Chapter 13 - Thirteen
It had only been a few minutes since I crossed through the portal, but I already felt like a ghost in someone else’s world.
The air was colder here, sharper, and not just in temperature—but in feel. No scents to track, no whispers of wolves in the wind. Just fumes, concrete, and strange, bitter smells I couldn’t place. Even my hearing—usually sharp and keen—felt muted. Like my senses were being wrapped in cotton.
The human world.
It was supposed to be my birthright once, wasn’t it?
I took a few shaky steps toward the glowing streetlight and stopped at the edge of a wide, black road. Cars whizzed past, their lights blinding, their speed shocking. I flinched and stepped back. These things moved faster than horses. They growled louder than wolves.
A group of people passed me on the opposite sidewalk—two women and a man. They were dressed in strange clothing, holding phones that glowed in their hands, laughing loudly. They didn’t even glance at me.
I swallowed hard.
I didn’t belong here.
My boots scraped the pavement as I wandered forward. I had no map, no name to give, no home to walk toward. The Seer had only said, "Trust your blood." But how do you trust something that’s fading?
The buildings loomed taller the further I went. Concrete giants. They stared down at me with windows that looked like soulless eyes. People were everywhere, and yet I felt more alone than I ever had in Thornridge.
No one greeted each other. No one stopped to sniff the air or feel the earth beneath their feet. Everyone was in a rush, locked inside glowing screens or blasting sound into their ears. Some wore strange hats with wires; others spoke into small black devices. I realized quickly that I was the odd one—wearing thick wool, carrying a satchel, my hair wild from the wind.