The fortress was quiet that night, the moon casting silver light across the valley, illuminating the towering walls and the dense forest beyond. Inside his chambers, King Zeus sat by the fire, a rare stillness settling over him. His mind was heavy with the day's events—training the young wolves, keeping the pack organized, and watching over Scarlett from a distance. Even as he had returned to his chambers, he could feel her presence lingering in his thoughts: the little girl who had lost her mother, the wolf-less child he vowed to protect, and the one who carried the promise of something greater, though he did not yet know its full measure.
Zeus rubbed his temples and leaned back in his chair. The fire crackled softly, casting shadows that danced across the stone walls. Exhaustion weighed on him, heavier than usual. He closed his eyes, hoping for a moment's rest, though sleep had been elusive these past weeks.
And then it came.
A soft warmth, almost like a whisper, drifted through the room. The fire flickered, casting strange, fleeting patterns, and Zeus felt a presence unlike any other. His breath caught in his throat as he was pulled into a dream, vivid and urgent, a dream that felt more like a memory than imagination.
He was standing in a meadow bathed in golden light. The air smelled of blossoms and rain, fresh and comforting. And there, in the middle of the field, stood her. Scarlett's mother. Her beauty was radiant, ethereal—her dark hair glinting with strands of silver in the sunlight, her eyes warm and knowing, the same eyes that Scarlett had inherited. She looked at him with a smile that made his chest ache, a mixture of joy, sadness, and longing.
"Do not let go of me," Zeus heard her say, her voice soft yet commanding. "No matter the distance, no matter the pain… never let go."
He stepped forward, reaching for her, but the meadow seemed to stretch infinitely, her form shimmering as if she were both near and far at the same time. "I won't," he whispered, his voice breaking. "I will protect her… your daughter. I will keep her safe, no matter what it costs me."
Her smile deepened, tinged with a sorrow he could not place. "Zeus… listen carefully," she said, taking a step closer, though her feet never quite touched the ground. "There are things you do not yet understand. The girl… your daughter, Scarlett… she carries a gift and a burden, one that will change the fate of this world. You must guard her, yes… but you must also prepare her, guide her, and teach her. What is to come is not simple. She will be tested, tempted, and challenged beyond what you or anyone can imagine."
Zeus's heart pounded. "I will do whatever it takes. Tell me… how can I protect her? What must I do?"
Scarlett's mother's eyes softened, filled with a warmth that both comforted and haunted him. "You cannot shield her from everything, Zeus. She must find her strength, her courage, and her heart. But you… you must be her anchor. She must never doubt your love or your guidance. She must know, even in the darkest moments, that she is never alone."
Zeus felt a lump in his throat. "I will not fail her. I swear it."
A gentle breeze swept through the meadow, lifting her hair and the hem of her dress, carrying her voice softly to him. "There is more… something you must remember, something you must carry in your heart, but I cannot reveal it all now. The time will come, Zeus. The time will come when she must know, when the truth must be unveiled. Until then… guard her. Protect her. Love her. And do not let go."
He reached again, but this time her image began to fade, the golden light dimming, replaced by the shadows of his chamber. Zeus's eyes snapped open, the fire now a gentle glow in the hearth. The dream lingered in his mind like a living thing, the memory of her eyes and her words burning into his heart.
He rose from his chair, pacing the room, trying to shake the remnants of the vision. "What is she hiding from me?" he muttered, frustration mingling with reverence. "What must I wait for… what must I prepare her for?"
Zeus clenched his fists, resolve hardening. Scarlett's mother had given him a message, one that would only be understood in time. He did not know when the revelation would come, or how Scarlett would face it, but one thing was certain: he would not let her face it unprepared. He would teach her, guide her, and be the father she needed—even if it demanded everything he had.
He moved to the window, looking out over the moonlit forest. Somewhere in that darkness, Scarlett was sleeping, dreaming, growing. And though she did not yet know the truths her mother had imparted to him through the dream, Zeus felt the weight of responsibility pressing on his shoulders like never before.
"I will not let anything happen to you, little one," he whispered into the night, the words carrying through the walls of the fortress and into the silent forest beyond. "I will protect you… even from what you do not yet know."
The memory of her mother's voice lingered, soft yet commanding, like a melody that refused to fade: Do not let go. The time will come. She must know. She must be ready.
Zeus took a deep breath and sat back down, staring into the fire. He would prepare her. He would train her, teach her the ways of courage, responsibility, and resilience. He would be her guide, her anchor, and when the time came, he would be ready to stand by her side when the truths were revealed.
And though the dream had left him shaken, it had also given him clarity. Scarlett was more than a wolf-less child. She was the key to something far greater, a light that could shine through the darkness—or a force that could bring ruin if not guided carefully. He could not afford to fail her. Not now. Not ever.
Zeus leaned back in his chair, his eyes glowing faintly in the firelight, mind racing with strategies, possibilities, and warnings. He could only hope that when the time came, Scarlett would rise to meet the challenge, just as he had vowed to rise to meet his duty as her father.
And somewhere deep within him, a small, quiet voice whispered—a reminder of the promise he had made in the dream, a promise he would carry through every trial, every fear, every night to come: Do not let go.