AFTER 1 MONTH
NO ONE POV
"Robert... I won't let your sacrifice go to waste."
The whisper barely disturbed the still air as the man withdrew his hand from Robert's cold forehead.
The room was silent.
Oppressively silent.
Like death itself was standing in the corners, listening.
A single lamp flickered above, casting long shadows across the floor. The scent of blood and cigarette smoke lingered in the air.
A man dressed in a black coat sat calmly in a chair nearby, a cigarette glowing between his fingers.
His face remained hidden beneath the darkness.
"Did you find anything in his room?" he asked.
His voice was low.
Dangerously calm.
"No, sir. We searched everything. There was nothing."
The man took a slow drag from his cigarette.
Smoke escaped from his lips like a living creature.
"And Adrian?" he asked.
"Did anyone hear anything about my old friend?"
The subordinate swallowed nervously.
"No, sir. The entire Blake family vanished without a trace. No witnesses. No clues. It's as if they never existed."
Silence.
A heavy silence that made the air feel colder.
The cigarette burned to its end.
Then—
Crunch.
The man's hand closed around it, crushing the burning filter effortlessly.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
Not a smile of amusement.
A smile of a predator.
Slowly, he stood.
The room seemed smaller the moment he did.
The men around him instinctively lowered their eyes.
Fear.
Pure, instinctive fear.
Golden light flashed briefly in the darkness.
Eyes.
Not human eyes.
Predator's eyes.
Ancient.
Hungry.
Deadly.
"And unlike the weak creatures that hide beneath the moon..."
A low growl vibrated from his chest.
The windows trembled.
The shadows twisted around him.
"I am a werewolf born from the Bloodfang Alpha line."
His claws slowly emerged from his fingertips.
Silver eyes gleamed like blades in the darkness.
"I don't hunt because I'm hungry."
His gaze turned toward Robert's lifeless body.
"I hunt because I enjoy watching my enemies realize they've already lost."
The room fell deathly still.
No one dared breathe.
No one dared move.
He stepped toward the door.
His coat billowed behind him like the wings of death itself.
"Find Adrian."
His voice was now a command.
A promise.
A threat.
"And if anyone stands between me and the truth..."
The hallway lights shattered one by one as an invisible pressure burst from his body.
Darkness swallowed the corridor.
"...pray they die quickly."
"I guess it's time for me to find everything myself."
He rose from his chair.
The smoke followed him like a shadow.
✦ AFTER 1 MONTH ✦
✦ EIRA'S POV ✦
The morning air felt heavier than usual as Tessy dragged me through the college gates.
"If that annoying Robert scolds me again because of you, I swear I will kill you," she muttered under her breath, clearly still irritated about something she had invented in her head.
I sighed, adjusting my bag.
"Tessy, what can I do? Why do they even open college this early in the morning?"
The campus looked normal. Too normal.
Students walking. Laughing. Complaining. Living.
We entered the classroom just as relief started settling in me—no teacher yet.
"Finally…" I whispered.
We rushed toward our seats.
But before we could sit—
The door opened.
The principal walked in.
Followed by every teacher.
The atmosphere shifted instantly.
The noise died.
Even breathing felt wrong.
Something heavy pressed into my chest.
The principal cleared his throat.
"Class, good morning."
Silence answered him.
He looked around once… then spoke again.
"We would like to inform you that our teacher, Mr. Robert, is no longer with us."
For a second, I didn't understand the words.
Then whispers exploded everywhere.
Dead?
Mr. Robert?
My fingers slowly tightened around my bag.
"He died during an animal attack."
Animal attack…
The words echoed strangely in my mind.
Cold.
Unreal.
The principal continued speaking, something about rules and timings, but I barely heard him.
My thoughts felt distant.
Foggy.
Wrong.
Then just like that, everyone stood up.
The moment the teachers left, the classroom broke into chaos again.
And beside me—
Tessy stretched dramatically.
"Can we go to the canteen now? I'm hungry."
I turned slowly toward her.
"Our teacher just died."
She blinked.
"Eira."
Her voice dropped into something annoyingly practical.
"Do you want me to starve to death for him?"
I stared at her.
Completely defeated.
"Let's go."
Because arguing with Tessy was pointless.
Always.
We were halfway out when Peon Uncle stopped me.
"Eira, a parcel has arrived for you. Please collect it from the guard room."
Before I could even respond—
"I'm sorry, but food comes first!" Tessy shouted, already sprinting away.
"Tessy—!"
But she was gone.
Of course.
I exhaled and walked toward the guard room alone.
Five minutes later…
I regretted everything.
The moment I saw the box, my soul left my body.
"Oh God…"
It was huge.
Like it had been sent to punish me personally.
"What did Mom even send?"
I dragged it forward with both arms, staggering under its weight.
By the time I finally dropped it onto a bench, my arms felt like they no longer belonged to me.
"I can't do this anymore…"
I turned away—
And stopped.
Completely.
A car was speeding through the campus road.
Too fast.
Way too fast.
My breath caught.
Someone was standing right in its path.
A man.
On his phone.
Completely unaware.
"Move!" I shouted.
Nothing.
He didn't hear me.
The car was seconds away.
My body moved before my mind could.
"No—!"
I ran.
Everything blurred.
The ground, the air, the sound.
I slammed into him with all my strength.
Pushing him out of the way.
Impact.
Pain exploded through my arm.
The car roared past like a ghost.
So close I could feel it.
Then—
Silence.
The world spun violently.
My palm burned against the concrete as I hit the ground.
Everything felt distant for a moment.
Too quiet.
Too fast.
I forced my eyes open.
The man I pushed was sitting a few feet away.
Alive.
Safe.
Good.
That was enough.
I tried to stand quickly, brushing dust off my uniform.
"You're hurt."
His voice stopped me.
I looked up.
He was already standing.
Watching me.
Carefully.
Like I was something unexpected.
"Yes…" I murmured automatically.
"I'm fine."
I tried to leave immediately.
Before this became anything.
Before it mattered.
"Wait."
I froze.
He stepped closer slightly.
"You're hurt."
My hand instinctively hid behind me.
"It's nothing."
I didn't like being seen like this.
I didn't like attention.
I just wanted to leave.
"You're a student here?"
"Yes."
A pause.
Then—
"I just joined."
That made me look up.
"This late? In the middle of the semester?"
A small, awkward laugh left him.
"Family business."
I nodded once.
Accepting it.
Because that's what you do when someone answers like that.
Even if you don't understand.
There was something strange about him.
Not dangerous.
Just… unfamiliar.
"Come."
He gestured gently toward the medical room.
"Let's get that treated."
I hesitated.
But eventually followed.
✦ MEDICAL ROOM ✦
The nurse cleaned my hand.
The antiseptic stung instantly.
I winced before I could stop myself.
It burned.
A lot.
I squeezed my eyes shut.
I hated this part.
The silence felt heavy.
When I opened my eyes again—
He was still there.
Watching.
Why is he still here?
I looked away quickly.
Just then—
"EIRA!"
The door burst open.
Tessy.
Of course.
She ran straight to me and grabbed my shoulders.
"What happened to you?!"
Her voice immediately turned into full lecture mode.
I groaned softly.
"I'm fine, Tessy."
"You are NOT fine!"
She turned toward him instantly.
"What happened?"
He answered simply.
"She saved me."
That made her pause.
"A car almost hit me."
Tessy turned back to me like I had committed a crime.
"Eira, why do you keep risking your life for everybody?"
I sighed.
Because apparently that's my job in life.
Before things could continue—
She finally noticed him properly.
"I'm Tessy."
They shook hands.
"Jake William."
The name didn't mean anything to me then.
Just another introduction.
Another person.
Nothing more.
Then Tessy's phone rang.
Her expression changed instantly.
"Mom."
She grabbed my hand.
"Come on."
And just like that—
she pulled me out.
Leaving him behind in the corridor.
I didn't look back.
Not once.
But I should have.
Because something about that moment…
didn't feel ordinary.
It felt like the beginning of something I didn't know how to name yet.