Just then, there was a knock at the door. She wondered for a few seconds who it could be, then finally gathered her courage and went to the door. When she saw Elly standing there, she relaxed and smiled.

"Hi, good morning!" Elly said cheerfully. "I brought you fresh pastries!"

She was holding a basket, from which the aroma of fresh dough wafted.

Catching the scent, Eva excitedly said, "Come in!"

Elly entered.

"Should we make tea, or would you prefer coffee?"

"You know I'm always a coffee person," Eva said.

"Okay, agreed then. Let's make coffee."

When Elly turned her head, she saw the bouquet on the table. Her eyes grew wide.

"Oh! Gerberas! How did you gather these? They're beautiful!"

Eva casually pulled her shawl over herself. "I don't even know where they came from," she said.

Elly's eyes grew even wider. "What do you mean? Really?"

"Yes. I woke up this morning and they were at the door."

Elly picked up the bouquet and examined it. Curious, she came closer to Eva.

"Eva," Elly said seriously. "These flowers are a messaging technique used many years ago, they mean 'welcome.' And they only grow at the mountain peak. They couldn't have come down here on their own. Didn't you wonder at all how they got here?"

Eva shrugged playfully. "I guess I have a handsome admirer," she said. But then, noticing the detail, she asked curiously: "Excuse me, exactly when was this flower tradition from?"

"About fifty years ago."

Eva turned to Elly with a playful expression. "Great! So I have an elderly stalker. Bringing me flowers from the mountain peak. What more could there be? Perfect."

Elly started laughing, but none of this really made sense to her.

Eva got up and sat at the table with appetite. "Come on, I'm starving, let's eat!"

Elly smiled and brewed the coffee. As they began breakfast, Eva asked curiously, "So, is your offer to shop at the town center for me still valid? I don't like drinking tea without sugar and I forgot to buy some yesterday. Plus, I want to get some Christmas decorations. The townspeople won't sell me anything."

Elly said, "Of course my offer still stands. Let's go out after breakfast. And I'm taking you to my favorite café! We'll investigate your elderly platonic lover. Maybe he's in the town history," she said with a laugh.

Eva let out a deep laugh. "Oh monsieur, whisk me away! Take me far from here."

Now the laughter of these two young women filled the mountain house.

A few hours later, Eva and Elly decided to head down to town.

"This town is really strange," Eva said. "People act like they're living centuries ago. Witch hunts, wolf tales... Don't they have more sensible things to do?"

Elly glanced at her sideways. "You won't believe it until you see it yourself, will you?"

"You're talking about many years ago, Elly. Have you seen them yourself?" Eva asked.

Elly answered with great devotion in her eyes, "I believe, Eva! Sometimes you need to hope and believe."

When they arrived at the town center, Eva parked the car in front of the market. They both got out. Eva took a deep breath. If that old fool said one more word, she could seriously tear him apart. She breathed and steadied her pulse.

"Ready?" Elly asked.

"Ready for an old fool to kick me out as cursed? Yes, I think I'm ready, let's go get my daily dose of bullying."

When they entered the market, all eyes turned to Eva again. Whispers began. Old David was at the register as usual, arms crossed over his chest, glaring hostilely at Eva.

Eva ignored him. She began putting the things she needed into a basket. Canned goods, flour, sugar, eggs... basic items. She also added some Christmas decorations. Then she handed the basket to Elly.

Elly, tossing her braids with a smiling face, came to the register. "Hello, dear David! I'm buying these," she said.

David's face soured even more. His gaze didn't even turn to Elly; he was completely focused on Eva, staring with furrowed brows.

"I won't sell to her," he said in a harsh voice.

Blood rushed to Eva's veins. She couldn't contain herself. "Excuse me? I'm a customer and I'm paying!" she growled.

"I won't sell anything to Rose's daughter," David said. "Get out of here!"

The people around watched silently. No one intervened. Elly grabbed Eva's arm, trying to calm her down.

Just then, the market door opened.

Joe walked in...

Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and a sharp gaze, he commanded everyone's attention in town. His eyes caught on Eva, then slid to David.

"Is there a problem?" he asked.

David backed up a bit. "Joe... this woman..."

"This woman what?" Joe cut in, his voice hard. "She's a customer. And she'll pay."

Eva looked at Joe in astonishment. Joe turned to her and nodded with a slight smile.

"Then I'll buy them," Joe said decisively. He took the shopping basket and placed it at the register.

David's gaze went first to the basket, then to Joe.

"Joe, but you're not buying these for yourself..."

Joe cut him off. "I said we're buying, David. You're going to sell me these items."

David seemed intimidated by him. The old man muttered as he calculated and asked for the money. Then he handed over the packages...

Joe turned to Eva with his handsome smile. He came up to her and held out the packages.

"Have a good day, Rose's daughter," he said and walked out of the market.

Eva was both surprised and irritated by his cocky attitude. Just as she was about to say something to old David, who wouldn't sell to her, Elly grabbed her by the arm and dragged her outside.

"Thank you, David! Have a good day!" she said, practically running out.

Eva couldn't contain her anger. "Let me go! I'm going to tell him off. He wouldn't sell to me but sold to Joe? He didn't accept you, he didn't accept me, but when Joe wants it, suddenly he agrees. What is this?"

Elly was laughing. "He's like the crown prince of this town. It's normal that he'd listen to him. Everything here depends on his family."

Eva grew curious. "What do you mean?"

"His father owns most of the workshops in town. He gives jobs to many people here. They've been living here for a long time, they're a well-established family."

Eva raised her eyebrows. "Well, look at that. The cursed girl can't get what she wants but the crown prince can. Let me ask you something..."

Elly turned her gaze away and nodded.

"In that tale you told me, what exactly is this Joe?"

Elly's face clouded with unease. "Never mind, let's go..."

Eva's eyes flew wide open in shock. She started giggling. "Could he be one of those demons you told me about yesterday? He reminded me of them..."

"Eva, stop making fun already," Elly said and got in the car.

Eva also got in laughing, following her. She put the market packages in the back, then got in the driver's seat next to Elly.

Eva thought they'd had enough action for the day.

But... Just as they were rounding a curve, a vehicle suddenly cut them off.

Eva slammed on the brakes to avoid a collision. The car skidded and stopped just short of the cliff.

"What's happening?" Eva whispered.

Elly's face had gone white as a sheet. "Eva... back up. Now!"

But it was too late. Masked men surrounded the car. They had clubs in their hands. Their faces were covered with black ski masks, only their eyes visible.

Eva locked the doors, but one of the men punched the window.

"Get out, Rose's daughter!" he shouted.

"Get lost!" Eva shouted back. Her heart was pounding wildly.

Another man came to the front of the car and began hitting the window with his club. The window, which had held for a bit, finally shattered with a loud crash.

Elly screamed. Eva gripped the steering wheel, trying to hit the gas, but the men had blocked the car's path.

Just then, a shadow burst from the forest.

A wolf. Compared to the giant wolf she'd seen on the forest road, this one was somewhat smaller, its muscles taut, its fur black-gray, its eyes shining silver.

The masked men, as if this were a familiar danger, suddenly organized themselves and pulled back. There wasn't even a trace of fear on their faces.

Inside the car, Eva and Elly sat slumped in their seats, watching him with fearful gazes in shock.

The wolf stood there for a few more seconds. Its eyes locked onto Eva's. There was something in that gaze... It wasn't the warm feeling like in the wolf she'd seen last time. It was looking at her with an icy, chilling sensation.

Then, in a split second, it turned and disappeared into the forest.

Eva's hands were trembling. She couldn't breathe. Reality and fantasy had now become intertwined. Who were these people and why were they attacking her? Moreover, what was that wolf? Was it trying to protect her?

"Eva... Eva, are you okay?" Elly's voice came from far away.

"What... what was that?" Eva whispered. "Did... did you see it too?"

Elly said, "I saw it." Her eyes turned to the forest and she murmured, "You know what it was," she said quietly.

Eva quickly shook off the shock, jumped in the car, and they drove away.

Half an hour later, they were sitting in the warm living room of Elly's house. Elly's mother, a middle-aged woman with a kind face, had brought them tea.

"It's so wonderful to see you, Eva," the woman said with a warm smile. "Having you here brings me great joy. Your grandmother was a wonderful woman."

Eva nodded, feeling warmth inside. "Thank you. She loved you very much too."

The woman murmured, "We loved her very much too. I'm sorry for your loss, Eva."

Eva could only manage, "Thank you."

A few minutes later, the woman began to talk. They spoke of the past, the town, memories.

Then the woman, caught up in the energy of the conversation, said something it slipped out.

"Your mother made a terrible mistake but... your grandmother tried so hard to protect us."

Eva froze, her brows furrowing. She was trying to understand what she meant. "What do you mean?" she asked.

The woman suddenly fell silent, her face turning ashen. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. That was wrong."

With hurried steps, she returned to the kitchen.

Eva turned to Elly curiously. "What did your mother mean?"

Elly's face was shrouded in darkness. She averted her eyes from Eva.

"I'm sorry," Elly said quietly. "My mother was talking nonsense..."

"Elly!" Eva shouted. "What does this mean?"

But Elly didn't answer. She just lowered her head, her hands trembling. Finally she composed herself. "I'll tell you when the time comes, my friend. Please don't ask now," she murmured.

Until this time, Eva hadn't heard a single word from her grandmother about her parents' death. It was as if it were an event that needed to be kept secret from everyone. Now, from the fear in Elly's eyes, she understood that something big had happened.

Everything was about to change. Eva could feel it.

But was she ready?

As Eva left Elly's house, her mind was in chaos. Elly's mother knew something. Elly knew something too. But no one was talking.

It was expected that there would be a reason for the townspeople's hatred toward her family.

"Eva, wait!" Elly ran after her, grabbing Eva's arm.

Eva turned, her eyes holding both anger and a wounded expression. "What, Elly? What other secret do you want to keep from me?"

Elly swallowed hard, her eyes welling up. "I... I don't want to tell you. Because it will hurt. And you've already suffered so much."

"Then why did you start?" Eva's voice cracked. "Why did you tell me those tales?"

"Because you need to know!" Elly cried out desperately. Then she lowered her voice, looking around them. "But... I don't want to be the one to tell you. I have just one favor to ask."

Eva exhaled sharply in frustration and waited.

"Your grandmother must have had a small chest." Elly's voice trembled. "Do you remember? Wooden, small, old. Did she give it to you?"

Eva's breath caught. Memories of the funeral day flooded back.

Yes. She remembered.

Eva had taken the chest with her, but she hadn't been able to open it. She couldn't.

Because that chest was the last thing remaining of her grandmother. Opening it... it would be like truly saying goodbye to her grandmother. And Eva wasn't ready.

For days, that chest had sat on top of the cabinet. Eva looked at it every day, but couldn't bring herself to touch it.

"Yes," Eva said slowly. "I remember."

Elly reached out and grabbed Eva's hands, squeezing them tightly. "Open that chest, Eva. What's inside... will show you the truth. And whatever you find, whatever you learn..." She looked into her eyes. "If you need help facing what's there, I'm here. Okay?"

Eva swallowed. For the first time, she didn't put on her mask of strength. "I'm scared," she whispered.

"I know," Elly said softly. "But some truths cause pain. Others... set you free."

That night, Eva gripped the steering wheel with trembling hands. The mountain road was icy, but her mind was elsewhere. The chest.

When she finally arrived home, darkness had fallen. She rushed inside and lit the fireplace. As the flames came to life, Eva's eyes drifted to the cabinet above.

There it was. The small wooden chest.

For a long time, she just stood and stared. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Finally, she climbed onto a chair, took down the chest, and stepped back to the floor.

Its weight was surprisingly light. But in Eva's hands, it felt like it weighed tons.

She crouched in front of the fireplace. She placed the chest in her lap. She took a deep breath.

"Okay, Grandma," she whispered. "Let's see what you left me."

She unlocked it. The lid creaked open.

The first thing she saw was an old journal. Its leather binding was worn, its pages yellowed. Eva carefully opened it and froze.

The writing... wasn't familiar. An ancient language, perhaps Latin, perhaps something else. Symbols, drawings, diagrams. She didn't understand it, but she could feel something: this was no ordinary journal.

Beneath it were old books. In the same language. Notes and marks along the page margins.

Then strange tools. A small dagger, shining like silver but much lighter. Dried herbs, crystallized liquids in small bottles. And... gerbera flowers. Dried, but still retaining their color.

Eva's hands trembled. Grandma, why did you hide these?

Then at the very bottom, she saw something wrapped in red velvet fabric.

The moment she unwrapped the fabric, the room filled with light.

Her breath caught.

In the center lay a dazzlingly radiant medallion. But it was no ordinary medallion.

It was oval-shaped, its edges covered in intricate silver engravings. Runic symbols, wolf heads, moon and star motifs... But what made it truly captivating was the crystal section in its center.

Inside... there was a liquid. Amber-colored, phosphorescent, alive. When she gently shook the medallion, the liquid stirred inside, moving as if it were living.

It emitted light. A yellowish, warm light.

Eva stared as if hypnotized. She extended her finger and slowly touched the crystal.

Suddenly, lightning flashed through her mind and images began to flow.

Burning amber eyes, glowing in the darkness.

A massive wolf, howling beneath the moonlight.

Her grandmother's face, young, tears streaming down. "I will protect you. I promise."

And then... that voice. Deep, raspy, wounded:

"I will wait for you. Rose's daughter..."

Eva screamed and jerked backward. The medallion slipped from her hand and fell to the floor, but the light didn't go out. It still glowed, as if breathing, pulsing like a heartbeat.

She couldn't understand what she had just experienced. Eva was breathless. Her heart felt like it would burst from her chest. Her hands trembled. "This can't be real. It can't be!" she murmured. She clutched her head between her palms and huddled in the corner of the chair.

But what she had seen was so vivid... Those eyes. That wolf. Her grandmother.

She could feel it. It was all real.

Eva jumped up, went to the kitchen, and with trembling hands grabbed the wine bottle from the cabinet. She didn't search for a glass. She drank straight from the bottle.

The wine burned her throat, but she didn't care. She took another gulp. Then another.

She returned to the fireplace and collapsed to the floor. She held the bottle between her knees, leaned her head back, and stared at the ceiling.

"What happened, Grandma?" Her voice cracked. Tears streamed down her cheeks. "What did you go through? Did these people... treat you this way too?"

She took another gulp from the bottle. Wine and tears mingled.

"What happened to Mom and Dad?" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Why... why didn't you tell me any of this?"

And the most painful question:

"Why... did you leave? Why did you abandon me?"

These thoughts were the screams of the grief growing inside her.

Eva looked at the fireplace through her tears. The chest was still there. The medallion still glowed.

Slowly, she reached out. She picked up the medallion. This time she felt nothing. There was only that warm light, pulsing in her palm like a heartbeat.

"Did you hide this to protect me?" Eva whispered. "Or... were you trying to protect something else?"

But it didn't matter anymore. Grandma was gone. And Eva was alone.

With longing, almost desperately, she clung to the last thing remaining of her and placed the medallion around her neck.

The chain was cold, but the medallion was warm. It fell against her chest, settling just above her collarbone. It vibrated in rhythm with her heartbeat.

Eva gripped it tightly in her hand. Her tears had stopped now. Only exhaustion remained. A deep, bone-penetrating exhaustion.

She set the wine bottle aside. She curled up in the velvet chair in front of the fireplace. Her eyes closed.

"I miss you so much, Grandma," she murmured.

And she fell asleep.

About an hour later, the darkness of night had fully descended.

Eva was in a deep sleep, lying with the medallion on her chest. And then... it began.

The amber light began to pulse like a heartbeat. Like the beating of a heart.

Then faster, in a rhythm as if it were about to explode.

Suddenly, a small light spread. First it illuminated Eva's chest. Then her face. Then her entire body.

The room began to shimmer. The walls, ceiling, floor everything was covered in amber light.

The liquid inside the medallion began to spin wildly. Like a hurricane. Like a storm.

And then...

A tiny sound. A small crack appeared in the crystal. Suddenly, it spread like a spider's web.

Eva was still sleeping. She wasn't even aware.

The light grew brighter. It spilled out through the windows. The entire mountain house glowed like a lantern in the darkness.

And finally...

Silent but powerful. A shockwave radiated out from the room. Trees swayed. Snow rose from the ground. Animals fled.

The medallion blazed... And then stopped.

The light went out. The crystal had clouded over. The amber liquid inside had vanished. It was empty now.

Eva was still sleeping. Unaware of anything.

But outside...

Outside, something had changed.

That night, snow fell silently. The night was pitch black.

And then... the sound of bare feet on the veranda.

Male feet. Walking across the snow.

The feet were covered in dirt and mud. The nails were long, almost like claws. But they were human feet. Now.

The feet stepped onto the veranda. They moved forward with the creaking of wood. Slowly approaching the window.

Through the glass, Eva could be seen. She was sleeping in the chair, calm, peaceful. On her chest, the medallion now glowed faintly with a white light.

A hand reached out. Large, powerful, covered in scars. It touched the glass.

The glass fogged. Stained with warm breath.

Fingers slowly traced across the glass. As if wanting to touch. As if wanting to enter.

And then, a deep, hoarse voice whispered:

"Bound by blood, sealed by magic... Welcome, my mate. Welcome, Rose's daughter."