Chapter 1: A Broken Chain Reforged

They'd awoken just before dawn to realize that nine had become eight. With no signs of a struggle, and no scent trail, it truly seemed as if Wild vanished in the night like a ghost.

He'd had no warning, no chance to say his farewells. Wild had been dragged home for his second Journey with no direction or explanation.

Now Wild stood there, on the edge of the forest with trembling, mis-matched hands, wondering if this was even real. To them, he'd been gone for two months, but to Wild? Nine years was a very long time.