CHAPTER FORTY FOUR
DANIEL'S POV
The moment my mother vanished, silence swallowed the jungle once again.
Only the sound of heavy rain remained.
I stood there motionless, staring at the golden ring in my trembling hand. My mind was still struggling to understand everything that had just happened.
My destiny was connected to the covenant?
What did that even mean?
Before I could think further, sharp pain exploded through my body again.
The wounds from the wild beasts burned violently.
My legs weakened instantly.
I tried to stand properly—
But collapsed back onto my knees.
Blood mixed with rain beneath me.
My breathing became uneven.
The wolves' claws had torn deeply into my flesh, and I had already lost too much blood.
"Tanya…" I whispered weakly.
Fear gripped my heart again.
What if I was too late?
What if Prince Raymond had already killed her?
My fists clenched painfully against the muddy ground.
"No…" I muttered.
"I can't die here."
Slowly, I lifted my eyes toward the dark heavens above.
For the first time in many years—
I prayed sincerely.
"God…" my voice cracked painfully.
"Please…"
"Give me strength."
"I'm begging you."
"My child needs me."
"Tanya needs me."
Rain poured harder as if the heavens themselves were listening.
Then suddenly—
A powerful wind exploded through the jungle.
WHOOSH!
The trees bent violently.
Dark energy surrounded the area instantly.
I forced myself to lift my head.
And then—
A familiar figure appeared before me.
Tanya's godmother.
The Witch Queen.
Her robes moved wildly beneath the storm while her glowing eyes studied my injured body carefully.
"You are more stubborn than I expected," she said quietly.
I let out a weak laugh.
"I learned from Tanya."
For the first time—
A faint smile touched her lips.
Then she stretched her hand toward me.
Several sacred charms appeared floating above her palm, glowing with ancient symbols.
"Take these," she commanded softly.
"They will heal your wounds."
Without hesitation, I accepted the charms.
The moment they touched my skin—
Warm energy exploded through my body instantly.
My wounds began healing before my eyes.
The claw marks disappeared rapidly.
The pain vanished completely.
Even my exhausted muscles regained strength immediately.
I stood up slowly in shock.
I felt stronger than before.
Like a warrior reborn after battle.
The Witch Queen watched me silently.
Then suddenly—
Her gaze froze on my hand.
Specifically—
The golden ring on my finger.
Her expression changed completely.
Confusion.
Shock.
Fear.
She stepped closer immediately.
"Where did you get this ring?" she demanded sharply.
I frowned slightly.
"My mother gave it to me."
The queen's breathing became uneven.
"Do you even understand the importance of that sacred ring?"
I looked at the ring carefully.
It looked ancient.
Powerful.
But I still did not understand why she reacted this way.
So I told her everything.
About the wolves.
About my near death.
About my mother appearing before me.
And about how she placed the ring into my hand.
When I finished speaking—
The Witch Queen remained silent for a long time.
Rain continued falling around us.
Then finally—
She spoke softly.
"Long ago… there was once a human who visited our covenant."
My attention sharpened instantly.
"He was mentioned in ancient history," she continued.
"They say he was the only human who entered the jungle of witches and returned alive."
Her eyes darkened slightly.
"But he did not survive long enough to tell anyone what truly happened inside the covenant."
The queen looked directly into my eyes.
"And now…"
"You are the second human to survive after entering our territory."
A strange feeling crawled through my chest.
"I kept wondering why our ancestors protected you repeatedly," she whispered.
"Even when we tried to kill you."
The wind around us softened slightly.
Then suddenly—
Her expression became distant.
Painful.
As if she was remembering something she had buried long ago.
"When I was twenty years old," she began quietly, "I fell in love with a prince from the Snake Pack."
I froze slightly.
Love?
The Witch Queen?
"But my mother opposed our relationship," she continued sadly.
"I had already been promised to the prince of the Wolf Pack."
Her eyes lowered briefly.
"But I was young."
"And foolishly in love."
A bitter smile touched her lips.
"I secretly visited Prince Alouis of the Snake Pack."
Her voice softened painfully.
"And we made love."
Thunder rumbled across the sky.
Then her expression darkened again.
"My mother discovered that I was pregnant."
I listened silently.
"She knew the Wolf Prince would kill me if he found out."
"So she lied."
The queen's voice trembled slightly for the first time.
"She told everyone I had been chosen by the Goddess to train for one year before becoming queen."
The rain fell heavily around us.
"My mother secretly took me to her human friend."
"She was a powerful witch doctor gifted by my great-grandmother."
The queen closed her eyes briefly.
"When I gave birth to my son…"
A tear rolled slowly down her cheek.
"The only thing I remember clearly was placing this ring around his neck using a string."
My eyes widened instantly.
The queen slowly touched the golden ring on my finger.
"This ring was a gift from Prince Alouis."
"He gave it to me the night we became one."
Her voice broke painfully.
"He said it was proof of his promise."
"That he would fight for our love and marry me no matter the consequences."
Silence swallowed the jungle completely.
"I treasured this ring more than my own life," she whispered.
"Even though loving him was punishable by death."
My heartbeat quickened violently.
Something about this story felt terrifyingly familiar.
"Three days after my son was born…"
The queen's hands trembled slightly.
"My mother visited me."
Her face hardened with pain.
"She told me my child had died."
I stared at her silently.
"She claimed it was punishment from the gods because I betrayed my fiancé."
The queen laughed bitterly.
"My heart shattered completely."
"So I returned to the covenant."
Her eyes became colder.
"But when I arrived…"
"I discovered Prince Alouis had married the Wolf Princess."
"My fiancé's younger sister."
Pain filled her eyes completely now.
"I wanted to tell him everything."
"About our son."
"About my pregnancy."
"But to my shock…"
Her breathing became uneven.
"He couldn't remember me."
"As if someone had erased his memories."
My entire body froze instantly.
Just like Tanya erased mine.
The queen smiled bitterly.
"So I stayed silent."
"But as time passed…"
"He began falling in love with me again."
"Even without his memories."
Thunder exploded loudly above us.
"Then on the day of my wedding ceremony…"
"My fiancé noticed the way Prince Alouis looked at me."
Hatred filled her voice now.
"He became furious."
"And he killed Alouis before my eyes."
My chest tightened painfully.
"The Wolf Princess panicked."
"So she stabbed her own brother with a poisoned dagger."
The queen closed her eyes painfully.
"Then she killed herself too."
"The three of them died miserably."
Rain mixed with her tears silently.
"And from that day onward…"
"I swore never to love again."
Silence followed.
Heavy.
Painful.
Then slowly—
She looked directly into my eyes again.
"I lived with regret."
"Missing the man I loved."
"And the child I lost."
My heartbeat pounded violently now.
A terrifying possibility began forming inside my mind.
The ring.
The lost child.
The ancestors protecting me.
The covenant.
My destiny.
The queen stared at me intensely.
"Before we rescue Tanya…"
Her voice lowered carefully.
"We must investigate your origins."
I frowned deeply.
"What are you saying?"
Without answering immediately, the queen raised her hand slowly.
Dark mist gathered before us.
A large sacred mirror appeared floating in the air.
Its surface swirled like dark water.
The queen's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I will use the sacred mirror," she whispered.
"To uncover what truly happened the day your mother gave birth to you."
The jungle fell completely silent.
As if even the spirits were waiting for the truth.