One individual in particular had been more worried than anyone else about the oute of the fighting. Unlike the others, he didn’t possess any unique strength, and pared to the warriors out there risking their lives, he wasn’t anything special. That person was Tom.
He had been left behind at the manor with Xin and the others, but when the pack had rushed off to confront whatever danger Xin’s visions had revealed, Tom remained behind, alone. The silence of the manor only fed his nerves.
He had no idea what was happening, no way to see the battle for himself, only the endless worry gnawing at his chest. He had called constantly, desperate for an update, and after what felt like hours, Xin finally picked up his call.
Through her, Tom learned the truth. She explained the chaos, how several members of the group had gone missing, how the fighting had finally ceased, and how, shockingly, the Lupus pack had joined forces with the Howlers, at least temporarily. Lastly, she mentioned something new, something that caught Tom’s attention immediately: Galark believed he might know where the missing ones had gone, and it had something to do with the medallion.
“Wait, the medallion?!” Tom blurted, nearly dropping the phone.
“You know about the medallion he’s talking about?” Xin asked, startled by his reaction.
“I think I do. I was the one who gave it to Gary!” Tom said, his words tumbling out with excitement. “You should all e back to the manor to talk. The restaurant needs to be cleared out anyway, and honestly, there’s no safer place than here. Besides, I might be able to bring some insight as well.”
Xin agreed, and Galark’s explanation was put on pause. The group made their way back, the manor’s long dining table being once again the center of their planning. The room, once used for training, now felt heavy with tension as everyone sat together, eager for even the faintest clue about what was happening to their missing allies.
Galark leaned forward, his calm presence manding the room. “The medallion. I heard on the phone that you were the one who found it. Do you mind telling me where that was?”
“Sure,” Tom replied, taking a deep breath. “It was at one of the excavation sites owned by NIRV. They find all kinds of little trinkets from time to time, but their focus has always been on fossils. When I came across it, I didn’t think much of it, but it had a wolf carved into it, so I decided to give it to Gary.”
The Bookkeeper’s lips curved into a rare smile, one that seemed almost relieved. “Maybe it was meant to be this way,” Galark said softly. “As I’ve explained, my position as Bookkeeper isn’t one that has always existed. It was created out of necessity, for the sake of future generations of werewolves, and originally, it was a role meant to maintain harmony. With time, it has changed into what it is now. But the truth is, the Bookkeeper was never supposed to be a solitary figure, switching from Alpha to Alpha.
“No. In its original form, the role of the Bookkeeper existed to prevent two Alphas from ever clashing in the first place. In each pack, there were meant to be two Bookkeepers, one for each Alpha.”
He let the words settle before continuing. “The medallion was created alongside this role. Our ancestor, a man named Jack Dem, is said to have forged it himself. He split it into two parts: a circular locking ring and a wolf’s head ornament. Each piece was entrusted to a Bookkeeper. Together, they symbolized the unity of the role.
“It was said that if ever the werewolves faced a crisis unlike any before, if there came a rare moment when the Alphas truly had a chance to work together, the two halves should be united. Only then would there be a chance for true unity among our kind.”
The room was silent, every ear hanging on his words.
“However,” Galark continued, “the medallion was not to be used lightly. It was only to be reunited if there was a real chance the Alphas could set aside their differences. In the past, there was such a time. Two Alphas stood on opposite sides, and it was believed they could find mon ground. The medallion pieces were brought together, but it ended the way it always does. The Alphas fought, blood was spilled, and unity was shattered. After that, the medallion piece was lost. This was long before Lupus and Dean became Alphas.
“At the time, I had believed those two brothers could be the ones to break the cycle. Both were of the Dem family line, both cared deeply for each other, and neither truly wished to fight. But with the medallion gone, there was no way to test that hope. When Lupus himself wished not to fight Gary, I thought once again how tragic it was that the medallion remained lost.”
He paused, his voice heavy. “And then, around Gary’s neck, I saw it, whole, unbroken, the two pieces united again. I could hardly believe it. How had it found its way to him, and why now, in this moment of all moments? If it had been discovered earlier, perhaps everything could have turned out differently. But now... now it is acting on its true purpose. That much, I believe.”
The room sat in stunned silence as Galark’s words sank in.
“That was a long speech just to say you don’t have a clue where they are, old man!” Innu suddenly shouted, slamming his hands against the table in frustration. “You sounded like you knew something important!”
“Wait,” Marie said quickly, holding up a hand to calm him. “Maybe he isn’t finished. From what he’s saying, the medallion is the reason they disappeared. So... do you know where they are now?”
Everyone leaned forward at once, waiting, holding their breath for Galark’s answer.
The Bookkeeper let out a quiet sigh. “I don’t have a clue,” he admitted.
****
There’s been a lot of confusion about the timeline, so I want to post a few things below to help. If you’d rather figure it out yourself, feel free to skip this section, but here’s some clarification.
The following contains spoilers for MDS and MVS (I remend reading those series first before continuing).
Lenny Steel opens a portal to obtain powers to aid in his fight alongside Ray Talen, creating the first set of vampires known as the Originals.
The First Vampire Civil War begins, with the vampires fighting against Laxmus and taking down their first True King.
The vampires restart their lives with a new system, crowning Richard Eno as the first King of the Settlement. During his reign, he creates the special 14th family, the Punishers.
First King: Richard Eno (later goes into slumber).
Second King: Magnus Muscat, who believed in vampire supremacy.
Second Vampire Civil War occurs between the vampires and the Punishers, resulting in the Punishers leaving.
Third King: Lucien Scutter.
Under Lucien, the vampires decide to leave Earth to cause fewer issues, while still maintaining a base between Earth and their new home in progress.
The third king orders Vincent to kidnap humans in nightclubs. Trouble follows, leading Vincent to leave the settlement.
During this time, Vincent meets Richard, who grants the Green family their ability.
On the new vampire planet, Arthur goes to sleep. Meanwhile, under Lucien’s leadership, the Punisher Extermination happens.
Vincent, now living on Earth, loses awareness of what is happening among the vampires.
The Green Corporation grows into a major gaming pany, but eventually fails due to rising tension in human civilization (gang violence and the emergence of Altered).
Around this time, Richard creates the Werewolf System creating system 2.0 and begins building NIRV, taking the identity of Rickle Epman.
Vincent’s entire saga occurs, ending with his “death.” Together with Richard, he created the Vampire Ability Book with Richard’s Help creating System 3.0. Werewolves still exist during this period.
Later, Richard es across Tom Green’s parents and hires them, suspecting a connection to Logan Green, with whom he had struck a deal in the past.
Although they are from the same family line, they are distant cousins. Still, Richard works with them due to their intelligence and reputation.
At this point, Gary’s saga (the current story) takes place.
Note: In the last Chapter, Rowa mentioned that they still haven’t found Vincent. What he was referencing is something stretched over a long human lifespan. By this point in the timeline, Vincent has already bee the Vampire System Book.
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