Chapter 54: Chapter 54: A Huge Risk

Jasper’s POV

The night was ink-black, so thick it felt as if it could drip.

In Moon Hidden Villa, the light in Lila’s bedroom finally went out, like a star slowly sinking into the sea. I stood in the shadows of the terrace, watching the soft darkness before her window, my fingertips unconsciously digging into my palm.

She asked Zoe today if I was avoiding her.

Those eyes, usually so full of gentleness and trust, were now brimming with anxiety and suspicion. She didn’t know. Her question was a poisoned dagger, plunging straight into the softest part of my heart.

I desperately wanted to go to her, to hold her and tell her how much I loved her.

’But I can’t… Damn it!’

Ever since my last meeting with Elder Silas by Moon Lake, I knew some things could no longer be delayed. The seal within Lila was loosening. Every time we got close, that solid barrier would crumble a little more. I could feel her soul stirring—that powerful force from her Priest and Werewolf bloodline, suppressed for twenty-five years, was yearning to be unleashed.

But what I feared more was that her power would spiral out of control.

I turned, careful not to disturb anyone inside. My figure slid over the terrace railing like a phantom. The next moment, I had melted into the boundless primeval forest behind the villa.

The wind howled through the treetops. My blood began to boil, my bones groaned, my flesh tore. The familiar, agonizing pain swept over me once more, but this time, I didn’t fight it. I needed this beast’s body. I needed it to take me to the one person who could unravel this mystery.

I don’t know how long I ran, but eventually, the faint blue glow reappeared in the dense forest ahead.

I had arrived at Moon Lake.

The lake water was still as a mirror, giving off a faint, almost transparent blue sheen, like a colossal sapphire set into the chest of the earth. The air was filled with a crisp, sacred aura—the unique scent of Moon Lake, carrying with it ancient memories and serene blessings.

A familiar figure was already standing on a large boulder by the lakeside.

He wore a gray cloth robe, faded from countless washings. His long, silver-white hair fell loosely over his shoulders. His face was etched with the ravines of time, like the bark of an ancient tree. He leaned on a gnarled wooden staff, its tip inlaid with a crystal the same color as the lake. Only his eyes, as clear as the water itself, seemed capable of piercing through all worldly illusions.

“You’ve come.”

He didn’t turn around, his voice hoarse yet gentle as it drifted across the lake on the night wind. He was Elder Silas, the oldest and most mysterious sage of the Wolf Clan. While the other elders were still tearing each other apart for power and status, Silas had long ago chosen a life of seclusion by Moon Lake, guarding the clan’s most primordial secrets.

His disposition was serene, and he had no interest in worldly power. He was the only elder who put me at ease.

I stopped, my massive wolf body dipping low in the moonlight. My golden eyes were fixed on him as a low whimper rumbled in my throat.

Silas turned to look at me, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “It seems you can no longer ignore the changes within that girl.”

I let out a low growl in response. Then, the fur receded from my body and my bones rearranged. In an instant, I was back in my human form. My bare feet touched the cool pebbles, and the night wind swept over my naked chest, bringing a sudden chill.

“Elder,” I began, my voice sounding particularly hoarse over the vast expanse of the lake. “I need to know the truth.”

Silas walked up to me. He was shorter than me by half a head, yet his calm presence exuded an inexplicable pressure. “You’re referring to the seal?” He sighed, walking to the edge of the lake and tapping the surface with his staff. Ripples spread out in concentric circles.

“Jasper, you’re asking who placed the seal and how to break it. I shouldn’t meddle in these matters, but since you’ve come to me, I can only tell you what I know.”

I held my breath, my heart hammering in my chest.

“There are very few people in this world capable of creating such an intricate seal.” Silas’s gaze drifted toward the distant mountains, his tone deepening. “On the current Elder Council, only Great Elder Darius and I possess that ability. Of course, if Isolde—Lila’s mother—were still alive, she, as the Wolf Clan’s Priest, could certainly have done it as well.”

My heart plummeted.

Silas didn’t seem surprised by my reaction. He went on, “This seal is extremely complex. It isn’t just for suppressing power; it’s also a form of protection. It binds Lila’s Werewolf bloodline and her Priest’s gifts under layers of locks, making her appear to be an ordinary human girl. The technique is paradoxical—it’s as if someone was trying to cage a dangerous monster while simultaneously protecting a fragile treasure.”

“So, who was it?” I asked through gritted teeth, a tremor in my voice that I hadn’t even realized was there.

Silas shook his head. “I can’t be certain. If it was Great Elder Darius, he might have done it to prevent the Priest’s power from interfering with the authority of the Wolf King. If it was Isolde, she might have done it to protect her daughter, allowing her to live a peaceful life in the human world, far from our blood-soaked clan.”

He paused, his gaze growing exceptionally grave. “Jasper, you need to prepare yourself. Whatever the original purpose was, the situation now is incredibly difficult.”

“Why?” I pressed.

“Because breaking the seal is an enormous risk.” Silas turned and looked me straight in the eye, his tone so serious it sent a chill down my spine. “Historically, a seal could only be safely undone by the one who originally cast it. Only the caster truly understands its pathways and junctures.”

He paused, as if choosing his words carefully. “If an outsider tries to break it by force, the slightest misstep could cause the sealed individual to lose their sanity completely. Her soul would be torn to shreds by the sudden, explosive release of immense power. In the end, all that would be left is the shell of a mindless beast, driven only by instinct.”

The words struck me like a bolt of lightning. I staggered back a step, my back slamming hard against a tree trunk.

’A beast’s shell.’

’Isn’t that more terrifying than death?’

I would rather she hate me, I would rather she leave me, than see her become a soulless monster.

“Then… is there no other way?” My voice was painfully hoarse.

Silas looked at me, a flicker of pity in his eyes. “Based on the current situation, the longer you two are together, the more the seal will weaken. Your Wolf King bloodline is the most powerful I have ever seen. It is precisely because of your strength—your very presence, your aura, your power—that you are subconsciously eroding that seal.”

He sighed. “In other words, you’re a ticking time bomb for her. Do you understand what I mean?”

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