While Jacob and his group were walking through the woods, heading back to the mansion, Lydia suddenly stopped, her head tilting as she stared intently into the deeper, darker part of the forest.
Everyone halted. Jacob followed her gaze, and a deep, instinctive unease settled in his gut.
Allison noticed the serious looks on both their faces. "Lydia, what's wrong?"
"I sense dead people that way." Lydia said, her voice barely above a whisper, yet it carried clearly in the quiet night. "Several of them. And I can also feel something else… something coming. Something evil and dangerous. If we don't stop it, a lot of people are going to die."
Malia said. "How dangerous?"
Lydia looked directly at Jacob, her expression grave. "Very dangerous. As if there's a creature there as strong as Jay."
Malia blinked. "As strong as Jay? That's impossible!"
"I don't know if I'm right or not." Lydia admitted. "But that's just how I'm feeling."
"I can feel it too." Jacob said. "I don't know if there is a strong creature there or not, but I can sense a massive concentration of energy building deep in the woods." He turned to the group, his expression turning stern. "Guys, go home. I'll go see what's there and deal with it if I can. If I can't, I'll just escape."
"No," Allison said firmly, stepping closer. "We're going with you."
"It's too dangerous." Jacob said. "Please, just go back home."
Lydia crossed her arms. "We're going. And even if it is dangerous, we can always teleport to Serendell."
Stiles, who had been listening with wide eyes, raised his hand. "What's Serendell?"
"Our other home." Jacob explained, not taking his eyes off the dark tree line. "It's hidden in another dimension."
Stiles's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Then why haven't you invited us? I want to see it!"
Jacob was in no mood. "Maybe I'll take you there some other day. Right now, let me get you, Erica, and Scott, back to the mansion."
Stiles saw the deadly serious look on Jacob's face and his own expression sobered. "I'm going with you, guys. Scott, please take Erica back to Jacob's palce to rest; she looks exhausted."
Jacob turned to him. "Stiles, this isn't a joke. Whatever monster Lydia is sensing isn't here yet, which means someone is summoning it, and they've used human blood to do it—that explains the dead people Lydia felt. I'm going there to kill people. And if that thing is as strong as me, you'll be in danger. I might not be able to protect you."
Stiles didn't hesitate. "I'll stay with Cogman, and the girls. I'll fight and help you if you need it, and I..." He hesitated for only a second, his resolve hardening. "I'll even kill, if I have to."
Before Jacob could argue, Scott yelled. "Stiles, you can't kill people!"
Stiles looked at him, his expression grim. "If those people used human sacrifices to summon something evil, then they deserve to die. Didn't you hear what Lydia said? If we don't stop them, a lot of innocent people are going to die. She is a banshee, Scott." He gestured toward Jacob. "I don't know exactly how strong Jacob is, but do you remember that lightning storm he called? Do you remember that massive fire snake he used to burn Peter? Imagine how many people would die if he unleashed those abilities in the middle of town. And if that monster is as strong as Jacob and can use elemental powers like him, then you can imagine what will happen if it goes into town and starts killing people. So yes, I'm going with Jacob. And I will help him, however I can."
"But we're talking about killing..." Scott started again.
Stiles sighed, cutting him off. "Look, you don't have to go or help. Just do me a favor and take Erica back to Jacob's place."
Scott shook his head, conflict warring on his face. "No… I'm going too."
Cogman gave Stiles an approving pat on the shoulder. "Suddenly, you are much more pleasing to the eye. I am almost tempted to cross your name off my shit list."
Malia offered Stiles a genuine smile. "Cogman's right. Now you feel like a real friend." She then shot a look of pure disdain at Scott. "Unlike you, you little bitch."
"Malia, be nice." Allison chided gently.
Jacob smiled faintly. "Malia, Scott doesn't want to kill, and that's okay. That's his choice. As his friends, we should respect that."
"Whatever." Malia grumbled. "Now, should we go? I want to fight."
"There will be no fighting for you." Jacob said firmly. "You'll stay with Allison and the others."
"But..." Malia began to protest.
Jacob cut her off. "No buts. If my guess is correct, the people summoning that thing are probably wizards or witches. The last time I touched a wizard, I lost an arm."
"Then I won't touch them." Malia argued. "I'll use my lightning to attack from a distance."
"Let's get there first and see what's happening." Jacob said. "Then I'll decide if you can fight. But first, we need to get Erica and Kate home. Everyone, put your hands on me."
"Why?" Stiles asked.
"Just do it, and you'll understand." Jacob said. "Allison, put Kate's hand on me, too."
Everyone placed a hand on Jacob. Then, they vanished from the woods and reappeared in the mansion's living room.
Stiles, Erica, and Scott staggered slightly, feeling dizzy.
"How…?" Stiles breathed, looking around in awe.
"I can teleport." Jacob said simply.
"Just how many abilities do you have?" Stiles asked.
Jacob smirked. "A lot. Now, take Erica to your room to rest."
"My room?" Stiles said.
"Yes, the one you use when you stay over." Jacob said. "Then you and Scott wait here. I'll be back in…" He paused and thought. 'System, how long will it take to absorb the Dragon's Blood Essence potion? And how long for the girls to absorb the Hulk Serum?'
[It will take you between forty to fifty minutes to fully absorb the potion, Host. For your mates, absorption of the Hulk Serum will require approximately forty minutes.]
'Then the girls and I will stay inside Serendell for an hour, which is twelve minutes outside.' Aloud, he said. "I'll be back in fifteen minutes."
Stiles didn't ask more questions. He took Erica's hand and led her to his room.
Jacob said. "Cogman, girls, let's go to Serendell."
"Go ahead." Allison said. "I'll put Kate in a guest room and follow you." She headed off with Kate's unconscious form.
Jacob, Malia, Lydia, and Cogman teleported, vanishing from the living room, leaving Scott standing alone in the sudden silence. He sighed, and sank onto the couch, lost in thought.
---
Serendell
The group appeared on the soft grass of the garden outside the palace. Moments later, Allison joined them, having settled Kate in a guest room.
"After I consummated the bond with Malia." Jacob said. "my strength started growing faster, and some new useful things were unlocked in my pocket dimension."
Lydia's eyes lit up with excitement. "Really? Hurry, show us!"
Jacob smiled and retrieved three elegant bracelets from his pocket dimension. He handed one to each girl. "These are Concealment Charm Bracelets. They can completely mask the wearer's supernatural nature. When worn, any supernatural creature will appear as a normal human to other creatures. Your true nature and energy will be completely masked. The effect only breaks if you voluntarily shift or actively use your powers. Drop a bit of your blood on them to bond them to you."
The girls bit their fingers, letting a drop of blood fall onto the bracelets. Each bracelet shimmered briefly, and they instantly felt a connection to the magical items before putting them on.
Next, Jacob took out a red-and-gold metal box and handed it to Cogman. "This is the Mark 85. Tony Stark's nanotech suit from the MCU. It's yours."
Cogman accepted the case with his usual casual air. "Thank you, sir." But the moment his internal systems connected with the suit's AI and accessed its schematics, his demeanor shifted. His eyes widened fractionally. "This… I can't believe this is man-made. The power, the complexity… it's incredible." He looked at Jacob, his usual mockery replaced by genuine, solemn respect. "Thank you, sir. This will make me far more effective in helping you and protecting my ladies." A familiar, wicked smirk finally returned. "And, more importantly, it provides many new… creative options for dealing with enemies. I intend to fuse it with my body."
"How long will that take?" Jacob asked.
"Not long, sir. Thirty minutes should suffice."
Jacob nodded. "Then get started."
Cogman moved a short distance away and started fusing the Mark 85 with his body.
Jacob then took out three test tubes filled with a vibrant, translucent green liquid from his pocket dimension. He handed one to each girl. "This is the Hulk Serum. It's derived from the Hulk's blood. Drink it. It will grant you immense physical strength and make your skin highly resistant to small-arms fire. It should also enhance your existing healing ability."
Lydia examined the glowing liquid. "Any side effects? Turning green? Losing control?"
A small smile touched Jacob's lips. "Although I would love for one of you to have the ability to shift into a She-Hulk, there is sadly no such good thing. The serum has no side effects." He said. "And once you drink it, the serum will take about forty minutes to absorb completely. We'll stay for seventy-five minutes in total—use the remaining time to get used to your new strength."
The girls sat on the soft grass and drank the serum. Almost immediately, their skin flushed a deep red, and their veins became prominent beneath the surface. They grimaced, waves of intense heat and minor pain washing through them, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.
Jacob watched them for a moment, ensuring they were stable, before teleporting away. He reappeared atop one of the distant mountains far behind the palace.
He took a deep breath, and retrieved the Dragon's Blood Essence Potion. The vial glowed with a deep, pulsating crimson light. Without further hesitation, he uncorked it and drank the contents.
At first, a soothing warmth spread through his limbs. Then, he felt like something unlocked deep within him, as if a dam had burst deep within his soul. His body temperature skyrocketed. His veins bulged, glowing faintly beneath his skin with a red light. A sharp pain coursed through his body, but it was eclipsed by the sensation of his power swelling, expanding at a rate that was almost alarming.
He sat, immobile, for forty-five minutes as the transformation took hold. Then, his body began to change of its own accord.
His frame expanded, bones cracking and lengthening. Black scales, harder than steel, rippled across his skin, replacing it entirely. His face elongated, reshaping into a powerful, draconic muzzle filled with sharp fangs. His arms and legs thickened, claws erupting from his fingertips and toes. A long, powerful tail sprouted from the base of his spine, and leathery wings unfurled from his back. The final change was in his eyes. The familiar gold deepened to orange, then finally turned red.
When the transformation was complete, Jacob stood as a true dragon. He was not yet a behemoth of legend, but he was formidable—standing six meters tall at the shoulder, a creature of gleaming black scales, razor-sharp claws, and huge leathery wings. Raw, ancient power hummed in every fiber of his being.
Feeling the immense, surging strength within him, Jacob threw back his draconic head and ROARED. The sound was primal, a wave of thunderous power that rolled across the mountains and valleys of Serendell, shaking the very air.
To be continued… 😊