Night had fallen. Fenrir sat comfortably on a rock while I perched on her right shoulder. We tilted our heads back, gazing at the full moon shining brightly behind the dark veil of the sky. Its dim light stretched across the frozen lake, creating a breathtaking view.

  "Hey... Yata." Fenrir glanced at me with a faint smile. "Don't you want to take your human form and chat with me?"

  I tilted my head, hesitant to fulfill her request. But she pleaded again, this time with a hint of desperation. "Come on, please?"

  I relented, hopping down from her shoulder. Then, I transformed into my human form and sat beside her.

  At first, silence enveloped us before Fenrir finally broke it.

  "Can you tell me a little about yourself, Yata?"

  I hesitated. I didn't want to reveal that I was someone who had reincarnated. I was afraid... it would bring too many changes to this world's original fate.

  "It's not a very interesting story," I replied with a wry smile. "I'm just an ordinary raven who hatched in Jotunheim."

  "That’s fine. I'll listen." Fenrir gave me a thumbs-up and grinned.

  "I have three younger sisters and a mother. A year ago, when I was four, I decided to leave my flock and explore Jotunheim on my own. Then, by chance, I saw the light coming from your necklace, which led me here."

  "I see." Fenrir nodded, her tail flicking roughly. "That sounds like such a normal life. By the way, where's your father?"

  "He was eaten by a bear while I was still in my egg."

  "Sorry," Fenrir quickly apologized, covering her mouth. Her excited expression turned to one of guilt. "I didn’t mean to—"

  "It’s fine. That’s just our fate as beta predators. At any moment, we have to be ready to die or lose someone. That’s what my mother taught me since birth."

  "Your mother must be an incredible woman."

  "Yeah. I'm grateful to have her."

  In the end, I chose not to tell her my true identity. But at the very least, I could share my life as it was now.

  Silence returned, stretching between us. No words were exchanged, only the quiet presence of two souls watching the sea of stars above.

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  "Do you have any friends?" Fenrir’s question broke the awkward stillness.

  I turned to her and answered enthusiastically, "Of course, I have lots of friends. Why do you ask?"

  "Lucky you... I'm jealous."

  Fenrir let out a sigh and lay down, her golden eyes staring blankly at the twinkling stars. For a moment, I caught a glimpse of both envy and loneliness in her gaze.

  I already had a feeling about where this conversation was headed. So, I stayed silent and waited for her to speak.

  "When I was little, I was taken to Asgard and forcibly separated from my family by that old, dusty fossil. I was ignored and treated like a monster for years. Even my own father never came to visit me."

  Fenrir paused, sadness and anger flickering in her eyes. "After enduring it for so long, they shamelessly bound me with these annoying chains. And all because of Odin’s stupid prophecy."

  To be honest, I had already suspected the root of her resentment. She wasn’t at fault—she was just a victim of the gods’ paranoia, especially Odin’s, over a prophecy they had received.

  "Damn it! I really want to kill them!" Fenrir screamed at the top of her lungs, venting all her pent-up rage toward the silent full moon above.

  I gave a bitter smile, understanding her pain.

  "Why are you making that face?"

  Fenrir’s question snapped me out of my thoughts. I hadn’t realized she had been watching me all this time.

  I sighed and shook my head. "It's nothing... I just feel a little sorry for you."

  "Huh." Fenrir scoffed, a faint smirk playing on her lips. "Why pity me? I'm still the strongest wolf in Norse. There's no need for pity. I swear, once I'm free, I'll get revenge on those who wronged me."

  Seeing her confidence made me smile just a little. I knew this was probably just her way of masking her true feelings.

  "Hey, Yata. I..."

  Seconds passed. I waited for Fenrir to finish her sentence. But instead, she suddenly turned her head away when I looked at her intently.

  "Never mind. I’m going to sleep. We’ll talk later."

  Fenrir rolled over, ready to sleep. Though curious about what she wanted to say, I chose not to press her. It was better to let her face her own turmoil for now.

  I shifted back into my raven form and prepared to sleep in a nearby tree. But before I could fly away, Fenrir grabbed my leg.

  "Where are you going? Stay with me tonight."

  Before I could react, she had already pulled me into her embrace. I tried to struggle, but Fenrir easily overpowered me.

  "Don’t even think about escaping. You’re my bedtime plushie now."

  I sighed. I knew she just wanted me to be her living stuffed animal. Honestly, I wanted to sleep on a branch like a normal bird sometimes. But now that I was with Fenrir, that would be difficult. She would definitely drag me into her arms every night.

  Yeah... at least she wouldn’t start sleep-eating and accidentally bite my head off, right? Or... at least, I hoped so.

  In the end, I gave up and surrendered. Being her plushie wasn’t the worst thing. Besides, her body was warm. I wouldn’t freeze at night, especially in winter.

  "Yep, I like this," Fenrir murmured as I stopped resisting. Without hesitation, she hugged me tightly, holding me against her like a cherished stuffed toy.

  Honestly, her body carried a faint natural fragrance, even though I had never seen her bathe or even clean herself. It was like some kind of naturally produced pheromone.

  The gentle strokes of her hand made me drowsy. Slowly but surely, my eyes grew heavy. A second later, everything went dark as I drifted into sleep.