Chapter 2

Three days later, in the village of Tirtov, Olav was seen lifting several suitcases as a taxi driver helped him put them in the trunk. Today was the day he would depart for Brasov, where he would have an interview with the head of the Atlantic Ocean travel agency. Shortly after, he met his parents in the living room.

“Father, Mother! I’m about to leave now,” Olav said.

“I will pray for your safety and well-being, Olav!” Mrs. Pat said.

“Thank you, Mother. I love you,” Olav replied.

“Father will always pray for you there,” Mr. Gregory said with a smile.

“Thank you, Father. You truly are the greatest!” Olav praised, laughing.

They hugged each other and gave encouragement. Mrs. Pat was happy to see her family living peacefully but also visibly sad at the departure of her only son, who would soon leave the village of Virtov.

“All right, my child. The taxi is waiting outside,” Mr. Gregory replied.

“I should be leaving. Goodbye,” Olav said.

The young man hurriedly walked away, waving his hand. Before long, the taxi departed from the village of Virtov, carrying countless memories with Olav. Since the incident of Mr. Nikolai’s disappearance in Voya Forest, a change occurred within Olav that he had never realized. He began to feel the gradual changes within himself, especially when he heard the howling of wolves in Voya Forest.

In an instant, his body started undergoing a transformation, turning into a werewolf. During such occurrences, no one, including his parents, could help him.

The first time he transformed into a werewolf in front of his parents, it shocked them to the point of falling unconscious. However, over time, his parents became accustomed to their son’s different nature from that of a normal human being.

What made Olav unable to stay in the village of Virtov any longer was the fact that none of the villagers knew about his ability to transform into a werewolf at any given time. This posed a danger to anyone, especially during a full moon when he would turn into a ferocious werewolf, preying on anyone in his path.

His thoughts were interrupted when the taxi driver called out to him, and Olav nervously responded.

“Sorry, sir! We have arrived at the Posrov Inn,” the driver said.

“Yes, my apologies. I was lost in thought,” Olav replied.

“No problem. Were you thinking about your loved one?” the driver asked, smiling.

“Of course not,” Olav answered.

Olav laughed at the driver’s jest but felt that it wasn’t entirely unfounded. He then got out of the taxi and walked into the inn, where Mr. Victor Ramsey welcomed him warmly. The innkeeper was delighted to see the handsome young man.

“Are you Mr. Olav Smirnov?” Victor asked.

“Exactly, I made a reservation for a room a week ago,” Olav replied.

“Very well, here is your room key, sir,” Victor said.

“Thank you, sir,” Olav responded.

“May you have a comfortable stay here, Mr. Olav,” Mr. Victor said.

“I hope so, too,” Olav replied.

He then walked into the corridor while an inn attendant carried all his belongings to the room. Once all his belongings were in the room, he immediately rested. Due to the long journey, he soon fell asleep and woke up at 8:00 PM.

Olav quickly left his room and noticed many guests at the inn enjoying their dinner. He promptly ordered a meal from one of the waiters there. As the night grew late, Olav found himself deep in thought, pondering his unfortunate fate.

He felt sad because no woman would be interested in him if they knew about the abnormality within his body.

“How long will I live like this?” he wondered to himself.

Eventually, Olav fell asleep, exhausted from contemplating everything that had happened to him. Meanwhile, in Voya Forest, something terrifying was happening. Wolves were howling in unison, their voices reaching the village of Virtov.

This caused great fear among the villagers, who sought refuge under their blankets. They tightly locked all their doors and windows. There was no need to fear the wolves attacking the village because the villagers had planted Wolfbane plants, believed to repel and fend off werewolf attacks.

They had confidence in the Wolfbane plants’ ability to protect them. Meanwhile, the atmosphere in the Smirnov family’s house was not too quiet. Olav’s parents and two of their loyal servants were engaged in a conversation.

At that time, it was 10:00 PM, and they were still sitting, enjoying warm sips of coffee on the table. Suddenly, they heard wolves howling in unison, and it seemed like there were many howls, which startled the Smirnov family.

“The sound of the wolves’ howling is incredibly loud,” Mr. Gregory said.

“Yes, it’s terrifying,” Mrs. Pat replied.

“Fortunately, this village is protected by the Wolfbane plants,” Thomas said.

“Exactly, so we are safe from the wolves’ attacks,” Jeremy responded.

They fell silent for a moment after hearing the howls accompanied by the wolves’ frenzy. It seemed like all the animals were angry upon realizing that the village of Virtov was surrounded by impenetrable plants.

One of the large-bodied werewolves, presumed to be the leader of the pack, howled and could speak like a human.

“We must attempt to attack the village of Virtov,” Silas said.

“True, but how can we enter when there are plants like that?” Caleb asked.

“Don’t worry, I will find a way,” Silas replied.

“After we clear those plants, the village will become a werewolf village,” Caleb said.

“That’s our goal,” Silas answered.

After hearing Silas’ explanation, Caleb and the other wolves howled in response, delighted that Silas, as the leader of the werewolf nation, had found a way to slaughter the village’s inhabitants.

They then swiftly ran up Mount Tarpova, which served as the stronghold for the supernatural beings. There, they gathered to consolidate their strength and plan the eradication of the Wolfbane plants from the village. Silas had a sinister grin on his face, filled with satisfaction. His thirst for revenge would soon be satisfied for the death of his child.