Chapter 1
Gabriel’s heart hammered against his ribs, as if trying to tear free from his chest.
Sweat soaked his old, threadbare shirt—the same one he wore every day in the Village fields—clinging to his lean body as he struggled to steady his breathing.
Lying flat on his stomach, hidden among the grass, Gabriel kept his body aligned with the wind, careful not to make a sound. Scattered across the small clearing, four other youths from the Village lay in similar positions, all eyes fixed on the bait left earlier: scraps of meat tossed onto the ground, already beginning to rot.
Wolves.
A small pack had been attacking the livestock. More recently, they had ventured too close to the houses. To the children.
That was the “noble” reason that had brought Gabriel there. At least, that was what he told himself. The truth was simpler—and far more embarrassing. He wanted to impress the girls. And above all, he wanted to prove something.
Especially after Jonas, the Village mayor, had declared that he himself would take care of the problem.
Just because his Blessing was magnificent.
Gabriel’s… could barely light a wood-burning stove.
— Hey… — a trembling voice whispered.
Otto crawled toward him, dragging himself across the ground like a terrified worm. His face was pale, eyes glassy with tears. If he stayed there a few minutes longer, Gabriel was certain his friend would start crying.
— What? — Gabriel murmured, never taking his eyes off the bait.
— Let’s go back…
It didn’t sound like a request.
It sounded like a plea.
Gabriel swallowed hard. He glanced at the other boys: all armed with nothing but hoes, rusted axes, and courage as fragile as his own.
For a moment, he felt like a complete idiot.
If only he had a power fantasy… a strong Blessing. Or better yet, a legendary weapon—those forged from stone mined from the kidneys of ancient dragons, capable of amplifying any Blessing.
Every boy dreamed of one of those. Every man. Every human… or mage.
Then a sound broke the silence.
Something was approaching the bait.
A wolf emerged cautiously from the trees, head low, body thin. Moments later, another appeared. Otto began to shake visibly. Gabriel felt as though he had just stepped out from beneath an icy downpour.
Suddenly—
— FOR CLÁUDIA!
One of the boys leapt up and charged forward, swinging a hoe with a loose handle.
Gabriel had no idea who Cláudia was, but he cursed all her descendants—and especially the idiot screaming as he ran straight at the wolves.
The chaos that followed was pathetic.
Shouts. Poorly aimed blows. Stumbling feet. No plan. No coordination. In the end, the wolves simply fled… taking the chunks of meat used as bait with them.
Silence returned to the clearing.
Then one of them started laughing.
Within seconds, they all were—nervous, almost hysterical laughter.
— That was the dumbest thing I’ve ever done, — Otto said, wiping tears from his eyes.
— Who the hell is Cláudia? — Gabriel asked.
— Uh… the woman who takes care of the onions.
— I almost died for the onion girl?!
The laughter died in everyone’s throats at the same time.
A deep growl echoed from the trees.
From the same path the wolves had taken, another emerged.
This one was different.
Strong. Imposing. Its fur was too white to be natural.
But what froze Gabriel’s spine wasn’t its appearance—it was its gaze.
There was judgment in it.
Superiority.
— So there’s one left… — muttered the onion boy, hurling a stone.
The wolf dodged with a simple tilt of its head.
Contempt.
— Something’s wrong… — Gabriel whispered.
The creature’s body began to swell. Bones cracked. Its chest expanded, taking on a human shape. Long arms dragged along the ground. The legs shortened.
The head remained that of a wolf.
— A Cursed One… — Gabriel murmured.
The creature watched in silence.
One boy attacked with a sickle. The blade struck the monster’s chest.
Nothing.
With a casual blow, the Cursed One hurled the youth aside, knocking him unconscious.
Gabriel gathered all of his Blessing. Small flames flickered in his hands and flowed into the axe, heating the blade until it glowed red.
He looked at Otto and forced a nervous smile.
— I think we’re completely screwed.
— No… — said a new voice. — You were very close.
Jonas stepped into the clearing.
Lightning exploded from his hands. Trees shattered. The werewolf charged, resisting.
Then Jonas spread his arms.
Threads of electricity extended from his fingers, wrapping around the creature like whips.
The howl echoed through the forest.
When the charred body fell, silence returned.
Jonas turned to the boys, breathing heavily.
— You’re going to have to explain to me why you thought this was a good idea.
Gabriel simply nodded.
After all…
That was, without a doubt, the stupidest idea of his life.
