The silence in the room was oppressive. My senses felt like they were on fire, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of information, abilities, and sensations. The voice in my head—the system, or whatever it was—was relentless, bombarding me with one notification after another. I could feel my pulse quickening, my thoughts racing as the flood of data intensified.
[System activation complete. Newbie Gift Pack received.]
I winced at the words that echoed in my mind, trying to process the flood of information that was quickly becoming too much to handle. The room seemed to stretch and compress, everything around me sharpening and heightening, as if I were seeing the world through an entirely new lens.
[Abilities unlocked: Fenrir's Bloodline, Alpha-Level Potential, Transformation Control, Immunity to Wolfsbane.]
The words rang out like a drumbeat in my head, each one sinking deeper into my consciousness. I stared down at my hands, flexing my fingers. There was something—something—inside me, something old and powerful that had been awakened with the bite, with whatever had happened to Scott and me last night.
I felt it now—the raw, untamed energy coursing through my veins. It wasn't just strength. It wasn't just speed. It was a sense of knowing, like every part of me was suddenly connected to something larger than myself, something primal.
[Fenrir's Bloodline: The ancient power of Fenrir flows within you. This bloodline grants immense strength, heightened senses, and the potential for devastating transformations. The first shift is crucial—control is key.]
I didn't fully understand it, but the weight of the words settled deep within me, pulling at something inside my chest. Fenrir—what did that mean? Was this some ancient werewolf thing? Was I a wolf now? The more I tried to think about it, the more I realized how little I knew.
My thoughts were interrupted by a sharp cry from Scott's room.
I jumped up, my new reflexes kicking in as I sprinted down the hall without a second thought, my body moving faster than I'd ever expected. I burst into his room, finding Scott writhing on the floor, clutching his stomach, his face contorted in agony. His eyes were wild, pupils dilated, and there was a frantic, panicked look on his face.
"Scott!" I rushed to his side, kneeling next to him, but he pushed me away with more strength than I expected.
"No! Stay back!" he gasped, his voice trembling as he tried to steady himself. "I—something's happening. It... hurts! Make it stop!"
I could hear the raw desperation in his voice, and my heart clenched. I didn't know how to help him. He was in pain, in agony, and I couldn't do anything about it. I placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him, but as soon as I touched him, I felt it—the energy that radiated off of him, hot and wild. It was a tidal wave, and he was caught in it.
The system's voice echoed again in my mind, as if it were speaking directly to me now, responding to my panic.
[Scott McCall: Beta Werewolf. Control is slipping. Immediate action required.]
Control. That was the key word. I had the ability to control it, right? The voice had said that I could control my transformation, my power. But Scott—he didn't have that control. Not yet.
"Scott, listen to me," I said, trying to keep my voice calm. "You're going through the same thing I am. You need to breathe, okay? Focus on your breathing. We can figure this out."
Scott's breathing was ragged, his chest heaving as he curled into a ball, his hands clawing at the sheets beneath him. His body twitched, spasming uncontrollably as his bones seemed to shift and stretch beneath his skin. I could hear the faint crackling sound of his bones, like they were being pulled apart, rearranged.
"Scott! Focus!" I repeated, grabbing his arms to hold him steady, to stop him from thrashing around.
The shift was happening fast. It was like watching someone trying to fight against an unstoppable force. I could feel the raw power emanating from him, the wolf inside of him trying to claw its way to the surface. And there was nothing I could do.
[Warning: Beta werewolf instability detected. Immediate transformation is imminent.]
The system's warning didn't help. I didn't need it. I could already see it, feel it—Scott was losing control. His teeth were lengthening, his eyes flickering with an amber glow. His skin rippled, his hands began to curl into claws, and the air seemed to grow thick with tension.
I could feel it—the strange pull of the wolf's power, the bloodline coursing through both of us. But where I had felt the stirrings of strength, of something ancient awakening within me, Scott was fighting it. The control wasn't there. He was just... trying to survive.
"Scott!" I yelled again, shaking him harder. "You have to focus. You can control this. We can control this."
His eyes locked onto mine, wild with fear, but there was a flicker of recognition behind the chaos. "I don't know how! I can't... It hurts!"
I closed my eyes for a brief second, trying to center myself. My mind, my body, everything was so overwhelmed with the newness of it all—the power, the abilities, the instincts that surged through me. But then, I thought of what the system had said.
"Control is key. You must master the change."
I focused on that. Control. The ability to take this power and not let it consume me.
"Okay," I muttered, more to myself than to Scott. "I need to figure this out. I have to figure this out."
I took a deep breath and placed my hand on Scott's shoulder again, this time more carefully. "Listen, you're not alone in this. We're in this together. I'm here, and I'm going to help you. We just need to calm down."
Scott's body shuddered, but this time, he didn't fight me off. He closed his eyes, biting his lip as he tried to steady himself. It was like a battle in his mind, trying to keep the wolf inside at bay. I could see the strain in his face, the pain, but there was something else too—fear. He was terrified of what he was becoming.
But I wasn't going to let him go through this alone.
"Focus, Scott," I urged again. "Breathe. In and out. You can do this. Just... focus."
His body trembled as he tried to fight the wolf inside, the transformation continuing its violent progress. But I could see it—the struggle was slowing. The transformation wasn't so wild anymore, his movements less frantic.
Then, after what felt like an eternity, Scott's body relaxed. He stopped shaking. His eyes flickered back to normal, the amber glow retreating, and his muscles slowly unwound.
He opened his eyes, panting, his face pale and sweat-slicked. "I... I did it. I actually did it."
I let out a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. "You did. We both did."
He sat up, his body still trembling but more in control now. "I don't understand, man. I was... I was losing it. I thought I was going to shift completely. What the hell is happening to us?"
I exhaled, glancing down at my own hands again, feeling the undeniable weight of the bloodline inside me, the power inside him, and the looming realization that we were both on the cusp of something we couldn't fully comprehend.
"We're not normal anymore, Scott," I said quietly, "We've been changed. Something inside us is waking up, and we need to learn how to control it."
Scott nodded slowly, his eyes filled with confusion and fear, but also something else—a glimmer of determination.
"Alright," he said, his voice steadying. "Let's figure this out together."