THE MOONLESS WEREWOLF

Chapter Three

Chapter 3: Stay Behind Me

I stand alone in the dark room with the faint ache in my back. and with the towel in my hand, I smell her scent still clinging to it.

DAYTIME

The sun comes up. It is bright and the moon is still gone from the sky, And when the sun is up… I am nothing again.

I have no claws and no wings. .. I have no heightened senses. I am just me.... I am Human who felt weak and tired.

Lira makes me run. She makes me run Ten laps around the entire Academy grounds.

My legs burn by lap three and I fall on lap four.

She does not help me up. She just stands there, hands on hips.

“Again,” she says. “Get up and run.”

I get up. And I run.

She makes me lift weights. The smallest one feels like it is made of lead. I struggle just to lift it to my chest.

Lira walks over, picks up the heaviest one with one hand, and holds it there like it weighs nothing.

“Again,” she says. “Push yourself harder.”

I try. My arms shake. Sweat drips into my eyes.

At lunch, we sit at the very end of the cafeteria—away from everyone. The whispers find us anyway.

“Why is she sitting with him?”

“The Moonless freak?”

“Is she crazy? He’s dangerous.”

Lira hears every word. She slams her fork down so hard the whole table rattles. The room goes quiet.

“Eat your food,” she snaps at them. Every head turns down.

I hear no more whispers. after that, we eat in silence.

In the afternoon, she teaches me history.

The old book from the headmaster’s office lies open between us, The pages are yellow with age.

She reads to me about the Moon Goddess and about how she split her power five hundred years ago.

About the first Guardian and about the wars fought in the dark.

“You were made for this, Kayden,” she says, tracing words on the page. “Even if you never asked for it. Even if you hate it.”

“I didn’t choose this,” I say. My voice feels heavy. “I never wanted any of it. I just wanted to clean floors and be left alone.”

“I know,” she says. For a second, her voice softens. Her eyes meet mine. “Neither did I.”

Then she closes the book. Hard. “Tomorrow we start combat theory. Don’t be late.”

NIGHT 2

Night falls fast. The sun vanishes and the sky turns black again.. There is no moon. We return to the blackout room but this time I do not wait for her to tell me. I close my eyes and I breathe in deep.

I am Kayden. I am here and I am in control.

The bones come out slower. Less screaming and less panic. I open my eyes— I saw black again.

My wings spread behind me and it is steady.

Lira watches me. A flicker of something crosses her face.

“Good,” she says. “Again.”

We practice it ten times.

By the end of the night, I can shift and shift back without falling to my knees and without screaming.

“Now we fight,” she says. She picks up a wooden sword. “I am the enemy. You have to stop me. But you cannot kill me. Do not let the monster take over completely. Can you do that?”

“I will try,” I say.

“Try harder.”

She attacks. Fast and ferce. I dodge and I block.

My claws stop an inch from her throat.

Her sword stops an inch from my chest.

She smirks. A real one this time.

“You’re learning, Moonless.”

We fight for an hour.

She lands hits. I land hits.

Neither of us holds back and neither of us wins.

But neither of us gets hurt badly.

When we finish, we collapse on the stone floor, side by side.

We are breathing hard. Sweat sticking our shirts to our skin.

Our shoulders touch. Her hand rests on the floor—right next to mine. Our Fingers are almost touching but she does not move her hand away so I do not move mine either.

For a few seconds, there is nothing.

Just two people tired and breathing the same air in the dark.

Then the alarm screams.

RED LIGHT FLASHING. ALARM BLARING.

VOIDBORN DETECTED. EAST GATE.

Lira jumps to her feet instantly. All softness gone.

“Gear up,” she barks. “Now!”

My heart slams against my ribs. It is happening again.

I stand up. The shift comes automatically.

My bones breaking out and my eyes turns black.

This time… it does not hurt. Not really. It feels like putting on armor.Lira looks at me—really looks at the monster I become—and does not flinch.

She tosses me a dagger, sharp and silver.

“Stay close to me,” she says. “Watch my back. I’ll watch yours.”

Then she runs toward the door and for the first time…

I do not follow behind her. I run beside her.

The moon is still gone and the world is still dark. but I am not alone in it anymore. The alarm is screaming.

Red light flashes on every wall.

VOIDBORN DETECTED. EAST GATE.

VOIDBORN DETECTED. EAST GATE.

My heart slams against my ribs.

The bones on my back tear free on their own—sharp, black, burning. It didn’t hurt nearly as much this time. Like my body is finally accepting what it is.

My claws extend—it is long, curved and deadly.

Lira runs ahead of me. Two silver knives glint in her hands.

Her hair is tied tight and away from her face.

She looks calm and focused. I am anything but calm.

Stay close!” she yells over the blaring alarm.

“Stay behind me, Kayden.

She said my name. not Moonless. Not freak.

Kayden.

We sprint through the halls. Students run the other way—They are screaming, crying and terrified.

No teachers. and no Alphas. The moon is still gone.

That means everyone is weak. Everyone but not me.

We burst through the east gate.

The massive metal doors are crumpled inward, bent like paper. And standing there are five Voidborn.

These are bigger than the ones before. Taller and broader.

Their skin glistens, dark and wet. Limbs twisting at wrong, unnatural angles. Mouths stretched too wide, lined with rows of needle-teeth. And the smell—rot and cold and death—hits me like a physical blow. One of them sees us.

It tilts its head, slow, like a curious beast. Then it points a long, clawed finger straight at me.

And smiles.

“Kayden,” Lira says. Her voice drops—low, steady and grounding.

“Remember what we practiced. Breathe and focus.”

I nod.

In. Out. Think of the mop bucket. Think of my quiet room. Think of her voice saying Again.

“On my signal,” she whispers.

“Three… two… one… GO!”