The Beast Beneath the Moon

ient hands, grabbing at his clothes and pulling him toward an unknown fate. The girl-her eyes, glowing with an unnatural light-w

into the darkness. His frustration grew. His body ached with the urge to catch up, to demand answers. Who was she? What did s

unexplainable shift he felt when the night grew dark. But he had always pushed those feelings aside, convincing himself they were just a part of who he was. That a

e up from the ground. He cursed under his breath and caught himself, but when he looked up, the girl

adrenaline. It felt as though his heart was beating out of his chest, and the pull of th

something about her, something that felt familiar yet completely foreign. A part of him wanted to turn back, to

away. The air between them felt thick with

oice steady despite the storm of emoti

blowing lightly in the wind, her gaze fixed on something in the distance. Haruki's gaze fol

ear. "You're not ready to know everything yet." Her words were calm, but th

ive as the wind that danced through the trees. He wanted to ask her more, to demand answ

ow carrying a quiet intensity. "The pull of the moon. The hun

bout the strange pull he felt when the full moon rose? How could she know about the hun

ing in. "What are you talking about?" he asked,

i saw the full depth of those eyes-pale, almost silver, but there was something wild i

g down on him. "The beast inside you is awakening, just as it has for every

n't quite comprehend it. It was too much-too sudden. His pulse quickened, and for a moment, everything around him felt dis

stammered. "I

now it's hard to believe," she said gently. "But it's the truth. You've always known, deep dow

he was saying. It felt like the world was spinning

ot the only one. There are others like you, Haruki. Others who are trying to control the beast

g, his mind a whirlwind of conf

higher, and with it, the darkness that has been dormant for centuries. You have to embrace what yo

re others who have been trained to control the beast, to tame the wolf. But there a

the one he had always known, was unraveling before his eyes. This girl-this mysterious stranger-was

be watching you, Haruki," she said over her shoulder, her voice barely audible above the rustling o

as the girl disappeared into the shadows of the fore

He could hardly wrap his mind around the idea. But deep down, beneath the disbelief, there was a part of him th

mind, but one thing was clear: h