Chapter 8 Selenophile Six-one

• On the umpteenth day in The Palace, Era stopped trying to escape because the result would undoubtedly be the same—failure. In fact, she had tried to escape not once or twice, but several times until she got tired of it.
• The first attempt was, of course, the first morning in the palace. Era tried to escape, but instead ran into Ursa and Oscar. They had a brief conversation that ended with an uncomfortable feeling that left her restless for the rest of the day.
• In her second attempt, Era tried to use the window. After watching Rapunzel, she was determined to do the same. Unfortunately, her eagerness faded when she saw the steep rocks waiting for her below. Too bad, but she was not ready to die foolishly yet.
• There was also an attempt to take advantage of Aaron's kindness. They walked around the palace, and then she escaped after tricking Aaron. Unfortunately, she encountered a real wolf—yes, a real wolf—and fortunately, Aaron came to her rescue.
• Now Era decided not to waste any more time, although that did not mean she would surrender. She would keep looking for a way out and wait for the right time. In other words, she would wait, and in the meantime, there was no harm in enjoying all the facilities and services she received. Besides, when else could she enjoy such pleasures? Everyone respected her and treated her politely, a treatment she had never received before.
• "What are you thinking about?"
• Aaron's voice interrupted Era's reverie. Her eyes blinked before focusing on the phone screen, then she turned to him. She found Aaron pulling out a chair and joining her, enjoying the morning sunlight.
• "I'm just wondering why the sky is so different here and in Avaluna Village," Era answered Aaron's question with another. She tilted her head and her eyes narrowed, unable to challenge the sunlight for too long. "The sun rarely shines in Avaluna. I might never have known the sun existed if I hadn't gone to Celestial City."
• Aaron smiled faintly, then sighed deeply. "According to history, there is an agreement between werewolves and vampires. Thousands of years ago, they made an exchange, vampires wanted darkness, and werewolves wanted hunting grounds. Nature gave them a middle ground, and this is what happened, the entire Avaluna region and the far west are always covered in darkness. Meanwhile, Lunaria Forest and its surroundings are always full of prey, but strangely untouched by humans."
• A faint frown appeared on Era's forehead. Her expression seemed uncertain. She waited for Aaron to laugh, but he did not.
• "Are you serious?"
• "What do you think?"
• Era shook her head once. "I'm not sure. Just thinking about werewolves gives me a headache, let alone vampires. Uh, don't tell me you want to talk about other mythical creatures later. Maybe fairies, goblins, or dwarves."
• Aaron's laughter broke out while Era just sighed with a somber expression. She rolled her eyes in an indifferent manner.
• "I'm glad you can laugh at my suffering," she remarked.
• "Believe me, Era," Aaron said after managing to contain his amusement. "I've been in your position. Maybe even worse. I was only eight years old at the time, and something happened to my father. Whether I liked it or not, I had to take over his duties. Can you imagine that? An eight-year-old serving the Alpha?"
• Era's eyes widened. She saw Aaron's face, wrinkled by time, along with the gray strands in his hair. A possibility crossed her mind and Aaron quickly clarified.
• "Not Oscar, but the previous Alpha."
• Era let out a sigh of relief. "Oh, my goodness. I thought he was old."
• "Well, he might actually be older than you think."
• Curiosity arose in Era. "How old is he?"
• "Thirty-two years old."
• "Oh my," Era exclaimed in horror. She nearly jumped out of her seat. "We're ten years apart in age."
• "That's why he had to suffer for years, besides the fact that your wolf spirit is bound to him. You were still a minor when he went through the coming-of-age ceremony."
• Era smiled bitterly. She decided not to pursue the topic, diverting her attention to her nearly empty breakfast plate, which only contained two cherry tomatoes, a leaf of lettuce, and a few slices of red pepper.
• "Do you want anything else to eat?"
• Era's shoulders rose with a slight movement. She looked at her breakfast plate with an uncertain gaze, then turned to Aaron with a question.
• "Are you sure I am a werewolf?"
• Aaron blinked at the question and the change in Era's tone. "What do you mean?"
• "As you can see," Era sighed deeply and played with the remaining vegetables on the plate with her fork, "I am a vegetarian. How can there be a vegetarian werewolf?"
• Aaron opened his mouth, but no word came out. He was confused.
• "Also, I still can't believe that werewolves really exist. Uh, I met one when I tried to escape, but it still seems unbelievable. So, tell me, Aaron. How can you believe in their existence? And how can you live your life here? Being the only human among them?"
• Aaron seemed to have no difficulty in answering. The question was easier than addressing Era's strange taste in food.
• "Actually, I was going through a rebellious phase. Like I said, I was only eight years old when I was made to serve the Alpha and live among them. At the time, I thought I was just having a bad dream, like any other child. But nothing changed, and I slowly came to accept everything.
• Era said nothing, but looked at Aaron with sympathetic eyes.
• "I have no other choice. My family has dedicated their lives to the Xylvaneth Pack for thousands of years."
• "Don't you miss your family?"
• Aaron smiled. "Of course, I miss them, but I think of this more as a job. A lot of people out there have to be away from their families to make a living. Isn't that right?"
• "You're right, but..." Era nodded with a sigh. "... unfortunately, I don't want to make a living by being Oscar's buddy."
• Aaron's smile suddenly turned into a chuckle.
• *