Is it an optical illusion?

"Michael is a dear lad, all jolly and amusing, there's no doubt in that. We don't work for him, we work with him and the chores are as pleasurable as you want them to be. As long as you have a task to report till sundown, and are being an asset to our family, we're merry. We all work as equals here, sharing the same space with mutual agreement. There's no discrimination, we are wild wolves who live by free spirits-but if you are caught being suspicious in any sort possible, then he won't regret a second to rip open your nerve endings like a cheap irrelevant lace on a fancy gown. Don't laugh, mia Cara, I'm not joking. Michael hates betrayals more than he hates Creatures of God and that's saying a lot. As long as you uphold your honor, he'll uphold his."

That was how Zohar Trenvil was briefed about his boss, Michael Knightblood, by his unnaturally beautiful first-in-command, Rima Suzuno, nearly six months before he was sent to work in the castle due to a spur-of-the-moment decision.

Until this moment, Rima's words were yet to be proven wrong.

Zohar found fascination in Michael. Every day he'd come to work at the tick of seven, did the chores no one liked, had a secret meeting with some secret association of his, played with the pups, ate with the pack then disappeared in one of the tent houses for nearly two to three hours. It's been the same for as long as Zohar had worked with them and he's yet to witness a change.

Zohar admired the consistency in Michael. He secretly wished he had Michael's ability to stick to a pattern and not be distracted by even the simplest of changes around him-new item on a food list, pretty butterfly, a nice girl or something as simple as weather change.

But today was different.

There was an odd glimmer in Michael's eyes as he passed Zohar, patting his back-who had a weekend away from the castle and was pulling out weed from the grass. Michael climbed on one of the wood carved center tables in the open field and clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention.

"Morning my dear wolves, I have an announcement to make," Michael announced loud and clear in the deep voice of his. The rouges gathered around the table, slowly scrambling out of their temporary tent or leaving their odd chores mid way, looking unsure of this sudden call for attention.

Zohar too gathered in a circle, looking a little too earnest for his liking, standing a little diagonal to Rima Suzuno who was the receiver of Michael's bright smile at the moment.

"What is it that requires us to waste our precious time on your pointless yapping, when we could be storing rations and wood for the upcoming rains?"Rima spoke up, arms crossed to her chest in a bored yet subtly curious stance.

Michael chuckled at her.

They took equality pretty seriously here.

"Believe me my dear, this is important!" Michael exclaimed, rubbing his palms in some impending excitement.

"Well then get on with it," Ken Youngstown-a human, local police man, also a not so unapparent member of the secret council and a privileged human among the wolves-yawned out in a very bored and drawn out tone. Ken liked to skip his job and hang out with the wolves, doing nothing but complaining.

Zohar did not like him. He was an exception to every rule in there. Most people did not like him.

"Oh, Kenny, you know it's been a while, nearly a year or two, but we finally got a traitor among us!" Michael cheered loud and almost broke into a ballet on spot.

The crowd gasped in some insane fascination.

Zohar suddenly heard someone's heart pick up a thundering pace around him, odd pheromones leaking out. If Zohar, someone with barely-there supernatural senses, felt it, then everyone around him must have felt it three times faster and stronger.

"What do you mean? What kind of traitor? Last I checked, there was nothing fishy going around," Rima voiced out in confusion, quickly turning around and scanning everyone with her intimidating but ethereal amethyst eyes.

Call it pure co-incidence or just hard luck, but Zohar was so sure that her cold dead eyes landed on his head. His coward heart leaped up to his chest in the quickest and creepiest way possible.

What does she know? How does he know it? There's no way...they never leave the woods...

"Oh yes dear," Michael spoke, jumping down the table and heading toward Zohar, whose heart started vibrating rather than beating. "It escaped your notice because it was a slow and calculated crime of embezzlement being carried out for nearly nine months now. A penny a day, keeps evil Michael away, huh-" Michael was directly in front of a shaking Zohar now, "-Rosalinda?" the forest-eyed wolf shoved pesky Zohar out of his way and caressed the chin of a shivering girl behind him.

Zohar rashly landed on some other wolves' chest which was much better than having Michael Knightblood stare through his soul with his daunting eyes and plan his slow and sadistic death. The man pushed Zohar back on his feet who gave him a stiff smile of thankfulness in return.

Bubbling with curiosity and excitement the rouges stood in a shameless circle around the drama going on.

"Please...Mi-Mi-Michael, you need to understand..." the girl stammered, body trembling to the bone.

Michael chuckled manically, "Aw, darling, I should understand?" if Zohar's photographic memory served him right, Michael's eyes had never gleamed brighter than this moment.

"Glad to know you can find humor in this situation," Ken grumbled under his breath, "This is boring, I'm outta here," he mocked a salute to Rima and strolled away.

"He's such a bore..." Michael smiled with a nose scrunch, "But I'll make sure no one else walks down his path. You're gonna entertain them, right Rosie?" he curled a strand of her pin straight dark hair.

The girl mumbled something undecipherable "Couldn't quite catch that darling," Michael feigned deaf, pulling her closer to his ear. "I-I'm p-pregn-nant...I-I did it for the b-baby...I-I stole so I could give him a better life..." she cried out, shivering more intensely now.

Michael rolled his eyes and threw her away. Nobody jumped to watch her back, as wolves usually do. Nobody stepped forward to catch her. She lost her balance and fell on the ground.

Michael's deep forest eyes darkened, the aura of a jungle beast radiating through him.

"Oh please, what do you mean by giving him a better life? Do we not live as equals here? Feeding each other by a collective effort? Like a family? We work as a team so that everyone can live happily, but you," he stifled a laugh or two, "But you chose to steal, be selfish and deceive your family. You don't get to play the victim here when you have been using other wolves' efforts to satisfy your selfish needs! They work more and get paid less, and somehow its justice?! It starts with a penny and if I turn a blind eye to this crime your child will start stealing two. That's how corruption starts love, no matter the reason I need to nub before it gets out of hand and devours us all."

The crowd cheered. Zohar felt powerful waves of fear emanating from Rosalinda's distressed self. He wondered who the father was and why was he not speaking up.

The girl crawled toward him and bowed her head in his feet. She looked pathetic, withering on the ground in nothing but pure fear and Zohar's emphatic heart wanted nothing but to reach out.

Nearly choking on her tears, Rosalinda managed to utter, "You don't understand, M-Michael, it's hard...I know I was wrong, but please, give me a chance at redemption. Please forgive me, I will do anything, just don't ... don't kill me...I beg you-"

"You talk too much," Michael cut in coldly, clutching her arm and dragging her on the ground behind him. Zohar flinched when Michael suddenly stopped mid-way and left her hand, looking like he had a change of heart. Then he bent down to Rosalinda's eye-level, grabbed her hair and dragged her all the way to the punishment cross.

Her body left a sad trail on the sand which was soon erased by an overenthusiastic howling crowd.

The punishment cross was a gigantic wooden cross, standing tall and proud beside the river. The hard work of 36 wolves combined to perfect its size and shape for these very moments.

Entertainment.

Zohar's heart skipped a beat or two when Rima levitated Rosalinda in air and bound her to the cross with her magical energy draining chains. He had seen Rima use those while giving out minor punishments to the reckless pups. The chains drain the mystical element of the thing they're tied to and transfer its manna to its owner. The longer it stays, the weaker its victim becomes. Unless they're human.

"Rosalinda Park, you broke one of the core laws of our family. You deceived your people over and over again for nine months and lied selfishly to hide your crimes. You had no right to steal. Had you talked this out with us, your family, it would have turned out better. But you chose the down-road and we have no place for people who don't want to be anything but equals. You made your choice and now you shall suffer the consequences. We don't believe in second chances, so your last words will be kept in consideration. It's your task then, to entertain them before you die."

"No! No! NO! You don't get it! It'll ruin us all! This thing we have, you all don't understand! He'll destroy us all!! You don't know him and his witch friend! They'll kill us all! I've seen blood, war and death in his hands. He will call doom upon us! You must understand!" Rosalinda screamed on her death bed, but did not phase anyone's minds.

The crowd booed, confirming her betrayal and their mistrust for her. Rosalinda closed her mouth shut as tears uncontrollably flowed down her face. Taking another breath in, she prepared for her awaiting death. She suddenly looked so pale and weak, dirty and worn out from mere moments ago. Zohar remembered her smile, it was beautiful. Her dimples would pop out and her lips would turn into a box, fluffing up her cheeks for anyone to easily squish. Wolves loved her, her long raven hair, her big blue eyes, her small frame and her cheerful persona.

Everyone wanted to wed her.

Now they were throwing scorns at her bedraggled face, soiled by mud and scars. Her beautiful smile scarred by tears. She was wailing, heaving, pleading, crying.

'They just want me dead, maybe I'm better off like that...' she thought, while her eyes scanned the crowd to find one face, at least one face that would be sad to see her die...but all her accelerating blurry vision caught was bright cheers.

Everyone's selfish in here.

She just got caught.

Rosalinda closed her charming blue eyes, thankful that she would now be liberated from being a part of this family.

Michael nodded at Rima who raised her hand toward the sky. The wooden cross clicked open and innumerable Dermestes Beetles-man eating bugs-crawled out and over Rosalinda's body. As the white haired insect bit in her flesh, her screams intensified and Michael's eyes brightened. He was smiling.

Zohar's insides shuddered in pure terror.

He's a monster!

"May your sins be forgiven and may your soul rest in peace," Rima prayed under her breath, head and hands rose heavenwards. She turned to her people and announced, "We perform this act of supposed cruelty while she lives so that pain redeems her crimes. May she and her unborn child safely head heaven and not be lost souls in hell."

"After she dies, keep her body away from water, will you?" someone spoke, but Zohar was too shook to notice.

He shivered, clearly not wanting to witness anymore he moved back to pulling out weed, not knowing how the others kept on staring her scream and found pleasure in the poor girl's pain.

It was just a penny for nine months...was it worth two lives?

Were we truly a family?

<3

"'Was it worth it?' I asked myself the minute I turned my back on her screaming body. Just because it was benefiting me, was it right? I kept on thinking; but then Rima told me that I was right. We are the only wolves not subjected to the Shadow Empire's domination and strive so hard every day, divide chores, move places, keep a small circle, don't have any social lives to protect each other...and if we start betrayal among ourselves-then how are we different from those partial monsters?"

Michael took her small, cold hand in his large, coarse one.

Rubbing a thumb across the back of her hand, he sighed, "Are you proud of me Flora? Did I do well? I thought of others first and barely focused on the exhilaration that coursed through my veins when I heard her scream. I tried to be a good person..."

Words ceased to come out of his mouth when his eyes zoned on the framed picture hanging on the wall behind the canopy of her bed. Enclosed in a gold frame was not a real memory of them together, but a genius artist's fantastic illustration of what it would have been like to be normal just for a day.

Just them, together.

Under the azure sky, she had her arms encircled around his big frame, a dazzling smile on her face as he was trying to steal the cake-pop from her lips and she was resisting. The life in her chocolate painted eyes never ceased to make him shiver on spot.

There will be a time when she'll look at me the same way.

He kept on reminding himself whenever he eyed the cold body lying on the satin bedspread with lilies surrounding her head like a beautiful crown, curtsy Rima. Her once radiant face in a sad, pale pause, body stiff in the lace dress that she cherished oh-so-dearly; Michael wondered what it would have been like if they met at a different place, in a different time.

Or maybe it would all be perfect if Raven did not exist.

Life would have been so much easier for every one of them.

His teeth gritted in anger.

Flora was the only string of hope that Michael clung onto for his dear life. She was the dazzling sun amidst his dark universe. Without her...it was hard. Everything was. His hand tightened around hers.

At least she's here though.

Shame, Raven did not even have that privilege.

Unknowingly, a maniacal grin replaced the rage on his face. Sometimes, Michael wondered whether he should hate Raven or just pity unfortunate existence.

Her hand in his, he could warm it with his. One look at her peaceful face and all he needed in the world was his name rolling off her lips.

"I'll bring you back, love, everything is in place now. It's going to be our time soon. We just need the omega and it will be a piece of cake. I promise, it will all be over before long and we'll enjoy the summer sun that you so liked," a stray tear rolled down his eye. Freaking traitor. Michael wiped it off with his denim jacket sleeve and kissed his sleeping beauty's chapped lips.

Sincerely, truly and forevermore-his heart never ceased to flutter like a butterfly whenever he neared her.

"Oaky, I wrote something last night," Michael cleared his throat and pulled a crumbled piece of paper out of his jacket pocket. "As usual, it's nothing much. Ridiculous really, but I spent more time with the pups yesterday so I just couldn't help myself and this came out. Here goes," he coughed again, "And don't you dare make fun of me after you wake up."

He scanned around to see if the coast was clear and the tent was empty. Devoid of any real signs of life.

Fidgeting with his shoes and nervously staring at the paper, he read:

"What's Tom without Jerry?

It's a boring story.

What's the lamb without Mary?

It's a lonely fable.

What's the star without its twinkle?

It's a lost glimmer.

And what's Flora without Michael?

It's a dreary flicker.

So like Mickey and Minnie,

Aladdin and Jinnee, or

Alice and the bunny,

We must stick together,

Counting on each other,

Forever.

Even if our souls are worlds apart,

As long as I can touch your hand,

I'll be glad.

There's nothing holding us back.

We'll get our happy end."

The end~

"Corny...wasn't it? Thought so. I don't know... I just wanted to write it and read it out loud. See, I kept my promise, now you must keep yours and be back to me as soon as it's all ready!" he folded the paper hastily and looked around to check if anyone spied. Feeling content on the lack of presence of life around him, he smiled and said, "I need to go now, see you soon love."

Gently placing her hand back on her flat stomach, he kissed her forehead and got up. Giving one last look to the nearly empty tent barring the bed, chair and innumerable amount of flowers, he walked out, ready to face life again.

Face his mistakes.

He was just a boy.

<3

Ugly mistakes.

Rosalinda was still shrieking like mad while he fished in the river beside her. Fishes, strange creatures. In order to feed they dared to become food.

Its family might be sad for the fate it called upon itself; but the family that ends up eating it would be ecstatic.

Two sides of a coin.

They were all stuck in this circulation of beautiful mistakes.

Someone's pain someone's pleasure, someone's sorrow someone's tomorrow.

Did mistakes even exist? He wondered.

Crystal water gushed past him, ebbing with the flow, guiding his bait to some new fish. A bird chirped on the tree in front of him, sharply eyeing the fishes.

There was no such thing as mistakes, he concluded. Every moment he lived was a result of a decision he made right before. Life was all about choice, options without a wrong answer. For someone he'd always be wrong, for someone he'll always be right. It depends on which side he chooses to view.

There's no such thing as mistakes or regrets. It's all a game of meticulous choices.

Rima approached Michael with a man following behind.

She was an ally from the Spirit Kingdom, a beautiful and feisty ancient witch of Japanese origin. Born with a natural beauty that connected her magic-core with ethereal eternity of nature, she aged with every second. Most powerful in summer, brilliant in spring, drowsy in autumn and tough in winter.

Her bright green hair was as soft as the lush forest grass, cascading down her back and ending a little before her ankles. Her features were sharp, with meticulous purple eyes that made her look like an anime fan in cosplay 24/7. Her skin resembled a mix of palest of green and yellows blended into smoothness all over her. She glowed ever so kindly under the sun, a trademark of spirits who used elemental magic, looking ever so breezy and chill upon touch. She was small, dare he say, tiny (4'9"), but absolutely nothing in her personality would suggest you so. She was bold, outgoing, outspoken and had a serious presence in a room. Her aura, due to her age, was majestic when in a room.

Though, most people never took her seriously because of her appearance.

If he assumed correctly, the man was supposed to be one of the best strategy planners of the nation. Sadly un-recruit-able, un-leverage-able and human.

"Come lad, its time," Rima patted his back and nudged him toward the forest grounds, away from the rouge camp. Michael rolled his eyes, elbowing her side, "Stop calling me lad, old sack." He dropped his fishing rod on the grass and asked someone to take the bucket full of mackerel to the chef's tent.

"Don't you grumble boy, I'm so old, even Ancient calls me her older sister. But I'm privileged in the matters of age and youth so, I can call you whatever I want," she poked her tongue out and Michael scoffed. He turned back and greeted the man with a nod of acknowledgement.

"Would you look at her and say that she's a good century or two old?" Michael inquired the man with a straight face.

The man eyed him with a 'do I look like the idiot here when there's a girl with purple eyes and green hair calling herself ancient' look.

"See, clearly not," Michael gave her an unapologetic apologetic smile.

"You did not even let him speak!" Rima huffed out, stomping in annoyance.

"Love, his face said everything!"

"And since when did you become the face reading expert?"

"Since you started being delusional."

Rima stepped on Michael's foot, who winced in pain, and sped walked further into the forest.

Crossing the wooden bridge, over the small river, she stood in front of the gigantic waterfall separating her from her destination.

The water gushed down in heavy streams. In a brutal flow of sparkling white it met the calm river underneath it. "These arses just never learn, do they?" she grumbled under her breath as her amethyst eyes gleamed golden for a tad. If Michael was not supernatural, he could have never spotted the momentary halt in the flow of water when Rima crossed it, walking right past its heavy pressure.

The human, who introduced himself as Zach, questioned in a flabbergasted manner, "Did-she, just...what did she do? Walk right underneath it...? Is it an optical illusion? Some kind of defense strategy? A projection?!" he questioned in a surprised tone, nearing the stone edge of the river bank and trying to dip a finger inside the waterfall. "Whoa it's real and very cold!" Zach gasped and pulled his hand back. Michael chuckled.

"I know dude don't you worry, she's crazy like that. We'll take the long way around," Michael patted Zach's back, pulled his shirt and led him further deep into the forest until they were exactly behind the waterfall and in front of a cave. Zach looked enormously impressed and mildly terrified.

"Gentlemen first," Michael gestured Zach to walk inside and suddenly the human was contemplating life decisions.

"I know the pay is good and all, but still, you're not going to gang up and kill me silently, right?" he questioned, eyeing the dimly lit cave that led to a secret wooden cabin inside.

"Think about it, what use are you to us while dead?" Michael shrugged.

"True that. The layout is marvelous and impregnable without an insider's help, I like it. There's no security though, that can be a little risky, and oh will you look at that!" Zach exclaimed as he opened the door and saw five people inside the cabin, staring at him impatiently and expectantly. They were standing around a big circular table, in a room stereo-typically designed for shady purposes.

Michael marveled at the naivety of humans.

'Would he believe if I tell him that its spell locked with magic?' Michael wondered.

"Took your sweet time, did you not?" Rima snapped, unrolling a few blueprints as someone settled their stubborn curves under a paper weight.

"It's not like you can get any older or something," Michael chuckled in reply. Rima contemplated performing a curse on the cheeky man in front.

Zach reached the table first and observed the maps carefully. His eyes gleaming with interest, "Typical castle layout I see. Constructed in the early eighteenth century?" he questioned to no-one in particular. Rima nodded.

Michael took a couch on the far left and sat in a corner, observing the meeting. Rima took the lead, as always, engaging in personal interaction whilst the other four took seats behind her. One girl and three guys.

"Looks an odd merge of Scandinavian and British to me. Trelleborg-type fortress? They have a thing for circular structures with secret passages. There's a lot of them in here...I won't even bother asking how you got hold of these. If you managed to steal the layout, then I presume you know a way in? Undetected. Insiders?" Zach questioned a bored faced Michael.

"It'd be better if you focus on your task at hand and not presumptions," Rima gained Zach's attention and tapped the map on the table.

"If it were me...I'd be attacking one of the gates first, causing a distraction-