gaze intensified, his voice smooth as silk yet tinged with a menacing curiosity. "You're telling me that our race has made an announcement to the world?" he asked, his words dripping with subtle menace. 

"Yes, sir, and the letter has been delivered," the messenger responded, his voice trembling slightly under the weight of the significant news.

The room was shrouded in darkness, the only light coming from a single flickering candle that cast eerie shadows on the walls. 

Asher's eyes gleamed with anticipation as he replied, "Fascinating," A sly smile curling across his lips, revealing a hint of malice.

"It appears that my meticulous schemes and plan to fight them on the opening celebration is good with the supernatural race there we could eliminate them together, my goals are almost complete.” He continued, his voice dripping with confidence. 

Asher, the leader of the rebels who left the Lycan Empire after the prophecy asked them to seclude themselves, believed they shouldn't have secluded themselves. He thought they should wage a war against the other race, and since a Lycan was going to rule according to the prophecy, they shouldn't wait, they should take action immediately.

He had some minor spies within the Lycan Empire, and through communication with them, he received information that the Lycan were coming out of seclusion and were going to celebrate. 

He started planning with his rebel members, and they sent an ominous letter. They planned to fight with the royal family of the Lycan Empire and become the royal family to rule the Empire.
 
A messenger entered. “Your lordship, there is someone outside. He said he was looking for you” the messenger said.

 “Who is it? And what did he want?” Asher asked.

“I don't know, my Lord. He said he has information that could make your dream come through” The messager said.

 “Allow him in,” Asher said.

“Good Afternoon, Mr. Asher, former gemma of the Lycan race” the person said as he entered. 

Asher fixed his eyes on the figure before him with a guarded expression. “Who are you? And what do you want?” Asher asked.

“I am Gabriel, and there is no need to guard against me. I am sent here by my king to discuss a collaboration with you and make both our plans succeed” Gabriel said.

“And who might this king of yours be, and how did he know his proposal could make my goals succeed?” Asher asked. 

“He is a familiar and known person. My king is Ronan” Gabriel the emissary of Ronan said with a mysterious smile. 

“Which Ronan? Don't tell me it is the same Ronan, the king of the witch race that died centuries ago?”Asher asked.

“Hahaha, yes. He is Ronan, the king of the witches” Gabriel said. 

“My king has been planning since ages and could easily rule the world even without collaborating with you. He has armies, and even if you overthrow the Lycan royal family and wage a war against the other race and win, my king could easily win with you eliminating the enemies. He just has to deal with you to rule, but he wants to join forces with you to make it easier for the both of you” Gabriel said. 

As Asher's eyes locked onto Gabriel's, he nodded slowly. "So, you're proposing an alliance between us?" Asher asked.

"Yes, my king believes that together, we can achieve great things," Gabriel replied, his smile growing wider.

Asher's gaze never wavered. "Even if everything you said is true, what's the proposal you want to discuss? And what's in it for me?" he asked skeptically.

“My king wants you to go to the celebration but not to fight but to surrender” Gabriel said.

 “What? Are you for real? What kind of nonsense are you talking about?” Asher said in disbelief. 

“I’m not done talking. Please let me finish what I’m saying before you interrupt" Gabriel said. “Okay, continue,” Asher replied. 

“You will go and surrender in front of the guest, swear an oath that you will never betray them again and have truly realized your mistake. Do everything to make them believe you have truly changed, since you have never done any bad things to your race except that you don't stay secluded and left” Gabriel said.

 “And what's next after that, and what makes you think I will do as you said?” Asher asked. 

“Well, I’m not forcing you, but you’ll do it because it will benefit you more” Gabriel said. “After you surrender and they're accepting you back, you'll let them see you change, start gaining their trust, and you'll give us information” Gabriel informed him.

“How do I believe you? Your king will have the power, armies, while I’ll only have nothing. And what guarantees do I have that your king will keep his word?” Asher said.

Gabriel leaned forward slightly, his voice taking on a persuasive tone. "Asher, my king has given his word that after the war, we won't touch the Lycan race. We'll help you eliminate the royal family, and together, we'll rule the world. You won't be left with nothing. You'll have power, influence, and the gratitude of my king. We're not asking you to do this without safeguards. You'll be gaining trust among the Lycans, feeding us information to cause rifts between them and other races. We'll handle the heavy lifting of the war, the manpower, and logistics. You focus on the intelligence work, and we'll make sure you benefit from this alliance."

Gabriel paused, his eyes locked on Asher. "My king is a man of his word. He values strategic partnerships like this one. You'll achieve your goal of overthrowing the Lycan royals, and we'll achieve ours of ruling the supernatural world. What do you think?"

Asher's eyes never left Gabriel's, his mind racing with possibilities. He knew that he had to be careful, that he couldn't trust anyone too easily. But the prospect of power and control was too great to resist. 

He had always been driven by a desire for power and control, and the prospect of an alliance with the witches was tantalizing. “Okay. I accept” Asher said finally, his voice firm.

Gabriel's smile grew wider, his eyes gleaming with triumph. "Excellent. My king will be pleased. And Goodbye"

 As Gabriel turned to leave, Asher's eyes never left his back. He knew that he had just made a deal with a devil, and he wasn't sure if he would come out on top.

But he was willing to take the risk.

As Gabriel left the chamber, he couldn't help but feel a sense of unease. He knew that Asher was a wild card, unpredictable and volatile. But he also knew that he was necessary to their plan.

"My king will be pleased with this alliance," Gabriel said to himself, his voice barely above a whisper. 

When Gabriel left the building, a man entered the chamber. Alex, Asher's trusted advisor, had a look of concern etched on his face. 

"My lord, I heard everything you discussed with the person called Gabriel," Alex said.
 
Asher raised an eyebrow, intrigued by Alex's tone. "And so, what did you want to say, Alex?" he asked.

Alex hesitated, choosing his words carefully. "My Lord, I want you to be careful. Ronan seems to be a man not to be trifled with. I think he is ruthless and cunning, and he'll stop at nothing to achieve his goals. Perhaps you shouldn't have accepted the alliance."

“Are you questioning my decision, Alex?” Asher asked.

“No, I just want you to be cautious,” Alex replied. Ronan isn’t a good person to trust. If we’re not careful, we'll be used as pawns in his game”

Asher's expression remained calm, but a flicker of interest danced in his eyes. "I'm aware of the risks, Alex. But I have a plan."

Alex's eyes narrowed. "A plan, my lord? What kind of plan?"

Asher smiled, a cold, calculating smile. The outcome is uncertain, and it’s unclear who will be the pawn. We’ll also build our armies in secret, and seek alliances with others. We don't trust each other, and Ronan may think he's using me, but I'll be the one pulling the strings in the end. We're just using each other. Do you understand now” Asher said.

Alex nodded, a look of understanding dawning on his face. "I see, my lord. Yes, I'll make sure everything goes as planned."

Since then Asher also start his plan and work with Ronan but did not fully trust him they where just using one another.

I stood in the parking lot, surrounded by quiet faces. Everyone had arrived; the servants had finished loading the bags. Now we waited for the king's arrival, for the departure signal.
My thoughts swirled like leaves in a hesitant wind. Leaving... Did it bring joy or sorrow? I couldn't pin down the feeling. Instead, an empty space seemed to echo inside me, a soft ache pulsing through my heart.
The stillness stretched, broken only by distant murmurs and luggage straps creaking. My eyes drifted, unfocused, caught between staying and going, like a thread pulled taut between two unknowns.
I looked up to see Amelia's arms were tight around her parents, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs. The ache in the air was a palpable goodbye's bitter taste lingering like morning mist.
Then she stepped away, her eyes red-rimmed as she walked toward me. Tears clung to her lashes like fragile jewels. "Davina, I don't know how I'll do this without you here," she whispered, her voice cracking.
I felt a l

Leaving: A Soul Left Behind