Lucius Von Blake adjusted his waistcoat, ensuring the silver buttons were securely fastened. He smoothed his dark hair, a habit his mother, Lucilla, had instilled in him. His eyes, an unsettling shade of brown, gazed back from the mirror.

Downstairs, the door creaked open, and a rugged voice echoed through the hallway. "Good morrow, Monsieur Von Doom. I'm looking for your expertise."

Lucius' curiosity piqued, he quietly descended the stairs, lingering out of sight.

"Ah, Pierre," Mr. Von Doom replied, his tone measured. "What brings you here?"

Pierre's voice trembled. "Another villager's gone missing. We're organizing a search party tonight. We could use your... skills."

Mr. Von Doom hesitated, his eyes darting toward the stairs, as if sensing Lucius' presence. "I'm afraid I must decline, Pierre. My duties at the butcher shop—"

"Please, Monsieur Von Doom," Pierre urged. "The villagers are terrified. We need your tracking expertise."

Mr. Von Doom's expression remained resolute. "I'm sorry, Pierre. My answer remains the same."

Pierre's footsteps echoed through the hallway, followed by the door creaking shut.

Lucius emerged from the shadows, his eyes locking onto Mr. Von Doom's. "Who was that?"

Mr. Von Doom's expression turned guarded. "Just a villager seeking help. Nothing to concern yourself with, Lucius."

Lucius' gaze lingered, sensing more to the story. As he turned to leave, Mrs. Von Doom's soft voice stopped him.

"Lucius, be cautious tonight. The village is... uneasy."

Lucius nodded, his mind already racing with the events unfolding. He knew the rumors: strange attacks, bodies torn apart, and the whispered legend of the Beast of Gévaudan.

This wasn't the first time someone had gone missing in Gevudan. Once, a family had been found massacred in a way that will make any weak heart fall into despair. No one had seen the beast and lived to tell the tale. La béte du Gevudan, the beast that plague us while we sleep at night.

"As you wish Mother, I will not join in this search party". Lucius said, but in his mind he had already made up his mind do so.

As night descended, Lucius slipped out of the house, dressed in dark attire, his heart pounding with anticipation. He would join the search party, no matter the danger.

The village square bustled with torch-carrying villagers, their faces set with determination. Lucius recognized Pierre, who nodded in acknowledgment.

"Stay sharp, everyone," Pierre warned, his voice low. "We don't know what we're hunting."

Lucius fell into step beside Pierre, their footsteps echoing through the forest.

As the search party ventured deeper into the woods, the darkness seemed to swallow them whole. Pierre called a halt, his torch casting flickering shadows.

"We need to cover more ground," Pierre declared. "Let's split up into smaller groups. We'll meet back here at dawn."

Lucius nodded, his eyes adjusting to the dim light. He was paired with two burly hunters, Jacques and François. Both carried hunter guns, their faces grim.

"Stay sharp," Jacques warned, his voice gruff. "We don't know what we're up against."

As they trekked deeper, François's discontent simmered.

"Von Doom's refusal to join us is cowardice," François spat. "He thinks he's above this."

Lucius' expression remained neutral. "Mr. Von Doom has his reasons."

François snorted. "Reasons? He's just afraid of getting his hands bloody."

Jacques intervened. "Enough, François. We have a job to do."

François's gaze turned to Lucius. "You, Von Blake, you're not even a hunter. What use are you here?"

Lucius' eyes narrowed. "I can track and navigate—"

"Fine," François interrupted. "You go off on your own. It'll be faster that way."

Jacques hesitated. "François, I don't think—"

"No, no, it's better this way," François insisted. "We'll cover more ground."

Lucius sensed a hidden motive, but Pierre's words echoed in his mind: "Stay sharp." He nodded.

"Very well. I'll scout ahead."

François's smile seemed tinged with malice. "Good luck, Von Blake."

As Lucius ventured into the darkness, the silence enveloped him like a shroud. His senses heightened, he navigated through the dense underbrush.

The rustling of leaves, the snapping of twigs – every sound amplified.

Suddenly, a chill coursed through his veins. He sensed being watched.

Lucius drew a deep breath, his heart pounding.

Lucius trekked deeper into the woods, the darkness suffocating him. The trees seemed to close in, their branches tangling overhead like skeletal fingers. Every step echoed through the stillness.

Barely half an hour had passed since he'd separated from Jacques and François. Now, Lucius felt a creeping sense of unease. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end.

He slowed his pace, senses heightened. The rustling of leaves, the snapping of twigs – every sound took on a sinister tone.

Suddenly, the air thickened with an unnatural presence. Lucius's heart skipped a beat.

He spun around, his eyes scanning the darkness. That's when he saw them. A pair of glowing blue eyes stared back, piercing the shadows like lanterns in the night. Lucius's breath caught in his throat. Fear petrified him, roots of ice spreading through his veins.

"La béte..." he whispered, the words trembling on his lips.

The eyes didn't blink, didn't waver. They bored into Lucius's soul, as if probing his deepest fears. Time froze. The world narrowed to those hypnotic orbs. Lucius's thoughts unraveled. The Beast of Gévaudan, the rumors, the legends.. all true.

A low, menacing growl rumbled through the darkness, vibrating the air.

Lucius's legs trembled. His mind screamed: Run!

But his feet seemed rooted to the earth. The eyes drew closer, the glow intensifying. Lucius's vision began to blur, darkness encroaching.

Lucius snapped out of his frozen state, adrenaline surging through his veins. He turned to flee, but a low growl halted him.

Behind him, a massive gray wolf emerged from the shadows. Its eyes glowed like embers, burning red.

"Another one?" Lucius whispered, confusion and fear warring within.

But as he gazed into the gray wolf's eyes, he sensed no hostility. Instead, he felt an unexpected calm wash over him.

The gray wolf padded closer, its movements fluid. Lucius stood transfixed, unsure what to expect.

That's when he felt it – a malevolent presence closing in.

The pitch-black wolf with blue eyes materialized behind him, its gaze fixed on Lucius with an unnerving intensity.

The air thickened with tension. Lucius's heart pounded.

The gray wolf positioned itself between Lucius and the black wolf, a low rumble vibrating its chest.

A protective gesture?

The black wolf snarled, baring razor-sharp teeth. Its blue eyes blazed with a hunger for destruction.

Lucius' instincts screamed at him to run. He turned and sprinted, his feet pounding the earth.

The black wolf gave chase, its paws thundering behind him. Lucius could feel its hot breath on his neck.

Just as the black wolf was about to tear him apart, the gray wolf intervened. Lucius felt a searing pain in his abdomen as the gray wolf knocked him aside.

The gray wolf stood its ground, facing the black wolf. Snarls and growls filled the air.

Lucius didn't hesitate. He scrambled to his feet and sprinted off, ignoring the agony in his side.

His heart racing, he dashed through the forest, branches slashing at his face.

Finally, the trees parted, and he saw the flickering lights of his home.

With a burst of speed, Lucius reached the door and flung it open.

He slammed it shut behind him, leaning against the wood to catch his breath.

His abdomen throbbed, but he didn't dare look. Fear still gripped him.

What had just transpired? And what lay ahead?

Lucius slid to the floor, his eyes fixed on the door. Waiting. Listening. For the darkness to come knocking.