Seven days.
Oliver had been running for seven days. He was running through the woods. The same dark trees Eiden had walked under that day. But now they felt different. They felt alive. They felt angry.
He was alone. The Den kept its secrets safe. He did not know the names of other spies. He had no one to trust. The only thing that he could do right now is inform the Master about this.
The Evergreen whom they have been searching for the last 16 years is alive. She is actually ALIVE.
He just had to get home.
He burst from the trees. He saw the high, hidden gate of the Wolf's Den. Two guards stood there. They were always there. They raised their spears.
"Halt! The password!"
"It's me!" Oliver gasped. He stumbled. "It's Oliver!"
"Password!" the first guard shouted. He did not lower his spear. He did not care if the face was familiar. Rules were rules.
"The... the mountain," Oliver choked out. "The mountain... sleeps."
The guards relaxed. They lowered their spears and pulled the heavy wooden gate open. They saw the state of him. Their eyes went wide.
Oliver did not stop. He ran past them.
His clothes were in rags. They were torn, wet, and covered in dirt. His face was thin. Scratches from thorns crossed his cheeks. His left leg was a bloody mess. It looked like an animal had torn at it. He was leaving a wet, red track on the path. He was broken. He was running on pure instincts.
He stumbled through the village square. People stopped. They stared at him. He ignored them. He ran right for the main meeting hall.
Only Masters could enter that hall.
Two more guards stood at that door. They were big. They crossed their arms. "Oliver! You cannot enter!" "I... I have to..." Oliver panted. "The masters... Evergreen..." "You know the law. Step back," the guard said. He put a heavy hand on Oliver's chest.
From across the square, Eiden saw it. He was walking with Noah. He saw Oliver. He saw the blood. He saw the guard.
The guard shoved Oliver. Oliver was too weak. He fell hard on the stone steps.
Anger flashed in Eiden's eyes. It was cold and fast. "Stay here, Noah," Eiden said. His voice was low.
He moved. Before the guards could even turn, Eiden was there. The first guard saw him. "Eiden, this is not—" Eiden's fist hit the guard in the stomach. All the air left him. He folded. The second guard grabbed for his club. Eiden was faster. He grabbed the guard's arm. He twisted. There was a loud snap. The guard screamed and fell.
It took two seconds.
Liam was on the training ground. He saw the fight. He saw Eiden drop two Den guards. He thought Eiden was attacking. "Eiden! Stop!" he roared. He grabbed his axe. He started to run, pushing through the crowd.
Emma and Charlotte were there too. They all ran toward the hall. They saw Eiden. They saw the guards on the ground.
But Eiden was too late. While Eiden fought the guards, Oliver saw his chance. While Liam was shouting, Oliver used the chaos. He scrambled to his feet. He lunged past Eiden. He threw himself at the heavy hall doors.
He burst into the meeting room. Master Durai, Master Sebastian, and the other masters were at a long table. They looked up, shocked. More guards moved to tackle Oliver. "Get him!" one shouted.
Oliver was desperate. He ducked under their arms. He used his last bit of strength. He jumped onto the long table. He stood over the masters. He was covered in blood, water, and dirt.
Eiden, Liam, and the others hit the doorway. They froze.
Oliver stood on the table. He took a deep, shaking breath. He screamed. His voice filled the hall. It filled the square outside.
"EVERGREEN IS ALIVE!"
Everyone was frozen. Shocked. Puzzled. Master Durai stood up slowly. His face was white.
Oliver swayed on his feet. He had done it. He had done his job. His eyes rolled back in his head. He fell from the table. He landed hard on the floor. He was completely senseless.
Eiden was on his friend in a second. He did not care about the Evergreen at that moment. He only saw Oliver.
"Get Sharley!" he yelled.
A whisper ran through the crowd. It was a single word. "Evergreen." The name spread. It was a fire in dry grass. The entire village was frozen.
Eiden lifted Oliver into his arms. Oliver was light, too light. Eiden started running toward the medic bay.
And the whole village followed. It was a strange, silent parade. The masters, the guards, the children. Everyone walked behind Eiden. They were drawn by that one magic word. It showed how much this meant. It showed the hope they all had. Evergreen.
The Den's chief medic met them at the door. It was Sharley. Her face was hard and sharp, just like her daughter, Charlotte. She saw Oliver's bloody leg. She saw his pale face. "Inside. Now," she commanded. "Everyone else, out! He needs space!" Eiden carried Oliver in. He placed him on the cot. Sharley pushed him back out the door. It slammed shut.
The crowd stood outside. They were silent. Eiden, Liam, Emma, and Charlotte stood with the masters.
Master Sebastian spoke first. His voice was a low shock. "Alive... after all this time? How could this be?"
Master Durai stared at the closed door. His face was grim. "You called her a ghost, old friend." He did not look at Sebastian. "You forgot. You forgot who she was. She was... she is... the strongest warrior this Den has ever Seen. I knew she was not dead."
Master Martin, the oldest of the masters, stepped forward. "Talk is cheap, Durai. If she is alive, where is she?"
Sebastian shook his head. His mind was working fast. "It must be a prison. If Evergreen was free, she would have come back to us. She must be captured."
"Then we will free her," Durai said. His voice was final. He looked at Liam. "Liam. You are our best axe. You will go. Leave at dawn."
Liam nodded. He placed his hand on the axe at his belt. "Yes, Master."
"No."
The word was quiet. It was from Sebastian. Durai turned, his eyes on fire. "What did you say?"
"This is not a mission for an axe," Sebastian said. He stood tall. "This is a mission for a shadow. It is a 'den of silk-tied wolves,' remember? You need someone who can adapt. Someone who can fight with his hands, his head, or a broken chair. You need a brawler. You need him."
Sebastian pointed at Eiden.
Liam exploded. "He's not a warrior! He's a guard dog! He fears weapons! I am much stronger than him!"
Emma stepped forward. "Master, Eiden can't go alone! It's too dangerous!"
Eiden spoke. His voice was calm and cold. It cut through the others. "I will go."
Durai slammed his hand against the wall. "I give the orders! Liam is focused. He is disciplined. Eiden is... a problem."
Sebastian challenged him. "I know that town like the back of my head. The people there are different. You need an infiltrator, Durai. Not an executioner. Send Liam, and you will start a war. Send Eiden... and you might get an answer. His... problem... is exactly what you need. He is the only one who can do this."
The other masters murmured. They agreed. Durai was trapped. He looked at Eiden. He saw the boy who had just dropped two Den guards without a thought. "Fine." The word was like a stone. "Eiden will go. You leave at dawn." He pointed to Charlotte. "You. You will help him plan. Find him a way in. Now."
Right then, the medic bay door opened. Sharley stepped out. She looked exhausted. "Oliver?" Eiden and Sebastian asked at the same time.
Sharley sighed. "He's alive. Barely. An animal tore his leg. He has a high fever. But that's not the worst of it." She looked at the masters. "He is in a deep coma. It looks like... he used everything. Every last bit of strength he had. He used it all just to get here. He's an empty shell. He cannot talk."
A cold silence fell. They had a location. They had a name. Evergreen. But they were going in blind.
Charlotte was the first to move. "Okay. We have work to do."
They went to the planning room. Charlotte unrolled a map of England. "We need a cover story," she said. "We can't just walk in."
"I have one," Sebastian said. He joined them at the table. "Eiden will go as a student and attend St. Swithin's Royal Academy."
Emma looked shocked. "A student? He's a Wolf! He can't... do what they do!"
"He won't need to," Sebastian said. "I have a friend there. Sir Robert. He teaches Biology. He... owes me a favor. We were... classmates. Of a sort." His face was a mask. It was clear there was a long story there. "He is an ally. He will be your inside contact, Eiden. He will handle your papers. You will be a 'transfer student from the neutral Swiss territories.' Your parents were 'lost in an avalanche.' It is a sad story. They will believe it."
Sebastian found a pen and paper. He began to write. "Give this letter to Robert. Only to Robert. He will understand."
Dawn came fast. The travel was a blur. A supply truck. A dark ship. A train. Two days later, Eiden was walking on English soil.
St. Swithin's Royal Academy was not a school. It was a fortress. It sat on a cold, misty island. Ancient stone buildings were covered in dark ivy. The air smelled of salt and rain. Eiden enjoyed the first sight of the school.
He found the Biology lab. A man was inside, organizing jars. He had a kind face and a tweed jacket. "Can I help you, young man?" Eiden did not speak. He handed him the letter.
Sir Robert read it. His face went white. He looked up at Eiden. His eyes were sharp. "An... avalanche, was it?" he said. His voice was tight. "Welcome to St. Swithin's, Mr. Killian. We will find you a dorm."
The next two days, Eiden was a detective. He did not look for a person named Evergreen. He looked for patterns. He looked for anything that was out of place.
St. Swithin's was the most exclusive co-ed school in the world. It was a place for the sons and daughters of the global elite.
While going to his first class which was through the Music Classroom, he heard a piano. The music was sad and powerful. He followed the sound to the music room. He saw her again. The girl with the sharp eyes. She was alone at the piano. A teacher was with her. "That is lovely, Miss Cronus," the teacher said. "Your passion is wonderful." The girl did not even look at the teacher. "It's adequate," she said, her voice cold. "Leave me." The teacher, a grown woman, just nodded and left the room. Eiden heard the name. Cronus. He noted the power she had. He left.
He learned the school's rhythm. He saw the cliques. He saw the rich boys who ran the halls. He saw the bullies.
On the second day, he needed more. He went to Sir Robert. "I need to find a female student." Robert sighed. "The girls' wing is... separate. Their records are handled by a different office. Be careful, Eiden. The girls here are... more dangerous than the boys. Especially their leader."
An idea sparked in Eiden's mind. Maybe there could be something about Evergreen in the records.
He needed those records. He went to the female students' records office. He could not just ask. He "tripped." He knocked over a huge stack of file boxes. "Oh, dear!" the secretary cried. While she cleaned up, Eiden scanned the desk. He saw a list. Senior Girls - Dorm Registry. He scanned the names. Sophia. Luna. Sasha. Eva. No Evergreen. He was frustrated. He went to the library. He looked at old yearbooks. Nothing.
It was the third day. Lunchtime. Eiden was in the main courtyard. He saw some bullies. The group of rich boys from the first day. There were six of them. They had a smaller boy pinned against the wall. "You forgot our homework, did you?" the leader sneered. "You'll pay for that."
Eiden saw the Bear Clan in them. He saw weakness. He saw predators. He hated it. He started walking. "Leave him," Eiden said.
The leader, a big boy named Balthazar, turned. He laughed. "And who are you? The new Swiss rat?" The six boys surrounded Eiden. "This is our school, rat," Balthazar said. "You don't know the rules yet, do you? We will teach you don't worry"
Balthazar threw a punch. Eiden moved inside the punch. His palm struck Balthazar hard in the chest. Whoosh. All the air left Balthazar's body. He collapsed. (One.)
Two more grabbed Eiden from behind. Eiden twisted. He grabbed their arms. He used their own grip to slam their heads together. CRACK. They both fell to the stone path. (Two. Three.)
A fourth boy tried to kick him. Eiden caught the foot. He twisted the ankle. A loud snap echoed in the yard. The boy screamed and fell. (Four.)
The last two boys froze. They were terrified. Eiden took one step toward them. They turned and ran. (Five. Six.)
The entire courtyard was silent. Eiden stood among the groaning boys. He was not even breathing hard. He looked bored. Right then,
"That was a messy, inefficient display."
The voice was cold. It cut through the silence. Eiden turned. It was her. The girl from the piano. Cronus. She was not amused. She looked... bored. She walked slowly toward him. Her shoes made no sound. Her friends, the other girls, stayed back. They looked afraid of her. She did not step over Balthazar. She stopped and looked down at him. "Get up, Balthazar. You're pathetic." Balthazar, groaning, tried to get to his feet. He looked terrified. "Miss... Miss Cronus... I..." "Shut up," she said. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't have to. She then looked at Eiden. Her eyes were sharp and analytical. Like she was looking at a new tool. "You fight like a brawler. All raw power, no style. You're new." It was not a question. "My name is Emily Cronus. This academy is my territory. That means you are now in my territory. What is your name?"
[End of Chapter-2]