"Awooo—"
Suddenly, the howls seemed to grow closer, bringing with them an air of madness and destruction. Even though the source had not yet arrived, the atmosphere was enough to make one's hair stand on end.
Everyone in the cave began to tremble. Some, more spiritually sensitive, shook uncontrollably, while others had tears welling up in their eyes.
But no matter who they were, everyone clamped their mouths shut, breathing as quietly as possible, afraid to make the slightest sound. It was as if by doing so, they might escape the attention of the dreadful presence outside and thus survive this unknown fate.
They had no idea what was happening. No Demonic Wolf would kindly explain the situation to them. Experience taught everyone that if they couldn't lower their presence and remain silent during such times, the outcome would be unbearable.
As for praying for mercy from the Demonic Wolves? Even the most naive child wouldn't harbor such delusions. Everyone knew exactly what kind of place they lived in. Although most had become numb to this harsh life, occasional news from other Beyonder territories still made them envious.
They weren't sure if those tales were true, of lands where people only had to work to survive, without the constant fear of being devoured by Demonic Wolves or used as playthings. But they didn't know. They could only live in this kingdom ruled by Demonic Wolves, ignorant of their fate or whether they would survive the next moment.
The mother stopped humming the lullaby, covering her daughter's mouth as well as her own, trembling fingertips betraying her fear. Yet, she held her daughter tightly, as if her embrace could hide the child from the prying eyes of the wolves.
"Bang—"
The howling suddenly ceased, replaced by a thud as if something had hit the ground above them. The cave shook, and dirt fell from the ceiling, but no one dared make a sound.
"Boom—"
"Rip—Crack—"
The wooden door blocking the cave entrance was suddenly pierced by a black wolf paw, which then retracted. An enormous, blood-red eye, filled with cruelty and savagery, peered through the hole.
The Demonic Wolf watched the cave's inhabitants as if they were toys. It could have easily broken the flimsy wooden barrier, but instead chose to poke hole after hole with deliberate slowness.
Wood chips fell with each poke. Though it was midday, no light penetrated the holes, blocked by the wolf's massive body, leaving the cave in complete darkness.
"Whimper—"
Someone couldn't help but whimper, causing others to retreat further, though they had no space left to retreat.
The mother kept her head down and eyes closed, not daring to look at the wolf's eye. She covered her child, praying silently, yet knowing not who to pray to.
Who would save them? Who would care about these helpless humans?
"Bang—"
She heard the sound of the door being torn apart.
She almost cried out, whispering without a sound, "Save us, someone save us, save my child..."
She kept pleading but dared not make a sound.
She awaited her fate, hoping her child would remain unseen. But a few seconds later, to her surprise, the expected death and pain did not come.
She suddenly heard a voice, a young voice, sounding not much older than her child, but the words were shocking.
"You're fighting the vampires, so go kill vampires! Why bother humans? Are you bored?"
"Did humans eat your food? Do you have to kill a few to vent your anger? Really spoiled aren't you!"
"What, can't understand what I'm saying? Fine, since you don't have the brain to understand human words, go repent in hell."
The childish voice was accompanied by sounds she couldn't understand, like something being repeatedly smashed against the ground, causing the cave to shake. The wolf's howls and whimpers grew louder, then faded away.
The smashing and shaking stopped. Even the wolf's howls were no longer heard.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
When the silence lasted a while, the mother finally dared to open her eyes. She still didn't dare lift her head, but glanced with the corner of her eye to see the wolf's form fallen at the entrance, replaced by a human-like figure.
"Don't worry, it's over. With me here, no monsters will harm you anymore."
She heard the voice say, gentle and soothing.
The mother finally dared to look up at the figure at the entrance, seeing a child of seven or eight years old.
The child smiled at them kindly, standing over the fallen wolf. The midday sun shone behind the child, creating a halo, making the scene look both holy and mysterious.
She almost cried, remembering a long-forgotten fairy tale her mother or grandmother had told, of an angel who saved humans from their suffering.
"Are you an angel here to save us?"
The mother asked instinctively.
"Ah, sort of. I am here to save you and I am indeed an angel." The child seemed surprised but nodded, extending a hand to them with a smile:
"Hello, I am the Angel of Secrets. From now on, I will protect you."
Thus, the "Myth of the Original Creator: Angel of Secrets" recorded, "When the Land of the Demonic Wolf was destroyed, the Angel of Secrets descended, spreading wings to shield the people from death and madness, which stayed beyond their sight.
From then on, people believed in the Angel."
And in Lynn's diary, "My Years in the Second Epoch," it was written:
"Year X, Month X, Day X:
Today, I saved many people on the battlefield. In gratitude, they decided to worship me.
I don't know why they ignored Little Red who also saved them, but alright, I easily gained their faith. Soon, I won't have to worry about losing my anchor.
So, this is what having believers feels like? It feels unfamiliar, yet strangely familiar."
(End of Chapter)