The air in Gabriel's sitting room held a tension as thick as the secrets woven into the fabric of their lives. The glow of the fireplace flickered across the faces of those gathered — Gabriel still reluctant to tell these strangers his life story, eventually he gave in, and let it all out.
Gabriel's gaze lingered on the dancing flames at the fireplace situated at the central corner of his before he began, his voice carrying the weight of painful lived stories. "It started decades ago, in the shadows of pain and loss." His eyes, reflective pools of memories, hinted at a past etched in sorrow. Fantine, sensing the gravity of the moment, clasped her hands together, her gaze fixed on her son.
"I met Isabella in Blackwood when love was a distant echo in my heart, I just joined the resistance and helped fight off The Crusaders invasion of Coleridge, but still revenge was all I could think of. The wounds from my father's gruesome death were still fresh, I was a man who had built walls around his emotions. Love, to me, was a perilous path, and I treaded carefully, shielding myself from its treacherous grasp."
Gabriel's narrative unfolded like the pages of a forgotten journal, each word a revelation of his vulnerability. "But then, I saw her. Isabella. She stood in the midst of shadows, a beacon of light that I couldn't resist. In that moment, love ceased to be a distant echo; it became an undeniable force."
Aria, her eyes drawn into the narrative, listened as Gabriel unraveled the complexities of his emotions. "I tried to end it, to break free from the enchantment she unknowingly cast upon me. She was married, with two children, and her husband, Viktor, was no ordinary man. He is a hunter, one of the most vicious and ruthless ones."
The room grew quiet as the weight of Gabriel's revelation settled. Thorne had a concerned look on his face as he just realized why Gabriel and his mother kept saying Ethan's location is complicated, Aria's expression remained unreadable.
"Yet, I couldn't let go," Gabriel continued, his voice a murmur of regret. "Love defied reason, and I found myself entangled in a web of emotions. Isabella became a part of my existence, a part I tried to cut off, but couldn't."
"Isabella and I share a bond that transcends time. Ethan is a product of that love, an embodiment of the complexities we couldn't escape."
The room seemed to exhale as Gabriel revealed his plan, a desperate attempt to protect his son. "I planned to take Ethan from Blackwood before his transformation, to a Coleridge where werewolves roam free. Lets just I am very much respected over there. It is a place where he could be safe, I am certain of that."
Thorne's eyes widened, absorbing the weight of Gabriel's revelation; he had heard of Coleridge, but he thought the town had fallen to The Crusaders, while Aria's gaze held a contemplative edge, she was wondering what it would be like to live in a place where werewolves roam free, and where she feel at home again.
"But the plan," Gabriel's voice tightened, "has been called off. The hunters got wind of the location where my friends were. So I gave them a heads up to run away as soon as I found out. I hope they got away before those hunters came."
A heavy silence hung in the room, the implications of the failed plan echoing through their collective consciousness.
The scent of pine lingered in the air before Viktor Duval pushed open the creaking door of the cottage. His eyes scanned his cottage to know where exactly Ethan kept the creature, after spotting Taran bound to a pine tree. He goes closer to see if the ropes are still tight, they weren't so he tightened it and secretly put a little more of a powdery substance in Taran's injured shoulder.
After that he walks into his sitting room and sitting down in his favorite chair, he began "Ethan," Viktor's voice cuts through the familial chatter. "That man you brought from the hunt. He's a dangerous criminal, and he and his cronies were planning an attack on Blackwood, that's why I and Gerard went to that side of the forest where he and his cronies hid."
Ethan's brows furrowed in skepticism. "What? That can't be right. Taran is most likely just a traveler. He didn't seem dangerous."
Viktor's gaze bore into Ethan's. "You think so? Or you know so?" Viktor asked with an almost playful intensity that can cause an inferno. " So what you broke words with him and now you think rainbows shoots out of his ass." Everyone in the room pretty fazed by Viktor's words, but Viktor continued "You are just boy, a stubborn one at that, you don't understand the signs of danger like I do."
Isabella, her eyes betraying a silent war of doubt and mistrust, studied Viktor's face. She had learned not to trust every word that fell from his lips. A history of secrets and unspoken truths lingered between them, especially since Gabriel told her about how werewolves were chased out of Blackwood, Viktor told her they left voluntarily, in pursuit of greener pastures.
Marcus, lounging at the table, seemed indifferent to the unfolding drama. "Can we just eat dinner and get this over with?" he muttered.
Celeste, eyes wide with innocence, clung to her father's words. "Daddy, is that man really bad? Are we in danger?"
Viktor nodded gravely. "Yes, sweetheart. He is dangerous, but it's nothing you and I can't handle, we're safe."
As the family dynamic teetered on the precipice of upheaval beneath the weight of Viktor's revelation, Taran, confined and chained outside, contorted in silent agony. The moonlit night served as the theater for his metamorphosis — a gruesome spectacle where bones cracked and flesh undulated in the clutches of a transformative force, Viktor's powdery inhibitors weren't potent enough to keep him from transforming. A primal scream erupted from Taran's throat, a guttural symphony that shattered the silence enveloping the cottage.
Ethan, grappling with a surreal amalgamation of bewilderment and horror, voiced his perplexity. "What is happening to Taran? Why are his bones cracking like that?" His piercing blue eyes mirrored the profound confusion that clouded his mind.
In response to the unraveling scene, Viktor, desperate and uncertain, implored everyone, Stay inside the house now." His voice carried an urgency that betrayed the gravity of the situation. Taran's transformation was unexpected, Viktor had gone the extra mile to avoid this situation.
Outside, Taran's tormented screams escalated, each cry a painful note in the symphony of his metamorphosis, echoing through the Blackwood night. The air thickened with tension as Celeste, gripped by a mix of fear and curiosity, clutched her spear. Viktor, torn between protective instinct and the unknown, cautioned her against venturing outside, he just can't let history repeat it self.
Marcus, initially focused on the prospect of dinner and a night's rest, was abruptly yanked into the stark reality of Taran's transformation. The shock etched across his face was palpable as he exclaimed, "That is a monster, a green-eyed monster." The visceral fear in his voice echoed the sentiments of the family.
Amidst the chaos, the moon cast its indifferent glow upon the unfolding drama, a silent witness to the clash of secrets and revelations. The night, once tranquil, now bore witness to a transformation that threatened to rupture the delicate balance of the Duval household.
Within the confines of the cottage, the family huddled, their faces etched with a mix of fear, confusion, and the unsettling realization that they are supernatural forces they never knew existed.
Viktor emerged from his house, armed with spear and sword, prepared to confront the menacing beast. However, before he could close the distance to where a fully transformed Taran was bound, the werewolf had already extricated himself. A fierce battle ensued, with Viktor clashing against the formidable creature, but each attempt fell short.
Just as the confrontation seemed to teeter on the edge of disaster, Ethan, compelled by an inexplicable urge, stepped outside, Marcus yells at him "come back here you fool, what the hell do you think you're about to do?". But Ethan payed no mind to what his brother is saying, mostly due to the fact that he couldn't even hear him. The werewolf continued its rampage, momentarily incapacitating Viktor. In that crucial moment, Ethan seized the opportunity, reaching out to touch the creature's face. A sudden burst of radiant light emanated from Ethan's hands, enveloping the werewolf in an ethereal glow. Within moments, the ferocious creature underwent a startling transformation, reverting to the big gentle form of Taran.
Isabella, Celeste, and Marcus stood witnesses to this extraordinary yet eerie spectacle. The air hummed with a mystifying energy as the werewolf's menace evaporated, leaving behind a tranquila Taran. Meanwhile, Viktor lay unconscious, still recovering from the forceful blow.
The scene unfolded like a surreal scene from a dream. Isabella's gaze held a mixture of wonder and trepidation, while Celeste and Marcus exchanged bewildered glances.
Ethan, his hands still aglow, stood before the now placid Taran. The energy in the air resonated with an otherworldly serenity. Taran, no longer a creature of chaos, bore a tranquility that echoed through the clearing.
As the werewolf's transformation settled, Isabella approached, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and curiosity. "Ethan, what... how did you..." Her words faltered, unable to encapsulate the marvel she had just witnessed.
Ethan, too, seemed taken aback by the inexplicable power that had surged through him. "I don't know, Mother. It just felt like something I had to do," he confessed, his gaze still fixed on Taran, who now layed there naked and exhausted.