One hour earlier
In the early hours of night, the city witnessed a strange entourage that screamed something was going to happen whoever spotted it. Common people hurriedly shut themselves in their homes after seeing the decals of wolf printed on the car hoods. Clearly, even to the most ignorant person it was evident that - Moongrave was going on the hunt.
Thirty heavy vehicles arrived slowly in the northeastern part of the city and then proceeded to separate into small groups moving in to surround a circular shaped building from all directions, it was the location where headquarters of Umbra Collective was situated. It was a big black dome shaped building with a Name 'Indigo Exports' written outside to give it an appropriate cover for the ordinary people.
But from inside the building was repurposed into several rooms as well as various faculties which constitute the floorplan of the basic Organization building. So far it was expected for an organizational base, but when Adele had visited for the first time some several years ago with his Uncle, he was shocked to see an utterly different atmosphere inside the dome.
Instead of Shadow Weavers sparring or training like those secret agents in the movies, or building some new techs or researching new forbidden magic…ugh, scratch the last part as 'that' they were really researching inside. But other than the last part there was no sign of any of the above written activity happening inside.
In short it was nothing like young Adele had expected. When he had asked his Uncle about it, he had laughed and said that Umbra is not a fighting organization but they are like students…scholars who study the esoteric mysteries of the shadows.
And just like David had explained it, Adele found the shadow weavers who lived there to be reclusive and introverted oddballs. In fact the whole Dome was designed to facilitate comfort first.
The hall was just the copy of a commonly seen reception room of a hotel, along with two or three fellows(Shadow Weavers) who looked a little old to be playing video games there. In the various parts of the Dome, one could find the people scratching their heads taking notes just like university students. Some were rapidly scribbling on their personal notebooks without care of anyone visiting.
David told them that though quite a few of them lived here permanently, and their daily routine was no different to the student life minus exam taking and living on just ramens. While the majority of them like David and Max themselves, fortunately, were quite normal people who live and work in normal society.
They were just next door uncle type people, so much so that you can imagine them living across your house without any doubt. Shadow Weavers, when not doing any supernatural work, just go on their day jobs and come to the dome in the evening or night to discuss theories and new plans for exploring dream realms or properties of shadows. They were the most connected to the normal life of all supernatural organizations.
After seeing all that, Adele wasn't disappointed a bit instead he felt that the Dome was more home like than those secret agent headquarters. He yearned to be old enough to practice shadow weaving so that one day he would be joining the Umbra like them too without giving up on his common life.
While they were there, David took him to see the whole Dome except the most important part. And like any kid of his age, all the time he was there, he begged to visit the inner sanctum of the Umbra but wasn't given permission by his uncle who fed up by his repeated tantrums had to finally explain to him seriously,
"If we all look like part time students here who are just studying shadows on the side, then those inside the sanctum, they are the backbone of this research institute. Inner sanctum is the place of residence of the Elder council, we can't barge in there without permission. They absolutely do not like to be disturbed at all."
"What? Are there really Professors in there?"
Mercy joked casually after seeing the unusually serious attitude of her boyfriend while talking to small Adele. She had no other intention but just wanted to lighten the mood which David had set up with his words.
It was Max who answered this time. He looked a little serious too but not as much as David. With a causal smile he pointed inside, and then looked at Mercy.
"I think if you would be called inside, you will find it more in line with the common standard of the headquarters of any other supernatural organizations, which I am sure you are familiar with.
In fact you can accurately say that it is the only place that deserves the name of Umbra Collective headquarters, outside here is just a dome we built to hide 'that' inner sanctum."
Adele jumped in unexpectedly, breaking the flow of Max, grabbing the jacket of Mercy, "Aunty, which other organization have you visited that would be like in there?"
Mercy who had stiffened momentarily, unfroze immediately as she kneeled down and began to answer Adele's question,
"Of Course, Aunty is a well-traveled person even more than your both uncles."
"Woah! Even more than Uncle David? Or Uncle Max?"
"Yes, absolutely. Hmm. Now let me think about this. I have visited the headquarters of the people who use faith as their weapon, and also of the people who can use those weird black magic shown in movies and dramas…but they use it for real real…."
While she conversed with Adele normally. In her mind, she scolded herself promptly to her earlier act of momentary lapse.
How could she be so careless?
Now as her eyes fluttered towards Inner sanctum, the hallways that earlier looked normal with no lights, now changed into purposely kept in dark shadows as security. She was not sure if it was some psychological effect but now she could even sense something that gave off a feeling of dread and despair coming from there.
With the sudden confession from Max, all of it now seemed like an open maw of an unseen monster to her, making her feel a chill going down her spine. Yup, as Max said it really seems to be the real headquarters of Umbra Collective - an organization that weaves shadows and walks into Dreams where no man should ever step into.
Mercy just shuddered at her own recklessness. 'How could she be so naive to drop her guard so easily like she was visiting a family vacation spot, not the literal headquarters of one of the most mysterious organizations.
**********************
But right now, this dome of Indigo Exports appears to be totally abandoned, like it was not a place where humans gathered just one day before, but left to rot in the open for several years already. The dark dome looked weathered from outside but there was a distinct smell of years of neglect to the sensitive nose of the Dyson.
"Is it the headquarters of those cockroaches? Just like them. Hmph." One of the werewolves, his subordinate hmphed loudly, earning chuckles from surrounding gangsters. Dyson ignored that.
They had decided to attack this night, despite knowing that powers of shadow would be stronger in the night but werewolves were unafraid of that.
It was mostly because of the two reasons - first night wasn't theirs only, as Dyson looked up and saw a familiar yet unfamiliar moon in its waxing phase, appearing completely different like he remembered when he was human, now in his werewolf eyes.
And second that they simply didn't care. Shadow weavers, if turned out to be stronger by a few levels than they were before, could still be the same human bones and muscles that would be torn and ripped by their claws eventually.
Dyson was aware of only basic strategy of attack just like others. For this operation, only two of the leaders were left behind to guard the Moongrave base. Out of one was the Elder and second one was Dune, who protested about getting a chance to enact her revenge personally, but was refused by the leader in favor of having someone stronger remain back in the base.
Infact, maybe not sensed by others but due to Dyson's keen insight he could also feel the lack of presence of Orthos among their troupe, clearly he was also staying back as a hidden card, in case someone was foolish enough to target their base when they were out.
Soon various young gangsters trickled out of their vehicles carrying various heavy duty arms in their hands. Most of these recruits were humans, only few were real members of Moongrave, but the presence of these smoke screens were just as important as their real force to attack the closed down Umbra. After all, on the surface, they were gangs carrying out an attack to grab the land tonight.
Dyson was responsible for the north exit of the building, as he half-heartedly waved his hand to start the firing towards the building. The sound of gunshots broke the silence of the night, as the various guns and launchers roared fire towards the building in the dark.
While the gunning continued for a few minutes, he along with several others quietly retreated while giving signal to the rest of them to stop the continuous firing in a few minutes and then to proceed with just intermittent firing. Dyson walked a few steps to change out of his clothes but he didn't need to go far, as there were quite few shadows around fortunately.
Dyson's body reacted before his brain could catch up to his instincts of danger. The Shadow came alive within half a second of him putting a step in there. Sharp yet flexible tendrils made of smoke shot from the dark corner originating likely from the dark shadows on the ground, moved aggressively towards him.
The ambush was unexpected yet all the same to a werewolf.
"They still have a heart to attack first? I hoped to save my clothes but… "
Dyson grumbled and immediately his body began to twist violently. He slumped down to the ground powerlessly as the bones began to thicken and shift along his body, while muscles expanded out - literally remodeling his body into a different frame. He convulsed violently and howled loudly in the pain, as transformation began to turn him into a much dreaded creature of moonlight.
Shadow tendrils didn't wait for him to finish his transformation. Taking this chance of inaction, the shadows coiled around him like thick ropes in an attempt to bind him down.
Then, likely knowing their own feebleness against these beasts they quickly began to thicken to cover the whole body into cover of black mass. While simultaneously the soil beneath the half-changed Dyson began to soften, as his body began to sink into the Shadow.
The tendrils aimed to pull him into the darkness, but before they could even bring to push down, Dyson growled and jumped out in one swift action, tearing apart all shadows like they were made of cheap fabric in the process. It was like the werewolf had just stretched and the shadows fell apart on their own.
The werewolf with large canines and red eyes, ruffled as it tore apart the rags of clothes that were still clinging to its converted body. By now only half of sanity remained in its feral eyes, the other half replaced by pure ferociousness.
'Finally freedom! This is my body, not that weak frame of a human… '
Dyson forcefully subdued his out of control thoughts as a small gleam of intelligence floated in his completely red irises. He focused on the shadows that were writhing back into their dark corners, retreating after finding that their ambush had failed and now they were as useless as paper swords to the enemy.
Dyson felt fury in his heart, screaming to give it no chance to back away as it told him to pounce at them - to tear them, to rip them, but his sanity forcefully wrestled with these beastial instincts as he stopped himself with a cold hard logic.
'No. It is useless. These shadows are not a direct part of a Shadow weaver. It harms them nothing..'
"If we have to hunt, we should go for the real Prey not the bait…"
Dyson slowly turned towards the real building which looked still as mysterious as ever in dark night despite now hundreds of bullet holes in its outer walls.