In a different place, a woman was seen sitting on a bed while reciting a spell. In front of her, a cauldron filled with herbs and magical plants began to boil. The woman was none other than Laura Grace. A Late Intermediate Class witch, Grace was entrusted with helping to awaken Vampire King Erick from his long slumber.
The prophecy of King Erick's awakening had spread throughout the vampire kingdom. Previously, for 100 years since his death, King Erick had been the most powerful of all vampires. As an ally, Laura did not want to betray her kind or her teacher, King Phillipe, who had taught her so much about magic.
When the time for King Erick's awakening arrived, she began a ritual to ensure that his awakening would proceed smoothly without any obstacles.
"Please make sure the temperature of the furnace does not decrease at all," Laura said to the two women who served as her assistants.
"Yes, ma'am." The two women were also Late Beginner Class witches. They then performed several techniques and cast spells on the furnace.
The room, filled with magical equipment, began to emit a green mist, the result of the furnace.
The two women appeared to be whispering to each other, but Laura could still hear them.
"Hey, did you hear the news about Elder Ailee? She is Andreas's mate Alpha."
Laura tried to continue sorting the magical ingredients and ignored the two women.
"Yes, I heard that too, and I was very surprised when I found out. How can she work with us when she has a part of Alpha Andreas?" asked the brown-haired woman with braids.
"You're right, but Miss Laura told the Alpha to reject her. That big furry wolf must be heartbroken," replied the black-haired woman.
Laura paused from her activities. She thought that her decision that day was the right one. Even though Laura couldn't forget their childhood memories, she still wanted to sever her ties with the Moon Goddess.
"Isn't that good? I mean, she can take advantage of the situation to her benefit."
Take advantage of the situation for his benefit, huh? But would that really benefit him? Remembering Alpha Andreas made Laura recall their past when they were children.
***
"Stupid!" One blow from the long stick hit Laura's small hand. She cried out in pain and pursed her lips.
"You should have said Ni, not Mi! Repeat it again. Say the spell correctly!" said Laura's older brother, holding a thick brown book in his hand.
"I don't want to practice anymore! You practice by yourself. I'm tired of being hit with that stick!" Laura pointed at the stick her brother was holding fiercely. Her chubby cheeks made her look adorable.
"Fine, then I'll report this to Ailee. You know she won't let you skip practice."
Laura folded her arms across her chest. "I'm only 7 years old, I shouldn't be doing magic. Why don't you replace me? Look at my hands, aren't I still too young to enroll as a wizard? Even werewolves and vampires start their training at the age of 9!" Laura said, glaring.
"What can I do? You're just terrible at magic. Wait here, I'll go see Ailee to ease your burden in learning." Laura winked and watched her 14-year-old brother leave the river. He hadn't even had time to answer her.
"Elder Ailee is so cruel. How could I possibly have to practice magic at the age of 7? I'm hopeless!" Laura then took her brother's fishing rod and started fishing.
She was so engrossed in reeling in the fish that Laura didn't notice the arrival of a large wolf. The wolf approached, then jumped with both paws ready to attack Laura.
However, the wolf was suddenly thrown back after a white wolf attacked it. Although the white wolf was not as big as the black wolf, it was enough to scare it away. The white wolf roared angrily, howling loudly until the black wolf bowed its head and retreated from its presence.
Laura, who witnessed this for the first time, was shocked, her body trembling. The fishing rod in her hand fell and was swept away by the swift current of the river.
When the white wolf turned to look at her, Laura held out the fish in the bucket and gave it to the wolf. "Are you hungry? I have fish for you to eat," said Laura.
Suddenly, the white wolf transformed into a handsome boy with fair skin.
Laura was surprised but then laughed. "Oh, you're a werewolf, huh? How is that possible? Hah, my useless brother should be here to see you! This is the first time I've seen a werewolf turn into a human. You're really cool! Thank you for helping me." Laura smiled at the end of her sentence.
A loud sound came from the boy's stomach, making him blush with embarrassment.
The boy scratched his neck, which wasn't itchy. "You're welcome. By the way, my name is Andreas. What's your name?" Andreas approached Laura and sat down on the wooden bridge.
"My name is Laura Grace. How about breakfast? I can make grilled fish for the two of us," replied Laura, still smiling.
"Really? Okay, let's make a fire."
Laura and Andreas were seen gathering small twigs around them. When they were done, they put the fish into the solid wood. Laura then recited a spell, and suddenly a fire appeared in the fireplace. Although the fire was small at first, the wood began to burn, making the fire bigger.
Andreas looked at Laura with admiration. "So you're good at magic, huh? But... why are you in the middle of this area?"
Laura looked confused as she listened to Andreas' words, then thought of words that could answer the man's question. "I live with Elder Ailee. She brought me here, along with my sister."
Andreas fell silent. His mind was filled with other possibilities about the wizards. Because in his own palace, he was no stranger to wizards. However, he had never heard that wizards could enter vampire territory.
"You seem lonely and lost. But looking at your clothes, I know you're not an ordinary person. You seem to be an important person in your family. Right? Oh, the fish is cooked." Laura said, then gave Andreas a large fish she had caught.
What Laura said was true. Andreas' clothes were luxurious aristocratic clothes. He was the son of an Alpha. But his father had died two days ago.
"Aren't you disgusted by my wolf? Its color is very white."
Laura looked confused. "I'm not disgusted by your wolf at all. The color is nice. Why should you be disgusted by your own wolf?"
"It's because the ones who killed my father were white wolves. He died two days ago."
"Calm down, not everything has to be a problem. I like your wolf. It's white, just like the sky above us."
Andreas followed Laura's finger and looked at the blue sky with clouds moving above them. "You're right, thank you." They continued eating the grilled fish. In between bites, Andreas noticed Laura's cute and beautiful face. He then took something out of his pocket and gave it to Laura's small hand.
Laura was surprised to see the blue jade bracelet. "Are you giving it to me?"
"Yes, I'm giving it to you. Please take good care of it. Do you have a boyfriend?"
"How could a little girl have a boyfriend? You're so silly. But I like your bracelet."
"How about you become my girlfriend? Would you like that?" asked Andreas. At only 10 years old, he already knew a lot about werewolves, including mates.
Laura nodded in agreement with a smile. "Okay, I'll be your girlfriend. After all, you're nice for helping me."
Andreas smiled. He approached Laura, then without permission he kissed her cheek, which surprised the girl and made her cheeks red.
"I will always protect you. That's my promise to you, Laura."
***
Sreett!! Brug!!!
Laura almost fell because she stepped on her long dress, but luckily a man caught her.
"Are you okay, miss?" asked the man, who was also a beginner-level wizard.
"Yes, I'm fine." Laura stepped away from the man. His name was Carlos.
"Thank goodness."
Laura then left the pavilion, followed by Carlos behind her.
"You look exhausted. Take a rest, I'll continue your work."
Laura nodded and headed to her room. But as she passed two women, she accidentally overheard a statement that shocked her.
"Yes, Elder Ailee and the Vampire King's younger sister have sent the heads of Alpha Andreas's Level Three soldiers. I'm sure that will make him furious. Moreover, they also left a letter for Alpha Andreas. I wonder what Alpha will do when he asks him to reject Miss Laura."
Laura turned to look at the two women walking away from her. Laura fell silent and thought hard. Could Alpha Andreas have received the letter? Then, what about his mate bond? She was sure the man wouldn't just stand by. This war would continue. And the existence of the witch race was no longer a foreign concept in the vampire realm.