Werewolf legend

Chapter 2: The Transformation of the Body

After entering what seemed like a desperate partnership with Gray, Eric's heart remained as tumultuous as a stormy sea, unable to calm. The night sky, as if a dense and heavy black curtain, completely enveloped the city, leaving only a few strands of moonlight, like stubborn threads, struggling to shine through the gaps in the clouds. They fell onto the windowsill, like hidden spies in the dark, silently observing the two people inside, tightly bound by fate. Eric lay on the bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, as if trying to burn a hole through the monotonous white surface. The glimmer of hope Gray had brought seemed so weak and unsteady under the erosion of darkness and fear, like it might be swallowed whole at any moment. With every breath, he could feel his heart pounding violently in his chest, like rapid drumbeats, or the relentless ringing of a countdown bell, mercilessly reminding him that the night of the full moon was fast approaching, bringing with it the shadow of death, step by step.

He didn’t know how long had passed before exhaustion, like a swelling tide, slowly overwhelmed him, and Eric drifted into a fitful sleep. But this sleep seemed cursed by a demon, filled with absurd, bizarre, and chilling visions. He found himself in a desolate and eerie forest, where thick, swirling mist seemed to have a life of its own, moving and spreading wildly. Shadows of trees in the mist resembled monstrous beasts, their claws outstretched, ready to tear him to pieces and devour him. And there, hidden deep in the mist, was the werewolf, its blood-red eyes gleaming with a bloodthirsty glow, periodically emitting growls that sounded like rolling thunder, causing his eardrums to ache and his very soul to tremble. Suddenly, the werewolf leapt at him, and he instinctively raised his arm to block it. But to his shock, he found his muscles bulging, filled with an unprecedented, immense power, as if an ancient beast had awoken inside him, and he managed to push the werewolf back.

Just as he stood there, stunned and unsure, the dream abruptly shifted. He was back at home, but everything around him seemed unnervingly sharp. He could hear the faint arguing from the neighbor’s house, the buzzing of insects outside, even the squeaky sound of rats gnawing beneath the floorboards—everything was like a grand symphony, every note distinct and clear. He frantically glanced around, and his eyes fixed on an apple on the table. The apple was bright and inviting, but in his vision, it appeared magnified a thousand times. He could clearly see every subtle detail of its skin, as if using a magnifying glass for precise examination, even the tiny, almost imperceptible fuzz on its surface.

Before he could recover from this strange sensory experience, an intense pain struck him like lightning from his abdomen. He doubled over, cold sweat pouring down his body in torrents, and his body uncontrollably curled up in agony, trembling.

"Ah!" Eric awoke with a start, gasping for air. His pajamas were drenched in sweat, clinging to him like a cold shackle. His heart raced as he looked around, seeing Gray, who was dozing off in the chair. He felt a brief sense of relief, as if he had grabbed hold of a lifeline in the middle of a storm. But as he tried to rise, he realized his body felt unusually heavy, like it had been filled with lead or was carrying an unimaginable weight. He pressed his hands against the edge of the bed, instinctively trying to push himself up, but to his astonishment, as soon as he applied force, he shot up as if propelled by a spring, the sudden burst of strength leaving him wide-eyed in surprise. Normally, it would take all his effort to even sit up from the bed.

Furrowing his brow, filled with confusion and unease, Eric slowly got out of bed. As soon as his feet hit the floor, an odd sensation, like an electric shock, coursed through his body. He could feel every texture of the floor beneath him, as if walking barefoot on delicate sand, each grain of sand gently caressing his soles. Cautiously, he made his way to the bathroom, taking each step as if walking on thin ice, afraid that this sudden surge of uncontrollable power might explode at any moment, shattering everything in its path.

When he looked into the mirror, the sight of himself struck him like a thunderbolt, freezing him in place. The faint glow in his eyes now appeared like will-o’-the-wisps in the night sky, more pronounced than before. The blood vessels in the whites of his eyes looked like fine red threads, creeping and spreading wildly, as if some mysterious and evil force was quietly controlling him from behind. He unconsciously clenched his fists, his veins bulging like angry serpents, his muscles taut like a drawn bow, filled with explosive strength. He slowly raised his hand and touched his face, the sensation unusually sharp. He could even feel the warmth of the blood flowing beneath his skin, as though he could sense each blood cell surging and pulsing.

"What is happening to me?" he murmured, his voice filled with deep fear and confusion, like a lost soul calling out helplessly in the wilderness. At that moment, Gray, seemingly unnoticed, stood behind him, his gaze intense as if it could pierce through the very air, quietly watching him.

"Your body is changing faster. This is a sign of the werewolf virus. The full moon is approaching, and we don’t have much time." Gray’s voice was low and hoarse, as if a judgment from the underworld, striking Eric’s heart like a hammer, sending ripples of dread through him.

Eric spun around, his hands like iron clamps on Gray’s shoulders, his emotions breaking free like a flood. "I don’t want to become that monster! What can you do? Can you really save me?" Gray furrowed his brow slightly, but his gaze remained firm as a rock, meeting Eric’s eyes. "If I promised to help, I will find a way. But you must calm down and cooperate with me. Our task now is to use the advantage of your body’s changes to find the werewolf and eliminate it before the full moon."

Eric slowly released his grip, taking a deep breath, as if a drowning man had finally grabbed the last strand of air, trying to steady himself. He knew that, at this moment, his only choice was to trust Gray. But the fear inside him clung to him like an inseparable shadow, growing stronger with every abnormal sensation in his body, tightening his heart like an invisible vice. At that moment, a loud, chaotic noise came from outside the window, like someone running in panic, crying out in terror, followed by the sharp screech of car brakes, like a piercing scream splitting the night sky. Gray’s expression sharpened, as if he had sensed the prey’s scent, and quickly moved to the window.

On the street, a dark figure flashed by, moving so fast it seemed like a bolt of black lightning, stirring up a gust of wind. A trash can on the sidewalk was overturned, and the garbage scattered like startled birds.

"It’s here! The werewolf!" Gray hissed, as if giving a battle command, then swiftly grabbed a silver dagger and several vials of mysterious potions, stuffing them into his coat before darting toward the door.

Eric hesitated for a moment. In that instant, it felt as though two voices were fiercely arguing in his mind. One urged him to follow Gray, as this might be his only chance to escape his fate; the other, gripped by fear,

recoiled from the unknown dangers, dreading that the uncontrollable power inside him might backfire at the crucial moment. But in the end, the desire to survive prevailed, and he gritted his teeth and followed.

As he reached for the door handle, an inexplicable urge surged within him, as if a wild beast, long imprisoned in his heart, was roaring to be set free, urging him to embrace the raw, primal power within and plunge into the chaos of the dark. His hand trembled slightly, beads of sweat forming on his forehead like dew on morning grass, and his other hand clenched into a fist, the pain almost biting into his palm, as if to suppress the devilish whisper of his impulse.

"Eric, keep up!" Gray’s call sliced through the confusion in his mind like a sharp light, interrupting his struggle. Eric gritted his teeth, summoning every ounce of his strength, and with a forceful shake of his head, broke free from the dark thought, opening the door and running into the night with Gray.

The street was thick with a strange atmosphere, the moon casting long shadows on the ground, like two lonely souls groping their way through the darkness. They sprinted toward the direction the werewolf had vanished, and Eric knew that with this run, their fate was uncertain. His destiny was now fully entwined in the b****y vortex of man and werewolf.