Darkness.
Riku's mind struggled to wake, his thoughts sluggish, wading through thick fog. A dull ache throbbed in his skull. His body felt heavy, limbs unresponsive.
He inhaled sharply. Iron. The bitter scent of blood. The floor beneath him was cold, unyielding.
Then the realization hit.
He was bound.
His wrists and ankles were shackled, the chains glowing with a faint, eerie light—energy-sealing magic.
His pulse spiked.
A pained groan beside him made him turn his head.
Mira and Eve—restrained just like him.
And they weren't alone.
Berk stood before them.
But the worst part—
It was night.
Yet Berk was still human.
A chill ran down Riku's spine. Then who—?
A low, guttural growl answered his question.
From the shadows, a figure emerged.
Golden eyes gleamed like burning embers in the dim light. Muscles rippled beneath shifting fur. Claws flexed, scraping against the stone floor.
The werewolf.
But as it stepped fully into view, Riku's breath caught.
Elise.
His mind reeled. Impossible.
He looked to Berk, expecting shock, denial—anything.
But Berk stood still.
Expression blank.
Riku's voice came out hoarse. "…Berk?"
The man exhaled shakily. His gaze flickered, almost pleading. "You're smart," he murmured. "Yes… Elise is the werewolf."
Mira's eyes widened. "What?!"
Eve struggled against her restraints. "That doesn't make sense—"
Berk's hands trembled, but his voice remained steady.
"Elise is dead."
A suffocating silence followed.
Berk exhaled slowly, gaze distant.
"She died in an accident. And me—I was helpless. I couldn't protect her. I couldn't save her."
His fingers curled into fists.
"Then a man came to me," he continued, voice hollow. "He told me he could bring her back. All I had to do was accept."
Eve's breath hitched. "Accept… what?"
Berk's hand moved to his chest.
"…A cursed stone."
Riku's blood ran cold.
Berk's fingers brushed the outline of something embedded beneath his skin.
"He told me… if I fused it into her body, Elise would return." His voice wavered. "And I—I was desperate. I did it."
His lips trembled.
"And she came back."
Elise's golden eyes burned in the darkness, her presence overwhelming.
Mira's breath was uneven. "Then why… is she like that?"
Berk's jaw tightened.
"Because the stone had a price."
Riku's chest tightened. He already knew what Berk was going to say.
"At night… Elise transforms." Berk's voice shook. "She becomes the werewolf."
A low, amused chuckle echoed from Elise.
"Oh, don't act so heartbroken, Berk," she purred. "This is the real me now."
Berk turned toward her, desperate. "Elise, please—"
She lunged.
A blur of motion—claws sinking into flesh.
Berk gasped, staggering backward.
His eyes widened—not just from the pain—but from realization.
"Elise…" he whispered. "You—"
She smiled. Fangs glinting.
"I was starving."
Berk's mind reeled. Starving.
The first victim.
The second.
The lies.
A sickening truth crashed down on him.
"Elise…" His voice was barely a whisper. "You killed them?"
She smiled.
"Of course."
A choked breath left him. "But I—I did this to save you—"
Elise tilted her head mockingly. "And I appreciate that, Berk."
Her claws twisted deeper into his wound.
"But let's be honest…"
She leaned closer.
"You didn't do it for me."
Her golden eyes pierced into him.
"You did it because you couldn't handle losing me."
Berk's vision swam. His body felt weak.
He had lied to himself.
He thought he was saving her.
But Elise had died long ago.
And now—he had created this.
His breath trembled.
He had never brought her back.
And now…
She was going to kill him.
With a cruel smile, Elise yanked her claws free.
Blood splattered across the floor.
Berk collapsed. Gasping.
His hands trembled, clutching his wound.
"Elise…" he choked.
Her gaze was cold. Indifferent.
"You're no longer useful."
A sharp breath.
Then—silence.
Berk's body went still.
Riku's breath was ragged.
The reality hit like a weight in his chest.
They had planned to trap the werewolf.
But now—they were the ones trapped.
A slow, deep exhale left Elise as she turned to them.
Mira's teeth clenched. "Tch—she's coming."
Elise smiled.
"A meal of exorcists…" She ran her tongue over her fangs. "I'm tired of human flesh. But exorcists…"
She inhaled deeply.
"Your strength will be mine."
Riku flexed his fingers, trying to summon his energy—nothing.
Eve growled. "These chains—they're absorbing our power!"
Mira struggled. "Tch—how the hell did she get these?"
Elise laughed.
"Oh, that?" She tapped one of the glowing chains. "That's his doing."
Riku's heart stopped.
His?
A memory flashed—
The man who gave Berk the stone.
The real mastermind.
A sickening realization hit him.
This was planned.
A sharp gleam entered Elise's eyes.
"Now then…" She flexed her claws. "Who should I eat first?"
But before she could move—
The door slammed open.
A sharp, commanding voice echoed in the chamber.
"That's enough."
Power crackled through the air.
Elise's body tensed.
A figure stepped into the dim light.
An instructor.
Riku exhaled sharply.
Finally.
This fight was just getting started.
To be continued...