Searing pain coursed through her body, overtaking her mind. She was in so much pain as her body was slowly going numb, her breath slowing down. She had her eyes squeezed shut and her bony hands gripping over her stomach, a gaping hole in the side of it.

She knew she was going to die then but she felt no fear. She had only dreamt of this moment, she just never thought she would go out this way. Not like she didn't like this way better, she would do it again if she needed to. After all, elder siblings are supposed to protect their younger siblings. Even from their own parents.

She gasps suddenly as she felt two sets of hands on her chest. Her hearing was failing her at the moment so she forces her eyes open to see who it was, trying in vain to ignore the pain from her side, her whole body in fact. Her whole body was partially shattered in wounds, old and new.

Once she successfully cracks her eyes open, the light slightly blinding her, she makes out two blurry, small, figures leaning over her. Blinking a few times, her vision clears, her hearing fading in and out. She smiles a bloody smile, it was her two little brothers. She felt guilty for them to have to see her like this. She was their protector after all.

She heard their muffled voices before her vision slowly starts to go black. She could also make out some oddly loud sound in the background.

She just smiles up at her brothers, tears sliding down her beaten face. This would be the last time she would see them. The last time she would hold them… She forces her weak hands up, cupping their small faces before she makes her sore throat even sorer, darkness finally winning. Her body goes limp as she breathes her last breath, all of it going to her brothers.

"I love you."


A tall figure, shadowed in darkness, looks down over the scene below. They let out a long, gentle sigh, closing their tired eyes. They move away and make their way to the far right of the overly large, overly dark room, their body massive.

They, she, swishes her tail to the side, making white clouds of smoke slowly appear, the body of the woman lying in them. She was dressed in a white, flowy dress, her feet bare. There were no red blood stains on her slightly transparent form, unlike her physical body back on earth.

The majestic beast walks over to the woman's body and bends down, casting her in the light. She was a wolf. A huge one at that. Her fur was a pure white color. Her eyes a beautiful misty purple. Her fur was long and slightly wavy.

As the white beast leaned down, she sniffs the sleeping woman below before blowing out a breath and leaning back, sitting tall. After a few moments of stillness, the woman slowly started to wake up, her pale completion crunching up as confusion slowly started setting in.

The gigantic wolf just watched the woman as she opened her vibrant blue eyes, blinking a few times before looking around. She sat up, freezing in shock once her eyes adjusted to the darkness and sat upon the majestic beast.

The majestic beast smiles at the widening of the woman's eyes, finding it greatly amusing. Humans always did have the best reactions to things, in her opinion anyway.

"Hello, Yōji. I am glad to see you awake at last." The beast spoke, her voice smooth, like a flowing river. It had an odd ring to it as well, kind of like a loving Mothers tone.

The woman's eyes widen more as her jaw drops slightly, eyebrows crushing together as she tries to process what she was experiencing. She goes to speak but stops and closes her mouth after a few moments. The beast let her before continuing.

"Now, I know you're confused Yōji but you must be patent with me as I explain. Are you willing to listen?" She asks, her misty purple eyes sharp, piercing the woman. Said woman narrows her eyes, still having a hard time understanding everything.

The beast nods, understanding what the woman is going through. Once upon a time, she too went through the same thing. It was a bit different but similarly close in feeling.

Soon, she received a small nod, prompting her to continue.

"Good. Now then, my name is Hinode. I am the Goddess of the wolves, the Okami no Megami. The reason you are here now is that I wanted to offer you something, Yōji." The beast, Hinode, says. The woman shifts as she looks at the Goddess, processing the information she just received.

She was shocked, rightfully so, but she was also curious. She had already died, that much she knew, and she didn't feel much of anything. That was normal. Because her shock was fading quickly, her mind takes over for her. She narrows her eyes further at the Goddess, think of her reply.

"Offer?" She says, her voice a bell-like sound, very quiet in the darkness around them. Hinode smiles, seeing the curiosity shining in her well-guarded eyes. She hid it well but Hinode understood her well enough to recognize what the woman was feeling.

"Yes, offer. Now, I don't normally do this but I have taken a fair liking to you, Yōji. Your past is tragic, as well as your death. Even though it was so bad, you never turned down the wrong path like so many others in your place have done. Because of this, I would like to gift you a choice. The choice to travel to a world I have picked, or to finally be laid down to rest." The Goddess was slightly nervous about the woman's reply but she was also confident she would say yes. Hinode sure hoped she would say yes because then that means she will be allowed to help her precious little star.

Even Gods and Goddesses had rules they couldn't break unless they want to face the consequences. That's how it is with every being, either they are humans or Gods.

The woman was silent as she weighed her options. On one hand, she would get a second chance at life, on the other, did she even want a second chance? She was having trouble imagining having a good life as death, pain, and sorrow have always followed her. If anything, she didn't want to ruin anyone else lives.

She lets out a silent breath and closes her tired eyes as she moves to sit on her knees. After staying in that position for a few moments, she finally opens her vibrant blue eyes again, looking straight into Hinode's misty purple ones.

"What does the first option entail?"

Hinode relaxes slightly, "You will be traveling to a world of my choosing as I have said before. I will give you a summon of wolves, your own pack. I wish for you to have fun in this new world. Have a life you never could in your old one. I must warn you though, this new world is filled with darkness. If you choose to go, please, be safe."

The woman was hesitant about this decision. She never really did have control over anything. She then frowned, still looking into the Goddesses eyes.

"Consequences?"

"Not many. The only major one is the sickness that comes with. Of course, it can be healed but it will take time. Because of your previous life, I had to give and take to get you here, and if you choose to follow… Well, some things needed to be taken to give life to other things."

The woman frowns and continues to stare at Hinode before she sighs and finally releases her eyes from connecting with the Goddesses as she closed them.

"So, I will have an illness threw out all the travel… I can heal it…" She whispers to herself. Hinode lets her be, she knew this was a tough decision for the woman. After all, she had just died and now she was thinking of leaving everything behind.

Said woman then opens her eyes again and looks back up at the beast, gaining her attention. The woman was frowning heavily now, eyebrows furrowed.

"What about you? Also, what will happen if I die again? What does the sickness intel?" She asks.

The Goddess just smiles down at the woman, her muzzle pulling oddly. She always did have a big heart for a human.

"I will be just fine Yōji, nothing I can't handle. As for when you die, we will meet again. At that time, you will finally be laid to rest or given a choice. I will not tell you what that choice is as you are not ready."

Letting that sink in, she continues. "As for the illness… It will slowly be killing you inside out. The causes will be puking blood, shocks of pain in your chest and random numbness. I… I'm sorry but that's the best I could do. I wish I could send you there without being sick but rules are rules. I've already jumped through many loopholes to make this happen."

Hinode bows her head in an apology. The human frowns before relaxing. "It's okay. I can deal with it. You giving me life is already a lot." A few moments of silence pass as Hinode and the woman think before the woman finally nods, relaxing as she laid back down on the fluffy clouds. She closes her eyes, taking in the sweet scent of the clouds surrounding her. They smelt like fresh rain.

"I accept your offer…"

Hinode grins slightly as she bows down and curls around the clouds the woman was laying on. She was glad the woman accepted.

"I am glad, Yōji. Now, I will put you to sleep and when you wake, things will be different. Your pack will explain everything then. Sleep well, Yōji." Hinode then swishes her furry tail over the woman as she saw her nod her head. Soon, the woman was fast asleep, her tail still over her. Changes could already be seen getting made as the woman's hair was slowly turning a bloody red. Magic always was a useful tool.

Hinode lets out a sigh through her nose, bowing her head over the changing woman. She closed her eyes in worried grief.

"I am sorry…"