Freedom!

Late afternoon.

Grandma Azere found her missing walking stick outside the house, near the vegetable garden.

A deep frown appeared on her forehead. How did her walking stick reach the garden area?

Never mind, it must be that witch playing a prank on her! She picked up the stick and returned to the hut.

A few minutes later, Grandma Azere exited the hut carrying the basket in her right hand and her walking stick in her left hand.

After a few minutes of walking, she finally reached the cave.

She found no one at the entrance of the cave. She was looking forward to having a word with Sabrina before she goes back to the hut. She put the basket on top of the rock and turned around, about to go home.

Sabrina suddenly arrived at the entrance of the cave. "Grandma, wait!" she said breathlessly.

Grandma Azere looked at her charge. "How are you today, child?" she asked.

"Grandma, I can't kill Rhett with the knife that you had given me! I'm sorry, I just can't!" Sabrina said, shaking her head vigorously.

Grandma Azere was stunned, her brows knitted together. "W-what knife? I didn't give you any knife! What the hell are you talking about? Who are you trying to kill? And who ordered you to kill the wolf?" she asked in a raised voice.

A frown appeared on Sabrina's forehead. "You are the one who give me the knife to kill Rhett! You told me that If I kill Rhett, I can leave the cave safely," she said.

"Hell no! I will never order you to do such a horrible act!" Grandma Azere denied vehemently. She examined her charge's face closely, Sabrina is telling the truth! C-could it be that someone came earlier and disguised as her and tricked Sabrina to kill the wolf?

Who could it be? Mother? Olga or Doreen? Or those gray wolves... disguising as her?

This is not good!

"Child, can you give me the knife?" Grandma Azere said.

"Okay," Sabrina replied and removed the dagger from the pocket of her skirt that she covered with a clothe. She threw it on the ground, it landed near Grandma's feet.

Azere picked up the clothe and inspected the dagger inside. "It's a toy dagger made of thin wood!" she told her charge.

Sabrina was astounded. "What-? Let me take a look, Grandma!" she said.

Grandma Azere throws the dagger back inside the cave.

Sabrina looked at the dagger, picked it up, and inspected it. "What's going on? But it's real metal dagger when I received it from you earlier!" she insisted.

Grandma Azere shut her eyes for a moment and groaned afterward. That Olga witch was responsible for this!

She looked at her charge. "Child, give me back the toy dagger. And next time, if somebody told you to kill the wolf using my image, don't ever believe that person! That person is fake! I will never order you to kill anyone, especially the wolf!" she said and walked away.

Stunned, Sabrina watched her Grandma leave the vicinity of the cave.

Her face was marred with confusion. Who is using Grandma Azere's image to deceive her into killing Rhett?

Why the things around her are becoming more confusing nowadays?

Ugh! All these mysterious things that are happening around her are making her crazy!

She wished Grandma had told her everything. Her benefactor hides so many things from her! And it's making her crazy, and prone to be easily manipulated by others!

Visibly shaken, she lowered herself on the ground. She wrapped her arms around her legs, staring helplessly at the view outside, feeling so lost inside.

Meanwhile...

Walking on the path leading back to the hut, Grandma Azere's mind was preoccupied. She got a strong suspicion that Olga was the one playing a cruel prank on Sabrina!

Suddenly...

Olga materialized beside Azere. She looked at the toy dagger in Azere's hand. Her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh, Sabrina give the dagger to you? I see, it already expired and turned into a toy. Too bad, it didn't served it's purpose well..." she said, laughing in amusement. "That girl of yours is really an angel! She can't bring herself to kill the wolf, so sad. I was trying to help you and and your charge so that the poor girl can leave the cave, but she refused to help herself! She would rather be left behind in the cave than kill the wolf. Well... I've already done my best..." she said with a shrug.

Grandma Azere eyed Olga with contempt. "Are you going to make my girl a murderer!?" she yelled furiously at her.

Olga smiled at Azere. "Oh, don't be stingy! It's about time that I will tell you what Mother has told me long time ago. I ask her that what a maiden needs to do to get out of the cave safely? Do you want to know her answer?"

"So - what's her answer?" Grandma Azere asked curiously.

"Mother told me that if the maiden can kill the wolf first before the kiss can happen, then the girl can save herself!" Olga revealed.

Grandma Azere eyed Olga with disbelief. "I don't believe you! You're just making it up!" she said, accusing her of sprouting nonsense. "I will only believe your claim if Mother will tell me herself! Leave now and stop creating trouble here!" she snapped at her.

Olga sneered. "You can't order me around. In case you have forgotten, Mother instructed me to watch over the couple and report to her any changes happening inside the cave!" she said and disappear before Azere can utter a word.

Grandma Azere continues walking towards the hut, wearing a grim expression on her face.

She would rather believe that Olga was lying. Mother would never make a murderer out of her innocent charge!

After a few minutes of walking, she finally reached the hut and went inside.

Back in the cave.

Sabrina was still reeling from the shock, regarding on what Grandma Azere had told her earlier that someone had disguised as her! What did she get herself into? There are so many things that Grandma Azere hadn't told her yet. She has to ask her a lot of questions tomorrow morning. She's more confused than ever!

Meanwhile...

Rhett was in the chamber, staring at the bottle of aphrodisiac in his hand.

He needs to decide now if he will use it once and for all! Because tonight, his father will return and wait outside the cave to welcome him back into their pack.

Tonight, his freedom is finally going to happen!

He was waiting for this final moment!

It's finally happening!

And he can no longer keep on waiting for another year!

Tonight, he will leave the cave!

Every fiber of his being was finally getting ready for that one final moment, to leave the cave!

He removed the lid of the bottle and went to the table. He poured half of the content into Sabrina's glass that she normally used for drinking water.

He finally made his decision!

Tonight he will leave the cave!

Sighing, he left the chamber and went to the entrance of the cave.