Chapter 1633: During The Day (Part 2) Lupus stared in silence. A living, breathing person was chained in front of him. When he had first discovered the shackles the night before, he hadn’t known whether they were old restraints, forgotten equipment, or something used recently. Even when Kai insisted that he return during the day, Lupus hadn’t fully understood why. But now, seeing the woman suspended in the center of the furnace, arms lifted, wrists bound, ankles locked to the floor, everything snapped together instantly. He didn’t know her face. He had never met her. He had never even heard a description detailed enough to recognize her. And yet, with one breath, he knew exactly who she was. Jack’s wife. The woman’s hair was fully grey, every strand washed out, aged prematurely, but her skin was smooth. Youthful. Almost eerily untouched by time. No wrinkles. No sagging. Nothing that matched what her hair suggested. It created a disturbing contrast, like two different people stitched into one. But that wasn’t the part that confirmed it for Lupus. It was the scent. Now that he was close, the smell coming from her body told him the whole truth. No mistaking it. No guessing. She’s the missing piece. Kai knew... Kai already knew everything before even coming here. The woman flinched when she finally saw him clearly, tugging at the chains instinctively before remembering that movement was impossible. “Wait... who are you?” she whispered urgently. Even in panic she didn’t raise her voice. She kept it low, controlled, because she knew better than anyone that no one was supposed to know she was here. No one was meant to witness this. “I’ve never seen you before,” she said again. “Are you part of the pack?” Lupus swallowed dryly, forcing himself to speak. “Sorry,” he said immediately. “I know this might be a shock to you. I’ve only recently joined the pack... and I was trying to find answers to something. It... looks like I’ve found them.” Every instinct told him to leave. He didn’t just have to sneak into the furnace, he had to sneak out again before anyone realized what he had done. Kai and Gary were risking themselves outside to create the distraction he needed. He couldn’t waste time. But before he could back away, the woman spoke again, fear trembling in her voice. “Wait. Don’t tell anyone that I’m in here. Don’t tell them what you saw. Please!” Lupus paused, turning toward her again, trying to read her expression through the heat and flickering firelight. “What’s your name?” he finally asked. “We haven’t met, right?” “Lily,” she answered softly. The name caught in her throat, but she seemed relieved to be acknowledged. “My name is Lily.” “Why are you in a place like this?” Lupus asked. “Maybe if I understand, then there will be no reason for me to tell the others anything.” Lily hesitated. She looked down, her grey hair falling forward slightly as the chains rattled faintly. Lupus could see the conflict in her eyes, the fear of being discovered fighting against the fear of being misunderstood. Eventually, she let out a long, quiet breath. “Right now... I’m sick,” she whispered. “I’m really sick. I don’t know what’s happening to me. I don’t know why I do the things I do. And because of that... I have to stay here, away from everyone. I can’t risk making anyone else sick. Or... hurting them.” Her voice cracked. But she pushed through it. “Jack... he’s doing everything for my sake. Everything you’ve seen him do, everything they’re all whispering about, is because of me. I told him to put me here. I begged him to. Because I don’t want to harm anyone. And right now, he’s trying to find a cure. He’s doing everything he can to help me get better.” She lifted her bound hands slightly, but the chains stopped her, forcing her to lower them again. “Even staying in here is part of the healing process,” she said. Lupus blinked. The heat inside the furnace was brutal. Sweat was rolling down his forehead in thick drops, evaporating almost as fast as it formed. The flames were close enough to scorch steel. He couldn’t imagine anyone standing here for even a minute normally, let alone living here. Is this really treatment? Or just a place to hide her where no one would dare to check? “We don’t know if this will work,” Lily continued quietly. “But he’s trying. And I’m willing to try whatever I must if it means I won’t hurt anyone else.” “How did you get sick?” Lupus asked. He tilted his head slightly, trying to listen for any movement outside. But inside the furnace, the roar of flames echoed off the walls. The metallic shell swallowed sound. It was, in many ways, the perfect soundproof hiding place. “I... I’m not sure,” Lily said. Her voice trembled again. “I don’t know how it started. I don’t know how I changed. I remember pieces, fragments, but none of it makes sense. It feels like I’m cursed.” Tears streamed down her face before she quickly wiped them away with the limited movement she had. Lupus closed his eyes for a moment. Whatever was happening, whatever strange illness she was suffering from... this wasn’t something she had chosen. And Jack, in his desperation, had somehow gotten tangled with Unzoku, trying to fix something no normal person could fix. “I’ll keep it a secret,” Lupus said finally. “Jack has a lot to worry about already, and it seems he has a tall task ahead of him. I won’t tell the others.” Relief washed over Lily’s face instantly. “Thank you,” she whispered. She tried to brush her tear-stained cheek, but the shackles stopped her again. The small rattle of metal echoed through the furnace. “You should go now,” she warned. “Jack will be here soon.” Lupus nodded. He didn’t know exactly how Jack entered the furnace, Gary’s method of climbing in from the top was unlikely. But he finally understood why Jack always came here before nightfall. Right... he needs to deliver her blood. **** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga