~Aurora~

　　Dreams...dreams...dreams...

　　They're a dreadful nightmare to me after what just happened. After the cars have arrived for various reasons - if I remember correctly, one was for my medical escorting, one for investigation team and their equipment and the other two for security and other transportation. I was sent back to the palace almost immediately. While traveling back, however, my mind was completely aware of the surroundings. But it was my body that refused to move.

　　"Hey, it's alright. Oh Goddess, your heart is beating so fast. She's experiencing shock, isn't it?"

　　"I'm afraid so, healer. She doesn't have a wolf either. Such a rare case. You're strong, Aurora Fangborn. You...you will be fine. Just stay with us." A younger woman spoke before the older woman assured me. Both were healers, in their uniforms mimicking human doctors and nurses. The van was not as turbulent as I thought it would be. Perhaps, because of the specially engineered vehicle serving it's purpose.

　　Huh...?

　　My thoughts have never been this dissociated.

　　I feel very weak...

　　"I think it's about time we give her a dart."

　　Dart? Is that a name for a tranquilizer? An anaesthetic?

　　I winced only slightly when they slowly injected me with the capillary. Other than that, I felt nothing. I kept staring into the woman's eyes blankly.

　　No...I don't want to fall asleep again.

　　I don't want to repeat these cycles, dammit!

　　Fear is the mind-killer.

　　And that's exactly what's happening with me.

　　'Fall asleep...'

　　A gasp was heard around me. It was my own voice! The gasp, that is.

　　The voice which told me to fall asleep...why did it sound so familiar? No, it wasn't my parents. It wasn't anyone I frequently interacted with. I know I'm not imagining it by myself.

　　Well...

　　The moment I felt like ripping my eyes open, I saw nothing but sheer, glowing white. It blinded me. I felt like crying in distress.

　　But...

　　"Oh Goddess, she's awake, Den." My eyes widened even more.

　　As my vision settled in, I started breathing rapidly. I looked around, looked down at myself. I touched my face, too.

　　"Where...where am I?" I asked, a childish voice coming out of me. This felt exactly like those dreams. Those forced hallucinations!

　　"What is that question, pumpkin?" A smiley man sat to the other side of my lap. My child body was in the bed. Mom on the other side, dad attempting to pinch my cheeks.

　　"No, I...I'm not from here."

　　"Sure you aren't." Dad chuckled, mom following his taunt at me.

　　"You're in our room. You...fell unconscious, sweetheart. How do you feel now? Any dizziness? Head feeling funny?" He talked to me as if he would talk to a baby. I shook my head as a no to him.

　　"Okay, that's good to hear." After that, they left to tend to their other duties. Mom was dressing up for an event. I do remember this dress. Suddenly, it strikes to me that I was in a familiar dress as well. What time of the day was it?

　　It was almost too quiet and eerie around me. It must be way past my bed time. Almost...midnight.

　　There is a slight awkwardness between my mom and dad. They refused to meet each other's eyes as they changed their dress discreetly behind the dressing doors. I blinked. I couldn't comprehend, not recollect this scene.

　　What happened?

　　What must have happened with me?

　　All of a sudden, I fell back asleep again. The soft thud of my little body falling on the mattress was the last thing I heard before falling asleep...in my sleep state. Once again.

　　Oh Goddess...

　　I'm starting to hate to wake up. I want to perish in my sleep at this moment.

　　An annoyed scoff escaped my chest as I attempted to sit back up. However, it was just an attempt.

　　My eyes widened when I realized something was holding me back.

　　I was...in a cave!

　　It was a cave that looked inhabited by someone I don't wish to think is keeping me company at the moment. My deep breaths resonated around the mushy walls of the humid cave. My little girl body shook against the restraint. Alas, I was too little to free myself from these...wines bound around my wrists to stones far away from each other.

　　"Hello...?"

　　Wait...

　　This isn't from my known memory.

　　I don't have recollection of this. At all!

　　My panic had risen when I heard a groggy old female voice from the depths of the cave! It was...it was an old witch!

　　The witch who was famous for being so discreet but having rumors that she inhabited a cave not too far from our Darkforest pack territory. She's powerful, everyone wanted to take a wish from her, after sacrificing their most beloved possession to her. And naturally...The cave had many decorations of skulls and bones hanging around. Even tufts of hair balled up horrifically which made me want to throw up!

　　I hope I am imagining this, and it's not from my memory!

　　Apparently, I must have been so scared that I escaped this vision...or...imagination, only to be dropped into the next one! It's as if I was a player in a game system! This is getting very annoying!

　　"Oh my fucking..." I couldn't curse. I realized...I was still in my little body. What the hell?

　　As I opened my eyes, it felt surreal.

　　The forest...deep within, it resembled the outer rings of dark woods. The infamous Whispering Pines woods...

　　"Mother...?" I attempted to use my child self to call out for my mother. Instead, my dad's voice echoed.

　　"Come here, pumpkin. We are here." As a child, it would be slightly difficult to follow the voice. But since my conscious was now of an adult, I could easily track...

　　No...wait.

　　Why is this happening again?

　　Suddenly, I saw my child version leave out of my body. It was the most weird sensation ever! As she walked out, I realized...it was a memory.

　　I wasn't imagining.

　　Not this time.

　　Because the voice...it was guiding me.

　　"Follow your inner child, Aurora Fangborn..." it was like a whisper. It was like a hiss. Shuddering just once, I followed. There, as I entered the thickly planted shrubs covering a house sized circle grassland between these tall trees, I saw all three of us. Dad kissed my cheeks and told me to look at something.

　　It was the hollow of a tree.

　　"Look here, Aurora. Three trees behind, one to it's left. There will be a mysterious energy there. It's an indication that you're close to it."

　　"What is 'it', dad?"

　　"The curse of our pack, my love.Our secret artifact."