ELSIE SIGHED FOR the nth time in the past three hours. The girl turned the other end of her hourglass and watched the sand run through its neck into the lower section. It was a countdown for another hour, and Andy still had not woken up.

After he passed out, Elsie conjured a cotton cover from her hat and spread it out on the cold stone floor. She had successfully made him a bed, but the boy was soaked in rainwater, and she had no extra clothes for him to change. So she had Hex get some fresh clothes for Andy from the village. Elsie had no idea how Hex would manage it. The cat was smart enough to decide on his own. But she also expected it would take quite some time, for consecutive teleportation proved to be difficult and dangerous, even for a Familiar like Hex. It would take some hours of sleep for him to recharge.

Elsie didn't care if Andy still hadn't forgiven her for the incident with the Enchanted Tree. He had gotten her worried sick! Elsie would give him an earful for going out to find some food despite the awful weather.

The young witch scooted closer to where Andy lay. Her eyes filled to the brim with tears as the boy let out another pained whimper in his sleep. Then those tears had finally escaped, matching the soft pitter-patter of the rain outside the cold walls of this cave. Chip rested his head on her lap and gave her hand a lick, moistening it with his saliva.

She sniffed as she rubbed her eyes in an attempt to ward her tears away. "It's my fault, Chip. Andy may have gotten mad at me, but it was because I was hungry that he had to go out and find some food."

Some of the berries Andy picked lay untouched on a piece of leaf that she found drifting on a small stream of rainwater. She couldn't afford to eat them due to the guilt prodding her conscience. But at the same time, it was Andy's small effort to mend things between them, and she wouldn't let that go to waste.

"There is no time to cry," Elsie said to herself loudly and looked down at Chip. "Andy needs us, so we will be doing everything we can to take care of him."

The dog barked a reply on what sounded like a yes! in human language. Andy let out another grunt, only this time he was muttering something under his breath. The words came out incoherent, so Elsie couldn't make out what he was saying.

She leaned over to have a check on his temperature. But as soon as her skin came into contact with Andy's forehead, her hand fizzled, and she instantly jerked back. Her yelp startled Chip, making the dog jump and growl at no one in particular; he thought they were under attack.

Elsie stared in shock and horror at Andy's scrunched face. His skin was burning hot. It felt the same when she accidentally poured hot water on her hand before.

The horror soon turned into worry as Andy seemed to have more than just a curable fever. Now, she scrambled her head off any curing spell that could help him. She was afraid of what might happen if worse came to worst. Elsie couldn't afford to lose him.

She bit her lip at the sudden realization of her action's consequence. This wasn't just about her stealing that jeweled fruit from the Enchanted Tree, and it wasn't about Andy going out to find berries for her either. It was something else, another reason, that Andy surely wouldn't consider forgiving her.

Just then, Elsie heard a loud splash of water and a sound of a dog whimpering outside. The sweet and tangy scent of what she recognized as silver blood oozed, mixing in with the petrichor scent of the rain.

ANDY DREAMED OF blackness, whose cold arms wrapped around him and wouldn't let him breathe. He struggled to wriggle out of its freezing grasp and woke with a start. He had to hold his hands to his head to stop the drums pounding within it.

Andy opened his eyes and gasped as a glue-like substance that formed over his eyelashes broke free. He was in a cave, whose gritty walls caught the light of the flickering blue flame nearby. It crackled and danced over the small broken logs. Reflecting off those swaying flames was an image of a young boy with dirty and messy chocolate brown locks, a face covered in cuts and bruises, and two big fearful eyes, shaking. But he couldn't remember well what caused that fear to surface. There was a thick fog swirling around his brain, and it was messing with his memories.

He sat and folded his legs, hugging them close to his chest. Out of the corner of his eye, something gleamed near the entrance of the cave. The dense silver liquid caught the light of the moon. Andy guessed it was where the sweet and tangy smell was coming from.

But something was wrong. Everything else was silent, except for the rhythmic breathing of an enormous pile of cotton that was twice his size beside him, his heart matching its beat. It also grumbled each time it rose and fell.

Andy bit down his tongue to stifle a shout as he realized the snow-white cotton sprouted four limbs. He ran a hand across the smooth and velvety material of its body towards the small lump which seemingly bore two horns—or were those ears? The boy couldn't tell, for his vision was a bit blurry without his glasses on.

He continued brushing it, loving the feeling of the tickles and smoothness it brought to his skin, when out of instinct, he scratched the back of the cotton's ear, earning a low grumble from the odd creature.

Andy yelped as he scrambled onto his feet backward. He stepped onto something soft, followed by a caterwaul. The creature stirred and pawed on the ground at the sound. The boy sat on the opposite corner, shaking and hugging himself as he watched the lumpy figure apprehensively.

Hex's cries when Andy stepped on his tail woke Chip and Elsie up. The young witch rubbed the sleep off her eyes.

"What's wrong, Hex?" she said, then yawned. Elsie blinked numerous times before her amber eyes could focus on the small shivering figure huddled on the corner. Her face lit up, realizing who it was before running to him.

Noticing that Elsie, Chip, and Hex were with him inside that cave, Andy let out a cry of relief.

"Elsie!"

The two children hugged each other so tight that no one was willing to let go. Chip joined the duo and licked Andy on his cheeks. Hex, meanwhile, watched the trio on the side, glaring at Andy for ruining his desired nap after draining his energy from that teleportation.

Although a bit reluctant, Elsie pulled out of the embrace. She cupped his cheeks between her palms. "How are you feeling, Andy? Thank goodness your temperature went back to normal. I can't even touch you when you are so hot. I'm afraid that anytime you might explode like a volcano."

Andy's eyes darted from her and to the thing behind her. He was trembling out of his wits. She worried he might be hurting somewhere.

"Elsie, c-can't you see it? I think we're in danger."

"Danger?" Confused, she looked behind her, only to realize what made him so scared.

Elsie giggled. Oh! Non-magic people can be funny at times, she said to herself.

"Come on, Elsie. Let's get out of here while it's still asleep," Andy whispered. He was really trying hard not to be heard.

"Oh, Andy, you silly!" She lightly pushed him on the shoulder.

"Elsie, shh, be qui—"

"Andy, I took him in! He's just a harmless silver wolf—neither a friend nor a foe. Hmm, but most of the time, they are friends. And guess what his name is," she drawled, looking at him expectantly. "Wolfie! I named him Wolfie."

Andy stared at her, dumbstruck, as she practically threw herself on the sleeping creature. She had her arms wrapped around the creature's neck, digging her small fingers into its fur. At the sight of this, a pang of jealousy crittered in Chip's heart. So to save himself from the disgusting sight, he turned his back on them.

"W-What?"

Elsie bit her lip and fiddled with her fingers. "Well, I-I was hoping that you won't be angry. But it was raining, Andy, and he was injured." Elsie's arms flailed wildly as she explained herself to the boy, the same thing she did when her parents caught her doing things they would disapprove of. "I found him unconscious just outside our cave, bleeding, and I can't leave him alone because I was always taught to help. And that desire to help isn't just out of habit from following my father's orders; it has always stayed with me." Then in a whisper, she said, "I'm sorry."

Andy's face softened then he heaved a sigh. Well, who was he to get angry? She had just used that charity card on him. And if she was to help, who was he to stop her?

"I-It's alright... I guess," he said in a low tone, eyes squinting at the silver creature. Indeed, he was cute and seemingly harmless. But still, it would never hurt to be cautious around that wolf.

"Are you sure?" Elsie clapped her hands, heels rocking back and forth, and lips grinning from ear to ear. "But you said no one is allowed to do anything until you say so."

"T-That still depends if you are going to put the rest of us in danger. I can't do anything about Wolfie now, can I?"

"Yahoo!" Elsie tossed her pointed hat into the air and made an odd dance with her made-up tune, arms rolling and hips swaying. Her figure cast a huge dim shadow all over the cave. The embers of the blue fire sputtered as the flame itself danced with her.

Elsie never failed to amuse him. If only nothing bothered him so much, he would laugh at her funny dance as he held onto his aching tummy.

Andy scooped Chip up, hugged him, and kissed his bulbous head. The dog was still grumpy over the big wolf. He had that accusing glare at Andy for letting Wolfie stay with them.

"What? You want Wolfie kicked out?"

Arf! Chip barked a response. His tail wagged excitedly.

Andy's eyes widened. "Is that a yes?"

Arf!

"Oh, Chip. I can't believe I'm doing this. Talking with a dog as if we understand each other," he said as he let the little pug drench his face with stinky saliva.

He may be going a little crazy, but this was what he needed. Whenever Andy was agitated, scared, or bothered, he would crave comfort, for physical contact, that no one—not even his parents—provided for him. It was a sad truth for an only child whose parents were crazy over their career and a bitter reality for a child trying so hard to fit in a social circle.

"Elsie, where's my glasses?" he said the moment he got tired of watching her go round and round the lit fire.

"Oh." With their only light source, Elsie crawled to find the hat she carelessly threw around. She found it lying beside her unbothered sleeping Familiar. After seconds of fumbling inside the hat, she extracted Andy's glasses, looking brand new and repaired. "Here you go. I found a way to fix it."

"Thanks," he mumbled before sliding the frame over his nose. "Elsie, what happened? I mean, the only thing I can remember is that we're running under the rain. Then we found this cave and took shelter in it. I remember going out again, but that's just it."

Elsie sat cross-legged before him, eyes fixated on the hypnotic movement of her blue flame. Andy gulped at the sudden change in the girl's behavior, for it was rare to see that kind of reaction on her.

She sighed, and the corners of her lips curved downward. "You went out of the cave to gather some berries despite the heavy rain because I was hungry. I'm sorry, Andy."

"Oh, not again." Andy slapped a hand on his forehead, then squeezed the girl's shoulders gently. "You can't seriously cry over everything, Elsie."

"But it was because of me you fainted! I can't help but blame myself. Didn't you know your body temperature was so high I couldn't even touch you without literally burning my hand?"

Andy's jaw dropped to the ground. "It was that worst?"

Elsie bobbed her head. Her tubby cheeks jiggled at the repeated motion.

"You're not exaggerating?"

She shook her head. Now, a genuine horror washed over his entire visage—from the way his face crumpled with fear to his erratic breathing and to the way his body slumped limply.

"Actually..." Elsie drawled, unable to look at him straight in the eyes. "It's much much worse than that, Andy."

Andy gasped. He seized Elsie's shoulder, rattling her. "What? What is it? What's worse than being a human frying pan?"

"Okay, okay. Stop shaking me. You're making me dizzy." Elsie freed herself from Andy's clutches. "Remember what I said that you only have a week to last? Emerraine, our world, rejects non-magic entities it detects. So if you are not able to pass through the exits within seven days—"

"—I'll cease to exist," Andy finished it for himself, completely stunned.

"And this world is already starting to reject you. It will start within your body, which means your soul."

"Oh, no! I'll become soulless. What does it make me then? A walking zombie?" Andy clawed on his face, scraping the soft skin with his nails. "W-Well then, what are we waiting for? Let's keep moving! How many days have I been asleep? We can't waste any more time."

"You were out for two nights."

"Then, there's only five days left!" He jolted upward, only to trip himself and land on his butt.

"Andy, keep calm." He would be unable to continue on the journey if Andy continued to be like this and Elsie knew it. Right now, she was afraid to see Andy like a madman. His hands were pulling his hair apart, eyes shaky and unsettled. The boy rocked himself back and forth as he pressed his folded legs closer to his chest.

"Keep calm?" he whispered not to Elsie but himself. "But how can I—"

Andy heard an enormous rumbling sound. He frowned at Elsie and said, "Is that your stomach again? Gee, Elsie, don't you ever get full?"

The young witch only blinked at him. Andy suddenly realized the sound wasn't coming from her stomach, but an enormous growling came right beside him. A gust of chilly and slightly stinky breath blew on his cheek. He veered his head to the side and came face to face with the white-silver wolf, staring right through him with those beady black eyes as if judging his mere existence in this world. His fur, short over his body and longer at the neck, was smooth and shiny. His stance was confident and body muscular.

Andy gulped as more sweat dribbled down his body. "G-Good doggy?"

Wolfie crouched down, outstretching his head. He wiggled his bums and lunged forward to gobble him up.

Andy closed his eyes, bracing for the attack. But he could only feel stinky, sloppy saliva from a smooth tongue on his cheek.

The wolf had just licked him!

Elsie let out an ear-splitting squeal. "Aww, he likes you! See? Wolfie's not that bad. He can even join us. What do you think, Andy?"

Wolfie rubbed himself on Andy, and the boy relaxed a little. An icy cold drop dribbled on his arm. He leaned over to check and was about to complain of having to deal with too much spit today when he saw a single crystal blue liquid seep into his still flaking wound. His eyes bulged when the flakes of his wounds shed themselves, and any hint of scar faded as a new layer of skin stitched itself to smoothness. He looked at Wolfie and saw tears trickling down both of the creature's eyes.

Wolfie trotted towards Elsie this time and nudged her. He pressed his forehead onto Elsie's then they had gone quiet for a while. It appeared they were talking to each other when Elsie would nod and smile at the silver wolf. Andy had gotten used to it already, and he was becoming less freaked out from the bizarre things happening around him.

Right after they broke their connection, Elsie fumbled inside her witch hat. From there, she extracted a small glass bottle, plopped its cork lid off, and put its mouth under the wolf's left eye, collecting those beautiful, glimmering crystal tears.

She moved over to him and put one drop on each of his wounds. All of them closed and healed, just like the first one.

"Wow," he said, full of awe, stretching his arms out to check the places where his wounds used to be with the help of burning fire. "Wolfie, you're amazing!"

Andy threw himself on the wolf and buried his face on his fur. It didn't take long before Andy felt Wolfie's muscles quiver. Shortly after, his breath came in short gasps and collapsed.

"Wolfie..." he croaked. There was no response. Louder this time, "Wolfie! Elsie, what happened?"

Elsie's heart pounded faster. "Wolfie!" She shook him harder. "No, no, no!" She laid down on him and wept. Elsie breathed deeply and said, "Wolfie had just given you his tears, Andy. I thought the healing powers of a silver wolf's tears were just a myth. It is said that losing too much of it can kill them. I was torn, Andy. I don't want Wolfie to give you his tears, but I also don't want to see you in that state. He promised he would be fine, so I gave in!"

"I..." Andy was at a loss for words. Indeed, if something happened to Wolfie, it would be his fault. But why did the wolf help him? He could endure the stings of his wound. They could heal over time. And Wolfie just risked his life for that? He didn't deserve it!

Everything around him stilled. It was as if the air paused, and the crackling blue fire turned frozen solid. Even his own breathing came in hard, heavy panting as guilt and sorrow filled his heart.

Then, amidst the sorrowful silence, a sound of falling heavy trees rang out. A pounding of dozens of wolf paws echoed around the silent forest like a massive clap of thunder as more angry howls vibrated around the air.