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Professor Maddox pulls me aside, his expression filled with understanding and empathy. Despite the whirlwind of emotions and uncertainties that have engulfed me, his words offer a glimmer of reassurance.
“Mahalia,” he begins, his voice gentle but resolute, “I want you to know that I understand the importance of your college education to your family, and I won’t let this mission disrupt your path to success.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, you’ll pass your courses. Don’t worry about that.”
I narrow my eyes at him. “That doesn’t sound very ethical.”
He chuckles to himself. “You don’t really care about that, do you? Education and academia don’t really seem like it’s your sort of thing. I know you’ve been doing Lars’s homework, but I still don’t see you putting all your effort into your work. I thought you might jump at the chance to the easy way out.”
I smile to myself. I guess he really did see me in ways that I didn’t think he would. I don’t like academia; I wouldn’t be doing it if it wasn’t for my parents. My father has high hopes for me to become something official—some high-up CEO role or something in some city company—but that isn’t me. That isn’t the sort of person I am.
“So, what is your dream?” he asks me with his head cocked to one side. “You’ve always intrigued me, Mahalia. I’ve always wanted to know more about you, and what you really care about.”
I sigh to myself. Do I tell him all about my art? The passion that’s been stifled for as long as I can, remember? I would love to dive back into that, I have always wanted to paint again, but I don’t have the time. Will the professor I clashed with the most understand that?
I meet Professor Maddox’s inquisitive gaze, a mixture of surprise and uncertainty swirling within me. His question about my dreams catches me off guard, as it’s not something I often discuss with others, especially not with someone like him.
“Well,” I begin slowly, choosing my words carefully, “my dream... it’s not really something I talk about much. It’s kind of complicated.” I pause for a moment, contemplating whether to reveal my deepest aspirations. But then I decided that there’s something about this moment, this mission, that encourages honesty. “I’ve always had a passion for art, specifically painting. Ever since I was a child, it’s been my way of expressing myself and escaping from the pressures of my family’s expectations.”
Maddox listens intently, his expression one of genuine interest. “Painting,” he repeats softly. “That’s something beautiful and deeply personal. It sounds like it means a lot to you.”
I nod, a wistful smile tugging at the corners of my lips. “It does. But life, obligations, and family expectations have pushed it to the background. I’ve always felt like I had to follow a path that was set for me, not the one I truly desired.”
“I would love to see some of your artwork.”
I smile sadly at him. “I don’t have anything with me. I don’t think I could ever show you.”
He nods, almost to himself as he backs away. “Okay, well since you’re stuck here in the forbidden forest with us for a while, I think we can at least do something to make you happy.”
“Wait, what are you talking about?”
But I don’t get a chance. Maddox isn’t giving me a chance to talk. He’s traveling backward and bursting out of his human skin while he goes. Becoming the monster I didn’t know existed until only a few moments ago.
Now though, as Professor Maddox begins his transformation into a wolf, I can’t help but watch with a sense of fascination rather than fear. The initial shock and disbelief that had accompanied witnessing Kit’s transformation have now given way to a growing curiosity about the wolf shifters and their abilities.
The room is filled with an energy that’s both mystical and powerful as Maddox’s form undergoes a remarkable metamorphosis. His body elongates, fur sprouting from his skin, and his limbs stretch and reshape. The sounds of bones shifting and muscles adjusting echo through the room, creating an eerie but mesmerizing symphony.
Soon, where there was once a man, there stands a magnificent gray wolf. His eyes, a shade of amber, meet mine briefly, and there’s a depth of wisdom and understanding in them that transcends any human expression.
“Wow,” I whisper as he backs away into the forest. I don’t know what he plans on doing to make me happy here but watching him leave is making my heart skip a few beats. I’m in awe. This really has been the strangest time of my whole life…
While I wait for Professor Maddox to return, I find myself restlessly wandering around the cavern concealed behind the waterfall. Each of the men, my peculiar companions on this bewildering journey, holds my attention in turn.
Kit, his sleek form glistening with water droplets, is back to swimming in the cool pool, but he seems to be doing so with an air of deliberate avoidance, as if I were a mere reflection in the water, easy to ignore. Lars is busy tending to the fire. His thoughts are clearly occupied with something, and he remains lost in his own world, seemingly unfazed by the bizarre circumstances we find ourselves in, and by the fact that I just caught him out in the worst thing he could have done to me. As for Vaughn, he paces restlessly behind the cascading water, his movements betraying a sense of unease and tension. It’s as if he’s constantly on edge, anticipating an imminent threat that could descend upon him at any moment.
I don’t like this. I don’t know if I should be here.
I finally decide to break the eerie silence that hangs over our makeshift camp in the hidden cavern. My curiosity has been gnawing at me, and I need some answers.
“Have other teams, like us, tried to close the Rift?” I ask, addressing no one in particular because I don’t know who’s going to be best at answering it.
“Er…” Lars and Vaughn exchange a look. But it’s Kit who finally opens up to me.
“There have been other groups, yes.”
“And they were… unsuccessful?” I ask, a shiver running down my spine at the thought of those who had ventured into the unknown before us, only to meet failure and perhaps even worse fates. It reinforces the gravity of our mission and the tremendous odds stacked against us.
