Chapter One: Not That Kind of Story
It might seem like just another life story.
But you'd be wrong.
My name is Aaron Malang. I'm the firstborn in our family. We're a single-parent household now—have been for years—ever since we lost our dad.
He was a firefighter.
The kind of man who never lived a life behind. When there was danger, he stepped forward. When a building burned, he went in. He saved a little girl from a collapsing fire.
She lived.
He didn't.
I'm proud of him. Sad too. But I believe—no, I know—he's still with us in ways that matter.
There's my mom, Felicia Malang. Strong, tired, unbreakable in the quiet way. Then my brothers: Lorenzo, the second-born, always trying to act older than he is. And Marcus, the youngest, still smiling like the world hasn't tried to hurt him yet.
This isn't an epic story.
It's a strange one.
And it started on a normal evening.
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Chapter Two: Two Roads
I went out for a walk as the sun began to sink.
There are two ways to get to town from our place. One is long and safe, running along the main road with streetlights and passing cars. The other is shorter—cutting straight through the woods.
I took the shortcut.
The stores were already closing by the time I reached town. Neon signs flickered, shutters rolled down, and that's when it hit me—it was darker than I thought.
Too dark.
Time to go home.
This time, I wasn't going back through the woods.
Teenagers and dark forests don't mix. I've seen horror movies. I'm not stupid. So I chose the long way around.
Still, my mind betrayed me.
If monsters exist, they always go for the lone guy.
And let's be honest—it's always the black guy who goes first.
That was me.
To make it worse, I was fat. Speed? Out of the question.
I shook my head, trying to laugh it off. Monsters don't exist. I was just freaking myself out.
Even so, I picked up my pace.
Then instinct hit me.
I looked across the road.
And I saw it.
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Chapter Three: Red Eyes
It stood there, unmoving.
Tall. Wrong. Watching.
Its eyes burned red, fixed on me with a hunger that made my stomach drop.
Prey.
That word slammed into my head before I could stop it.
Wait.
That was me.
Big mistake.
The first mistake was running. Just picture it—a fat kid sprinting down an empty road, lungs screaming, fear driving every step.
The second mistake was screaming. That's how it knew for sure.
The third mistake?
I stopped.
Five steps. That's all I managed before my legs gave out.
I bent over, gasping for air, like the monster would politely wait.
Yeah. Stupid.
Pain exploded through my shoulders.
I tried to turn, but something heavy was on me—teeth sinking into flesh. I screamed again, this time from pure agony.
I reached blindly, my fingers closing around a stone.
I swung.
The impact sent it stumbling back a few feet.
That's when I really saw it.
Fur. Claws. A twisted muzzle pulled into something like a grin.
A werewolf.
And that wasn't the most terrifying part.
It laughed.
> BEAST: "Haha… this is new. I thought you'd be frozen by fear. Please—entertain me more."
It dashed toward me.
Then everything went black.
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Chapter Four: The One Who Woke Up
I woke up screaming.
Alive.
My clothes were torn, shredded like paper. My heart hammered as I searched my body—expecting blood, wounds, anything.
The bite marks were gone.
No scars. No pain.
Just fear.
I didn't think. I ran.
All the way home.
I didn't stop until the door slammed shut behind me.
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Chapter Five: The Watchers
From a distance, two figures observed the empty road.
> STRANGER 1: "He woke up. Never expected him to survive that attack."
> STRANGER 2: "Should we kill him?"
The first shook his head.
> STRANGER 1: "No. We've lost the alpha."
A pause.
> STRANGER 2: "Then we watch the beta."
The red eyes in the darkness faded.
> STRANGER 1: "He might call for him."
And somewhere far away, something ancient stirred—aware that the boy who should have died…
Hadn't.
Chapter Six: Saturday Night Questions
I burst through the living room like my life depended on it.
Everyone was there.
Mom. Lorenzo. Marcus.
Wait… It hit me all at once. It's Saturday.
I was screwed.
> Mom: "Where were you?"
She was already moving, hands on my shoulders, eyes scanning me like a detective at a crime scene.
> Mom: "What happened to your—mmh—are you hurt? No… okay. Are you on drugs? Wait! Is someone bullying you?"
There it was.
Police mode.
Rapid-fire questions. No room for answers.
> Lorenzo: "Oya! Where were you? Mom was freaking out."
> Marcus: "I would've told her you were on a date but…"
He squinted at me.
> Marcus: "Meh. Impossible."
> Lorenzo: "Come on, it's not that bad. There's at least a 0.1% chance."
> Mom: "It only happens in my dreams."
She leaned closer.
> Mom: "So. Where were you, boy?"
I swallowed.
> Me: "I fell. I think I hit myself and passed out. When I woke up… my clothes were torn."
She stared at me for a long moment.
She didn't believe me.
But she nodded anyway.
Because I was alive.
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Chapter Seven: The Pain That Dropped Me
In my room, I stripped out of my clothes fast, checking every inch of my body.
Nothing.
No scars. No bites. No change.
Was it all in my head?
A thought crossed my mind.
Johnny.
He was into this stuff—myths, monsters, forums that talked about things sane people laughed at.
I pulled on clean clothes and reached for the door.
Then pain exploded in my chest.
It felt like my heart was being crushed from the inside.
I screamed.
And the world went dark.
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Chapter Eight: The Doctor With Green Eyes
I woke up to white lights and beeping machines.
Hospital.
Mom was beside me, her hand gripping mine like she could anchor me to the world.
> Me: "Where… am I?"
> Mom: "Easy, my son. You fainted. We're at the hospital. The doctor's checking your results. Are you in pain?"
I shook my head.
I couldn't tell her the truth.
I'm sorry, Mom.
The door opened.
> Doctor: "Good news. He's just exhausted."
He smiled, professional and calm.
> Doctor: "Ah, you're awake. I'm Dr. Allen Rodgers. How are you feeling?"
> Me: "Refreshed, actually."
> Mom: "Thank God."
> Doctor: "Before you go, may I take some blood? And… could I speak with him alone for a moment?"
Mom hesitated, then nodded and stepped out.
The door closed.
The air changed.
Dr. Rodgers' smile vanished.
> Doctor: "Kid, what were you thinking?"
I blinked.
> Doctor: "Your body is changing at an insane rate. By tomorrow, you'll lose all your fat."
My stomach dropped.
> Doctor: "So tell me—who bit you? A beta? Or an alpha?"
> Me: "I… I don't know."
His eyes widened.
> Doctor: "How can you not know? Didn't you agree to the change?"
> Me: "No. That's the problem. I don't even know why this is happening."
He grabbed my face and stared into my eyes.
His pupils flared.
Green.
Something inside me snapped.
Rage flooded my veins. I grabbed his neck and lifted him off the ground like he weighed nothing.
> Doctor: "Aaron—look… at the mirror."
I turned.
Yellow eyes stared back at me.
Pure. Glowing.
I released him, horrified.
> Doctor: "Calm down. Breathe."
The urge to kill him burned in my skull.
Then—
Bang.
A sharp sting.
Peace washed over me.
> Me: "What… was that?"
> Doctor: "Forgive me. I thought you were a gamma."
He bowed.
> Doctor: "You're a beta. Please forgive my rude challenge."
> Me: "What did you give me? And where can I find the one who turned me?"
His face went pale.
> Doctor: "You… really don't know?"
His voice dropped to a whisper.
> Doctor: "You're an omega."
Fear crossed his face.
> Doctor: "Leave. Now."
> Me: "Wait—Doc, I don't understand."
He slammed me against the wall.
> Doctor: "Silence."
His voice shook.
> Doctor: "I'm already in danger just talking to you. Remember this."
He leaned in close.
> Doctor: "First—don't resist them. Second—don't trust anyone. Third—agree to their terms."
He shoved me toward the door.
> Doctor: "Go. Now."
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Chapter Nine: Omega
Mom was waiting at the reception.
We went home in silence.
I stared out the window, my reflection staring back with eyes that didn't feel human anymore.
Omega.
Whatever that meant…
I knew one thing for sure.
The monster in the woods wasn't done with me.
And neither was the world that hid monsters in white coats.
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