The journey from Ashwood began under a sky choked with storm clouds, mirroring the turmoil in Elias's heart. Each step away from his ancestral home felt like a severing, a breaking of ties with everything he knew and held sacred. He glanced back at Eva, her face pale but resolute, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. He knew this journey was as much about her destiny as it was about escaping the clutches of the Council.

"How far is it?" Eva asked, her breath misting in the cold night air. She had been quiet for most of the journey, allowing Elias to focus on navigating the treacherous forest trails. The physical ordeal was exhausting for one who recently obtained such powers and endured so much pain.

"Too far to walk in a night," Elias replied, his voice grim. "We need to reach the borderlands before dawn. After that, it gets even more dangerous. "

"Dangerous how?" The words could not help but come out of here. She expected the response, which was that they were running, fleeing to new lands that humans did not exist. But where would they go?

Elias hesitated, his gaze darting around as if the trees themselves had ears. They were not even a full day from when Samuel's had revealed what his mission would be, it was getting concerning. Were there even dangers that Elias and Eva did not anticipate and were not even aware of? And what was it that could get them so afraid?

"There are legends," he began, his voice low, "of the Wild Hunt. Spirits who ride the wind, hunting for souls. They say their howls can drive a man mad and their arrows..." He trailed off. He knew to warn Eva of the coming dangers so she could best prepare. Powers were great and all, but it only did so much.

Eva said nothing but looked more determined to continue and endure, only nodding back she continued.

They pressed on, their pace relentless. The forest grew darker, the trees gnarled and twisted, their branches reaching out like skeletal fingers. The air grew heavy with an unnatural chill, and the silence was broken only by the rustling of leaves and the distant howl of a wolf. The landscape was not what they were used to.

As the hours passed, Eva grew increasingly weary, her steps faltering. Elias noticed her weariness and gently said "Eva, you can rest here, sleep, I will do watch and warn if needed".

Eva knew she was reaching her limit. She had pushed herself beyond her limit due to needing to understand the world better. It was for herself, and to also protect the one who was traveling with her. Now those intentions were not strong enough to hide her body needing sleep. Nodding now she understood, "Thank you Elias. And I hope I make myself well for you and for us."

What was not said, was easily read "Trust me for now. And I will carry you".

With those final words whispered, both dozed off to start their rest. The plan of the night was to protect Elias, and do her best so that when she could go next, she was not going to be as much a burden as she was now. As she was about to doze off, Eva could not resist and grasped Elias's hand, feeling safe.

Rest flew as the sun appeared between the leaves. Elias woke up with vigilance, alert and ready to endure. He softly shook Eva and said "I wish we could rest more, but dangers will catch up, we need to move".

They moved and continued with their steps to head and be aware that whatever was coming and to where they even wanted to head existed, something was also hunting for their own destruction, or even just to stop and capture Eva.

By midday, they reached the borderlands. It was a desolate place, a wasteland of jagged rocks and stunted trees. The wind howled relentlessly, carrying with it the scent of dust and decay. Black clouds swirled overhead, blotting out the sun, casting the land in perpetual shadow. There was something different, something scary about the land.

"It's close," Elias said, his voice barely audible above the wind. "We need to find shelter."

They pressed on, their spirits flagging, their bodies aching. They came across a cave, a shallow opening in a rocky hillside, offering some respite from the wind.

"This will have to do," Elias said, his voice resigned. "It isn't much, but it's better than nothing."

As they entered the cave, they realized it was occupied. Huddled in the back, their eyes glowing in the dim light, were a group of creatures unlike any Eva what have seen, smaller than a human but bigger than a dog, hairy and looking almost possessed.

Elias drew his knife, his senses on high alert. These were not ordinary wolves, or even werewolves. They were something else. And by smell, Elias knew that he was familiar, since he had also done what they were doing.

"Rogues," Elias hissed, his voice filled with loathing. "The dregs of werewolf society. Outcasts who follow no laws, respect no boundaries. They are dangerous, Eva avoid them."

The rogues snarled, their lips peeling back to reveal sharp, yellowed teeth. They moved with a slavering hunger, their eyes fixed on Eva. These animals were not interested in any negotiations. Not one bit.

"They want you," Elias said, his voice grim.

The rogues lunged and surrounded Eva. Elias moved into action moving fast, a whirlwind of steel and fury. He was a formidable warrior, his movements honed by years of training and battle experience. But the rogues were many, and they attacked with a ferocity that bordered on madness. It felt like they knew of that power, they were coming for power that should not be obtained by normal animals.

"I do not want her power," Said the middle and strongest wolf "I want to control her."

Elias was skilled and had the power of the wolf, but nothing could endure against numbers. How could he escape and protect Eva?

Eva saw her chance to help and stop the violence, she would use her newfound skills. It was time. Eva focused, and using her imagination to lift not only all the pebbles inside the room, but create an unbreakable bubble. Every pebble that left the earth suddenly hit the wolfs to make them all fall on separate locations to cause a little amount of time for their escape. But she was still at the beginning of her training, and so she collapsed once again.

It was enough of a time to help, Elias acted fast with the pebbles that were lifted and also targeted them to go to the wolves.

With a brutal efficiency, Elias launched and secured them, using this time to leave the cave with as much speed as possible. As they ran Elias yelled out "Eva! Please protect yourself! This is where you need to take me and I will return the favor"

It was time.

As the battle continued, one of the rogues lunged at Eva, his claws extended. Elias intercepted, knocking the rogue to the ground, but another rogue seized the opportunity, biting down on Elias's leg. Elias cried out in pain, his movements faltering. This was not going as planned.

That moment struck the heart that Eva protected; she had to do something because she was at fault for everything that was happening. Was she really going to be at fault for someone dying? And what would even dying cause?

Without warnings, her eyes glowed in a neon blue; a power like never before. She grabbed both of her sides, and she felt as if time had slowed. She now was what would carry onto Elias.

With her new strength in the power that everyone sought out, she changed everything to prevent Elias from being bit. But it didn't disappear.

It moved onto her,

This was more power than she could endure, but the words of Elias helped her move "You are special. You are important." Were the words.

Now as everything stopped, and the magic has just exploded, there was nothing left except their breath and her vision.

Eva was no longer moving like a normal wolf, everything was different than the ones of any wolf.

The ground cracked, her senses enhanced, now what would she choose? Was the moment to strike? Or to protect? And when would the opportunity ever be so safe again?