The metallic doors of the van slammed shut as the two apprehended werewolves lay unconscious, their veins being slowly consumed by a venomous, dark-purple liquid from the bullet. Students watched with a mixture of utter fear and confusion as checkpoints were rapidly placed in and out of the school. Camps were also set up outside the school for reasons known best to the hunters themselves.
In one of those camps, Scott, the commanding hunter, sat across a table, facing a boy and a girl—both wearing the school uniforms belonging to Lumina Crest.
Silence dominated the space. The duo did nothing but sit without saying a single word. Scott simply stared at them, his eyes unyielding. Finally, the silence broke.
"Well, we have a hunch that Hassan Gilbure is a werewolf. Aside from the two werewolves in our custody as we speak, we could detect faint halo energy from the area where she sat, However, we can't confirm it yet as the other two had halo energy emitting from them. We deduce that their halo energy must have clouded the room leading us to a fake reading" the girl named Sonina explained, her eyes still locked onto Scott's.
"If our hunch is correct, and she is a werewolf, then it's likely they are from the same pack as the halo energy we read matches theirs perfectly."
"What about the other girl following her?" Scott's eyes shifted toward the boy, whose name was Jishare.
"At the moment, we have confirmed that she's human. There has not been any halos from her at all. All scans show she's positive, unlike Hassan, but…"
"But what?" Scott's eyes remained cold on the boy.
"Her movements and behavioral patterns are something far from what you'll call usual. We deduce that she might know a great deal of werewolves hideouts, even if she isn't one herself. Her IQ is strangely sharp for someone her age."
"Could she be a foe or used as an ally?" Scott raised his folded hands over his mouth.
"That we don't know but what we do know is that if she is truly that smart and perhaps has that much knowledge about the werewolves of this district, then she will definitely be a great asset to the Order and who knows? She might even know about the Black Apex and eventually help us in catching them once and for all"
Scott narrowed his eyes
"The Black Apex huh?"
The Black Apex. A rogue group of werewolves the government had been hunting for years. They tore through the county, slaughtering civilians, hunters, and even other werewolves who got in their way. Citizens were begging the government for help, but every elite hunter the Order of the Watch sent ended up dead or outmatched. No one knew where they hid, and despite the heavy security across the districts, their daily attacks never stopped. Catching them felt like a lost cause, even after breaking dozens of captured wolves in interrogation.
Scott blew out a harsh breath and stood, peering out the small vinyl window of the tent.
Sonima, Lyra is your top priority now. Jishare, you're on Hassan." Scott turned his lethal glare on the boy.
"I want you to break into Hassan's home and dig up everything you can. If you find definitive proof that she's a werewolf, take her out and the rest of the family. I'll keep the hunters on standby tonight if things go south. From what I hear, she doesn't seem to live far from the school."He gave them both a final, hard look.
"Sonima, stick to Lyra. Find out what she knows. I trust you can handle it."Sonima nodded as they both stood up.
"Very well then. I'll look forward to our next encounter. Make sure no one sees you leave." Scott said, making his way out of the tent.
The second the tent flap fell shut, Jishare slumped back in his chair, exhaling a massive breath. Sonima just glared at him, unimpressed.
"Man, the commander's death stare is actually suffocating," Jishare muttered, rubbing his neck.
"Well thank your stars you have me. You would have been dead me if I didn't feed the words to say" Sonima scoffed folding her hands
"Hey you know those detective shit isn't my style. I like to solve problems with my fists"
"And I hope it gets you killed one day" Sonima muttered as she dropped back on her seat with her hands on her face.
Outside the window, perched perfectly still, was a strange little bird with silver markings tracing its forehead. The second the teens stopped talking, it flew away, darting into a nearby bush and landing softly on an outstretched arm.
The arm belonged to a girl in a Lumina Crest uniform, her silver hair catching the ambient light. Lyra.
"Good thing you shifted your form Niko. I didn't predict the commander to come so close to the window." she murmured, gently stroking the bird's feathers. As her fingers brushed it, the bird dissolved into shimmering strands of silver hair, blending flawlessly back into her own.
"So that's all they know, huh? I gave them too much information... I'll have to protect the rest from leaking out," Lyra said to herself, biting her fingers while smiling.
"Guess I'll start with them" Lyra's eyes followed the metallic van in which the werewolves were kept. The van shook, and her smile turned wild, her cheeks turning red.
"This is going to be an interesting night"
****************Later that day***************
The school gates were surrounded by armed hunters.Portable scanners lined the exit while nervous students shuffled forward in long, uneasy lines. According to the hunters, every few seconds, a scanner will emit either a soft green light showing positive or an ear-piercing alarm which means negative therefore taking the said victim to questioning. The entire campus had fallen silent.
I took a deep breath as the line moved slowly but efficiently. I had sprayed the perfume on myself again just to be extra cautious. Lyra mentioned today that two hunters have been spying on us meaning that they are unto us already. I have to be extra careful. Tim needs me.
My eyes darted around as Lyra couldn't be spotted anywhere around the lines formed at each checkpoint. Has she been through the checkpoint already? That can't be, she never leaves school without me. Could she still be inside? That's also impossible because the hunters are searching the whole building for students that are hiding. So where could she …
"Miss?" I turned around to see one of the hunters holding a pad in his hand. His eyes were giving me distressful stares.
"Look here kiddo I'm not here to play. I don't fucking look like Santa clause to you. Stay focused and stretch out your hand"
"Y…Yes sir"
I stretched my hands obediently as another hunter placed a warm slim plate on my wrist. My eyes looked at the yellow light in anxiety. If I get caught here, then all my plans will be shattered and I can't let that happen. I have to find Tim.
BEEP!!!
The sound and the green lights coming from the machine gave me a huge relief that I almost shed tears.
"Hassan Gilbure?" The hunter holding the tab asked.
"Yes sir"
" You can leave" I nodded as I turned to leave.
Just as I was about to pass through the exit, another hunter called out
"Wait" My body stiffened.
"The silver-haired girl."His sharp eyes met mine.
"Where's your friend?"
I forced myself to look confused.
"I... I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"Yeah, but it seems she might still be in here somewhere"
The hunter waved at me, signaling me to leave. At once I bolted out of the school compounds walking nonstop till I was convinced I was out of sight.
"Lyra better make it out of there in one piece" I whispered softly as I resumed my walking but now, at a much slower pace.
*********Several kilometers away*********
The transport van sped through the empty highway. Inside, the two captured werewolves remained chained to the metal floor. Dark-purple venom had nearly engulfed the entirety of their body. Neither of them will regain consciousness in this state. Scott sat opposite them, cleaning his rifle in complete silence. Just as he sheathed his rifle, there was a large impact.
The van tumbled a few times, smashing against trees till it came to a halt. Scott smashed one of the windows as he forced his way through , crashing on the floor.
"Sir are you alright?" One of the hunters rushed to his aid but before he could close the distance between them, his upper body ripped away on a flash.
Scott watched the horrifying sight of a man with no upper limbs slowly reaching the ground.
"Everyone be on your guard. It's an am…" Just before his sentence could finish, another hunter got ripped into two, another into shreds.
Hunters dropped dead like flies as the mysterious creature was too fast to be detected. Then suddenly it made a halt, revealing itself
Scott's eyes widened at the enormous werewolf standing in front of him.
"That's…That's a Bloodhound. No. A Silver Bloodhound. But how? How do bloodhounds still exist? They went extinct. It doesn't matter we have take care of the situation In front of us"
Scott charged from the rear, firing a series of shots at the hound but in an instant it disappeared, covering the light behind him. Before he could react further, it slammed him straight to the ground with bone rattling force. The impact sent cracks racing through the earth beneath him.
The very instant his body made contact with the ground, it appeared before him, this it landed a severe kick to his guts that sent him across trees.
The other hunters charged furiously at the hound but in one swing of its tail,the hunters dropped in pieces.
Scott managed to get up, coughing out blood as he held the side of his hips. He was severely injured and was losing a huge amount of blood. The kick from the hound was strong but he managed to save his vital organs at the cost of his bones.
As he moved forward, he felt a heavy presence beside him. Its presence was so strong that it prevented him from moving. He slowly turned and caught a glimpse of this creature.
Its eyes were crimson red that screamed nothing but blood lust. Its monstrous frame was wrapped in a coat of ghostly white fur streaked with razor-thin rivers of gleaming silver that shone brightly on the faint light of the sunset. Its elongated snout was lined with jagged fangs that protruded even when its mouth was closed, each one stained a dull scarlet. Long, drooping ears framed its face.
Massive claws, black as obsidian, dug effortlessly into the ground, leaving deep grooves. Its muscular limbs rippled beneath its thick fur, promising explosive speed despite its imposing size. A long, powerful crimson red tail swept behind it, flicking slowly
Scott's eyes shook uncontrollably at the sight of the hideous beast. For the first time he experienced true fear. Before he even recovered from his anxiety, the hound landed another severe hit to his side that sent him crashing into the van.
Scott's breathing became slow, his body paralyzed from the deadly impact. The hound approached once more as it grabbed him by the neck. Even in a critical state, Scott could still fill the pressure piercing stare it gave him. Its eyes steamed with hatred and it was ready to kill him right there. But it didn't.
It tossed him aside, using its tail to open up the van and wrap the two subconscious werewolves. Then in an instant, it disappeared like it was never there to begin with.
Scott managed to pull out his Comms as he laid against a tree.
"The…Silver…Blood…" His eyes began to shut slowly as his hands dropped with the comms.
******************************************
Deep inside the forest...
The enormous werewolf gently placed the unconscious captives on the ground.
Suddenly, the creature's colossal frame shuddered. A sickening chorus of popping joints and shifting anatomy echoed through the trees as the beast began to compress. The thick, dual-toned fur dissolved, melting away like evaporating mist. As the supernatural fog cleared, a delicate figure remained in the clearing.
A familiar silver-haired girl stood exactly where the apex predator had been moments before. Lyra brushed a stray strand of silver from her face, a serene, almost angelic smile curving her lips.
At her feet, The two captured werewolves groaned, their eyelids fluttering as consciousness slowly returned.
"W... where are we?" one slurred, struggling to lift his heavy head. His groggy gaze locked onto the girl. "L-Lyra?"
A fragile spark of hope ignited in their weary eyes. "You... you saved us ..."
Lyra didn't say a word at first. She simply crouched down in the dirt, bringing herself to eye level with them.
"I am so sorry..." she whispered, her voice as soft and melodic as a lullaby. "...that this had to happen."
The relief on the captives' faces faltered, rapidly replaced by a chilling confusion.
"I just can't allow anyone..." Lyra continued, her eyes void of any empathy, "...to endanger my Hassy."
The desperate smiles vanished from their faces completely, the terrifying reality of their situation finally sinking in. They were loose ends.
"W-Wait... what are you saying?" one stammered, scrambling backward against the dirt, his heart hammering against his ribs. "You don't mean—"
Lyra's sweet, innocent smile never wavered.
"So..." She reached out, gently resting her small, pale hand atop the trembling werewolf's head. "...you'll stay dead for me..."
She tilted her head, her eyes flashing with a dark, feral amusement. "...okay?"
His eyes went wide, his breath hitching in pure terror—but there was no time to scream.
Crack.
The sound was brutal and immediate. His neck snapped at a grotesque angle, his body going completely limp under her delicate fingers.
"No! LYRA, PLEA—"
Shhhkk.
A single, swift claw extended from Lyra's other hand and sliced cleanly through the second wolf's throat. A choked gurgle died in his windpipe as blood pooled darkly onto the forest floor.
The forest echoed with the brief, desperate screams, sending birds bursting from the trees in a frantic panic.
And then...
Silence.
The wind whispered through the leaves. The faint rays of the sunset bathed the two lifeless bodies. Lyra stood up gracefully, looking down at her work. She let out a quiet, almost tired sigh, her hands dropping to her sides. She turned away without a shred of hesitation, stepping over the fresh blood as she disappeared into the thicket.
******************Hours later*****************
Somewhere close to the school…
I stood alone beneath the sprawling branches of the oak tree, our usual meeting spot. The shadows were growing longer, twisting into dark shapes along the grass. I checked the time, chewing nervously on my bottom lip.
"...She's late," I muttered to the empty air, a tight knot of anxiety forming in my chest.
Just as I finally gave up and pivoted on my heel to leave—
Pat.
A familiar, weightless hand landed softly on the crown of my head. I hadn't heard a single footstep.
"Sorry for making you wait, Hassy," a cheerful voice chimed from right behind me.
I spun around. There stood Lyra, her silver hair catching the dying light of the sun. She was smiling exactly as she always did—warm, innocent, and completely untroubled, as if she hadn't a care in the world.
"Shall we go look for Tim?" she asked, tilting her head with that bright, unwavering enthusiasm.
I stared at her for a long moment, searching those familiar eyes. Whatever she had been doing out there in the dark, she hid it flawlessly behind that sweet facade.
Slowly, the tension drained from my shoulders, and I managed a small smile in return.
"...Yeah," I breathed. "Let's go."