Beyond the church doors, moonlight bathed the courtyard in a silver glow. Statues of saints and angels seemed to watch as Marianne followed the wolf across the cobblestones. The wolf led them through the church gate and onto a narrow path bordered by tall hedges.
The night air was cool, and a hush fell over the group. Every rustle of leaves, every scrape of shoe against gravel, felt amplified in the tense silence. They continued down a winding lane, guided by the wolf’s sure-footed strides.