Lunar Ascendant

The forest near the edge of Blackwood Hollow was quieter than usual. Caleb Moore adjusted the straps on his pack as he stepped over a fallen branch, the rustle of dead needles underfoot giving way again to silence that enveloped him. Town was just fifteen minutes behind him, but out here it was another world. These trees were bigger, older, and farther apart than those that lined the park trails he'd been trudging all week. He stopped when he reached a clearing he had never seen—a close circle, with a large, flat rock comparatively close to the center. The full moon was overhead, pale and watchful. Caleb remained motionless for a moment, letting the quiet settle around him. He put his bag down beside the rock and sat down, exhaling quietly. The weight of the decision still hadn’t sunk in. Since the accident, everything had seemed wrong—not just emotionally, but on a physical level as well. As though something in the universe had changed and he was still playing catch-up. He pulled out his sketchbook, turning to a fresh page. His hand moved instinctively, sketching rough images of the trees, the moon above, the shadows. It was not the greatest thing he had ever drawn, but he did not mind. It was something to fill the time. Then the air was different. The hairs on his arms were bristling before he'd even registered the sound—low and rough, a growl wrapped in static. Caleb's pencil stopped in the air. He slowly turned his head towards the trees. A man was just within the treeline. Tall. Broad. In dark layers that blended with the trees. He wasn’t aggressively moving, but something was wrong with the way he was standing. Alert. Vigilant. "You shouldn't be here," the man declared. He did not speak loudly, but his voice had authority. Caleb remained there, deciding if he should reply or depart. “Didn’t know it was private property.” "It isn't," the man replied, moving forward, "but that's not to say it's safe." Caleb took a step back. “You from around here?” The man didn't reply right away. He looked at Caleb with eyes that seemed to reflect the moonlight in a strange way—amber, glowing, nearly an animal's. "I'm Kael," he finally said. "You're new." Caleb didn't answer "yes" or "no." "Just needed a quiet place to draw." Kael's eyes flicked to the sketchpad, and back. "Not a good night for it." The growl returned—this time louder, not from Kael. Caleb's spine stiffened. He turned at the exact moment that something exploded into the thicket on the other side of the clearing. It looked human. That was where the resemblance stopped, though. Its legs and arms were too long, its skin tight and pale. Its eyes blazed a dull white, empty of all life. When it growled, Caleb saw the lines of pointed, sharp teeth—not fangs, only jagged, animal teeth. It did not falter. Kael moved fast—faster than a human should. He shoved Caleb out of the way and launched himself at the creature. Caleb hit the ground with a thud. Kael shifted mid-stride. Bones cracked loudly, his body swelling upwards and blackening. His back and arms became covered in fur, and in an instant, where the man had been, a massive black wolf smashed into the creature. The fight was a blur of teeth and claws and snarling. Caleb was frozen. He did not know if it was fear or shock, but he saw each second tick by. The creature let out a wail as Kael knocked it to the ground. That final blow—then silence. The body broke down into ashes. Kael backed up, gasping. His shirt was soaked with blood, but none of it seemed to be his. He stumbled forward. "Everything okay?" he said. Caleb nodded slowly. "Yeah. I think." And then it hit—a suffocating pressure, as if static filled his head and chest. He dropped to a knee, gasping. Lunar Ascendant System Activated Essence Absorbed: 10 LP Full Moon's Blessing: Strength +20% Caleb blinked hard, his eyes shaking. A transparent veil of flickering letters appeared in the air, disappeared the next moment. He glanced up at Kael. "Did you see that?" he asked, his voice shaking. Kael's eyes narrowed. "See what?" "That. message. It said something about a system." Kael went still. “System?” Caleb nodded. "I didn't dream it up." Kael stared at him, then glanced over at the ash laid out across the clearing. "That beast was a ghoul," he stated deliberately. "I've fought them before. But I've never witnessed anything like what you've just described." Caleb stood up. His physique was. changed. Not exactly stronger, but as though it could be. He couldn't define it. Kael looked at him once more. "Whatever that was. it chose you." Caleb remained silent. His thoughts were already in motion. Why me? What is this system? And what if there are others of them out here? He had no idea what the answers were. But one thing he was sure of—he was not going to draw in these woods for a while.