As soon as school ended, Cordelia made her way to the smelly, old, abandoned scrapyard—her destination every day since witnessing that horrifying massacre. She wasn't there out of mere curiosity; she was determined to uncover evidence, anything that would link the perpetrator, Caleb, to the crime. It was her way of seeking justice, of putting him behind bars where he belonged.
And maybe, just maybe, she thought she could catch him in the act again. Though deep down, she knew the odds were slim.
Or so she believed.
As fate would have it, she arrived just in time to witness the unimaginable—Caleb engaged in a brutal battle with a small group of six young, muscular men. Only, these weren't ordinary humans. Their glowing golden-brown eyes, elongated wolf fangs, and sharp claws betrayed their supernatural nature.
But what truly froze her in place wasn't their otherworldly appearance. It was the look on Caleb's face—the satisfaction gleaming in his sinister red eyes and the twisted smile curling his lips as he butchered these creatures with his bare hands. His strikes cut through them like a butcher's knife through meat. Flames erupted from his arms, reducing a few of them to nothing but ash.
The sight was grotesque, bloody, and sickening. And the rancid stench of burning flesh made her stomach churn. Yet, despite the horror, Cordelia couldn't look away. It confirmed her suspicions: she wasn't imagining things that night. Caleb truly was a monster. And now, she had the proof—every chilling detail recorded on her cellphone.
But as much as she wanted to celebrate this breakthrough, Cordelia wished she hadn't come. This was too much for an innocent girl like her to bear.
"I'm impressed you mutts managed to survive," Caleb said, his tone dripping with mockery, as two of the so-called warriors got back to their feet. They had fully recovered and looked ready for round two. "Let's hope you put up a better fight this time—otherwise, this won't be any fun."
Humiliated and enraged, the two warriors growled, their pride as fifth-grade fighters of their pack fueling their fury. They charged at Caleb with inhuman speed, attacking with all their might. Caleb dodged their relentless strikes with ease, but the tide turned when one of the warriors caught hold of his neck. He squeezed with full force, intending to crush his opponent.
For an average paranorm, that grasp alone would have been fatal. But Caleb was far from ordinary. With a smirk, he effortlessly removed the mutt's hand from his neck and crushed it, eliciting a scream of agony. The other warrior tried to intervene, only to be driven back by a sudden eruption of fiery red flames.
The captured mutt began to transform, his body shifting into his true wolf form in an attempt to break free. But Caleb was ruthless—he didn't grant him the chance. Summoning his most potent flames, he engulfed the wretched creature in a raging inferno until no trace remained.
Meanwhile, the second warrior shed his human guise. His clothing shredded as fur erupted across his body, and his form shifted into that of a wolf. His claws lengthened, gleaming with lethal sharpness.
The wolf then launched himself at Caleb. The ensuing fight was brutal. Caleb, with incredible strength and speed, knocked the beast onto its back. But as Caleb closed in for the kill, the wolf struck back with a powerful punch that sent him sprawling. And before Caleb could react, the beast slashed into his torso, gripped him by the neck, and prepared to bite his head off.
"OK. Playtime is over now," Caleb growled.
With a surge of flames, he broke free, plunging his hand into the beast's stomach and tearing out a handful of intestines. The creature howled in agony, reverting to its human form. Without hesitation, Caleb grabbed its neck, red flames engulfing its battered body. When he released the corpse, it vanished along with the fire.
The fight was over.
Caleb turned his attention to Cordelia, trembling and paralyzed with fear. His blood-chilling smile only deepened as he swiftly glided toward her, his movements unnaturally smooth and swift, like skating on ice.
Her heartbeat thundered in her chest as he loomed over her. "So, you're the nosy girl who's been stalking me at school," he said, his voice cold and cutting.
"What—what are you, Caleb?" She stammered, her instinct to run battling against the terror that held her in place. "Stay away from me."
"Your curiosity will be the cause of your death," he replied, grabbing her by the throat and lifting her effortlessly off the ground. His crimson eyes stared into hers, devoid of any mercy.
"Please don't," Cordelia sobbed, desperation filling her voice. "Please. I won't tell anyone. I swear."
Caleb smirked cruelly. "Maybe in your next life, you'll learn not to meddle in things that don't concern you."
She clawed at his arm, struggling to break free as his grip tightened. "Help! Please—don't do this," she begged through strangled breaths. "Let me go. I won't tell anyone. Please."
"Relax," Caleb said mockingly, releasing her. She crumpled to the ground, gasping for air. He crouched beside her, resting a hand on her trembling head. "I'll make it quick. You won't even feel a thing."
"No!" she screamed, mustering every ounce of her strength to pull away. "Somebody help me!"
Red flames erupted, engulfing Cordelia's body. Her screams echoed into the night as the fire engulfed her.