The Play-Toy Of Three Lycan Kings-Chapter 391: Ancient III

SAGE

So they knew.

The thought followed me like a shadow as I walked out of the cave beside the priestess, her voice flowing steadily as she spoke about training, discipline, control—about how I would learn to harness the power now coiled inside my blood.

I barely heard her.

The Abstenum is in the pack... how do we approach?

The words replayed in my mind over and over, growing heavier each time. If the ancients knew of the Abstenum, then it meant one thing—they were coming for it. Not just as observers. Not just as allies.

They would fight for it. Against the werewolves. Against the vampires. Or worse... they might negotiate with the werewolves...

My fingers curled slowly at my sides. I didn’t care which path they chose, not really. All I cared about was time. I needed my revenge before they arrived in force, before politics and treaties and ancient laws swallowed everything whole.

Which meant I couldn’t stay here.

I have to leave tonight. The realization settled coldly in my chest.

Whatever plans the ancients had for me, whatever training the priestess envisioned, they would only delay what I needed to do. Delay had never been my ally.

"Sage."

The priestess’s voice finally cut through my thoughts.

"Are you listening?"

I blinked and looked around for the first time since leaving the cave.

We were no longer underground.

I stood on a wide stone pavement that glimmered faintly under moonlight. Night had fully fallen, the sky stretched dark and endless above us, stars scattered like spilled salt.

In the distance, I saw houses—no, mansions. Massive, elegant structures with sloping roofs, tall windows glowing warmly, gardens and pathways carefully laid out between them.

I slowed to a stop, staring.

"This..." My voice trailed off.

The priestess laughed softly, following my gaze. "You thought we lived only in caves?"

I nodded faintly, still trying to reconcile the sight before me with everything I thought I knew. "I thought ancients were...well. Ancient. In every sense."

She shook her head, amusement dancing in her painted eyes. "The cave remains in use because of its history. Because of the power rooted there—in the soil, in the stone. It is where we were born as a people. But we live as you do. We build. We grow. We adapt."

Civilized.

The word echoed in my mind as we continued walking. The surroundings reminded me painfully of a pack settlement. Open fields stretched out on one side, moonlit grass swaying gently in the night breeze.

There were paths clearly meant for children to run along, benches beneath old trees, laughter echoing faintly from somewhere far off.

A community.

My chest tightened unexpectedly. I had spent so long thinking of the ancients as something removed, something distant and severe. Instead, this place felt...alive. Lived in. Warm.

We stopped in front of a house that stole the breath from my lungs. It was just that beautiful.

Tall and wide, built from pale stone that gleamed softly under the moon. Ivy climbed one side of it, thick and green, curling around carved columns.

Large windows lined the front, their light spilling outward like a welcome. A small fountain sat near the entrance, water trickling softly, the sound soothing and constant.

"This is where you’ll be staying," the priestess said. "Xanth will take care of you."

My brows furrowed as I studied the structure, my mind already mapping exits, windows, blind spots. How easy would it be to escape from here? How difficult?

The door opened before I could ask anything else.

A woman stood there.

She was...stunning.

Red hair spilled down her back in glossy waves, catching the light like fire. Her skin glowed softly, unblemished, and her eyes—golden, bright, piercing—locked onto mine with calm curiosity.

For a moment, I simply stared, openly gaping before I could stop myself.

She smiled.

"Welcome," she said warmly. "You must be Sage."

I nodded dumbly and stepped inside, my senses still reeling.

The priestess remained outside. "Take care," she said gently, already turning away.

"Wait—" I started, but she was gone before the word fully left my mouth.

Xanth closed the door and began making small talk as she led me upstairs, her voice light and easy, as though we were old acquaintances rather than strangers from different worlds.

I answered where necessary, my attention split between her words and the house itself, and the woman. Just like the men, the women were angel-like. I couldn’t understand how the gods could be so unfair in distributing beauty.

The inside of the house was elegant without being cold. Lived-in without being cluttered. Paintings lined the walls—landscapes, faces, abstract bursts of color that made my fingers itch to touch them.

"I hope you enjoy your stay here," Xanth said as she stopped in front of a door and opened it for me. "If you need anything, I’ll be downstairs."

Then she left me alone.

I stood there for a long moment before stepping inside.

The room was spacious, bathed in soft light from lamps placed thoughtfully around the space. The bed was large and inviting, draped in rich fabrics. There was a small sitting area by the window, shelves lined with books, a wardrobe standing slightly ajar.

And on the bed...

My wig.

Relief rushed through me so fast it almost made me dizzy. I crossed the room quickly and picked it up, fingers trembling just slightly as I turned it over. It was intact. Untouched.

The lenses, however, were nowhere to be seen.

I sighed softly. Of course they weren’t.

My clothes were gone too—replaced with neatly folded garments laid out on a chair. New clothes.

At least they hadn’t taken the wig.

Then, my gaze drifted toward the mirror across the room.

I stopped.

For a moment, I couldn’t move.

What would I see? 𝕗𝐫𝚎𝗲𝘄𝐞𝕓𝐧𝕠𝘃𝕖𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝚖

I was something else entirely now. An ancient. Would I still look the same?

My heart began to pound, loud in my ears. I hesitated, fingers curling into the fabric of my borrowed clothes. Part of me was afraid—afraid I wouldn’t even see myself.

Didn’t ancients have no reflection in mirrors?

Or was that just a myth too?

Slowly, I walked toward the mirror.

Then, I raised my eyes, freezing when I saw my reflection.

The woman staring back at me was unfamiliar...yet unmistakably me.