When Alexandra woke up the next day, she was clear-headed, and she pushed herself off the hotel bed’s pillow with a smile. She checked her pale skin before she heard a scuffle at the corner of the room. A pair of black and white rabbits fought in a large cage, and she giggled, causing them to glare at her. She then got up, the red pajamas that Daren bought for her yesterday on her, and she leaned over to the cage. She flashed her teeth, and the rabbits scurried backwards in fear.

A rushing water sound came from the bathroom as she glanced at the mirror, her hair silver and short while her orange eyes shined. She then turned to the TV and turned it on, the newscast displaying a helicopter view of a mansion in a forest, with a photo of Reiner on the corner. Alexandra grinned, sitting down on the bed as the newscaster spoke.

“It has been almost eighteen hours since police came to this mansion, which the police identified as belonging to the infamous mafia head, Reiner Graham, based on a phone call traced to this location. Authorities found dozens of men who worked for Reiner’s Faction, which held power over several states, either wounded or killed. The severely wounded ones are taken to the hospital under police supervision, while the rest are taken under police custody. Kurt, the second in command of Reiner, was found killed with a bullet through the head while Reiner’s location remained unknown.

“A few of them swore that they were attacked by a werewolf by their own creation and a blond-haired man. While there are considerable structural damages, including a few holes, police psychologists believe that the rabid bear, which has attacked two locations in the last few days, has attacked there. The enforcers, overwhelmed by fear, deluded themselves. However, no one could explain who this blond-haired man was and if he took advantage of the chaos to deal with the infamous organization. In the meantime, the police suspected that, given that the two most important people are either killed or have disappeared, the organization will undergo a civil war.”

Alexandra turned off the TV, remembering the events of the two nights and days, with some guilt forming before she shook her head. “Nothing I can do to change it. The only thing I can do is move forward.” She lifted up one of her hands, and, focusing, her fingernails grew long and thick, turning into claws while gray fur sprouted, her palm thickening into pads. She grinned, the changes reversing, as the water stopped from the bathroom.

“I can change at will now,” Alexandra said before setting her hands on her lap. “Though would I be forced to change if it’s the full moon, or can I control it even then?” She shook her head, her hair swaying with the motions. “Just another thing to look forward to.” A few minutes later, the bathroom door opened, and she turned to it. “Hey ther— Daren?”

Her grin faltered as Daren sighed, his blue aloha shirt worn over a blue shirt tucked into his blue jeans. He held up his left arm, with white wrappings going up midway to his fingers to a couple of inches below his shoulders and armpit. He flexed his fingers and wrist, the movements not impeded by the wrappings, and lowered the arm.

“Anything wrong?” Daren asked, tilting his head.

“That’s what I was thinking,” Alexandra replied, getting up from the bed. “I don’t recall you getting injured by the left arm in any way. What happened?”

Daren shifted his eyes before he sat on the other bed. “I wasn’t.” He hesitated, clicking his tongue for a couple of seconds. “Honestly, this gives me comfort despite the hateful memories.”

“Hmm?” Alexandra stepped over and sat next to him. “Was it my fault?” Daren kept silent, turning away. “Do you want to talk about it?”

He lowered his head. “In a way, yes. But I can’t.” At the final word, a white energy spiral wrapped around his right arm from his shoulders to his fingertips. “I made a promise never to tell, and I can never break a promise without it being annulled or fulfilled. Otherwise, I’ll die.”

Alexandra blinked at the white spiral. “I don’t understand. Why make such a promise in the first place?”

Daren kept silent for a few seconds, lifting his left forearm. “It’s funny. You did something that seemed like a good idea, something to keep buried, but doubt crept up as time went on. It formed into a mask drenched in guilt, living a lie that has less and less reason to exist over time. Yet, despite that, the person you forged the pact with not only upheld it with far greater vigor but also chose to strengthen it, bound into a promise despite knowing the consequences if I don’t.”

“You’re not talking straight,” Alexandra said, and she reached over to his left arm only to stop when he flinched. “Also, I noticed that you wouldn’t look at me when I was a werewolf. Is that related to your bandaged arm?”

“If that is what you believe,” Daren replied, shrugging.

Alexandra rubbed Daren’s shoulder, who recoiled before he relaxed, and he sighed. She then got up, picking up some of the clothes that Daren got for her before going to the bathroom. She showered, brushed her teeth and hair, and dried up before putting on her clothes, with a light orange tank shirt over black jeans and slipping some shoes with platforms on them. She glanced at the mirror for a moment, different from the lady with baggy clothes a few days before, and stepped out.

Daren packed up her stuff by the time she got out, and the golden A on his belt glistened. She smiled at him and helped him make the bed before she picked up the rabbit cage, with the two rabbits shifting within. Finally, Daren picked up her two bags, and after checking for trash, they stepped out of the hotel room.

“I still need a new job. And a new home.” Alexandra sighed. “I guess my troubles can’t be over even after what happened yesterday, right?”

“I wouldn’t say that,” Daren replied with a shrug, having a slight grin.

They took the elevator down to the lobby, with the flowery carpet over black and white square stones in front of the reception desk. Alexandra grinned at the receptionist, who smiled back as Daren checked out from the hotel, turning in the key cards. They stepped outside, a cool breeze blowing as they strolled toward her car.

“I’m afraid that this is where we must part ways,” Daren said halfway to Alexandra’s car, and she stopped, stunned. “My time here is ending, and I can’t miss the deadline when it allows itself to appear. I was here on sick leave due to this,” he lifted up his left arm, “and I can guess Zelda’s reaction.”

“Zelda? Who’s she?” Alexandra asked though she felt a lump in her throat.

“She’s, well, I would say that she’s my fiancé though we agreed to hold it off until business is settled,” Daren answered, and she lowered her head.

“I see,” Alexandra said, and she turned towards the car, setting the cage next to the back door as Daren placed the two bags behind the trunk. “Can I come with you? I mean, not as a girlfriend since your heart belongs to her, which I have no intention of stealing from… just as a companion really.”

Daren chuckled. “I’m glad the fire I sense in you is burning bright. To be clear, my work handles cases like yours daily, and we would be happy to accept you. Maybe one day, but I believe that there is someone here that loves you deeply.” Alexandra blushed. “And I think he’ll be unhappy if you disappear. I’ll let you figure out who. Besides,” Daren frowned, “I think he’ll flip out once he finds out about you.”

Alexandra tilted her head, a question forming in her throat before she stopped, remembering his promise to someone, and she nodded. “I believe I know who you’re talking about.”

Daren nodded. “I’m afraid so.”

Alexandra blushed before she lunged over and hugged Daren, who blinked and paused before hugging back. “So, goodbye?”

“Until we meet again,” Daren answered, and after she nodded in understanding, they ended their hug.

Daren took a step around when Alexandra spoke up. “About that promise you have?” Daren paused, turning his face away from her. “If it’s causing you too much pain and guilt, maybe you should talk with that person and null it. Even if it meant having a slugfest with them.”

Daren didn’t respond, instead walking away and emitting a sigh. He stuffed his hands into his pockets, his aloha shirt pushed back as he limped forward as though pulling heavy chains on his legs. Alexandra stood there, her eyes on him until he walked past a corner, and she lowered her head. She reached for one of the two bags, but it budged slightly off the ground, far heavier than it looked. She blinked, letting it go before kneeling down and unzipping it open.

She gasped, gold and silver coins glittering within as she picked one of them up. She flipped it over, a mix of confusion and joy flowing through her before she dropped it back into the bag with a few jingles. She dug into the bag until she felt a paper and pulled it out. She unfolded it and read the letter.

I know this may be a bit much, but I want you to have some of the gold and silver I’ve collected over my life. I like to carry a little as an emergency since they tend to be universal currency no matter where I go. Don’t worry since I have plenty more where that came from. This should be enough to help you get back on your feet and still have plenty for an emergency. And if we cross paths again, I want you to live well like the free wolf you’re meant to be.

Take care.

“Oh, Daren,” Alexandra said with tears flowing out. “You shouldn’t have. But thank you.”

“If you hadn’t antagonized that monster, we wouldn’t be in this predicament!” Ford said, with thick bandages over both of his knees.

Ford and Dirk lay on medical beds, with handcuffs attaching them to the beds themselves. With thick wrappings on his exposed waist and right knee, Dirk grumbled, his balding scalp shining in the sterile light. Before them, a police officer watched them, his arms crossed while never leaving his eyes off them.

“If I recall correctly, you did your share of antagonizing him! Fuck, you called Kurt for assistance after he kicked both of our asses!” Dirk glared at Ford.

“You should’ve tried harder to convince me to not bring him in!” Ford rolled his eyes before he checked the time. “But instead, you decided to go the lazy route and blame me for it.”

“It’s not my fault you didn’t listen to me! Like how I wanted to go to the other place, but instead, we went to the one place where we met that bastard! All thanks to you!” Dirk spat out before checking the clock as well. “And why are you checking that for the past hour!?”

“Just something that monster said about us trying to kill him in twenty-four hours,” Ford answered before he shook his head. “It’s only a few minutes before it’s up.”

“Like hell we can!” Dirk wiggled but paused when his waist wrappings reddened with blood. “Even if we somehow broke free and find him, we still have only one working kneecap between us!”

“The nurses told you to not aggravate your wounds five times already,” the police officer said, his voice like a deep rumble before striding to the phone.

“Even so,” Ford said, ignoring the police officer, “what does he mean by all of that jazz?”

“Like I give a fuck!” Dirk squeezed his right palm despite the pain. “That bastard is going to get what’s coming to him! Mark my words, drench them in blood and send it to the bloody pope, I will find him again, and I’ll kill him! And I’ll do it slowly by sledgehammering both of his kneecaps out, stabbing a rusty nail through his palm, and spearing him through the stomach! Then I’ll let it get infected while I do everything I can to keep him alive, stretching out his agony! And once I have my fun, I’ll rip his throat out!” He turned to Ford, who lay there. “Do you hear me?!” More silence, and he spoke with a hint of fear. “Ford?”

But Ford remained still as though dead, with his face frozen with fear, as Dirk felt a chill crawling down his spine. He turned to the other side of the bed, the police officer still making that nurse call, with sweat forming on his brow. Soon, he heard a flutter, and when he turned to the source, a black-robed figure with a tall scythe stood there, with two flaming dots where the eye sockets would be. He opened his mouth, about to scream—

When the police officer hung up and turned around, both Dirk and Ford were dead, with their faces twisted in fear and already cold to the touch.

“Twenty-four hours are up,” Daren said. He checked the smartphone time and nodded. “Their souls are now claimed by Death.”

He pocketed the smartphone and walked through a park. Two kids kicked a soccer ball at each other while one guy lay charcoal on the stone grill with flattened hamburger meat on the side. Birds chirped in the air, with several landing on the green grass before digging through for seeds.

Daren sighed, cut off from that kind of world as he strode into the forest at the edge. Its darkness claimed him. He wiggled his left hand’s fingers and stomped down on fallen branches. Little sounds came as cool air hovered all around him. He glanced around for any living sign. No other life was visible, and he walked in deeper.

He came to a clearing with trees so tall and wide that few lights pierced through the branches. He pulled out his smartphone once more. Checking the time, he leaned against a tree trunk, waiting as he thought back about his week in this world; half was filled with dull normal that he felt alien to, and the other half was filled with adventure. Alexandra came to mind, and he opened the image app, with both Daren and Alexandra posing together in the very first picture. He smiled at it.

He dropped his smile before he turned up. Out of nowhere, a large spaceship appeared. “Returning to normal time as Zelda programmed in the T.F.”

The Time Fox, TF for short, lay there, with three points contacting the ground. iIts nose stretched forward far ahead of the wings. Red kitsune markings covered the white painting, the wings red with a pair of white As on top, with the tips pointing in the same direction as the nose. The truck-sized ship opened from the bottom, with steps unfolding before it touched the ground. Daren strode over to it, bending under the TF and then stepping up.

Above was a different story, with the main section of the T.F already more extensive than a living room, more like the command bridge of a science fiction battleship. The steps folded back, the opening tiny compared to the vast space, with a chair with the sides having multiple control switches and buttons, with a giant blue crystal hovering behind it, encased in glass.

Daren stepped over to the blue crystal and rubbed the glass, but it felt cold. “I know. My hope is dying, breaking my connection with you, the other half of Hope.” He lowered his head, covered in shame. “I’m sorry.”

The room darkened, with him covered in a silhouette with the Hope crystal showing a bit of his body outline as he walked to the other three seats, with a C, V, and J on each one. He rubbed the top of the J seat before clenching it tight, his nails pressing against the faux leather covering. He then lifted his right hand, and a fire appeared from his chest, landing it before stretching long and solidifying.

Despite heavy shadows, his Spiorad, the shape of a longsword, showed chips at the edges and rust parts on the tip and sides. Part of the wooden handle rotted, with one of the gems on the fox-head’s handle gone. He felt his heart sink, and the sword dissipated into flames before retreating back into his chest.

“I’m sure that I’ll get an earful from everyone,” Daren said. He returned to the lone chair with an F behind it and sat on it. “Especially from Zelda and Ash.” He glanced at his left arm, with bandages around it. A memory of a sunset, the one where he met Ash the first time, appeared in his mind before brushing it aside. “I’m afraid of what is to come. But I must push myself forward.”

He pressed the buttons on the side, rolled a roller, and the TF rumbled; from the outside, the ship dematerialized, becoming see-through before it disappeared from that world. Light engulfed the TF outside, emitting from the Hope crystal and protecting it from the darkness. Within, a hologram projected itself from the center. It displayed a massive cluster of universes of different colors, almost like a rainbow swirling around a white center which represented the TF itself. Daren leaned back and typed in the coordinates against the pad.

“FOXWOOD Base #01. Athrú Universe.”

Alexandra pushed a red cart around a store, having a wide grin as she greeted customers along the way. As she approached women’s coats, her cart held multiple slots containing products such as rolled-up clothing and a couple of video games. She skimmed through them before picking up one of the coats and, after scanning it and confirming it, smiled as she removed the hanger and rolled it up. She placed it in the largest slot and scanned its barcode, confirming its location.

“That’s the last one,” Alexandra said before she rushed through the store, her bright red polo shirt tight against her. A radio sat on her black belt, which she rubbed against when a coworker paged for assistance. She greeted customers along the way, even pointing out directions if they asked for a location. Soon, she reached the back of the store through the double doors and pushed the cart to the packing station, where her supervisor was already making delivery boxes. “How are things going over here?”

“Excellent,” her supervisor replied, grinning at her. “I’m glad we got you three months ago. In fact, I’ve been hearing rumors of managers talking about promotions and raises and that you’re on the list.”

Alexandra grinned wide, rubbing the back of her head as she set the cart next to the packing station. “That’s great! I didn’t think I did that well in such a short time.”

“Don’t talk yourself down,” her supervisor said, extending her hand to Alexandra, who took it and shook it. “You’ve proven to be one of our star pickers. You deserve it. With your attitude, you may become a manager someday.”

“Now you’re just flattering me,” Alexandra said, pushing her hair back, which had grown long. “I have to go now, though. It’s near the end of my shift.”

“Very well.” Her supervisor gave her a thumbs-up. “Have a great rest of your day!”

Alexandra nodded, flashing a grin before stepping away, her head held high. She slipped back to the store floor, freezers in front of her, and traveled with the wall. But by the time she got to the keypad door, a couple of ladies approached her with haughty expressions. She frowned, recognizing the two HR representatives from Jung’s General Store, and crossed her arms.

“What are you two doing here?” Alexandra asked.

“We heard wonderful stories about your progress here in this tacky store,” the raven-haired lady said, her voice dripping with honey. “And how you’ve proven to be a successful worker here. Plus, you managed to change out of those ugly pieces that you called clothes, though your white hair is gaudy.”

“Technically, it’s silver,” Alexandra said, rolling her eyes. “And I never liked wearing sweatshirts and sweatpants anyways. I would’ve gotten something more for my taste, but someone,” she raised her right hand up and, with the index finger pointing upward, spun it in a circle, “kept cutting my pay and making sure that it was all I could afford.”

“We’re happier that you finally learned proper taste,” the yellow-haired lady said, adjusting her glasses.

“Uh-huh.” Alexandra clenched her hands tight. “I need to clock out, so if you’ll excuse me, let me be on my way.”

Alexandra went to punch in the numbers, but the raven-haired lady snatched her wrist, and it took her all of her willpower to not break free at that moment. “Wait. We haven’t gotten to the point of why we’re here.”

“You see,” the other lady said while rubbing the back of her hair, “ever since the bear attack, we’ve lost plenty of employees, afraid of another attack. And rumors of a large bear lurking in the woods at night make it difficult to find new ones.”

“So, we want you back working with us,” the first lady said. “Yes, we know that you, unfortunately, resigned working for us before the incident—”

“I never resigned. I was fired by you two.”

“—but since things have gotten tight, we’ll be happy for you to work with us again. We’ll be happy to bring you in full-time, and since you now have proper clothes for a lady instead of a fat man for a change, you’ll be more than welcome to work for us.”

“Hmm. I seem to recall that whenever the company offered free clothing, there was a mistake in my shirt that was three times my size every time.” Alexandra gave a sweet grin that did little to hide her wrath.

“It was nothing more than a joke!” The raven-haired lady clenched Alexandra’s wrist tighter. “If you’re still bothered by that, you must learn to take it!”

“A joke is where you get dunked in water while ensuring that you don’t have any sensitive electronics on you, not intentionally getting an order wrong.” Alexandra stopped smiling. “Now, you’re risking me getting overtime here, and, technically, you’re committing an assault. So, please stop bothering me.”

“We’ll grant you—”

“I like working here. My coworkers, supervisors, and management respected me and always ensured I was doing OK. You never did that despite the years I poured into Yung’s General Store. So now, either you let go of me or,” she pulled out her radio, “I call security and have you two evicted. What’s it going to be?”

The raven-haired lady sighed with disdain but let go of her wrist, and Alexandra punched in the numbers before stepping in. The door closed behind her just as the two began to bicker over it. She rushed to the charging station and placed her radio and scanner in the charging slot. She then hurried to the punch clock machine and, after imputing her employee number, clocked out, and she went to the long rows of lockers, each with a keypad.

“Anything wrong, Alexandra?” a voice asked, and when Alexandra turned to the source, she smiled at Hayden. “You look like you went through a nasty customer.”

“Oh, it’s even worse.” Alexandra punched in the code and opened the locker, pulling out her purse and coat before closing it. “It’s our old HR ‘buddies’ back from our old place. They tried to get me to return to work for them, but I told them to stuff it.”

“That’s good. They did the same thing with me the other day, but I made it clear that I haven’t forgiven them.” He shook his head.

“They haven’t even apologized about it.” Alexandra shut the locker door before pulling out her smartphone. “Let’s see here. Ah, another voice message from my old landlord, Clara. She really wanted me to rent one of her houses again, despite repeatedly telling her that I’m rooming with you and I don’t need her service. Honestly, I should file a report for harassing me, but I find this hilarious if a little pathetic.”

“Considering that her house is still undergoing repairs, I bet she will accept even a drug addict to live in her rental house,” Hayden said, though he turned away when Alexandra flashed a bit of guilt in her expression. “Still, she should learn to give up.”

“Yup.” She walked beside him as they stepped into the central part of the store, with Hayden casting a dirty look at the two ladies at the other door. “It’s been a strange year, with many changes and odd moments.”

“Yeah. Like that strange guy in the blue aloha shirt,” Hayden said, with Alexandra blinking at him. “He said he’ll watch over you when you got fired from that store, though I haven’t seen him since.” He rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry. You talking about Jung’s HR ladies reminded me of him. You know who I’m talking about, right?”

“Yeah,” Alexandra answered, a slight blush forming. “And he kept his word if that’s what you’re worried about. I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for him.”

“That’s news to me.” Hayden raised an eyebrow as the two stepped outside, with the sunset shining down upon them. “All I know is that you came to my house with silver hair and a couple of rabbits a few days afterward and asked if you could stay. Did he have anything to do with it?”

“For the hair, the rabbits, or the stay?”

“All of them.”

“He is related to the rabbits but not the other two things. That was me. The most he told me was that someone was interested in me,” she winked at him, causing Hayden to blush. “Though now I know why you’ve been watching my backside.”

“Y-yeah.” Hayden nodded. “If you wanted to, we could always go on a date. That is if you wanted to.”

Alexandra giggled. “Of course, though, I should warn you that it’ll be a full moon tonight.”

“Right. You like to go out into the woods during the full moon.” Hayden rubbed the back of his head as they got to his car, with him opening up the driver’s seat side. “You never explained why you like going out during the full moon, though.”

Alexandra flashed a grin at him, her canines shining. “You know, I’ll tell you why. In fact, it relates to the guy you mentioned and the bizarre adventure we had. But once we get home. OK?”

Hayden blinked, with him raising an eyebrow as Alexandra went around the car, opening the other door. The two stepped in, and when Hayden set his hand on the gears, she placed her hand on top. He blushed deeper, and after starting the car, the two laughed.

“That sounds lovely.”