It seemed like the hunter vanished into thin air, taking Celeste along for the ride.
The werewolves had been tearing through Wolf Town all day long, desperately trying to sniff out any trace of their elusive hunter. But this place, despite its name, hadn't laid eyes on a single wolf. The poor werewolves were completely stumped.
They had been at it since the crack of dawn, covertly searching while keeping their senses sharp for any hint of the hunter's whereabouts. But now, as the sun started its descent, painting the sky a blazing red, the pack gathered together, heads shaking in a shared disappointment. The look of defeat was written all over their furry faces.
Jeremy's mood was growing increasingly restless. Since morning, he had been plagued by these annoying, erratic breaths that come out of nowhere. It was like someone's squeezing his heart every time, catching him off guard and causing beads of sweat to form on his forehead.
With each occurrence, the feeling only intensified his agitation and anxiety. No matter what torments the hunters might be inflicting on his Celeste, even though it didn't directly affect Jeremy, their intertwined fates allowed him to feel, in vivid detail, the pain she was enduring. He couldn't help but believe that Celeste's suffering must be exponentially more intense than his own.
And every time he dwelled on this thought, an overwhelming urge to be by Celeste's side surges through him. Yet, no matter how hard he tried, no matter how desperately he sniffed the air for Celeste's scent or tries to catch a whiff of her direction, he was just a lost soul, bumping aimlessly like a headless fly, devoid of any leads.
As the morning rolled into the afternoon, his impatience escalated. But in this tiny little town, and with their larger wolf pack, Jeremy clung to a flicker of hope, convinced that today, he would reunite with his beloved Celeste.
But as the sun dipped below the horizon and the wolf pack remained clueless, Jeremy felt like his head was about to explode. The intermittent waves of panic had subsided, but now, amidst the eerie calmness, Jeremy's unease grew even stronger. He dreaded the thought of losing contact with Celeste.
This fear, after nightfall, seeped into his soul like ink drops in water, expanding and devouring his every thought, morphing into an unsettling restlessness. Jeremy couldn't keep still, his feet restlessly pacing, his mind unable to find peace. He knew Celeste was nearby, but no matter how hard he reached out, she slipped through his fingers like a fleeting breeze.
Closing his eyes only invited a vivid image of Celeste being snatched away by heartless hunters. He tirelessly pursued their getaway car, but it was always just out of his grasp. He felt like a comical donkey, chasing a dangling carrot, yet the elusive target remained forever ahead.
How was this even possible? How could Celeste be nowhere to be found? She had to be in this town, he could feel her presence lingering close by. He convinced himself that he had circled the town a dozen times over. If there were any sinister secrets hidden in this small town, they wouldn't stand a chance against his relentless search.
But what if his instincts were playing tricks on him? What if Celeste was never here to begin with?
As the day surrendered to darkness, a sliver of the moon emerged through wispy clouds, captivating Jeremy's gaze. Self-doubt crept in, mocking him. Could his instincts be wrong?
The moon tonight wore a cloak of gray, its shape not quite round, and its size not particularly impressive. It hung high in the sky, but its presence was subtle, overshadowed by the dazzling brilliance of the stars. Those celestial gems seemed determined to snatch away the moon's spotlight.
If the Moon Goddess truly existed, why hadn't she just pointed him in the right direction? After all, she was the one who destined us to be together. So, why the separation?
Jeremy let out a frustrated sigh, feeling utterly powerless. All he could do was gaze up at the lofty moon, staring blankly as if in a contest of wills.
"You said you sought confirmation from the Moon Goddess herself that she is your Luna. How on earth did you manage that? And how can you tap into her as your celestial sidekick?" When Kent appeared in Jeremy's field of vision, in a flash, Jeremy stood before him, gripping his shirt collar tightly, almost like a bolt of lightning.
Jeremy knew he must sound desperate now, but he couldn't care less. Without another glimpse of Celeste, he felt like his head would explode into a million tiny fragments.
Kent was taken aback by Jeremy's barrage of questions, frozen for a few seconds before realizing what Jeremy was asking.
He struggled to pry Jeremy's iron grip from his chest, but Jeremy clung to him like a vise, unyielding. With a resigned sigh, Kent finally relented, "We'll have to wait for the full moon ceremony."
"Ceremony? What kind of ceremony are we talking about here? And what do we need to get ready?"
Kent shook his head, his uncertainty palpable. "I wish I knew. The ceremony I performed before was to identify Luna, and many people have done it, so there's some information out there. But as for finding Luna, I'm clueless about the ceremony required."
Jeremy let go of Kent, his hands slipping through his hair in a mix of frustration and despair.
"I know exactly what kind of ceremony we should have." Just as he found himself teetering on the edge of hopelessness, a voice whispered into his ear.