The Howling Wolf

Part 1

The whistling wind did its work to bring you the howling. Again. It lingered in the air while your eyes perked up to watch curiously at the distance; the horizon was full of unexplored riches and myths, those you adored spending time fantasizing about.

"____, look!" The four-year-old boy marveles, catching your attention. "Papa, papa! Look!" Carefully, he stood up and made sure to keep his index finger outstretched where a white butterfly had touched down and - "Oh!"

With hands joined behind his back, the King joined you in the royal gardens where you had spent half of the afternoon. Jungkook was still pouting when his father reached him after the insect had flown away.

"What have you two been doing here ?" He asked, sitting beside where you were sprawled on the freshly mown lawn and gazing fascinated at some bugs.

"We're looking for animals in the grass!" Squealed the boy happily, running back to you to fling himself back on to the ground.

You snorted, "They're insects, Jungkook."

"Yes, insects!" He corrected himself looking up at his father. "Papa, when I'm tall I will be a buwerfly!"

"When I'm this tall," You suddenly jumped on your feet smiling at the King with your hand high towards the sky, "I will travel everywhere so that I can see all the insects in the world."

Jungkook beamed at the idea he found even much better than his,"me too, me too!"

"No, you can't." You said in a serious tone, shaking your head once as you look down at him.

With a frown and a childlike pout painting itself on his lips, Jungkook whined, "why?"

"Because I'm older and you're still small," you stated simply, crossing your arms on your chest.

Pursing his mouth, he raised onto his feet and accusingly exclaimed with a pointing finger,"you'we small too."

The King chuckled, amused by the playful banter and ran his hands through your hair. "You both will... When the right time comes."

"Togewer?" Your brother chortled excitedly while taking your hand in his tiny one.

"Yes, together." Smiled the man, observing his children's eyes holding stardust which spiralled through the galaxy and whose hands remained interlocked as if an alliance had been made, and he couldn't be more pleased.

(20 years later)

The castle was silent that late afternoon. It had always felt too empty ever since Jungkook's departure to a foreign country, one his mother had urged him to go for the sake of his education and training as a future king. Meanwhile, your father had gone on a visit with the Queen to a neighboring sovereign earlier that day, leaving you alone with the personnel.

The sun was slowly setting behind the clouds, rose and orange hues bathed the inside of the buildings through the arches as you walked toward your chambers.

You were right around the corner to the staircase leading to your room, when a hand suddenly wrapped around your face. Your heart skipped a beat. You instinctively gave them a jab of your elbow in their ribs, hard, and sent them hitting the floor with a kick in between their legs.

A male voice grunted in pain and you ran away the fastest you could. You went for the narrow corridors, but before you could reach them, something grasped onto the back of your long dress, bringing you to a halt. You whimpered as you tried to get yourself out of his grip, however, the assailant was much heavier and stronger than you, easily reclaiming the upper hand, and held your wrists together to prevent you from striking again.