A few minutes before the sun completely sunk behind the mountains, a certain man with hair as black as the moonless night and his cloud-covered sky-like eyes rode his black horse heading in the opposite direction where he came from.
His dark brows were furrowed in frustration. He thought it wouldn't take long for him to reach his destination, only to realize he was already late after taking a few detours, helping the needy on his way.
"Hang in there… I'm coming for you," he whispered under his breath.
Damian Crown thought his life would remain the same until he die—bleak and colorless. He lost his mother the moment he was born while his father died in battlefield without seeing him. When he was fifteen, his grandfather died, forcing him to take over the duchy and rule its people.
Death became an ordinary thing for Damian. He spent most of his time in the borders, fighting monsters. He killed thousands while boring into his mind that one day, he'd be the one who'd get killed. For him, death was inevitable and he couldn't do anything to stop it, not even after the gods bestowed him power.
The only way out of it was…if he was a god himself.
"Let me go! Get your hands off me!"
Damian pulled the rein of his horse when he heard a familiar voice. He only had a few conversations with her, but he could recognize her voice even from a distance.
"No! Argh! Let go of me!"
The voice coming from several kilometers away was getting louder as Damian focused on listening. He closed his eyes and heightened his senses. He could hear groans and ripping sounds along with a painful cry. Damian frowned when he realized what was happening.
"Don't you dare…" He opened his eyes, filled with rage. The red sunset reflected in his eyes. "Whoever you are, I'm going to kill you!"
In a blink of an eye, Damian jumped off his horse and landed on his feet. He bent his body forward as he revealed his sharp canine teeth. He ran toward the direction where Calista's voice came from, barefooted. Every second count for Damian, and he knew he should make haste.
A few seconds later, the sun finally disappeared below the horizon. The sky gradually darkened when a huge beast appeared. There was no sight of the running man. All that was left was a ferocious beast through the woods, ready to catch up with its prey.
The dusk was falling rapidly as the beast closed its distance toward the target. Its black fur glistened through the dark amidst its swift movement.
"Someone…please save me."
The beast heeded the victim's silent prayer. It increased its speed and in a heartbeat; it found its prey.
"Grr!"
Calista was losing hope when a huge black wolf appeared. Its grey eyes met with her green ones before it turned around to get rid of her captors.
"Ah! What the hell? It's a monster! A monster!"
The woods were filled with the bandits' throes.
"Cover your ears," a gentle voice commanded Calista. The latter said nothing and nodded her head as she place her hands on both sides of her head to cover her ears.
Calista thought it would be the end of her. If it wasn't for the beast who came out of nowhere, she would have already been assaulted and probably killed. But watching how the beast punish the bandits who captured her didn't make her feel safe either.
"Lola…I-Is that you?" Calista was too shaken to think straight. She was used to having Lola by her side. If only her maid were with her, she wouldn't be too scared to face the bandits alone. If only she weren't weak, she wouldn't need to call for help when her life was in danger.
All of a sudden, Calista's mind was filled with regret and longing. She regretted most of her choices in life and longed for chances to change she missed.
Tears started pooling in Calista's eyes as she watched the beast take care of the last bandit. All along she thought she was the strongest if she put her mind to it, but looking at how dangerous a beast could be to even gnaw its prey to death, she realized her existence was nothing compared to the proud being standing in front of her.
"Lola…" Calista sobbed while wishing for a quick death. She thought that if she really had to die, she rather have it in the quickest and painless way—something that might be impossible for the beast which kept staring at her.
"It's fine now. Everything's' fine…" Calista heard the same gentle voice inside her head. "You don't have to be afraid. I will keep you safe. I promise."
Looking around her, Calista couldn't see anyone except for the wolf who tore the bandits into pieces.
"Who are you? W-Why are you talking inside my head?" Calista asked, still looking around. She was pretty sure her mind was wrecked after what she went through, so considering she started having delusion was possible.
"Oh, wow! I hear voices in my head and a huge black wolf is staring right at me in the eyes," she muttered and laughed nervously. "Is this the new way the grim reapers reap a dead body's soul?"
'But I'm still talking. I can hear my voice. My mouth moves as I speak. Am I…Am I dead?' Calista's jaw dropped with the idea that came to mind.
"When did I die?" She asked, staring back at the wolf with her teary-filled face. "Are you going to shred my body into pieces, too?"
It was not the first time, but Calista hiccuped. She was too scared to think about how she'd die in the claws of a dangerous beast.
"If…If by all means you're going to eat me later. Please cook me thoroughly…" Calista continued, assuming she'd be the next gnawing toy for the wolf.
Her body continued to shake as she tried her best to speak. "You know…I was called the most beautiful in the empire, or maybe on the continent. But who cares about that now? I'm going to die. I'm going to be your dinner. Just…Just don't eat my head, please." Calista bursted into tears.
"My maid took great care of this face and she'd be heartbroken when she finds out that a huge black wolf eats it. She would often put a lot of makeups on my cheeks when experimenting a new look so I suggest you wash my head carefully before you even try to eat me…and…and," Calista couldn't continue what she was saying as she cried harder.
Growing up in front of the eyes of many, she always made sure to play her role perfectly. She never shown her real self and fears. She considered them her weakness, and letting others know about them would be at her disadvantage. Calista was used to playing the role she was born with. Yet, every mask she wore vanished in the face of death.
"... I don't want to die. I don't want to die!"
All her brave fronts disappeared in a blink. Calista just wanted to be herself—a coward and weak lady who yearned for love and protection.
Unfortunately, she realized it was too late as her death was approaching.
Meanwhile, Damian was speechless. He may not be able to read what's in Calista's mind, but looking at her expression, he already knew what she was thinking. At first, he thought it would be cool to show her his real self, since they're getting married, anyway. He didn't expect her beast form would scare her to the point she'd beg him not to eat her head.
'Ten years later and you're still as silly as before,' he thought, sighing.
He couldn't even tell her it was him, otherwise, she'd really kick the bucket out of fear. Without saying a word, Damian turned his back on her and left. He could already tell it wasn't the right time to tell her about his real identity.
As the wolf slowly disappeared into the dark, Calista let out a deep sigh of relief.
'I'm saved…I should donate half of my wealth to the temple when I return,' she thought while clenching her fists and closing her eyes.
When Calista opened her eyes again, the vast sea of the night filled with stars welcomed her. She was petrified in amusement. Her heartbeat raced as she appreciated the beauty before her eyes.
"I miss home…" she whispered, with a tear falling from her right eye.
The rattling sound of the leaves from behind caught Calista's attention. She wiped her tear-stained face with her wounded hand and hugged herself. She was barely wearing anything after the bandits tried to assault her.
"Who's there?"
Calista raised her guard. She wouldn't want to make the same mistake.
"My lady?" Damian stopped his horse in front of the lady. He immediately went down from his horse and took off his coat to wrap it around her. "It's cold. You shouldn't walk around at night like that," he joked, hoping to liven up the mood.
"I…I wasn't." Calista looked away. She was hesitating whether to tell her fiance who 'happened' to appear just in time before she needed a ride. "... You're right. I was taking a walk and got lost. I—I don't know the way back," she lied.
Her pride was keeping her from telling the truth. How could she face his fiance after some men almost violated her? Calista felt dirty that she started to think she deserved nobody.
"I see," Damian replied. "Come on. It's getting late. Let me take you home at least," he added, offering his hand.
As if her prayers had gotten a proper answer, Calista reached out for Damian's hand. The latter said nothing and pulled her into a hug as soon as their hands touched. His quiet gesture brought back her tears.
Suddenly, she found solace in his embrace.
"Thank you for coming…" Calista blurted before letting herself drifted to sleep.
Surprised was all over Damian's face, but only in a brief moment. A small smile curled on his lips as he carefully carried her into his arms.
"Good night, Callie."
At the end of the day, she was still the same girl he met ten years ago.