Chapter 4 You don't need permission, Eleanor

Eleanor's POV

"Eleanor!" Scarla shouted as she ran toward me, with Rio close behind. I turned to them and smiled.

"We heard you scream! What happened?!" Scarla asked anxiously.

I hadn't realized my voice had been that loud! I laughed awkwardly and replied, "Don't worry, I just saw a dog..."

"Oh..." They exchanged confused glances, and I could already guess what was going through their minds-how could I scream like that over a harmless dog simply passing by?

I sighed in boredom and waved my hand dismissively, changing the subject. "Just forget it..."

"Ah, alright." Rio chuckled, then looked around before asking, "Where's your grandmother?"

"I don't know. Somewhere around here, I guess," I replied carelessly, rolling my eyes.

"Let's go look for her. It's time to leave, and you two need to head home," Scarla said nervously, casting a glance at the forest behind us.

Ah, that's right... My mother had insisted on holding the wedding in the heart of nature, surrounded by trees-so here we were, standing in the middle of the woods, trees enclosing us from every direction.

"You're right, Scarla. Sasha and Suzy already left. Had I known, I would've gone with them."

We began searching for my grandmother without splitting up, and before we found her, a sudden question popped into my head. "Oh, Rio, I'd like to ask you something."

"You don't need permission, Eleanor. We're family now," he said with a warm smile.

Rio's kindness always made me forget how rude his older brother could be. I took a breath and tried to find a way to phrase my question without sounding like a weirdo. "Umm... does your brother, Dominic, have superpowers? Like Superman or something?"

A strange, nerve-wracking silence fell between us as we walked. I could hear my heart pounding, wondering if I had just made a fool of myself with that ridiculous question...

Then the silence shattered-Rio and Scarla burst out laughing, clutching their stomachs from the force of it.

"I'm so glad my joke brought you such joy!" I said dryly, rolling my eyes and crossing my arms. "Maybe being a clown is one of my hidden talents."

"Sorry, Eleanor," Rio said between chuckles. "But that question was completely absurd."

"No, Dominic's just a regular guy," Scarla added, still breathless from laughing.

I raised an eyebrow in disbelief... A regular guy? And yet, his eyes glow!

"Well, if that's what you say." I shrugged indifferently and walked past them.

But then Rio asked, more seriously, "What made you ask that?"

After all that mockery, there's no way I can explain my thoughts now! "Oh, nothing. He just acts like he has superpowers, so I imagined he did..." I answered sarcastically, then quickened my pace when I spotted my grandmother talking to someone she knew.

They didn't reply, because I dashed toward my grandmother and flung my arms around her.

"Eleanor! What on earth?!" she cried in surprise.

"I want to go home, Grandma! My whole body is aching!" I whined like a spoiled child, sticking out my lower lip in an attempt to win her sympathy.

She sighed deeply and stroked my hair before turning to the man she had been talking to. "Sorry, Roger. I have to take this spoiled one home."

"Is this Maria's daughter?" the man asked curiously, and my grandmother nodded as I dragged her toward the car.

I quickly waved goodbye to my friends, but I didn't miss the strange look they exchanged... What was up with those two?

My grandmother drove us through the dark road lined with trees on both sides. I didn't speak, instead I just watched her intently...

"Grandma, is there a reserve around here?" I asked, curiosity creeping into my voice.

"Yes, but it's a small one. I can take you there another day."

"No need for that."

She glanced at me, surprised, then returned her eyes to the road. "Why not, little Eleanor? It would be a lovely experience for us to camp there together!"

"I don't like forests-or being surrounded by all that primitive stuff! Yuck! I have no desire for such an adventure," I replied, shrinking into myself and turning my gaze away from the trees.

I sighed helplessly.

"You're refusing to go because you're afraid of seeing the wild wolves."

"Finally, we're starting to understand each other, Grandma!" I laughed, though I could sense the heaviness in her voice.

I don't know what her issue is with my fear... She sometimes seems gloomy whenever I mention it.

Fear is a feeling only those who've lived it truly understand. Being attacked by a rabid dog at the age of six isn't something you just get over!

How could I ever trust her again after she stabbed me in the back once?

"One day, Elin, you'll let go of your fear-when you realize it's only leading you down a dead end..."

"Geez, Grandma! They're just dogs. Stop acting like some animal rights activist!" I grumbled impatiently.

She rolled her eyes and drove in silence, while I closed mine and drifted into a deep sleep from sheer exhaustion...

When I opened my eyes, I found myself lying on dusty ground!

I pushed myself up with effort, propping my weight on my arms, and looked around... Trees. Just trees. That's all I could see!

Did Grandma throw me here while I was asleep?!

I jumped to my feet and spun around, searching desperately for any way out of this cursed place.

I looked down at the ground, illuminated by the full moon-but there was no trace of my grandmother's car tires, assuming she even brought me here...

I told her I hated the forest and open places where wild beasts roam...

Swallowing my anger, I started walking in some random direction, my heart racing with anxiety, my mind battling to shut out every terrifying thought that might make things worse...

Then suddenly, I heard the one sound I had hoped never to hear again.

I froze in place, my eyes wide, as a shiver of electricity shot through my spine...

"Please... don't let it be..." I whispered weakly, trying in vain to calm myself.

The sound came again, louder this time, and much closer!

Tears welled in my eyes as I realized what it was...

A wolf's howl.

"Dad!" I cried out in desperation, though I knew it was useless.

"Mom! Grandma!" I shouted again, my voice trembling, but there was no reply-only my tears streaming down as the howling grew nearer...

I curled up beneath a tree, all hope of escape gone.

I was trapped here with some damned wolf, left all alone...

Then...

"Elin!" A distant voice echoed through the trees-it sounded familiar...

"Elinor!" The voice came again, this time with a violent shake. I gasped and opened my eyes sharply-

I was back in the car, my entire body drenched in sweat.

I turned to my left and found my grandmother staring at me with concern. She placed a gentle hand on my shoulder and asked in a worried voice:

"Elin, are you okay? You were mumbling in your sleep."

I adjusted my posture, glancing around in confusion before murmuring shakily:

"Ah... it's nothing. Just a dream."

I wiped the sweat from my forehead as she gently patted my hair, her tone soft and warm.

"Come on, sweetheart. You're exhausted. Take a shower, then get some proper rest."

I nodded in agreement, then took a deep breath, trying to shake off the lingering fragments of the dream.

Forget it, Elinor...

After a warm shower and changing into clean clothes, I lay on the bed with a heavy body and a drifting mind, staring at the ceiling in silence.

I was sleepy, but I feared closing my eyes, afraid the dream would return.

Normally, I could sleep like a lazy animal and not wake until morning. But now, after that nightmare... No.

I'd rather stay awake all night, even if my body screamed for rest.

My thoughts drifted back to the party and my mother's departure-but the pain didn't sting as it once had.

It seemed I was beginning to grow used to the idea...

Yet, before I could stop myself, my thoughts slipped toward Dominic and his strange eyes.

Was it some supernatural ability? Or just the effect of colored lenses?

And if they were lenses, why wear them in the first place?

I mumbled quietly, "Maybe it's just my imagination... Yeah, maybe I imagined it all."

I shook my head, convinced of that, then turned onto my right side and pulled out my phone to chat with Scarla and her twin well into the night.

Despite my futile attempts to resist sleep, it eventually overpowered me-and I slipped into a deep slumber...