72: 72 My Mom In My Dream

72 My Mom In My Dream

Delia's POV

"Woo~" I opened my eyes under the brilliant sunlight.

Before me lay an endless expanse of a lake.

A gentle breeze softly rustled my hair. I glanced downward and saw my own reflection in the water—a young, white puppy.

!

I widened my eyes in astonishment, and the young wolf in the lake also tilted its head, staring at me in surprise.

What's going on?!

I confirmed that my memory was intact. I remember passing the Queen's trial. Guided by the Moon Goddess, I found my wolf. Her name is Pearl. But why has Pearl become so young? Why have I become smaller after shifting?

"Woo!"

I howled at the lake's surface, but there was no response.

I gazed at my reflection. The mirrored image in the water gazed back at me. In my childhood, I yearned to succeed in shifting so that my father wouldn't abandon me. But now, I no longer care about my father's opinion.

There was a vast stretch of grassland by the lakeside. Sunlight illuminated the water, casting shimmering golden ripples. Anxiously, I ran along the shoreline, scanning in every direction, hoping for someone to appear, for a sound to answer me.

"Is anyone there?"

"Where am I?"

"Can anyone answer me?"

As a wolf, I possessed extremely sharp vision, hearing, and smell. I ran along the edge of the lake. I made sure not to miss any suspicious spots, but after running for some time, I discovered the pawprints I had left on the shore.

This meant that I had completed a full circle around the lake, and during that time, no one had appeared.

I still didn't know why I was here.

The sun hung in the sky without any movement. The grassy meadows surrounding the lake stretched far into the distance. An unknown fear submerged my heart like a stone sinking into the ocean. It kept descending, never reaching the bottom.

This place felt like an abandoned, desolate land, and I was the sole living creature by the lakeside. This realization made me shudder.

Why was it like that? I wanted to go back!

This is not where I should be! Pain coursed through my limbs.

I let out a furious scream and tore at everything around me in frustration. My young white wolf fought with less-sharp baby teeth. My limbs dug several pits in the moist soil. The lake water, blown by the wind, slowly flowed towards the shore, dampening my fur.

"A snap,"

The sound of footsteps crushing the stems of wild grass, creating a subtle noise. I looked up in bewilderment, wanting to get a clear view of the approaching person.

However, before I could turn my head, I felt a light touch on my body. My body sank into a warm embrace.

"Oh, my moon goodness, why are you being so mischievous? Pearl is turning into a little dirty wolf."

A gentle voice reached my ears, and I lifted my gaze to meet a pair of bright blue eyes smiling at me.

...Mom?

A fair face, eyes as gentle as the lake, and long chestnut hair flowing in the breeze. She appeared very young, unlike the mother I remembered.

What on earth is happening? Is this a dream?

This person... though bearing resemblance, is not the mother from my memories. I didn't speak up to inquire, but suspicion filled my eyes. Logic kept me alert, and after a brief moment of relaxation, my heart tightened once again.

Countless questions flooded my mind, and my body stiffened in her embrace like a stone.

"Who are you?"

I gazed at her youthful face, calmly inquiring.

"You truly are my child. You're really clever," the young woman responded, her eyes curved into a smile, evading my question. She didn't mind her white dress getting dirty from my fur, continuing to comb through my hair with slender yet powerful fingers.

"My baby, can't you recognize me? It would make me sad." Her gentle embrace carried a faint scent, unaffected by my resistance. Behind her stretched a vast expanse of grass. Holding me, she stood by the lakeside, resembling a lone blooming daffodil.

"Delia, would you like to stay here and keep me company? I feel so lonely," she casually asked while toying with her fingers. ...No. I silently watched her, refusing to speak, my answer echoing only in my mind.

"Why not?" The woman paused her actions. I wasn't startled by her ability to read my thoughts; I simply regarded her with a cold gaze.

"Delia!" Suddenly, Kral's voice came from the distant sky like thunder.

Kral!

Kral was calling for me! I began to struggle, wanting to break free from her embrace.

"Why are you leaving me? Do you want him? Because you're his mate?" Her voice turned sharp.

A strange expression appeared on her face. It's a mix of sadness and anger, as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head. Her face and white dress suddenly became wet, even though the sun shone brightly upon the land. She looked as though she had been caught in a heavy downpour.

"You are not my mother. My mother is already dead," I spoke suddenly.

"You're mistaken, Delia. I... am your mother," she replied, lowering her voice. She gazed at me as if revealing a profound secret. Her eyes mirrored my face, and I saw a bewildered young wolf staring back at me.

"Pearl," she mouthed the word, her lips moving without making any sound, but the calm lake suddenly erupted with towering waves. The water crashed against the shore with a resounding thud, creating a deep and thunderous roar.

In the middle of the lake, a massive black vortex slowly formed, swirling in the center.

"Go back, my dear. Remember what I told you," she whispered in my ear before being swallowed by the vortex.

The black surface covered my eyes, and the icy lake water enveloped my body, causing me to lose consciousness completely.

...

"Delia!"

As if a drowning person suddenly found a breath of fresh air, I gasped and opened my eyes in the darkness.

"Delia! Are you alright?" Prince Kral anxiously grabbed my shoulders, his usually cold face now displaying a sense of urgency.

"Kral, where are we?" I struggled to focus on my vision, everything except Kral appeared blurry. I listened to my own weak voice, wanting to reach out and touch his face to confirm that he was real and not a figment of my imagination.

"It's alright now, Delia. You're safe," Kral's deep voice calmed my nerves. He tightly held my hand and placed it against his face. The warmth and touch of his skin reassured me.

"My girl, you've been asleep for so long that it frightened me," he said.

I looked around the room, smelled the familiar fragrance in the air, and felt the softness of the blankets enveloping my body. I gradually realized that I was in Kral's bedroom within the palace.

Kral sat by the edge of the bed, gently planting a kiss on my forehead. His golden eyes filled me with warmth and tranquility.

"I... I feel like I had a long dream," I leaned against Kral's embrace and shared everything from my dream with him.

"...and that's how it was, and then I woke up." 1

Kral remained silent as I spoke, his dark eyebrows furrowing. His eyes grew colder.

"Pearl?" Kral uttered the word, his lips forming it. He remained silent for a moment, then curved his lips and returned to his previous expression.

"You remind me. We have one more problem to solve," he said, his tone filled with an unsettling chill.

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