Chapter 28 - The Promise

SIEGE WONG's POV

The memories from almost a decade ago still kept on haunting me just as if it only happened yesterday. I can still remember every little bit of its details, starting from how my life began to fall, crumble, and until it finally broke into miserable fragments that can no longer be regenerated.

If only wounds of the past can be healed quickly just like how my injuries do... then, at least for a while, living in this filthy world wouldn't be that disappointing.

"Bro, you alright?" Kris went into my office without knocking. He's always been like that since day one. He has this weird habit of invading someone else's privacy, though he only does it to those he's close with. "You've been spacing out lately ever since the last time that you saw her. Are you still hung up with what happened in the past?" he asked. Both of his eyebrows were raised due to the state of concern.

I didn't know what answer I would give this brother of mine. Because even if I attempt to lie, he'd be able to figure it out right away. "She's not the type of person that I can get along with, especially now that Sarina's involved with her. I'm not even sure if she remembers me and what we've been through during our childhood years. It doesn't seem like she does, and if she really doesn't have any memories of those moments, then, there's no one else to blame other than the moon goddess herself," I answered in a lengthy manner.

"Celeste was the first one to approach you. She clearly told you that you're her mate. Why have you chosen to neglect that fact, when you could've just proceeded to give her your mark?" Kristoffer blurted out another query.

"I made a promise to myself."

"A promise?" Kristoffer hummed. "What sort of promise relates to rejecting her as your mate?"

I shook my head at the same time that I heaved out a loud sigh. "A promise to seek vengeance for what Sarina did to my parents. Once I've successfully avenged them with my own strength, then there's nothing else that I'd worry about. I wouldn't even care if Celeste wouldn't be mine."

Kristoffer sent me a death glare. "If you have no intention to accept her, to love her as much as she does, to protect her as much as I desire..." He approached me with those little footsteps of his. "Then, don't even bother going to her side. Don't bother giving her guidance from afar. Don't bother asking your men to watch over her actions in her daily life..." Kris placed his hands on both of my shoulders. I could feel his fingers pressing down on it. "Don't get involved with her in the future," he concluded.

A smirk automatically planted on my lips. "You talk as if she belongs to you." I harshly removed his grip on me. "There's nothing that you can do about it if she's fated to be mine in the end, even if you go ahead and marry her or use her as someone to multiply our generation."

Kristoffer gritted his teeth in annoyance due to the realization that I'm correct. "So you're basically saying that you're already scheming something without my knowledge, huh..." he whispered to himself. "This might actually turn out to be a last man standing battle between you and the moon goddess."

It felt as if my chest had gotten tighter than usual. It still pains me to recall the faces of my parents who I believed to be the ones who betrayed me. I seriously thought that they made a fool out of me, not until I realized that they were telling the truth...

***

SIX YEARS AGO

Everyone has started to run away from their own homes, not even bothering to look behind and return to get whatever belongings they had inside.

It was all meaningless either way as the world would soon come to an end.

"Mom, are you sure that we will be fine?" I asked her as I held onto her hand, then carefully reached for my dad's.

She knelt down to get in the same level as me. Mom's soft palm reached my cheeks. "Yes, I'm sure of it, dear. The world that we're living in right now still has a bright future ahead. We're just facing a bit of a challenge because of all the mistakes that we've committed to those people that surround us, including the ones that we can't see, touch, and hear." Her eyes were getting watery as she gave me a response, and I knew that she's only forcing herself not to cry in front of her son.

I glanced in the direction of my dad who had a worried expression on his face. He quickly avoided having eye contact with mine, most probably to avoid answering my question.

"I-is that a promise?"

Mom bit her lower lip, then gazed upon her husband just like how I did. But, she never got a signal from him. However, she still managed to raise her pinky finger, which was a gesture of promise. "You can have faith in us, Siege. We would do whatever it takes just to keep you safe. It's a promise, we'd still be together until the end of the world!" she cheerfully said as we pressed each other's thumbs after crossing our pinkies.

As the clueless child, I had no option other than showing a tender smile as I wholly trusted my mother's words.

Numerous explosions occurred, which made me cover my ears. And if only I could, I would've kept my eyes shut to avoid witnessing the infrastructures collapsing that made those innocent people lose their lives. I wanted to scream my lungs out and shout to call for someone to help them.

Although, it's a bit hopeless as I knew that everyone who's gathered here at this very moment only has one thing in common --- and that is no other than survival.

No one would be willing to risk their own life just for the sake of saving another. That's only possible for some family members who treasure themselves as one.

I had the blood of the strongest werewolf, but my powers alone wouldn't be enough to save all of us. I can't even control it on my own will, though this might come in handy in the future.

"Siege, do you know how to go back to our house? Me and your mom forgot to bring one important thing and we left it above the couch in our living room. It's kind of huge so it would stand out, I'm certain that you would determine it right away," dad muttered.

His statement doesn't feel convincing at all, but I acted like I didn't know that he's trying to keep me out of their sight.

I nodded my head once and started to let go of their hands. They were trembling, it's probably hard for them to set me free.

Along my way back home, I saw a glimpse of a silhouette that was floating just a few meters above me. Out of curiosity, I tilted my head upwards and there I saw a woman with flowing red hair. It seemed to me as if her hair was made out of fire.

"Woah..." I muttered to myself in awe of her outstanding appearance. Her impact was great and I'm sure that everyone who would pass by her would all spend a second just to take a glance at her. "You're beautiful..." I complimented her despite not knowing her identity or why she decided to show herself only to me and not to someone else.

"Do you believe in promises?" the lady asked as she slowly motioned herself downwards until her foot had finally reached the ground.

I blinked repetitively to make sure that I wasn’t daydreaming. “A-an angel is talking to me!” I declared at the same time that I pointed my finger to her.

She sorta chuckled. "Well, you can say that I'm an angel, but I'm actually more than that. I'm the moon goddess that came from a distant world."

The smile on my face faded as I demanded an explanation.

"To put it simply, I don't reside here in the same universe as you do. Your parents aren't of the same kind as you, right?" she asked.

My eyes widened by the fear of how she knew that I wasn't a human. "Y-yeah..."

"You're a monster, aren't you?"

"NO!"

The woman leaned closer to my body as she placed her hand on top of my chest. "You have the capabilities of a werewolf... isn't that basically the same as a ferocious beast in disguise of an innocent kid's body?" she whispered to my ear, her hot breath touching my bare skin.

I placed all my strength down to my feet just to move away from her. I ran with all my might, heading to the direction of our home as I remembered that my parents were waiting for me, and also out of the fear that the woman back there would do something weird to me.

I'm scared, mom, dad...

I didn't know where I was sprinting over when I lost the direction that I was going through. My head was occupied with the scenery back when my mom gave me a pinky promise. "Mom, dad... You promised that you'd come and save me, that you'd p-protect me at all cost..." I mumbled to myself as I brushed off the tears that fell down my cheeks.

Where are you now?

I hid myself inside a container box that was scattered along the street. I no longer want to stay in this place. I just want to go to somewhere I belong; somewhere that everyone would be of the same kind as me, a place where I can be free with bringing the utmost potential of the werewolf that lives within me.

"Kid, you should at least know that I can hear your thoughts clearly," a familiar voice said. Without even searching for who spoke, I knew that it was the one who introduced herself as the moon goddess. "Do you want to live a peaceful life together with your parents? If yes, then go out and show yourself, I can grant your wish without any hurdles."

Her words were hypnotizing me... though, it's not like that wasn't a part of my wish.

I didn't waste any second as I immediately crawled out of the box, then stood up firmly to face her. "H-how is that even possible?"

"This world that you live in will soon collapse. It would not last even for another day. This might be the last chance that you'd get to see those people you treasure. And as you already know, I'm from another universe... so I generally have the opportunity to bring you together with me in that dimension and start over a whole new life. You can be anyone that you aspire to be, and you can even meet those who run the same type of breed as you do," she explained.

The moon goddess lifted me up as she carried me from my forearms. She brought me up to the skies and let me take a good look at what's currently happening from above. "Who's responsible for creating such a huge disaster? What did we ever do wrong to deserve this kind of cruel treatment from the gods and goddesses? Do deities even exist?" I consecutively threw my inquiries.

My face heated up due to the formation of my tears once again.

"Sin," she shortly answered with a strong intonation.

"But we're all born to be sinners!" I tried to protest.

The goddess nodded. "Precisely. Committing a sin, whether it be small or extravagant... it's worthy to be judged by the heavens."

Her response made me regret all of the decisions that I've made for the past few weeks that I've been rude to my parents when they were only trying to lecture me... as if being born to this world was already a mistake right from the start.

"So, what do you think? You wanna go with me to my realm?"

I sniffed, then thought about my one and only precious friend that I have. "Can't you bring another one together with us?"

I noticed how her breathing got kind of heavy as my body was near her huge breasts. But, I couldn't sense a single beat of her heart. "If you're referring to saving your parents along with us, then I'm genuinely sorry but that's impossible. Even as a moon goddess such as myself, there are still limitations to my abilities," she replied.

"N-no... Tina. I want you to save Tina with me!" I declared. "That's the only condition that I have. If you won't be able to save her from this catastrophic world, then I'd rather die by her side," I continued to make my statement convincing.

"I don't care who that is, but if that's the only thing that can force you to come with me, then your wish is my command," she said.

Tina... She's the only person that I've revealed who I really was and still managed to accept me. She's always been the type of person to defend me against anyone who would try to ridicule me right in front of her. And even if we're miles apart, she would always be willing to travel such a long distance just to give me her warm embrace whenever I'm sulking from my parents who regularly argue.

I shouldn't be the one to define how I'm feeling since I'm not used to this yet...

But, I guess... I'm in love with Tina.