Deborah's POV
The basement door shook violently as the giant rats gnawed at it, their sharp teeth emitting a piercing screech that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.
The flimsy wooden barrier was splintering rapidly under the force of their relentless chewing, and I could already see tiny cracks forming.
Through those cracks, their glistening teeth gleamed menacingly.
These creatures were nothing like the small, timid rats I had seen in Murias' research facilities.
They were monstrous: much larger, with coarse, matted fur and eyes that glowed a feral red.
With every bite, splinters flew, and the once-sturdy wooden door seemed as fragile as paper, ready to give way at any second.
What were they afraid of?
I didn't know.
Rats were creatures I had only encountered in the sterile labs of Murias, where they were just harmless test subjects, huddled in cages. But these behemoths radiated violence and rage.
"What are rats afraid of?" I asked Matthew desperately, my voice trembling with fear and urgency.
"Light!" Matthew replied instantly, his voice filled with certainty. "They're afraid of light!"
Light?
I need light!
But as I frantically searched my memory, I realized that aside from the basic fire spell, I didn't know any spells that could produce a significant amount of light.
And in my current state, summoning even a small flame would be an exhausting effort.
This was completely insufficient.
My mind was blank, panic clawing at my thoughts as I felt the tears welling up in my eyes.
Then, there was a deafening crack—
One of the giant rats bit down hard, and the wooden door split open.
Their grotesque heads forced their way through the gap, long whiskers quivering, and sharp teeth glinting like the blade of a knife. A foul stench of decay and rot filled the air.
Without thinking, I screamed, "Solar Flare!"
A blinding beam of light erupted from my outstretched hands the moment the words left my lips.
The light was so intense that I couldn't look directly at it, my instincts forcing me to shut my eyes tightly and turn my head away.
The beam shot forward, slicing through the darkness like a sword, piercing through the basement's roof and walls, and soared straight up into the sky.
For an instant, the world was bathed in pure, searing white light, burning away every shadow.
It was as if I had unleashed a miniature sun, illuminating the entire ruined city.
The mutated bats shrieked in terror, their wings thrashing violently against the air, and then there was silence as they vanished into the distance.
The giant rats recoiled as if struck by an invisible force, scrambling backward in a frenzy.
In a heartbeat, the entire swarm of creatures turned and fled, driven away by a light too powerful for them to withstand.
I collapsed onto the ground, my limbs trembling uncontrollably, my chest heaving with exhaustion.
The spell had only lasted for a few seconds, but even that brief flash of brilliance had drained me completely.
I felt hollowed out, my energy depleted, leaving me numb and shivering.
Matthew stepped forward cautiously, edging closer to the shattered basement door.
He peeked outside, scanning the surroundings.
After a moment, he turned back to me, his face lit up with a mixture of disbelief and relief.
"They're really gone," he murmured softly, his voice almost reverent. "Deborah, you did it. The mutated bats and giant rats…they're all gone!"
I barely heard his words, my mind still spinning, my senses dulled by fatigue.
Matthew hurried back and, without warning, pulled me into a tight embrace.
"You're incredible, Deborah," he whispered, his voice filled with gratitude and admiration. "Every time, you've saved us… Your spells never fail."
I blinked up at him, still dazed, his sudden hug making my heart skip a beat.
I never thought of myself as "incredible."
Most of the time, the spells that burst from my lips weren't even intentional.
They just… seemed to spill out of me, like an instinctive response to danger.
"I… I don't know," I mumbled weakly, my voice barely audible.
I felt… as if it wasn't just me casting these spells.
As if someone else—Deborah or Maeve—was guiding me, helping me from somewhere unseen.
He looked at me with confusion, and I hesitated before continuing, "It's like… some invisible force is guiding me.
I can't explain it, but every time I'm on the brink of despair, some spell will surface in my mind."
Matthew didn't let go of my hand, his grip warm and reassuring.
"Whatever it is… you saved me." His voice was soft, filled with a quiet conviction.
I could hear his heartbeat, strong and steady, in the silence of the basement.
We were both battered and bruised, but nothing serious.
We were safe.
We couldn't risk moving in the dark.
The unknown creatures lurking in the surface world's night were too dangerous.
We had no idea what other horrors awaited us outside.
So we huddled together in the ruined basement, too exhausted to do anything but rest.
The spells had drained me completely, leaving me feeling as fragile as glass.
My body slumped against Matthew's warmth as sleep gradually claimed me.
When I opened my eyes again, dawn's first light was filtering through the shattered roof.
We needed to prepare for tonight—tonight, the full moon would rise, and Matthew would experience his first transformation into a werewolf.
Throughout the day, we scavenged every bit of supply we could find.
Even cans of food that had been expired for decades were gathered carefully.
Any makeshift weapon we came across was added to our growing pile of resources.
Matthew grew more agitated as the day went on.
He paced restlessly, his fists clenching and unclenching.
Low growls rumbled from his chest occasionally, his movements tense and jerky like a predator barely holding back its instincts.
I understood his unease.
Tonight was a turning point in his life.
After tonight, he will become a true werewolf.
By dusk, we stood in the empty city square.
This was the place we'd chosen.
We needed a large, open space.
Books warned that a werewolf needed an area big enough to contain the transformation, or else the resulting chaos could be catastrophic.
I'd surrounded the square with piles of "flammables"—discarded furniture, broken branches, torn rags… anything that could catch fire was set up around us.
"That way, if anything dangerous approaches, I can set these on fire.
The light and flames should keep them at bay, long enough for us to hold them off," I murmured.
Matthew nodded resolutely. "But you can't exhaust yourself again. Tonight… let me handle it."
I knew what he was thinking.
The light spell had taken everything from me last night.
I couldn't afford to push myself to that point again.
We waited in silence.
The night deepened, the clouds slowly parted, and a full, radiant moon rose into the sky.
"The moon's out," I whispered.
Soft moonlight bathed the square, and the surrounding flames flickered and danced, casting long, wavering shadows over our forms.