I couldn't make sense of it. The vision felt fleeting, like a dream slipping through my fingers the moment I tried to hold onto it. But the images that flashed before me were vivid, powerful, and haunting.
In that brief moment, I saw it clearly-the dark alphas.
Their forms were towering and ominous, their presence radiating a suffocating power. I remembered the pain when one of them had marked me, the slash that now rested on my back, a symbol of something greater and darker than I could comprehend.
And then the vision shifted, dissolving into something entirely different.
It was as though I'd been transported to a new scene, one that felt equally foreign and familiar.
The air around me was heavy, charged with an energy I couldn't describe. I was cloaked in black, my hood drawn low over my face, but I could feel the heat of a strange symbol burning on my forehead. A crescent moon, glowing an otherworldly blue, pulsed softly like it was alive.
Suddenly, a hulking werebeast emerged from the shadows, its growls shaking the ground beneath my feet. Its eyes glowed with malice, and its sharp claws gleamed under an ominous light. Before I could react, it lunged toward me, its speed defying logic.
Its strike was brutal, a force so immense it hurled me across the battlefield. I crashed into the earth, the impact sending shockwaves through my body. But even as pain coursed through me, something else stirred deep within-a primal, feral rage that begged to be unleashed.
In that moment, I wasn't afraid.
I could feel my body changing, my senses sharpening. My bones cracked and reformed as fur erupted from my skin. My hands became claws, and my teeth elongated into sharp fangs. I had transformed into a werewolf, a creature of raw power and instinct.
The werebeast charged at me again, but this time, I was ready. With a snarl that echoed through the air, I leaped toward it, meeting its attack head-on. My claws tore through its hide, and my fangs sank deep into its neck.
Its howl of pain was the last sound it made before collapsing to the ground, lifeless.
As I stood there, panting and victorious, the vision began to dissolve. The battlefield faded into darkness, the sounds of the fight disappearing into silence.
The visions unfolded before me, relentless and surreal, each one gripping me with a force that seemed to pull me away from reality.
My heart raced as I struggled to make sense of it all.
The next vision erupted like a vivid dream. I was still cloaked in the same black hood, the fabric draping over me like a shadow. The crescent moon symbol on my forehead burned brightly,
its glow a fierce, electric blue that seemed to resonate with the energy coursing through my body.
Before me stood a new wave of monstrous creatures,
their forms grotesque and twisted, their growls echoing like thunder. They moved with feral precision, circling me, their predatory eyes locked onto their prey-me.
I felt no fear, only an overwhelming surge of power.
My legs bent slightly, preparing for what came next.
With a sudden burst of strength, I jumped high into the air, higher than I'd ever thought possible. Time seemed to slow as I ascended, the glowing moon symbol intensifying until it was almost blinding.
Then,
I came down with immense force.
The moment my feet hit the ground, a radiant blue wave of energy erupted from me.
The hexagonal pattern of the wave shimmered in the air, expanding outward in all directions. It was as though I had unleashed a storm of power, one I couldn't completely understand but instinctively knew how to control.
The wave collided with the creatures, and they let out bloodcurdling screeches. Their bodies convulsed as the energy surged through them,
tearing them apart at a cellular level. Within moments, their flesh dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only charred, skeletal remains.
I stood in the center of the devastation, breathing heavily. The glow of the crescent moon began to fade, and with it, the intensity of my emotions. For a brief moment, there was silence, as if the world itself had stopped to acknowledge the power I had unleashed.
But the calm didn't last long.
The vision shifted once more, blurring and twisting until I found myself in an entirely different scene.
This time, the air was cold and damp, and I could hear the faint sound of water sloshing around me. I looked down to find myself falling-plummeting toward the surface of a deep, endless blue sea.
The water swallowed me whole, its icy grip wrapping around me as I sank deeper and deeper.
Panic surged through me as I flailed, trying to swim upward, but the weight of my hooded cloak and the crushing pressure of the water made it impossible.
I was drowning.
The crescent moon on my forehead flared to life once more, casting a bright blue light that cut through the darkness of the ocean depths.
My eyes followed suit, glowing with the same intensity, and suddenly, everything changed.
I stopped sinking.
Instead, my body began to rise, the energy from the crescent moon lifting me effortlessly through the water. I felt light, weightless, as though I was one with the ocean itself. The water parted around me as I ascended, creating a shimmering tunnel of blue light that guided me upward.
Breaking through the surface of the water, I floated into the air, hovering above the sea like some ethereal being.
The glow from the crescent moon seemed to connect with the sky above, its light reaching far beyond what I could see.
Then,
the vision faded, dissolving into darkness as reality came rushing back.
I gasped, my chest heaving as I struggled to process what I had just experienced. My body felt heavy,
aching from the relentless beating I'd endured earlier. The bullies were gone now, their retreat a distant memory, and the guy who had tried to help me was staring at me with a mixture of confusion and concern.
"Hey," he said cautiously, his voice cutting through the silence.
"You okay? You looked...well, you didn't look okay."
I nodded weakly, though the truth was far more complicated.
"I...I think I'm fine."
But I wasn't fine.
The visions, the power, the glowing crescent moon-it was all too much to handle.
What did it all mean? Why was this happening to me?
And why now?
The guy gave me a wary look, clearly unconvinced by my answer.
"You sure? You were out of it for a while. Looked like you were having some kind of...episode."
"I'm fine,"
I insisted, my voice firmer this time.
"Thanks for checking, though."
He hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Alright, if you say so.
But you should probably get checked out, just in case."
As he walked away, I slumped against the wall, letting out a shaky breath.
My mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, none of which I could fully grasp. The visions felt like a warning,
a glimpse into a destiny I didn't understand but couldn't escape.
And then there was the crescent moon, its glow and power unlike anything I'd ever encountered.
What was it?
Why was it connected to me?
I didn't have the answers yet,
but one thing was certain: this was just the beginning.
Whatever was happening, whatever was coming, I couldn't ignore it.
I closed my eyes, trying to steady myself. The visions might have faded, but the feeling of power lingered, like a dormant fire waiting to ignite.
And I had a feeling it wouldn't be long before it did.
I grabbed my bag, the weight of everything still lingering on my shoulders, and made my way out of the school compound. My mind was spinning with everything that had just happened-the beatings, the visions, the strange new power awakening within me. It was hard to even keep track of what was real anymore.
I caught a taxi near the gate, the hum of the engine pulling me from my thoughts. The driver barely acknowledged me as I climbed in,
his focus on the road ahead. I leaned back against the seat, closing my eyes for a moment, trying to ignore the dull ache in my cheek where the bully had struck me.
Every bump in the road sent a sharp throb through my face, but it was nothing compared to the turmoil swirling in my mind.
I hadn't expected the visions-the overwhelming power that had surged through me.
What was happening?
Why now?
These questions weighed on me, but there was no one to ask, no answers to be found, not yet.
The taxi slowed as we approached my neighborhood.
My small street was lined with familiar houses, the trees swaying gently in the evening breeze. I couldn't help but feel a small sense of relief as we neared my home. At least here, I thought, I could find some peace.
I paid the driver, got out of the cab, and walked up the familiar steps of our house. The door opened almost immediately as I approached,
and there stood my mother, her face lighting up when she saw me.
"Hey, darling, you're home early,"
she said, stepping aside to let me in.
But as soon as she caught sight of me, her expression shifted from warmth to concern.
Her eyes flicked to the bruise on my face, the swelling already beginning to show on my cheek.
"What happened to you?"
she asked, her voice laced with worry. She reached out, gently placing her hand on my face, which only made the pain feel more real.
"I'm fine, Mom,"
I said, trying to sound casual, though the throb in my cheek made it hard to keep up the facade.
"It's nothing, just some trouble at school."
Her gaze hardened,
a mother's instinct kicking in.
"Trouble? You've got a bruise the size of a tennis ball on your cheek,
and you call it 'nothing'? What happened?" she demanded,
her voice a little sharper now.
I sighed, feeling the weight of the day crash down on me. I couldn't keep it all to myself-not this time.
"It's those bullies at school. They don't know when to stop.
They threw some punches, but it's not a big deal."
I tried to shrug it off, but the words felt hollow even as I said them.
Her expression softened, but there was no mistaking the concern in her eyes.
"Come with me,"
she said, her tone gentle but firm. She grabbed my hand and led me upstairs to her room, where she had all her medical supplies neatly organized.
I sat down on the edge of the bed, my head still spinning from everything that had happened.
My mom knelt in front of me, carefully inspecting the bruise.
"You've got to be more careful,"
she murmured,
her fingers gently pressing around the swelling, trying to assess how bad it was.
"It's not the first time I've seen you come home with marks from those bullies. You can't let them get away with it."
"I know, Mom.
I'll be fine," I said, my voice softer now. I wasn't used to showing weakness, but today was different.
The day had thrown me off balance in ways I didn't understand, and her comfort was something I welcomed, despite my usual resistance.
She didn't respond right away. Instead, she opened a small first-aid kit and started gently cleaning the bruise, applying an ice pack to reduce the swelling. I winced as the cold pressed against my skin, but I appreciated how carefully she handled me. Her hands were always gentle,
no matter how much I tried to push her away when I was younger.
"You don't have to deal with this alone, you know,"
she said quietly,
her voice steady as she worked.
"If they're causing you trouble at school, we can figure out what to do.
You don't have to just take it."
I nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. My mom had always been there for me, and I'd always tried to protect her from worrying about me.
But today, with everything that had happened-especially the visions that kept flashing in my mind-I felt vulnerable, like I couldn't protect myself anymore.
"I'll be alright,"
I said, my voice barely above a whisper.