~Aurora~

　　After talking with Prince Emeric, I needed some time off the confines of these kingdom walls. And so, I was tempted to walk down the path that made me exit the palace. The path all the way down to the entry-exit gates of this Kingdom was a nerve wreck.

　　Even at these late hours, the people of the kingdom were lively and having a nightlife. It reminded me of my own pack, where people were often outside their pack houses and celebrating each day like there was no tomorrow.

　　Hiding my face with a hoodie and a mask, I walked down the two kilometer pathway which led me towards the palace gates. I sighed, I've reached within fifteen minutes or so.

　　"I'm a contestant." Revealing my face to the guard, he nods after identifying me with my profile, and gives me a ticket.

　　"It is valid till 2pm today. It's midnight now." He instructed in a stern voice. I nodded just once, getting his instruction. I have around fourteen hours of ticket today. Is it because I am a contestant who passed today's trial? It feels like a leeway for me to explore the dark woods even more tonight~

　　Or...meet the mysterious, pure colored wolf again.

　　He was such a cute wolf...his ears and snout were so pink, I had to resist myself from calling him with weird nicknames and much less, pet him!

　　I walked as slow as possible, taking a whole different route than the man I've seen before me. It took me a while to completely disappear into the dark woods, since I was walking so slow and loitering around more.

　　After an hour or so, my patience to walk slowly had ran out. I laughed at myself for having such low patience. But it's fine, I'm still a young woman who just turned eighteen!

　　"Woo-hoo!" As the realization dawned on me, I sprinted deep into the woods! Running over branches and hanging by them, jumping into weird tree shapes while almost tripping myself an infinite amount of times, I reached a familiar location. The smell is something wet.

　　I realized I reached the pond again.

　　My eyes widened, and a small gasp escaped my chest!

　　There was the magnificent white wolf man again! If he looked any mighty and elegant the other day, today he looked absolutely ethereal. He sat under a specific place which reflected the moonlight right on top of his fluffy furry body. I was mesmerized. Even that is an understatement.

　　"Hey!" I stepped closer, so the wolf could see me.

　　"Oi! How have you been!? Do you remember me!?" I asked like an innocent child. My body was hanging off a tree branch by the side of the pond. One wrong step, I might fall into the pond whose depth isn't known to me! And yes, I cannot swim.

　　I have to learn how to swim.

　　The wolf seemed nonchalant about my appearance. I wondered why he gave me such a gaze. Nonetheless, it did not deter me as I walked around the necklace of the pond and reached him.

　　I jumped in front of his vision like a monkey, "Hi!"

　　The wolf doesn't seem to respond to my excitement that well.

　　"How have you been?" I repeated my question, hands on my hips. The wolf male exhaled sharply, trying to communicate with me. He turned his head away, and I felt the corners of my lips dip down.

　　"Hey, I wanna talk to you..." I spoke in a small voice.

　　"Look, I know you might be a contestant because the kingdom people do not wander around at this time. Of course, the traders are different altogether. But, hey! You don't have to reveal yourself to me! I don't want to pry into your details, I'm not that kind of a person. But...I'm just starting to see the world, you know what I mean?" As I spoke the last sentence, he slowly turned his big white wolf head towards me.

　　"I want someone to talk to. You might think I might have good friends here but...you know my situation. No one truly wants to befriend me because of my past and how I was back then." I looked down at my feet, confessing to an absolute stranger.

　　"It's so lonely around here. Every time I walk around the corridors, I hear contestants hanging out in their rooms, they are so happy in each other's company. Meanwhile I...I just stay inside my room, cooped up all day and don't walk out unless it's supper or training. Well, even the reason for walking out of my room for food is rare. The lunch lady is so mad at me for wasting her specialized meals, haha!"

　　I sat down on the murky floor. I didn't give a damn, because this wolf's company was all I needed at the moment. Just...someone to listen to me.

　　I didn't realize I was going on and on about my day's prior, my future goals and my origins to this stranger wolf. In the middle of our one-sided conversation, the wolf slowly put his chin down to the neat surface. His snout was so close to my knee, I felt conscious and anxious, if I ever kicked his snout by accident.

　　"So! Wanna go for a jog around the woods? Or perhaps...touch the outer circle with me?" I proposed, jumping up to my feet.

　　'Huff,'

　　"Aww! Don't discourage someone who kept you company for so long! Please?" I crouched down to his face, and he huffed with his nose again. I swear I could see him roll his eyes, but I was getting my request accepted anyway!

　　"Oh, well. I have something for you. I forgot I had this on me. Today's trials have exhausted and hurt a few of us, right? Here." Whipping out a small bottle of healing potion, which was given to only a selected few. I couldn't help but share it with the wolf, thinking at least this could encourage him to take the run around the woods with me.

　　"You'll take half?" The wolf stood up, his height coming up to mine. He nodded, bending his neck and nudging my arm holding the potion.

　　"Okay, okay! Here you go." Pouring some of it on my palm, I held it to his face. His tongue was so soft, it made me giggle because of the tickles! The white wolf male bows his head down, his snout almost touching my foot. I gasped loudly,

　　"In wolf language, does this mean you accept me as your friend!? I’m honored!"

　　Well, I think I've made a new friend today. Finally...I’ve made a good impression on someone, someone I don’t know on a personal level yet.