On a lonely street
Ayo adjusted the nylon bag in his hand as he hurried down the street. His mother had sent him to pick up a few things before it got dark, and he wanted to be back quickly. He kept his head down, steps careful, shoulders tight — the way he always walked outside.
He almost didn't notice them until they stepped into his path.
Three boys.
Older. Bigger. Familiar.
"Well, look who it is," one of them said, blocking the road with a lazy grin. "Money man himself."
Ayo's fingers tightened around the bag. "I—I don't have anything," he said quietly.
Another boy laughed. "You always say that. Funny thing is, we never believe you."
The third one cracked his knuckles. "You owe us. You know how this works."
Ayo took a step back. His heart started pounding. "Please… I really need to get home."
They moved closer.
"That's not our problem."
One of them reached out—
"Step away from him."
The voice was calm. Flat. Dangerous in a quiet way.
All four of them turned.
Tolu stood a few steps behind Ayo, hands in his pockets, posture relaxed like he was just passing by. His eyes, though, were locked on the boys — cold, unreadable.
"Who are you?" one of them scoffed. "This doesn't concern you."
Tolu tilted his head slightly. His eyes flickered red for just a second.
It was enough.
The air changed.
The boys froze, an instinctive fear crawling up their spines. None of them could explain why their legs suddenly felt heavy, why breathing felt harder.
"I said," Tolu repeated softly, "step away from him."
The leader swallowed. "Let's… let's go."
They didn't argue. They didn't threaten.
They backed away slowly, then turned and walked off, glancing over their shoulders like prey afraid of being chased.
Silence settled.
Ayo stood there shaking slightly, confused, scared — but unharmed.
"T-thank you," he said.
Tolu nodded and gestured with his head. "Come on. I'll walk with you."
They started down the street together.
After a few steps, Tolu spoke. "If you had the power to beat them… would you?"
Ayo hesitated.
"I don't think I'll ever get power like that," he said honestly. Then his jaw tightened. "But if I did… yeah. I would."
"Why?" Tolu asked.
Ayo didn't look at him. "So I can protect myself. And my younger siblings. I'm tired of being scared all the time."
Tolu smiled faintly. "Nice answer."
Ayo blinked. "What does that mean?"
He turned—
And Tolu was gone.
No footsteps. No movement. Just empty space where someone had been a second ago.
Ayo stood there, staring, his heart racing.
For the first time in a long while, though… the fear felt different.
Like it might not last forever.
---
Ayo had barely taken two more steps when a dull thud echoed behind him.
The world tilted.
He didn't even get the chance to cry out before everything went black.
When his eyes fluttered open again, the street was gone.
Dim light. Brick walls. A narrow back alley.
Before he could move, a presence pressed down on him — heavy, overwhelming. Tolu knelt beside him, expression unreadable.
His eyes glowed a deep, unnatural red, and as Ayo tried to speak, sharp elongated teeth slid into view.
Fear surged.
Then pain — brief, sharp, burning at his neck.
Tolu's teeth sank in for only a few seconds.
No savagery.
No hesitation.
He pulled back just as quickly.
Tolu wiped the blood away with his thumb, watching closely. The bite marks began to close, skin knitting itself together as if time were rewinding.
A slow breath left him.
"It worked," he murmured.
Ayo's breathing evened out, his body already settling into deep unconsciousness.
Tolu laid him gently against the wall, making sure he wouldn't be seen.
Then he straightened, eyes dimming back to normal.
Without another sound, he stepped back into the shadows—
—and was gone.
---
Ayo groaned softly as consciousness crept back in.
Cold concrete pressed against his cheek. The smell of damp walls and old trash filled his nose. He blinked, vision swimming, then pushed himself upright with a sharp breath.
An alley.
Narrow.
Empty.
Familiar in the way all back alleys were familiar.
His head throbbed, but his body felt… fine.
Too fine.
He checked himself quickly — arms, legs, back.
No pain.
No stiffness.
No weakness.
"What the—" he whispered.
Memories rushed back in fragments.
The boys.
The fear.
The boy who stepped in.
Ayo swallowed hard.
His senses felt wrong. He could hear footsteps at the far end of the street, smell rain before it even fell. His heart pounded as panic tried to rise — then, just as suddenly, it settled.
Calm.
Not his own.
Ayo staggered to his feet, steadying himself against the wall. Whatever happened to him in this alley… he knew one thing.
He was no longer the same boy who had walked into it.
---
Tolu reached their usual spot just as the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows through the trees.
Amara was already there, sitting on a fallen log, tying her shoelace.
She looked up when she sensed him.
"You're late," she said lightly.
He shrugged. "Had to make a stop."
She studied his face for a second, then stood. "Let's go. Ayo should be home by now."
Tolu didn't move.
"It's done," he said calmly.
Amara paused, searching his eyes. "You turned him?"
He nodded once. "Yeah."
She exhaled slowly. "We were supposed to do it together."
"I know." His voice softened. "But… I felt like I needed to be alone for that part.
The turning. I don't know why."
She tilted her head, then smiled — small, understanding. "That actually makes sense."
Her smile widened just a little. "I still get to train them though."
Tolu chuckled. "Obviously."
She grew thoughtful. "I felt something earlier. Like… a tug.
Weird.
And I felt him too. Not like you — different — but still there."
She tapped her chest lightly. "Like an extension of myself."
Tolu closed his eyes.
He felt it then — the bond between him and Amara, steady and deep, and beyond that, the faint new thread forming elsewhere.
Fragile.
Young.
He opened his eyes and smiled. "Yeah.
We're definitely connected."
She crossed her arms. "So what now?"
Tolu glanced toward the forest, then back at her. "We're going somewhere."
Her brow lifted. "Where?"
He hesitated, then said, "I forgot something.
Something important. We should've done it before turning anyone."
She studied him. "Is it too late?"
He shook his head. "No. Just delayed."
Amara grinned. "Good. I hate unfinished plans."
Tolu smiled back.
They both began sprinting.
Tolu didn't slow down.
He glanced back once, just to be sure Amara was keeping up.
She was—eyes glowing faintly violet, breath steady, a grin tugging at her lips like she was enjoying the run a little too much.
He nodded.
Without a word, he let the change roll through him.
Bones shifted.
Muscles tightened.
His senses sharpened as his hybrid form took over, taller, faster, stronger. The forest seemed to open up for him.
Amara laughed once and followed suit.
They took off.
Leaves blurred beneath their feet as they sprinted through the forest, covering miles in minutes. Branches snapped behind them, wind tearing past their ears. No talking—just motion, instinct, and the rhythm of two wolves moving as one.
After a long stretch, Tolu slowed.
Amara did the same, skidding slightly before stopping beside him. She straightened, eyes narrowing as she followed his gaze.
Ahead of them, tucked unnaturally deep within the forest, stood a mansion.
Not ruined.
Not abandoned.
Intact. Massive. Old.
Stone walls rose through the trees like they had grown there. Tall iron gates stood open, as if waiting. Lanterns burned faintly along the path, their light steady despite the lack of wind.
Amara frowned. "Okay… that's not normal."
"No," Tolu said quietly. "It's not."
Something about the place pressed against his senses—ancient, heavy, watching. The air felt different here, thicker, like the forest itself was holding its breath.
Amara glanced at him. "This is what you forgot, isn't it?"
He nodded. "Yeah."
She exhaled slowly, eyes fixed on the mansion. "Then whoever lives here… already knows we're coming."
Tolu took a step forward.
"Yeah," he said. "I'll be shocked if they did not know actually."
Together, they moved toward the mansion, the forest closing in behind them as if sealing the path.