Chapter 2 Glimpse of the Past

Weak, wounded, and nearly blind with exhaustion, the woman struggled to rise. Her body refused to obey, and she collapsed back to the ground, clutching the baby to her chest.

The wolf advanced slowly, its movements deliberate and predatory. She could barely see through the haze of her tears and pain, but she gathered what strength she had left. Raising a trembling hand, she pointed at the wolf, her fingers glowing with orange light.

"Stay... away..." she gasped.

The wolf lunged.

A thick orange beam shot from her fingertip, striking the wolf mid-leap. The creature dropped to the ground, its massive body collapsing in a lifeless heap.

For a moment, there was silence.

The baby giggled again-a soft, joyful sound that seemed almost impossible amidst the terror.

The woman's heart ached at the sound. How could he laugh at a time like this? Was it a sign of his innocence, or something more?

But she had no time to wonder. Her vision dimmed as darkness crept in at the edges. She fought to stay awake, to protect her child, but her body gave out.

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness were the glowing red eyes of more wolves as they entered the cave.

Six wolves circled the child, their growls low and menacing. The baby giggled again, and as the sound echoed through the cave, a profound silence fell. Outside, the storm ceased in a wider range around the forest as if commanded-the rain hung motionless mid-drop, lightning froze in the sky, and the flames consuming the trees flickered out. The entire forest held its breath, as though the giggling of the child had the power to freeze time itself.

The wolves stared at the baby, their red eyes softening to a warm brown. As if in a trance, they turned away from the child and moved toward the cave's entrance. There, they sat, vigilant and calm, guarding the cave as if nothing in the world mattered more.

Some time passed before the wolves began to roar once more, and a tall, gaunt man appeared at the cave entrance. He wore a black bear fur cloak over his shoulders, gripping a massive tree branch. His glowing red eyes scanned the scene with disbelief, and his deep voice boomed, filled with incredulity and anger, "How? Who did this? No beast tamer could ever turn my wolves against me!"

Once loyal, the wolves now began circling the man, baring their fangs and preparing to defy him. Yet he merely smiled, a cruel twist of his lips. "You think you can defy me?" he mocked, raising the tree branch high. He swung it in the air, and with a thunderous roar, a giant golden lion materialized, shaking the ground beneath its massive paws. The earth trembled as the lion's roar rattled the very foundation of the cave. The wolves whined and backed away, their defiance crumbling as they lowered their heads in submission.

The giant lion, its fur shimmering like molten gold, advanced with slow, measured steps. Its size nearly filled the cave entrance as it moved forward, sending small rocks tumbling from the walls. Towering over the baby, it halted, its gaze locked on the child. Unafraid, the baby giggled and reached out, its tiny fingers entwining in the lion's thick, golden mane that cascaded like a regal mantle.

The tall man approached, standing next to the lion. He looked down at the unconscious woman lying on the ground and sneered. "Princess Laura... How far you've fallen. I never thought the most powerful witch I've ever known would die like this-alone in a cave, failing to protect her own child."

With a flick of his hand, he ordered the lion to attack her. The lion let out a deafening roar that reverberated through the cave, causing the walls to shudder. Then attacked But not Laura-it turned on the man beside it. Before he could comprehend what was happening, the lion tore into him, its massive jaws closing around him with terrifying speed. His last thought was one of disbelief: How could this happen? His greatest beast, the mighty lion, had turned on him in an instant, without warning, without hesitation.

As The lion's eyes slowly turned from red to brown, it calmly returned its gaze to the child. There was no threat in its eyes-only a regal, serene acknowledgment. It padded slowly toward the cave entrance, where it settled, licking its golden fur with deliberate grace.

As Laura slipped into unconsciousness, memories flooded her mind, taking her back to how it all began.

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Flashback:

Long before that fateful night, the warrior race ruled half of the world. The king of the warriors was under the influence of General Olaf, a ruthless warlord and leader of the warrior armies. The king believed that his race was the strongest and the only one capable of restoring order and justice to the world. He waged war on countless races, conquering them in his quest for domination.

But his son, Johan, stood against him. He begged his father to stop, urging him that more war would only bring chaos and suffering-not peace. The king, enraged by his son's defiance, imprisoned him in the void dungeon. Meanwhile, the king of the sorcerers secretly allied with the blood elves, fire demons, and druids. They knew that whenever a warrior died, his strength, power, and experience would pass on to his closest relative, making them even more powerful with every death.

Together, they cast a massive spell to annihilate the entire warrior race. The sorcerers won the war, and the warriors were wiped out. But they did not know that Johan, the prince of the warriors, was the last survivor. In the void dungeon, he inherited the strength of his entire race, overwhelmed by the power of his ancestors. Unable to contain it, the void realm shattered, and Johan emerged with terrifying might.

The alliance forces, sensing his power, sent their best warriors to finish the job, but Johan, now unstoppable, single-handedly destroyed thousands of them and disappeared into the forbidden Ancestor's Woods. No one who entered those woods could easily survive, so the alliance forces sent Laura, the princess of the sorcerers and the most powerful witch, to find him.

But instead of capturing Johan, Laura fell in love with him. They left everything behind and married in secret, living in peace within the woods. That peace was short-lived. Nine months later, Laura, heavily pregnant, was found by Garen, her brother and the prince of the sorcerers. With the help of the alliance forces, he had discovered a way to breach the woods and came with a vast army.

Knowing Johan's strength, Garen came prepared-with ten elite heroes and hundreds of soldiers. Laura could not stand against her family, and Johan could not kill her brother. Garen offered a choice: if Johan surrendered, they would allow Laura to return with him as the sorcerer princes, and accept their child into the royal family. Hoping for a better future for his son and wife, Johan surrendered. But as soon as he did, Garen revealed the great spell of the alliance and killed him.

Laura, unable to believe her eyes, screamed in horror. In that moment, the pain of childbirth became unbearable. Garen, with a sinister smile, ordered, "Kill the traitor and her unborn child!" But Laura, known for her unmatched speed, activated her spell and fled into the woods, her protective shield spell shattered by a barrage of attacks. Wounded, she ran, concentrating on shielding her child.

Then came Arwan, the great beast tamer and leader of the assassins, summoning his silver wolves-the only creatures capable of matching Laura's speed. And so, the legend of Kira began.