Chapter 1: Prologue
The room was elegant but sparsely furnished. There were tatami mats lining the polished wooden floor, few scrolls and paintings decorated the otherwise plain, white wall.
In the middle of the room, there was a low, wooden table flanked by four flat pillows. Two pillows each on the opposing sides of the table. On one side of the table, sat a silver-haired man and a silver-haired boy of ten, both attired in dark clothing. The man had sharp eyes that didn't miss any detail, while the silver-haired boy was solemn as he knelt quietly on the pillow. The boy's crimson eyes surreptitiously glanced at the two people sitting across him.
Across them sat a blonde woman and a blond boy of ten, both attired in white kimonos. The blond boy looked intently at the table in front of him, and never once raised his eyes. He had perfect pale skin, and such a delicate face, that the silver-haired boy had mistaken him for a girl at first.
"This is your Soul Keeper, son", the Great Wolf broke the silence, "the half of your soul, your counterpart".
"What's a Soul Keeper, father?"
"Soul Keeper is he who will balance the wolf spirit within you, and allow you to keep your humanity. Without him, we are as mindless as the common wolves".
The silver-haired boy nodded solemnly. He did not quite understand all this talk about half soul and balance. He felt quite human, even with the wolf spirit within him. But he thought that it was best, if he just nodded. He looked across the table at the blond boy, silently willing the boy to raise his gaze so he could see the color of the blond boy's eyes. But the blond boy merely shivered as if he was cold, and kept his eyes cast downwards.
"When you are both eighteen, you will undergo a ritual which will bind you together, with a bond that can never be broken..." The Great Wolf hesitated.
"...We are very fortunate to have counterparts, son. Not every wolf does. Treasure him always", finally the man added.
"Yes, father", the little Silver Wolf nodded.
End of Prologue