Silence settled heavily through the abandoned chapel after Ezrina left. Only the distant sound of rainwater dripping through broken ceilings echoed softly through the old stone building. A large figure lay stretched lazily across the blankets near the altar.

Aries.

In human form.

Long black hair spilled messily across the blankets beneath him, soft strands falling over sharp blue eyes that remained half-lidded in thought. The same terrifying wolf that towered over Ezrina in his beast form now looked unfairly beautiful as a man. Broad shoulders. Strong biceps lined with lean muscle. A narrow waist leading down to thick powerful thighs built from inhuman strength. Even the relaxed rise of his chest beneath the loose blanket made him look dangerously attractive in a way capable of making most people lose common sense entirely.

'I wonder what Ezz is doing right now.'

The thought lingered lazily afterward. He could already imagine her wandering through the academy curiously. Probably getting distracted by random things. Probably talking too much.Probably accidentally causing trouble without realizing it.

A faint smile almost appeared on his face at the thought. Almost.

'…I can’t even sleep peacefully unless I’m curled around her anymore.'

'...'

'This is getting concerning.'

Unfortunately, not concerning enough for him to stop.

Aries stared blankly toward the cracked chapel ceiling for several more moments before another thought suddenly crossed his mind.

A dangerous one.

'…Perhaps I should join the academy.'

Silence.

His blue eyes narrowed slightly afterward.

'I want to know what that idiot is doing all day.'

The statement sounded deeply concerning even inside his own head.

Yet somehow, he still failed to see the problem. Aries pushed messy black hair away from his eyes before sitting up lazily against the old stone wall behind him.The idea itself was not difficult. Moonveil accepted wandering wolves occasionally. Especially talented fighters. The real problem was his name.

Vale. Even after all these years, that surname remained dangerous. The moment anyone connected him to the old rumors surrounding the Vale bloodline, unwanted attention would follow immediately. And attention was the last thing Aries wanted.

The thought alone dragged old memories to the surface instantly.

Aries’ expression darkened subtly.

A voice from years ago echoed through his mind.

“Ari, please run.”

The memory hit sharply.

A younger Aries stood frozen within the burning corridors of the Vale estate while distant chaos echoed outside.

Howls.

Screams.

The scent of blood soaked heavily into the air.

And standing before him, was his elder brother. The future heir of the Vale pack. Unlike Aries, his brother had always been respected within the community.

Calm.

Reliable.

The perfect future Alpha everyone trusted naturally.

Yet that night, panic was written all over his face.

“Ari, listen to me carefully,” he said urgently while gripping Aries by the shoulders. “They’re after you.”

The eight-year-old boy stared silently. Even back then, he already understood. Still, hearing the words aloud felt strangely hollow.

“They killed your parents,” his brother continued quietly, voice shaking slightly. “The elders claimed it was necessary to control the situation.”

For a brief moment, something inside Aries went completely still.

Not grief.

Not shock.

Just emptiness.

As though some part of him had expected this outcome already.

His brother quickly pressed a folded piece of paper into his hands afterward.

“There’s an address written here,” he whispered urgently. “One of our insiders lives there. If you find him, he’ll help you disappear.”

The older boy’s expression twisted painfully afterward.

“I’m sorry.”

Silence filled the hallway between them.

“I couldn’t do anything more for you.”

That apology remained etched deeper into Aries’ memory than the blood itself.

Because unlike the others, his brother truly looked guilty.

Not afraid.

Not hateful.

Just helpless.

“If you go there,” he continued softly, “they’ll create a new identity for you. A different name. Something the Vale pack won’t recognize.”

Outside, distant footsteps and voices grew closer rapidly. The hunt was already beginning. His brother’s grip tightened briefly against his shoulders one final time.

“Run, Ari.”

Aries remained motionless afterward. Blue eyes stared blankly toward the cracked chapel ceiling while silence swallowed the room once more.

God. The screams. Even after all these years, Aries could still hear them clearly whenever the memories resurfaced.

The chaos.

The howls.

The sound of wolves tearing apart their own people who tried to protect him beneath the excuse of protecting the pack.

His chest tightened painfully. For a brief moment, his expression twisted almost imperceptibly before he pressed an arm across his eyes. As though hiding from memories capable of clawing him apart even now. A thousand scars would never be enough to describe what hatred from your own people could do to someone.

'…Ezz.'

His eyes slowly closed afterward.

'I guess I'll never hear you call my real name.'

                                                                                                    To be continued~

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