I Helped The Imprisoned Male Lead And He Became Obsessed - Chapter 87

My heart plummeted, and my hands trembled as a terrible thought crossed my mind—what if the wolves had already harmed Finn?

I prayed fervently that I wasn’t too late and sprinted up the stairs, barely registering each step.

At the top, I found a wide hall leading to two long corridors, one on the left and the other on the right. I hesitated for a moment, unsure where the scream had come from.

Then, a low, menacing growl echoed from the left.

I raised the lantern and ran toward the sound, dread coiling tighter around my chest with each step.

As I ran, the unsettling familiarity of the place grew stronger. The corridors on either side were lined with barred cells, each containing a small bed. Chains hung from the bedframes, and numbered plaques were affixed near the bars.

The corridor seemed to stretch endlessly until it abruptly turned right.

I rounded the corner—and froze.

Two massive wolves were slamming their bodies against a cell door, snarling viciously.

Inside the cell, Finn was pressed against the wall, his face pale with terror. The door was locked, but the latch rattled violently, on the verge of breaking.

Finn, hang on…

I pulled the enchanted weapon from my belt and shouted, “Finn!”

His head snapped toward me, and his tear-filled eyes widened in shock.

“Anise! Hic… Anise, you’re here…!”

“Hold on, Finn. I’m coming for you,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm despite my racing heart.

The wolves stopped attacking the door, turning their feral gaze on me. Their lips curled back to reveal sharp teeth glinting in the dim light.

Sweat slicked my palm as I gripped the enchanted weapon tighter, my breath hitching when the wolves lowered themselves into a pouncing stance.

Growl!

With savage howls, the wolves lunged at me, their jaws snapping open, ready to tear me apart. I could see the gleam of their fangs—sharp enough to crush my neck in a single bite.

Terror threatened to paralyze me, but I forced my body to move. I activated the enchanted weapon, and its tip sparked with blue energy.

Crackle!

The wolves yelped in pain as the lightning struck them directly. The air filled with the acrid smell of burning fur, and the creatures convulsed violently, temporarily incapacitated.

Taking advantage of their stunned state, I rushed to the cell. The latch was loose, so I smashed it with the weapon, forcing the door open.

“Finn!”

The boy, curled up in the corner, lifted his tear-streaked face. His wide, watery eyes were filled with fear, surprise, and overwhelming relief.

I ran to him, pulling him into my arms. He clung to me tightly, his small body trembling as he broke into loud, heaving sobs.

“Anise… hic… I was so scared…!”

“It’s okay now, Finn. I’m here. You’re safe,” I whispered, stroking his back gently as he wept uncontrollably.

I couldn’t imagine how terrified he must have been, alone in this place. My own hands were still shaking, yet Finn had somehow endured until I arrived.

“Are you hurt anywhere?” I asked softly, looking him over.

Finn sniffled and shook his head, still hiccupping. I exhaled deeply in relief, though my chest tightened at the sight of him.

His clothes were filthy, caked in mud, and his face was streaked with dirt and dust. He looked utterly exhausted, his small frame bearing the marks of his ordeal.

If I’d been even a little later…

The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

“I could’ve been too late, Finn,” I said, my voice trembling slightly, though I didn’t mean to scold him.

Finn’s eyes brimmed with fresh tears, and he stammered through his sobs. “I’m sorry… hic… I just wanted to find Carentilia… but I got lost… hic…”

As I had suspected, Finn had wandered through the forest in search of Carentilia.

“I just wanted to help you, but all I did was cause trouble… hic,” he sobbed, his small shoulders trembling.

I gently soothed him, stroking his hair.

“It’s okay, Finn. What matters is that you’re safe now.”

“But… my mom said… sniff… that a troublemaker like me wasn’t needed… hic.”

My breath caught.

“What do you mean?”

“She said I was bad… and now… sniff… you’ll throw me away, too, won’t you?”

For a moment, I couldn’t find the words to respond.

I had lost my mother to illness, and that was how I became an orphan. I had always assumed that the other children under my care had suffered similar circumstances.

But now…

A sharp ache welled up in my chest. Hot tears threatened to rise, and when I finally spoke, my voice was thick and hoarse.

“Of course not,” I said firmly.

“But… hic…”

“I would never abandon you. Why else would I have come to find you?”

Wiping away his tears with my hand, I gave him a warm smile.

“Everyone’s waiting for us. Let’s go home, okay?”

“Really… is it okay to go back?”

“Of course.”

Perhaps it was my promise, or just the reassurance that he still had a home to return to, but Finn’s sobs quieted. He rubbed at his teary eyes with his sleeve, sniffling softly.

“Come on, Finn.”

He swallowed his remaining tears and nodded, clutching my hand tightly.

Together, we began running down the endless corridor, the sound of our hurried footsteps echoing around us.

The hallway stretched on like a tunnel with no end, but finally, it opened up into a wide hall.

We were just about to descend the stairs when a flicker of yellow light appeared in the darkness.

Bright, piercing eyes.

Not one pair—dozens.

The glowing eyes scattered the shadows, surrounding us like predators closing in on their prey.

“Finn, get back!” I shouted, raising my enchanted weapon.

Crackle!

Blue sparks erupted as the electricity surged forward, striking one of the wolves charging at us. It let out a pained howl as it was thrown against the wall, its body twitching violently.

But before I could react further, searing pain exploded in my right arm.

“Ah!” I gasped, the sharp, metallic scent of blood filling the air.

A wolf had lunged, clawing my arm, and the shock caused me to lose my grip on the weapon.

It clattered to the floor, and before I could retrieve it, another wolf took advantage of my momentary vulnerability. With a feral snarl, it leaped toward me, its jaws open wide.

“Anise!”

 

***

 

“I can’t just sit here any longer.”

Rio abruptly stood up, his face tense with worry. His words drew the attention of the children gathered around the table.

The table was set with bread, cheese, and salad, but no one had touched the food. They had all been waiting, hoping to eat together once Finn and Anise returned.

But no matter how long they waited, neither of them came back.

Unable to endure the anxiety any longer, Rio grabbed his coat. Anise had asked him to stay and watch over the others, but he couldn’t keep that promise.

She had gone into the forest alone, thinking only of their safety and not her own.

Rio clenched his jaw.

‘Anise worries about us so much, but we… we care about her just as much.’

Anise had saved Finn’s life when he nearly died from eating a poisonous mushroom. She had taken all of them in when they had nowhere else to go.

The thought of her wandering through the dark forest by herself, facing unknown dangers, was unbearable.

“David,” Rio called out, his voice firm. “You’re the next oldest after me. Take care of the others while I’m gone.”

“Wha—? Oh, uh, yeah, sure,” David stammered, nodding, though he looked a little startled by the sudden responsibility.

With the task delegated, Rio headed for the forest to follow Anise.

Just as he reached the forest’s edge, a distant wolf howl froze him in his tracks.

Awoooo!

The sound stretched on, eerie and bone-chilling, like a call summoning its pack. Hearing it, a wave of dread washed over him.

‘What if something’s happened to them?’

Rio’s hand instinctively went to the dagger strapped to his waist. It was a crude weapon he had picked up during his time as a street kid, used only out of necessity to survive.

His fingers tightened around the hilt as he gritted his teeth.

The forest loomed ahead, cloaked in impenetrable darkness. Shadows shifted between the trees, and every rustle seemed to echo with menace.

Whatever dangers awaited inside, he had no choice but to face them.

Steeling himself, Rio clenched his fists and sprinted into the forest, his resolve carrying him into the unknown.

***

The wolf charged at me, its sharp fangs bared as though it intended to tear me apart, bones and all.

For a brief moment, fear froze me in place. I couldn’t move, couldn’t think.

Is this it?

Am I going to die here?

So pointlessly, so helplessly?

In that fleeting instant, Emilian’s face flashed through my mind.

Why him? Why now?

Or… perhaps it made sense that it would be now.

I had never once spoken honestly to him about how I felt. Never told him that my heart wasn’t his, that my kindness toward him was out of pity, not affection.

If I were to die here, Emilian would be left with nothing but misunderstandings.

I can’t let that happen. I don’t want that—not ever.

That thought pierced through the haze of fear, clearing my mind with sudden clarity.

And then, like a lightning bolt, I remembered something I’d almost forgotten.

I’m not done yet. I can’t die here.

I shifted my gaze and spotted Finn, standing a short distance away. He was frozen in terror as wolves circled, their claws poised to strike.

“Finn, come here! Quickly!”

At my shout, Finn ran toward me, his small legs moving desperately. I pulled him into my arms just as—

Bang!

A deafening sound echoed through the air as the wolves were thrown back, repelled as though they’d slammed into an invisible wall.

One of the protective charms woven into my cloak had activated, creating a magical barrier that shielded us.

But the wolves, ravenous and unrelenting, showed no signs of giving up.

Grrrrr…

Nearly ten wolves surrounded us, their glowing eyes filled with predatory hunger.

I fought to suppress the fear clawing at my spine and spoke firmly to Finn.

“Finn, listen to me. Stay by my side—don’t leave me, no matter what.”

Finn, his small body trembling, nodded frantically. I pulled him closer, wrapping him tightly in my arms.

Then the wolves attacked again.

With bone-chilling howls, they lunged at the barrier. Each strike of their claws sent tremors through the air as the magical defense held against their relentless assault.

Even as one wolf faltered, another would take its place, slamming against the barrier with renewed fury.

Thud! Thud!

The barrier trembled violently with each impact.

Pulling Finn closer, I drew the cloak over both of us, hiding our faces from view. My sight was blocked, but the snarls and growls of the wolves filled my ears, their hot, labored breaths hammering against my fragile resolve.

Even through the barrier, the sheer ferocity of their attacks left an oppressive weight on my body, as though each blow struck directly at me.

Please… let them give up and leave.

I don’t know how long I sat there, trembling and praying for the nightmare to end.

But suddenly, the growling and snarling stopped.

The oppressive sounds of the wolves vanished, leaving an eerie silence in their wake.

At the same time, the sharp stench of blood filled the air, overwhelming my senses.

The quiet was broken by a grotesque sound: a crack—bones snapping.

‘What… what’s happening out there?’

I lowered my head to look at Finn. He had cried himself into exhaustion and now seemed to be unconscious, his small face pale but peaceful.

With trembling hands, I cautiously pulled back the cloak.

The sight before me was horrifying.

The ground was soaked in blood, a gruesome carnage stretching as far as I could see. The bodies of wolves, torn apart, lay scattered around us.

What on earth…?

I raised my shaking eyes, scanning the surroundings.

Then, I heard it—a sound. Footsteps.

Someone was there.

The moment I realized I wasn’t alone, my gaze locked onto him.

My eyes widened in shock.

From head to toe, he was drenched in blood, his disheveled figure radiating menace as he approached me.

“Emil…?” I whispered, barely able to form the word.

Emilian’s deep, sunken eyes met mine. With each step closer, the metallic scent of blood grew thicker, suffocating.

When he reached me, he knelt down on one knee, his expression unreadable, his silence more terrifying than any words.

Then, without warning, he reached out and pulled me into his arms.

Tightly. Too tightly. It felt as though he might crush me.

“You’re cruel, Anise,” he said, his voice trembling with a barely contained storm.

His words spilled out, low and strained, from somewhere above my head.

“If your goal was to torment me to death in this way, know that I’ve already died a thousand times over.”