Ali stood silently in the room, his gaze sweeping over the objects around him.

A wide wooden plank bed, a large copper bathtub, a charcoal basin for chasing away the cold, a desk holding an inkwell and quill, a jug of wine and two silver goblets on the desk, and a large pine chest in the corner for storing clean clothes.

Everything here was nothing like Wolfhold.

Would I have lived a life like this if humans had raised me instead?

Ali's eyes fixed on the glinting silver goblet, and he drifted into memory.

From childhood, Ali had sensed he was different from the other wolf cubs.

His fur was thinner, his tail shorter; his sense of smell was dull, his hearing less sharp; most importantly, he loathed raw meat—especially human flesh.

When Ali was sixteen, the old wolf who'd raised him told him the truth about his origins.

He was not a pure-blood wolf, but a wolf-human hybrid, known among wolves as a "half-wolf." The old wolf had found the abandoned infant at the foot of Holy Sword Peak, and since he had no cubs of his own, he'd brought Ali back to Wolfhold.

The old wolf told Ali that half-wolves carried both human and demon blood—because Ali had been raised among wolves, his demon essence had awakened, turning him into a werewolf; but if he'd been raised in a human village, his demon essence would have been suppressed, and he would have grown into a human.

The old wolf had revealed this because he was dying. He hoped Ali would choose his path according to his own heart in the years to come.

The old wolf's final words sent a tidal wave through Ali's heart. He finally understood why he was different, and the truth sparked a longing for human life in him.

A year ago, Wolf King Will planned to attack the Frostwall. To ensure the operation went smoothly, Will sent Ali to infiltrate the kingdom's interior to gather intelligence.

Ali risked climbing the thousand-foot cliffs and reached the other side of the Frostwall for the first time.

When he arrived at Reflection Village in the Northern Marches, he saw the villagers—young and old, gentle and strong—and a deep, instinctive sense of kinship washed over him.

This familiarity made him let his guard down. Coincidentally, the Archbishop of the Crystal Temple was touring the Northern Marches to preach. Ali mixed in with the villagers, eager to see the Archbishop's presence, but he was captured by the Temple Knights.

Ali was terrified. He'd long heard that humans burned captured werewolves alive in public, and he was both afraid of death and pain.

But to his surprise, the Archbishop did not kill him. Instead, he recognized Ali's half-wolf identity.

The Archbishop said to him: Given your hybrid blood and innocent past, I offer you two choices. If you wish to join the humans, I will purify your demon blood and restore your human form. If you wish to return beyond the wall, I will set you free—but you must swear a blood oath never to step foot in the kingdom again.

Ali had already been drawn to the Archbishop's charisma and the warm, friendly atmosphere of the human village. Comparing the endless gloom and brutal, raw-meat diet of Wolfhold, he immediately agreed to undergo purification and become a true human.

The Archbishop offered to help him, but set a condition: If you will return to Wolfhold as my spy, for a term of three years. When the task is done, I will not only purify your demon blood, but also take you as my disciple, allowing you to study the mysteries of the Holy Light in the Crystal Temple.

Though the Archbishop did not force him, his words carried an unshakable authority. Ali dared not refuse. Besides, becoming the Archbishop's disciple and entering the Crystal Temple was an unimaginable honor—something he'd never even dreamed of. After a fierce internal struggle, Ali accepted the mission.

From then on, Ali returned to Wolfhold and took on the role of passing secret intelligence to the humans. The Archbishop and he agreed on the code name "Lonely Maiden"; Ali only needed to leave the intelligence at a designated spot in the Wolf God Mountains, and rangers from the Frostwall would come to retrieve it.

Just then, footsteps sounded outside the door—sharp and abrupt in the silence, snapping Ali out of his tangled memories.

Is it the interrogator?

Ali hurried to sit at the long table, his expression solemn.

This was a crucial trial.

Though I'm the Archbishop's spy, few know my true identity.

I must seize the right moment to reveal my stance, to avoid misunderstandings.

But I have to be extremely careful. One wrong move, and I'll lose my life.

The door creaked open, and an old man with white hair and beard, his face hidden in shadow, stepped inside.

Scholar Rui. Ali recognized him. Second-in-command of the Frostwall Legion.

The old scholar sat down across from Ali.

"I am a scholar of the Frostwall Legion. I've been commissioned by Count Wilder of Awakening City and Sir Lei of the Golden Knights' Order to ask you some questions."

Ali nodded politely in response.

This man has enough authority, but I don't know if he can be trusted.

To be safe, Ali wished Guard Fito could be present.

After all, I saved his life—when he was trapped under the stone pillar, I helped him.

He wouldn't betray me, right?

Ali hesitated and said, "I'll cooperate with the interrogation, but I have one condition—Fito must be here."

The old scholar shook his head. "Awakening City is short-handed right now. The citizens are busy rounding up and interrogating your surrendered pack. Fito is busy with that too; he can't come."

Ali's heart sank. If he's not here, I'll have to hold back.

"You were the wolf army's commander. Why did you choose to surrender?" Rui asked.

Ali blinked. This is the chance I've been waiting for. Ever since the Wolf King ordered me to attack Awakening City, I've been waiting for this moment.

But can I tell the truth?

He coughed twice and said, "The wolf army was ambushed, and we were outnumbered. I wanted to save my life, so I surrendered."

"That doesn't make sense. You had over two hundred wolves, full of fighting spirit. Even ambushed, you could have fought back. Heh."

"To humans, werewolves might all seem fierce and warlike, but I value life above all else. I hope by surrendering voluntarily, you'll spare my life." Ali sighed. That last part was the truth.

"That seems plausible, but…" The old scholar kept smiling, but his cloudy eyes suddenly flashed with cold light. "Why did you betray the wolf army?"

Did he find me out?!

Ali was startled by the scholar's gaze, leaning back so far he nearly fell off his chair.

Am I exposed?

Should I reveal my identity now?

But can I trust this man?

Ali's mind was in turmoil. He'd been undercover for years—just one step away from finally being free.

But he knew there was still a spy in the human camp, and that was his greatest fear.