"This is not good." Serefina mumbled under her breath, but it was loud enough for Raine and Calleb to hear.
"What do you mean this is not good?" Raine sat down next to Serefina, cradling the weak bird in her palms. "Is this bird has some connection with Torak?"
Raine knew this sounded weird, but for some reason this was make sense. She had not yet asked about the bird to Torak and how he had this little creature around him when the other Lycans didn't have it.
"This creature is the beast's soul." Serefina blurted out, didn't try to hide anything from her. "This is a deep secret of white Lycan. No one knows about this except them."
And Serefina knew this secret just because she had spent decades with Jedrek. Even Calleb didn't know about this.
But, since he was one of Torak's trusted people, Serefina just laid the information for them to know.
"The Lycans are stronger and have extraordinarily sharp senses. But, for the legendary white Lycan their senses enhanced further. However…" Serefina glanced at the small little bird in Raine's palms. "Their beast side is not easy to be tamed, thus moon goddess gave another supernatural creature to balance the ferocity of the beast."
Needless to say the supernatural creature that was given to Torak was this firebird.
"Then, what does all this mean?" Raine felt her chest caved in, she had bad omen about Torak was being away from his firebird and the condition of this bird right now. "Torak didn't look sick or he was in pain when he gave the bird to me."
Raine remembered that Torak was perfectly fine.
"He is not, but his beast is." Serefina run her slender fingers on the feathers of the bird, it small chest rose and fell occasionally. "This condition is the opposite of Torak's condition when he made the library building collapsed and killed many people."
At that time, Torak's human side became weaker than his beast because he had harmed so many human that went against the rule of this realm.
That was why his ferocious beast appeared on the surface of his consciousness.
However, right now. This was the opposite.
Since Torak had used the firebird strength to kill those creatures that the devil and the witches sent to them, the beast was so weak.
Probably that was also the reason why Torak was easier to become the target and fall for the dark witches' schemes.
Raine listened attentively. "So, what is mean when the condition of the bird is like this?" though she asked the question, but Raine was afraid to listen for the answer, somehow she knew what the witch would say.
"He is… in danger." Serefina simplified her reply, but of course Raine and Calleb were able to grasp something more than the word 'danger' from Serefina.
Raine found herself was having a hard time to breathe. "Can you heal it?" she asked faintly, stretching her arms so the witch could see the poor little thing in her palms. Hopping Serefina could fine a solution.
Yet, the witch shook her head. "I am afraid I can't."
===============
Raine spent her afternoon until midnight inside her room. She ate her lunch and dinner inside the room, only because Serefina said she needed more strength to keep the bird alive.
The taste of the meals were like dry sands in her mouth, yet Raine didn't complain and kept eating.
Chewing, swallowing, chewing and swallowing again, without really tasted it. All she needed was extra strength to keep her power enough to keep the bird alive as long as possible, since Raine didn't know what she had to do.
"Torak, where are you? Can you hear me?" Raine wept, she kept the bird closed to her chest, in attempt to make this little creature felt warmer.
"I don't know what I should do…" Raine whispered to the empty room as she stared into the darkness. "Can you tell me where is Torak? Or, can you take me to see him? I really need him…" a tear fell on the head of the weak bird as it let out a gentle squalled.
When the time slipped away and the moon rose above the starry night, Raine's consciousness started to fade away as tired and anxiety engulfed her mind and body.
However, she was actually awake enough to hear that voice.
'Raine.'
He called her name just like how Raine remembered it. His voice was always tender when he talked to her, no matter what the circ.u.mstances.
'Raine.'
He called her again, but Raine just listened. Her vision and mind clouded with white fog, or maybe it was because Raine was dreaming?
Raine was unsure with her current state.
If this was a real or this only happened in her mind, but the voice unceasingly echoed in her ears.
'Raine. wake up my love.'
Raine gulped hard, 'Torak?' she called out his name in uncertainty. She started to question herself, whether she answered him in her dream or she really spoke his name.
'My love.'
And that was it.
Raine's eyes snapped open and felt a little bit of headache because of the sudden movement. At first she didn't know where she was. But, then… she started to recognize the interior of this place.
Raine abruptly stood up to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Only when she scanned the entire room carefully she was so sure that she was indeed in this place.
From the leather seat next to the floor- to- the ceiling window and the sofa she sat down. She wouldn't mistake this place.
After all Raine had spent weeks in this room to prepare for her exam.
Raine was in Torak's office. The office of the Donovan Company that was located in Fulbright city.
Raine was actually there and she didn't know how and why!?
The only thing that her memories could provide was Torak's voice. She heard him and here she was.
Raine then lowered her eyes and realized she was still holding the little bird in her palms.