The Beast Beneath the Moon

a place untouched by the hustle and bustle of the modern world. The houses, simple and modest, sat quietly beneath the shadow of the trees. At

brighter tonight than it had been in years, its silver glow painting everything in a mystical, almost otherworldly light. Haruki's heart pounded in his chest, an uncomfortable weight pressing against his ribs. He fel

omething deeper. It was a feeling he'd often tried to push away-tried to ignore-but tonight, it see

a warning, a signal that something was stirring out there in the woods. Haruki swallowed, his throat dry. The wolves were usually heard in the nig

d through his disheveled black hair. It's jus

about the full moon, always reminding him to stay indoors, always warning him about the forest. But the reasons why, they had never explained. It wasn't just superstiti

strong, too insistent. There was something he needed to understand. With a quick glance over his shoulder

jacket tighter around his neck, his breath coming out in small puffs that lingered in the crisp night air. The streetlamps cast a dim light, their glow muted by the heavy shadows that stretch

es tangled together like fingers reaching toward the sky. A strange pull seemed to emanate from the woods, an invisible force that tugged a

him was holding him back. Yet, something within him-a deep, primal instinct-drove him forward. He could feel his senses sharpening. His breathing slowed as he absorbed every detail: the f

lves that roamed its depths. It was as if they, too, sensed the pull of the moon, and they howled in response to the change

ht struggled to penetrate the dense canopy above, casting shadows that seemed to move with him, keeping pace. The deeper he ventured, the stronger the pull

shadows ahead, startling him. Haruki

al light that seemed to reflect the moon itself. The soft glow from her eyes was unlike anything Haruki had ever seen-unnatural and

r out of nowhere, as if the forest had given birth to her. He took a step back, uncertain whether he should speak

her voice soft but firm, carrying

e tried to speak, but no words came o

he managed to ask, his

her head slightly, as if considering him. Her gaze wa

wly. Her words seemed to hang in the air, heavy wit

sk her more, but before he could say anything, the girl turned and b

onfusion and fear. But she didn't turn back. She conti

to understand what she meant, but his body felt heavy, as though the very forest itself was holding him ba

sperate to catch up. His breath came faster, his pulse quickening as the transformat

ng thought: The moon had woken something in him. And the forest, the wolves, and t