The room was really untidy. Clothes lay everywhere, strewn across the floor like they had been tossed aside in a hurry. Bottles of wine cluttered the coffee table, some precariously perched on the edge, while others rolled lazily under the couch, their labels peeling and stained. The air was thick with a mix of stale takeout and the unmistakable scent of regret, hanging heavily in the dim light. Sunlight streamed through the grimy window, illuminating the chaos but doing nothing to mask the smell.
He lay on the couch, his body sinking deep into the cushions, snoring loudly and oblivious to the world around him.
(Knock, knock, knock)
The loud sound jolted him awake, sending him tumbling off the couch with a thud that echoed through the silence. He groaned, rubbing the back of his head, trying to shake off the remnants of sleep.
James - "What the hell?"
He squinted at the door, pushing himself to his feet and shuffling over, the floor creaking under his weight. Swinging the door open, he found his neighbor standing there, arms crossed, an unimpressed look on her face.
Mary - "Last night was way too loud! You gotta keep the music down!"
James blinked, trying to process her words through the fog of sleep.
James - "Oh, uh... yeah. Sorry about that."
Mary stepped inside, her nose wrinkling as she surveyed the mess around her.
Mary - "And it stinks in here. Your mom's gonna kill you if she finds out you're not paying rent and living like this."
His heart sank a little. The reality of his situation hit him hard, but he could only muster a sheepish response.
James - "I know, I'm really sorry."
She shot him a look, a mixture of annoyance and something like concern, then shook her head, the weight of her disappointment palpable.
Mary - "Just... clean it up, okay?"
(With that, she turned on her heel and closed the door behind her, leaving him in the dim light of his messy apartment.)
James leaned against the door, taking a deep breath. The air felt thick, suffocating. He glanced at the mirror across the room, its surface marred by smudges and dust. The reflection staring back was unrecognizable—a long beard tangled and unkempt, a scruffy moustache framing his weary face, eyes heavy with fatigue.
James - "Man, I gotta shave."
He ambled over to the small bathroom, the floor littered with crumpled paper towels and empty bottles. The razor sat beside the sink, dull and in need of a good clean. He picked it up and got to work, each stroke revealing a slightly more presentable version of himself.
(After a few minutes, he stepped back to admire the cleaner face in the mirror.)
With a sigh of resignation, he left the bathroom and stepped outside into the street, the cool air hitting him like a splash of water, refreshing yet sobering.
James - "What happened to you, Wolfbound? You used to be a hero, respected, loved by everyone…"
The memories washed over him like a tide, pulling him back into the past.
(A flashback hit him hard, vivid and uninvited.)
Flashback
He stood on a jagged mountain cliff, blood oozing from a wound on his side, the cold air biting at his skin. The moon hung high above, casting an eerie glow on the scene, illuminating the lizard-like woman before him. She was a grotesque sight, scales shimmering under the moonlight, her eyes burning with fury.
James - "You should really clean up down there. It's visible, and it's definitely not clean."
Her eyes narrowed, rage radiating off her.
Lizard Woman - "You think you can insult me and get away with it?"
(She lunged at him, a snarl escaping her lips.)
He watched her come at him, and in that moment, something primal ignited within him. The full moon above felt like a calling, urging him to embrace what he truly was.
His body twisted and changed, pain and power surging through him. His muscles expanded, fur sprouted from his skin, and chains rattled around him as they tightened, a heavy reminder of his past.
(With a roar, he transformed into a massive wolf, the chains clanking ominously with each movement.)
The chains, forged in battle, glimmered under the moonlight, wrapping around his limbs, a symbol of his strength and his curse. He was no longer just James; he was Wolfbound, fierce and unstoppable.
(He blocked her punch with a massive paw, the chains binding her arms in a brutal grip.)
James - "Not today."
(He leaped off the cliff, dragging her down with him, the rush of wind whipping around them.)
Lizard Woman - "You'll regret this!"
(He held her tight, the chains stretching as he felt the power surge within him.)
James - "Let's see how you like this!"
(With a howl that echoed through the night, he released the tension.)
(Her body exploded in a grotesque display, fragments scattering through the air.)
End of Flashback
(Back in the present, he stood on the street, breathless and disoriented.)
Ever since that night, no villains had dared to show their faces. No chaos, no evil plots, just... silence.
James - "Guess I'm just a washed-up wolf now."
(He kicked a loose stone down the sidewalk, frustration boiling within him.)
James - "What's a hero gotta do to find some excitement around here?"