Darik's snarl ripped through the cave like a blade. Ryan didn't think — his body moved. He lunged, claws slicing the air. Darik's counterstrike came fast, a blur of muscle and fur. The two clashed with a sound like stone grinding on steel.
The pack roared around them, their voices blending into a primal chorus. The blue flames of the Wall of Flame surged higher, casting twisting shadows across the jagged walls. Somewhere behind them, the elder's voice was shouting something Ryan couldn't hear — the pounding of blood in his ears drowned out everything.
Darik feinted left, then swept a claw toward Ryan's chest. Ryan pivoted sharply, ducking under the strike and raking his own claws across Darik's side. The Beta hissed in pain but didn't slow. His movements were relentless, precise — a predator born to kill.
Ryan's breath came fast and sharp. The mark on his arm burned brighter with each heartbeat, filling his muscles with strength he didn't know he had. Every strike felt sharper, every movement faster. The air between them sizzled with the heat of their fury.
They locked eyes — both refusing to yield.
Darik lunged.
Ryan met him head-on.
The collision was thunder.
But just as Ryan's claws connected, the world… cracked.
Not figuratively. Literally.Like glass under pressure, the edges of Ryan's vision fractured, jagged lines of gold light tearing through the air. The roar of the fight faded into a low hum, the shadows around them freezing in place. Even Darik's snarl hung still in the air.
Ryan stumbled back, his chest heaving. "What—?"
The cracks spread faster, shattering the cave into floating shards. Each piece dissolved into golden dust that drifted upward, leaving behind a yawning black void.
A pulse of light flared before him.
[SIMULATION COMPLETE]
Subject Compatibility: 99%
The words hung in the air — glowing, shifting — as if reality had learned to speak. The number pulsed once, then faded.
Ryan blinked hard, and the void peeled away.
He was lying on the cold stone floor, the mark still faintly glowing on his arm. He sat up quickly, scanning the room — and his stomach twisted. He was still in the cave… but different.
The blue flames were gone. The Wall of Flame was cold and black, the molten gold vanished. There was no pack. No Darik. Just the elder, standing a few paces away, watching him with an unreadable expression.
Ryan's breath caught. "What… was that?"
The elder tilted his head. "What you saw was the Trial of the Mark. The mist took you there. The howl, your transformation — those were real. Everything after… was a test."
Ryan swallowed hard. "So… Darik? The fight?"
"An illusion," the elder said simply. "A simulation created by the mark to measure your compatibility."
Ryan stared down at his hand. The crest pulsed faintly, warm beneath his skin.
He couldn't stop thinking about it. The roar. The power. The way the world bent under him.If it was fake… why did it feel so real? And if it was real… why had it been stripped away?
Before he could speak again, the air shimmered. A screen — massive and translucent — unfolded before him, suspended in the air. Lines of glowing text scrolled slowly.
[System Initialization Complete]User: Ryan Carter
Compatibility: 99%Protocol: Alpha Sequence Activated
Beneath it, a new line appeared:
[Quest Unlocked]Objective: Continue your normal life until further instruction.
Warning: Threat indicators active. Engagement possible.
Ryan frowned. "Continue my normal life? I'm in my first year at uni—"
But the words froze in his throat as the screen shifted again.
The world blinked.
He was standing in his small university dorm room, the smell of cheap instant noodles and laundry detergent hanging in the air. His desk was cluttered with textbooks, his phone buzzing with missed calls. The window rattled with the noise of campus life outside.
Ryan staggered back a step, still dizzy from the transition. His mind reeled. One moment, he'd been fighting for his life. The next, he was back here — like nothing had happened.
Except it had.
His gaze drifted to the mark on his hand. Still there. Still warm.
The screen reappeared in the corner of his vision.
[Threat Level: Low]
Recommended Action: Observe and prepare.
The next day started normally enough. Classes. Crowded hallways. The dull chatter of students debating assignments and weekend plans. But Ryan couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong.
It started small — a whisper at the back of his mind, the same one that had urged him to hunt in the cave. He pushed it down.
But by the time afternoon came, the air around him had changed. It was sharper. He could smell things others couldn't. Hear conversations across the courtyard. His instincts prickled like a sixth sense.
And that's when he heard it — a scream.
It came from the engineering building, sharp and desperate. Ryan's head snapped toward the sound. Students nearby froze, looking around in confusion.
The screen in his vision pulsed.
[Quest Update]Objective: Neutralize immediate threat.
Location: Engineering Lab, 3rd Floor.
Time Limit: 2 minutes.
Ryan's heart pounded. He was still in his first year, still just a student. But the system wasn't asking.
He ran.
Students shouted as he sprinted through the corridors, his footsteps echoing off the tiled floors. His body moved faster than he thought possible — weaving through crowds, taking stairs three at a time.
He burst through the lab door.
And froze.
In the center of the room stood a man — no, not a man. His skin was stretched too tight, his eyes glowing with a predatory light. A low growl rolled from his throat as he held one of Ryan's classmates by the neck.
The creature's gaze locked on Ryan, lips curling into a grin.
[Threat Identified: Rogue Werewolf]
Engage or Forfeit.
Ryan's claws itched to extend.
The mark flared.
And before he could stop himself, he lunged.