— KONRAD —
It was midnight, and Konrad lay in his bed, his limbs heavy as lead as the moment drew closer.
His thoughts had been raging all day. Is it right? Is it wrong? The constant brooding had already tied his stomach into knots.
Finally, he got up. His body was trembling.
He glanced at himself in the mirror once more, unable to meet his own gaze.
"What am I doing?" His heart was racing, burning in his chest. It doesn't matter! If we don't do this, the Church will wipe out everyone. For my family.
Slowly, he opened his bedroom door. Never before had opening a door felt this difficult.
His parents had already gone to bed.
Hopefully, they wouldn't hear what was about to happen…
Marcel—just thinking about him made everything inside Konrad tighten again.
He said she was his daughter.
Damn it. What am I supposed to do?
He moved slowly toward the guest room.
Carefully, he opened the door and, in the faint moonlight, saw the small girl lying alone in the bed. She looked weak. Helpless.
Then he heard a machine approaching.
Nestor. The van. Damn it. It has to be now.
Konrad forced himself forward. Suddenly, it felt as if strength surged through him. He rushed into the room. The wolf girl startled awake and immediately began to scream.
He grabbed her together with the blanket and flung open the window.
First floor… That should be fine.
The sixteen-year-old jumped out the window with the child. The bushes rushed up toward them, their branches reaching out as if to catch them. Konrad scraped himself several times. The fall wasn't too bad thanks to the shrubbery, but the impact sent pain through his legs and ribs.
Kubato screamed loudly through the blanket in his grip. She thrashed wildly, clawing at the fabric and kicking him.
In the distance, he spotted the van—a bulky orange vehicle that stood out unmistakably.
Konrad ran, as fast as his injuries allowed.
For my family. For my family.
The side door slid open, and Milo and Tim stared at him. Shock and disbelief were written all over their faces. Do they not understand either what we're doing?
He threw the child inside and climbed in after her.
Before the door fully closed and the van sped off, he heard Marcel's desperate shout from behind them, screaming the wolf girl's name.
"KUBATOOO!!"
"Hurry!" Konrad snapped at the others.
"Don't rush me!" Nestor replied, already flooring the pedal.
Kubato screamed and cried, thrashing violently. Milo and Tim immediately wrapped ropes and tape around her, restraining her and pushing her onto the back seats.
Only a soft whimpering remained.
"Papa…" Konrad heard her sob quietly. "Save me."
Something inside him shattered like thin glass. The pain caused by his stepfather's voice already ran deep—but this… this was far worse.
What am I doing?
Is this really the right thing?
The situation—the atmosphere—was suffocating.
And somehow… everything about this felt wrong.
Everything that was happening here.