'Wake up.'

'Tendo, wake up.'

'I know you are not sleeping. How could you sleep when there is a voice continuously calling you in your head.'

"Why are you torturing me at midnight. Let me sleep", Tendo turned his head to the other side of the bed in annoyance to ignore the voice in his head.

'We have to go for the morning run.' 

"It's still night and I don't want to."

'Didn't you promise me yesterday that you will work hard to become stronger?'

"I said I want to take my revenge but I didn't promise anything."

'Then how will you take revenge when you won't work hard to train yourself. 

Do you know Sora? Do you know how powerful he is? You winning against him last time was just your mere luck. Do you think you can defeat him next time? What will you do if instead of targeting directly you, he will start targeting your family members? What if his next target was Asahi or Haruto or any of the pack members? Do you have the power to protect them?'

Tendo abruptly opened his eyes and stared blankly at the ceiling. He then groggily rubbed his eyes.

"I didn't know you can talk so much. But since I am awake now so I will listen to you."

He didn't want to admit that what Nevalis said just now hit him on the spot. But little did he know that he can't hide things from his soul twin. 

Soul twin? Why did I think of this word? 

"Are you my soul twin?"

....

"Now when I really want to talk to you, you become a mute."

'Let's just focus on the task at hand.'

Tendo nodded his head and looked outside. It was still dark outside. Tendo turned on his side table lamp to look at the time. It was close to 5 a.m.

He washed his face with cold water to freshen himself, put on his shoes and jacket, and was ready to quietly open the door so as not to wake up Asahi.

'What are you doing? Just jump directly from the window. Why so much drama?'

"Oh right"

Tendo's room had a floor-to-ceiling window that directly faces the lush forest. He opened his window and looked outside. It was easy to jump from that height in his wolf form and he knew that his wolf form is very powerful but he can't rely on it all the time. He has to train his body as well. 

'Just jump already.' 

He took a deep breath and took a big leap towards the forest. Before falling to the ground, in order to reduce his momentum, he pushed his foot against the nearest tree and then somersault towards the ground.

"Haa do you think I can't make this little jump? I do train with Asahi during weekends"

When he didn't get any response, he felt like Nevalis must be doing an imaginary eye roll at his remark. 

He then started to walk deep in the forest. 

It was the time of twilight and the sun was sitting on the horizon. But due to the dense forest ahead, it still felt like midnight. There was some coolness in the light wind that was making him more refreshed. He took a deep breath of the refreshing air. All around himself he could hear the chirping of cicadas and crickets, and morning calls of birds, but he could also hear the sounds that are inaudible to the normal human beings like sounds of breathing of living things, little heartbeats, blooming of flowers, falling of the leaves. The feeling was hard to describe, it was like dominant eerie quietness with background noises. The surrounding was making his senses sharper, if he wants then he could just pick one sound and focus on it, like a few yards away a raven has taken a flight, fluttering its wings, and made a long raspy call.

"Cawww"

'The patrolling wolves. You've to avoid them.' 

"How should I do it?"

'Let me take control.' 

He transformed into his wolf and started to run. Unlike last time, when the permission to take control was granted by himself, the control of his body was not limited to just sensing things but he could take action as well. But Nevalis was still in charge, the reason was simple... He is powerful. Like just now when he saw a kaleidoscope of blue monarch butterflies, he took a turn towards them but in a few seconds, his body was turned back in the right direction. After some thought, he gave up and let Nevalis do as he pleased. 

He didn't know how but Nevalis seems to avoid all the patrolling wolves without making any noise. He was moving agilely through the bushes, avoiding all the open spots and he was moving so fast like a bullet has been fired and it won't stop until it will hit the target. But he could still see the surrounding scenery very clearly. They were crossing their territory and moving towards the no-wolf's land. Werewolves call any territory that is not occupied by any werewolf pack, a no-wolf's land. When they crossed their territory, Nevalis slowed down his pace and they started to walk leisurely. Tendo didn't like the idea of crossing their territory because he knew that their territory protects them and if they crossed it then they are in danger. Asahi warned him to never crossed the territory. After thinking this he became agitated. 

"Why do we need to cross the territory? Can't we just train there?"

'We can't. There are patrolling wolves everywhere. Besides, no one knows about our identity except a few people so you can't expose us.' 

"But Asahi warned me to never cross the territory."

'Don't worry. We are safe here.' 

He somehow trusted his words. He knew Nevalis will never put him in any danger because that will be equivalent to putting himself in danger. 

He then saw that they were heading upward towards the mountain top. 

"Where are we going?"

'Just wait and you will see.' 

"Why are you so irritating? Can't you just tell me where are we going?"

'Why are you so childish.'

"Because I am a child"

Nevalis could imagine if the control was in Tendo's hand, he must be gritting his teeth now. 

'Haruto is just one year older than you but have you ever seen him talking nonsense?'

"That's because he is super smart. Unlike me whose all energy is being utilized in becoming stronger. I have powers and he has brain so we balance each other. That's why we are best friends and best brothers. We compliment each other. Everyone in our school knows that...."

They were originally talking about him acting like a child but he started babbling on about his friendship with Haruto. He didn't even realize that he was going off the topic. Nevalis inwardly rolled his eyes at this. 

In the midst of their rambling, they reached the mountain top. The view in front of them was very scenic that it automatically made Tendo shut his mouth. He was looking at the sun rays peeking from the horizon with starry eyes. 

'We will be training here.'

He gained his momentary lost senses when he heard Nevalis then he looked at his surrounding. The mountain top was all a grassy land with some deers grazing here and there. But the most astonishing thing was all kinds of flowers that were growing there. All kinds of daisies, willowherbs, heathers, and many more that he can't even name, were all growing amid the surrounding behemoth trees like pines, firs, spruces, and larches. It was a sight to behold. All the vexation he was feeling earlier about getting up so early was gone and now he really wanted to come here every day. 

And there was something else that he can't describe. It was the same feeling he felt when his ability emerged. It was the feeling of being surrounded by something pure, something that is innate to him, something that is calling him.

It was the feeling of bliss. 

He wanted to dive into that feeling.

'Did you feel it?'

"Yeah. What is it?"

'It's like... How should I describe it? Like how a human body needs food to gain energy to operate its systems. Similarly, your powers need energy. This energy comes from the natural aura that surrounds living beings. It surrounds every living thing. But what you need is a pure natural aura and that comes from these innocent creatures like plants and those innocent animals.' 

He gazed at the small rabbits and the running deers.

'Since these creatures are innately innocent so the aura that surrounds them is also pure. Unlike humans and other vicious creatures, the natural aura that surrounds them is not pure. Because humans have desires and those desires corrupt them.'

After a moment of pause, he then asked,

'Do you know why you like to be close to Haruto?'

"He is my friend that's why."

'No that is just one little reason. The main reason is that the natural aura that surrounds him is the most purest I have ever seen and that attracts you just like how a honeybee is attracted to the nectar.' 

Now when Tendo heard this, he realized that he has the same blissful feelings when he is around Haruto. 

"So that means..."

'Yes, he is flawless. He hasn't erred until now and he has no desires yet.' 

Before he could complete his sentence. Nevalis has already completed his thought process. He then added, 

'Maybe that will change when he grows up.'

Tendo was awestruck for a moment. He couldn't believe that such a human with no desires could really exist. 

After thinking about this, a question has arisen in his mind.

"So you can tell who is good and bad by detecting this aura around them?"

'Not really. Until now I can only detect the purest aura and there are also some capricious creatures who have the ability to hide their aura or fake present it. My abilities are very limited now so we have to train to gain more powers and I don't even know about the limits of my powers. All I know is that I need more energy and training to become stronger.' 

"So how do we train?"

'Right now we have to daily come here to absorb this energy because it is purest and most dense at dawn when rays of sunlight appear, new buds bloom, and plants and animals start to wake up.' 

"But why does no other werewolf needs to absorb this energy for their powers?"

'Haven't you noticed that their abilities are different than ours? 

There are two kinds of abilities, endogenous and exogenous abilities. All werewolves have endogenous abilities which means their ability is related to their body like it involves controlling their bodies. 

The other kind is exogenous abilities. Creatures with these abilities can control the surrounding elements like Elves.' 

"Elves?" He remembered that yesterday when Asahi and Beta Ren were talking, Beta Ren said something about Elves being extinct now. 

'Yes, Elves. They were the creatures of the past but they are extinct now and I don't know how they went extinct.

So our ability is the same as Elves. We can control the surrounding elements but we are not from elves.'

"Oh"

He transformed back into a human form. He extended his right hand. On his hand was a small whirlpool slowly transforming into a little crystal. Within the crystal, a small seedling emerged, and on top of that was a little dangling blue snowdrop. 

'We can control the moisture in our surroundings to form these crystals'

He then lightly touched the flower with his other hand.

'But I am not sure about the purpose of this delicate flower. During our fight with Sora, these petals became sharp like a knife and protected us. 

Is this flower a representation of your soul and snow is the representation of my soul?'

He was saying as if questioning his own theory. 

 

'All of this is still a mystery to me.'

He inhaled sharply and then said, 

'Okay let's end today's lesson here.'

"Okay one last question"

'Shoot'

"How do you know so much?"

He took a deep breath and said after some thought, 

'I don't know. It's like all of this knowledge has been encoded into my genes that are passed down from my ancestors like how animals intrinsically know what they have to do during their lifetime from building their homes to rearing their young ones. I also naturally know what I have to do.'

"So..."

'Ok, that's enough. We have to absorb as much energy as possible before the sunrise.'

Before Tendo can ask another question, Nevalis already shut his mouth. 

He then sat down in a meditation pose on grassy land, closed his eyes, and started to concentrate. There was a blue haze that was surrounding him. 

He remained seated there until the sun was halfway up from the peaks of the mountains. 

He then opened his eyes. He was feeling more vigorous after absorbing the energy like he can reach the peak of the front mountain without even sweating a single drop. 

'Let's go back before Asahi wakes up.' 

He realized that the sky has started to lighten up and Asahi would be waking up soon so they have to hurry back. 

He transformed into his wolf and ran at full speed towards the direction of their territory. 

As he was sprinting through the bushes, suddenly something caught his rear leg and he stumbled with force. There was a painful numbing sensation in his leg. He looked towards his leg and realized that it was caught in a steel jaw bear trap and his leg was bleeding. 

'A trap. Someone put a trap here.' 

"How should I get my leg out of this thing? I can't open this thing with my paws. I need to transform back"

'No stop. Don't transform yet.' 

"But..."

'Someone is here.' 

He listened carefully and heard the snapping of twigs and crunching of leaves. Someone was coming in their direction. 

'Humans!'