The sun gradually rose in the sky, and the thin mist in the forest slowly dissipated. A ray of golden light pierced through the treetops and fell on Kalle. Although it was warm, it couldn't soothe the unease in his heart. Since the wolf pack called to him last night, he had felt the changes in his body becoming more and more obvious.
Allen followed behind him full of energy, as if the curse and the black qi from last night had become a distant dream. The woman walked silently behind the two of them, occasionally casting scrutinizing glances. Kalle could feel her doubts, but he chose to remain silent.
The forest in the early morning was particularly quiet, with the sounds of birdsong echoing through the woods. However, it seemed that there was some kind of danger hidden in this tranquility, and there was a barely noticeable strange aura in the air.
"We must leave this forest as soon as possible," Kalle stopped and scanned the surroundings alertly.
The woman nodded and slightly tightened her cloak. "This forest shouldn't be this quiet. It's too abnormal."
"Brother, do you think... will we encounter the wolf pack again?" Allen looked up and asked, a trace of worry flashing in his eyes.
Kalle stroked his hair and smiled. "No, they've already left."
As soon as the words left his mouth, the air around them seemed to freeze instantly, and a chill quietly enveloped them.
The woman suddenly drew out her short dagger and stared sharply behind her. "No, something is still following us."
Kalle's heart tightened suddenly. He grabbed Allen and said in a deep voice, "Let's go, quickly!"
They quickened their pace and shuttled through the dense forest, but that cold and gloomy aura behind them clung to them like a shadow, constantly approaching, as if a hunter was quietly getting closer to its prey.
Finally, when they passed through a thick patch of vines, the area ahead suddenly opened up, and a steep canyon stretched out in front of them. The bottom was dark and deep, as if it led to an endless abyss.
The woman frowned. "We have no way to take a detour."
Kalle stared intently at the other side of the canyon. There was a suspension bridge vaguely visible, but the bridge was swaying precariously and had long since rotted.
"Can we cross this bridge?" Allen asked nervously.
"We have no other choice," Kalle gritted his teeth and said. "I'll go first."
As he spoke, he grabbed the rope and slowly stepped onto the suspension bridge step by step. The bridge creaked under his feet, and with every step he took, the wooden planks seemed about to crack.
The woman followed closely behind, and Allen carefully walked between them.
However, just as they reached the middle of the bridge, the cold and gloomy aura behind them suddenly erupted. A black shadow-like monster rushed out from the woods, and its deep blue eyes stared fixedly at the three people on the suspension bridge.
"Shadow Wolf!" The woman exclaimed in a low voice, her palms feeling slightly cold. "This thing is the most dangerous hunter among the wolf packs."
The Shadow Wolf crouched at the head of the bridge, black saliva dripping from the corner of its mouth. Its low growl echoed in the canyon, like a horn calling for death.
Kalle protected Allen behind him and stared fixedly at the Shadow Wolf. "Keep moving. I'll hold it off."
"Are you crazy? We can't fight it on this suspension bridge at all," the woman said urgently.
"But if we don't stop it, none of us will be able to leave," Kalle said in a deep voice, his tone revealing an unshakable determination.
The woman gritted her teeth, knowing that he was right.
"Take care of Allen," Kalle said in a low voice. He suddenly inserted the short dagger into the wooden planks, used the force to leap back to the head of the bridge, and faced the Shadow Wolf head-on.
Seeing the prey coming to it, a bloodthirsty light flashed in the Shadow Wolf's eyes. It suddenly leaped up, and its sharp claws tore through the air, rushing straight towards Kalle.
Kalle sidestepped to avoid the claws, and the short dagger swiped across the Shadow Wolf's abdomen, bringing up a string of black blood beads. However, the Shadow Wolf seemed to feel no pain. It slapped Kalle's chest with its backhand, knocking him hard to the ground.
The suspension bridge swayed violently, and the wooden planks broke one after another. The woman protected Allen and quickly ran towards the other side. When she looked back at Kalle, her heart tightened suddenly.
"Go!" Kalle got up awkwardly, blood trickling down from the corner of his mouth. He raised the short dagger and blocked in front of the Shadow Wolf again.
The Shadow Wolf growled and slowly approached. However, just as it was about to launch a fatal attack, the sky suddenly darkened, and a ray of blood-red moonlight pierced through the clouds and shone over the canyon.
Kalle's pupils suddenly shrank, and the wolf nature in his body completely awakened under the call of the blood moon.
Under his skin, black wolf patterns slowly emerged, his nails quickly became sharp, his pupils gradually turned deep blue, and he seemed to transform into a combination of a wolf and a human.
The Shadow Wolf seemed to sense his change. Its body paused, and a trace of vigilance appeared.
"Do you want to try?" Kalle said in a low voice, his voice carrying a low wolf howl. He seemed to have become the same kind as the Shadow Wolf, but he was more intimidating than it.
The Shadow Wolf growled lowly. Finally, it slowly backed away and disappeared into the thick fog.
Kalle staggered back to the suspension bridge, his face pale. The power in his body gradually subsided, the wolf patterns slowly disappeared, and he returned to his human form.
The woman was waiting for him on the other side, her eyes full of complex emotions. "You've changed."
"Maybe," Kalle smiled slightly. He walked up to Allen, stroked his hair, and said, "But as long as he's okay, I don't care what I become."
Allen hugged Kalle tightly, his voice trembling. "I don't want you to become a monster."
Kalle was stunned for a moment, then gently patted Allen's back and said softly, "I won't. I promise you."
The woman was silent for a moment, then said in a low voice, "We should keep moving."
Kalle nodded, took Allen's hand, and walked towards the depths of the forest.
The blood moon gradually faded, and the light of dawn shone on the three of them, illuminating their path forward.
However, Kalle knew that the awakening of his wolf nature was just the beginning, and the real test was still waiting for them.