Chapter Text
Once upon a time, a naive and young girl thought she could walk into a wolf’s den without consequence. She walked with confidence and pride, a characteristic she learned from her well-off parents, up to the wolf. His face mostly hidden by a protruding hand and is cloaked with a black veil, hiding most of his appearance. She looked into his grouchy, dead red eyes with a blazing vigor, requesting immortality with no question. He chuckled, then laughed at this girl’s assertiveness, annoying the girl in the process. She repeated her request in frustration, stopping the wolf’s laugh. He seriously looked at her, demanding why should he give her the ever sought immortality to a mere mortal, nevermind a young cheeky girl.
She cleared her throat, explaining her reasons in trying to change this cold world. She wanted to be the hero that she has always read in stories and fairytales. She already lost a person she loved because of this unfair and cruel world and decided no one else should fall like him. In order to change this world, time is a necessary component in her plan. She clarified that she doesn’t need to live forever but at least to live a longer life than the average lifespan of a human. The dumbfounded wolf stares at this intelligent yet immature girl. He then evilly grinned, plotting a scheme to kill his perpetual boredom. He agreed to give her a longer life, concealing the truth that he’ll grant her immortality and the prices for this childish wish. The young girl beamed, her heart filled with so much joy that the wolf is waiting for the day that her heart turns black like his.
He then stood, lanky with a poor posture, uncloaked himself, and took off the protruding hand. The girl didn’t make a peep in seeing his pale, scaly skin, dark circles underneath his eyes, crusty lips, unruly white hair, and anemic body, which frightens most as he is known to be shunned for looking like a monster. He asked her if she is scared, receiving an answer that surprised him. She told him why should she be scared for how he looked, everybody has a unique look. He laughed again. If only the wolf met this young girl long ago, then maybe he wouldn’t be diabolical. Nevertheless, his heart is shrouded in darkness and the young girl arrived too late to save him.
He grabbed a knife and gave it to the girl, telling her to give him a piece of her hair. She did as she was told with no questions and cut some of her silky, black hair. He snatched it out of her hand in impatience and swallowed it whole. She gave him a quizzical look in his strange actions but didn’t dare to ask. He then grabbed a vial, half filled with some unknown blue liquid. The wolf motioned the girl to give him the knife, and she did. He suddenly slashed his arm with no warning with the frightened girl screaming in response. Strange colored blood oozed out of his arm and he poured it into the vial, ignoring the girl’s mumbles of worry. His wound started to slowly heal as steam flickers from the newly formed skin. He glanced back at the curious girl who’s absorbing all this new information as he swirled the vial.
He asked her if she had kissed with this loved one before his death. Her abashed expression and endeared eyes explained everything to the wolf. He smirked and announced that he’ll be her second. Without a wasted second, he poured the liquid from the vial into his mouth and forcibly kissed the girl. The girl struggled to be freed from this unexpected touch, tasting the strange warm liquid going down her throat. The wolf forgot how soft lips felt, for it has been so long since his last kiss. She slapped the wolf after he was done, angry at his actions with disgust. He rubbed the corner of his lips to clean off the leftover liquid then smiled. A reaction he had expected, who wanted to kiss an ugly creature as himself without realizing the girl only wanted to kiss out of love.
He explained to her that he could not give her life without a kiss, for that gives it the magical quality. She quickly apologized for assaulting him since she didn't know that was the case. She then thanked him for granting her a selfish request. He cackled, telling her to not apologize nor thank him for giving her a curse. He pointed at her and said she'll regret this curse, a curse he had ever since he was created. She responded in confusion with questions of how and why would this be a curse. Her onyx eyes conveyed worry as the wolf wanted to see.
He replied that it is a curse for it has prices. He decided to be as generous as he could be and tell her some of them. He explained that he did give her immortality and no matter how much one tries, death is unachievable. Even if one is thrown into a volcano and is burned with immense pain, death cannot save you. Secondly, immortality stops aging. Old age is unattainable for those who can live forever, something that would be missed when everyone else can do it with ease. He smirked in telling the girl the last point, a point that got her here in the first place. Lastly, you can not fall in love, for you can not kiss this loved one passionately since she was a mere mortal and can not contain the curse as well as he could. Therefore, transferring the curse to this loved one, both you and the loved one will be miserable together. He didn't tell her the last price of pain and loneliness that immortality brings.
The girl processed everything, and gave the wolf a sad look, more pity toward him than herself. He hated that look, how could she look at him after what he told her. She should be in a rage and attack him, instead, she grabbed his hand and bowed to him, saying she'll make a difference.
He smiled, it's always fun to see the one with enthusiastic dreams fall and both of them have an eternity to find out if it'll happen. He knows she'll one day search for him desperately to undo this curse but by then he'll enjoy her misery.
The wolf gave her a book, a book filled with information of different creatures that live in this world. A final gift he called it. The girl gladly accepted it, excited to find out that fairy tales and myths aren't just fantasies to entertain little children. She could finally meet vampires, werewolves, witches, fairies, shapeshifters, and many more.
The girl took the book and told the wolf she has to leave to go back home. He had an urge to tell her to stay, her company is different than most that visit him. The wolf didn’t want to admit the forlornness, festering inside of him over millenniums. The wolf wanted to have a friend and in a twisted way, he finally did.
His mouth shut tight, as he partially waved goodbye back to the merry girl, knowing he would one day see her face to face again.
The girl soon noticed everyone she cared about in her town slowly died one by one, leaving her all solemnly alone. She may have improved the town’s economy, life expectancy, sanitary needs, and included equal opportunities for both girls and boys to learn about science and math, she had to hide beneath a mask and a cloak as the wolf did to disguise her youth. At one point, the people were suspicious of her and she had to pack up and leave her hometown. To leave her dead parent’s home, her dead close friend’s home and the one she loved’s home.
She was a nomad, she improved town’s livelihood and then left before they got skeptical over her forever youth. A cycle that she enjoyed and hated. She loved learning new things from the people, she hated how lonely she felt and the scorned looks of envy of her beautiful figure and face.
She soon met all sorts of creatures and found out that none are immortal. Witches and werewolves live only a little bit longer than humans. Most other creatures have an average lifespan of 2 centuries. Only vampires live the longest, they could live up to a millennial or rarely 2 however, their appearance does eventually change and they’ll pass on ultimately. She enjoyed their company and learned all sorts of wizardry. But in the end, she kept moving, not wanting them to feel burdened over her curse.
The girl now 600, realized her help is never enough. For she is still human, greed is engraved in her. It wasn’t greed for money nor power, it was the greed of altruism causing her more torment. The more she did, the more she got hurt. The more she tried to prevent wars and bloodshed, the more she was ignored or “killed”. The more she tried to empower the weak and minority, their affliction worsened. Her heart was breaking innumerable of times, as she sees history repeating over and over again, no one listened to her, the young and naive girl.
At 1 millennial, she never knew the price of immortality would mean becoming cold. She never knew there would be this much pain and suffering. How can 1 handle living for so long? How could the wolf let her go through with this? She didn’t even become the hero she wanted to be. All she felt was sorrow and coldness.
So the young, naive girl started to look for the wolf again. The increasing new technology made it easy for her to hide her identity. She never worried about money, for she gained and saved money for centuries. She built companies all over the world and was able to use magic with a snap of a finger. The only thing she couldn't do was fine the elusive wolf.
She never gave up, nor lost hope to find the wolf that cursed her for an eternity. The story can not end without her finding the wolf, and she will find the wolf. What she didn't know was that she'll relearn how to live and she’ll fall in love again with a boy that wanted to save her.