Bella returned, her hands clutching a bundle wrapped in cloth that carried slices of fresh meat. Her heart was a strange mix of anticipation and worry. But as she stepped into the clearing where she had left the white wolf, her heart sank. The place was empty—no sign of the magnificent creature.
"He's gone?" she murmured softly, her voice barely audible against the rustle of the forest leaves. She glanced around, hoping for some trace—a pawprint in the soil, a glimpse of white fur—but there was nothing.
The bundle in her hands felt heavier now, not just from its weight but from the pang of disappointment. She crouched down by the spot where the wolf had lain, the faint marks of its presence still visible in the dirt. Gently, she set the bundle on the ground.
"Alright... I'll just leave it here," she said to herself, her voice tinged with a bittersweet smile. "I can't take this to work with me." She realized, somewhat belatedly, that she should head to the office. Her earlier reluctance had been replaced by a sudden desire to distract herself from the ache that lingered in her chest.
She rose to her feet, brushing her hands on her dress. Her gaze lingered on the trees, their towering forms swaying gently, as if bidding her goodbye. A pang of sadness touched her heart—a longing for something she couldn't quite place. The thought of not seeing the snow-white wolf again left a hollow ache in her chest.
"Such a shame," she whispered, her lips barely moving.
For a moment, she hesitated, as if the forest itself were calling her to stay, urging her to wait just a little longer. But duty called, and life outside the woods awaited. With one last glance toward the trees, she turned and walked away, her footsteps carrying her back to the world that felt far less magical.
Yet, as she disappeared down the path, a pair of golden eyes watched her from the shadows, gleaming with a silent promise. Hidden behind the foliage, the wolf remained still, its wound freshly healed, its heart stirred by the girl who had shown it kindness.
It wasn’t goodbye—not yet.
**Syadiran Group**
“You’re late?” Callista’s voice cut through the hum of the office. She was Bella’s closest friend at work, her cubicle directly adjacent.
Bella set her bag on the desk with a resigned sigh. “Yeah,” she admitted, brushing back a stray lock of hair.
“Did you hear the news?” Callista asked, leaning slightly over the partition with a conspiratorial gleam in her eyes.
“What news?” Bella raised an eyebrow, still unpacking her things.
“Mr. Sky isn’t coming in today. He was in an accident,” Callista said, her voice dropping as if she were revealing a state secret.
“Mr. Sky? In an accident?” Bella’s hands froze mid-motion. Sky—her boss and CEO of Syadiran Group—was a figure hard to ignore. Commanding, arrogant, and often downright infuriating.
“Yeah. Rumor has it there was a shooting. He might be in the hospital now,” Callista added, her tone both serious and curious.
Bella fell silent, her initial surprise fading into indifference. Truth be told, she wasn’t overly sympathetic. Sky’s domineering personality and sharp tongue had earned him few allies in the office. His absence felt more like a reprieve than a tragedy.
“Well,” Bella said with a smirk, “I guess that means we can leave early, right?” Her tone was light, teasing.
Callista shot her a sharp look. “So you’re happy your boss isn’t here?”
“Maybe just a little,” Bella chuckled, unrepentant. She leaned back in her chair, her thoughts drifting from the chaos of the office to the serene woods she had visited earlier. A flicker of the memory—the white wolf lying wounded—crossed her mind, tugging at her curiosity.
“Callista!” she called out suddenly, her tone laced with urgency.
“Hm?” Callista replied absently, not bothering to turn around as she typed on her computer.
“Have you ever seen a wolf before?” Bella’s voice was softer now, tinged with a strange mixture of wonder and hesitation.
That question made Callista pause. She turned her chair to face Bella, a look of mild amusement on her face. “A wolf? What, like… in real life?”
Bella nodded. “Yes. A big one. Pure white.” Her fingers traced an invisible outline on her desk, her gaze distant as she recalled the wolf’s piercing golden eyes.
Callista tilted her head, studying Bella with curiosity. “Are you sure you weren’t dreaming? Wolves don’t usually hang around forests this close to the city.”
“It wasn’t a dream,” Bella insisted, her voice firm. “It was hurt… bleeding. I helped it.”
Callista blinked, her expression shifting from amusement to intrigue. “You’re serious?”
Bella nodded again, her hands clenching slightly. “I don’t know why, but it felt… different. Like it wasn’t just a wolf.”
Callista leaned back in her chair, her gaze thoughtful. “Well, you’ve always been a little strange, Bella,” she teased lightly. “But maybe this is your destiny. Saving mystical creatures and all that.”
Bella rolled her eyes, but a faint smile tugged at her lips. She couldn’t explain it, but the encounter with the white wolf felt important, as though it marked the beginning of something she didn’t yet understand.
And in the back of her mind, she couldn’t shake the feeling that she hadn’t seen the last of the enigmatic creature.
Aksara