Fear of The Truth

As the haunting wail of distant howls pierced the stillness of the night, Aiva jolted awake, her heart pounding with fear. Clutching the sheets tightly, she sat up in bed, her mind racing with thoughts of impending danger. For a moment, she couldn't shake the feeling that something sinister lurked just beyond the shadows, waiting to pounce.As the echoes of the howls faded into the darkness, Aiva's sleepiness evaporated, replaced by a gnawing sense of unease. Was it just her imagination, or were more wails echoing through the town of Moonstone? Shivering, she couldn't help but cast a wary thought towards Luna, the source of her suspicions.Slowly connecting the dots in her head, Aiva left the comfort of her bed and padded to the bathroom to wash her face. She recalled that on Saturday night before leaving the dorm house for the patrol, she had passed through every room to make sure that everyone was in their room, and everyone was either there or at the dorm house study. Everyone except Luna, that is.Originally, she had assumed Luna must have been in the bathroom or somewhere else and never thought much of it. But now, as she recalled the werewolf she saw on Saturday, a chilling familiarity settled over her. Could it really have been Luna? If it was, why was she trying to kill Adam and her, especially after claiming to like and care about Adam?These thoughts bothered her as she splashed her face with the cold, refreshing water from the sink. The coolness eased the tension that had built up in her head. As she reached up to splash her face again, she caught a fleeting glimpse of herself in the mirror. Her auburn hair, long and flowing, framed her face with natural elegance. Her skin had a soft glow, untouched by blemishes, and her brown eyes held a quiet confidence. A few freckles dotted her cheeks, adding a touch of whimsy to her features. She paused for a moment, taking in her reflection with a soft smile.Strolling back towards her room, her mind a bit clearer, Aiva began to realize something that was far too obvious. Last Saturday was a full moon. And if her knowledge of werewolves was correct, which it was, that must explain why Luna had gone savage. Werewolves are greatly affected by the full moon; it's often depicted as a time when their primal instincts are heightened, leading to changes in their psychology and consciousness, making them more aggressive and animalistic.Although experienced werewolves adapted to this through training and retained their consciousness, it seemed Luna wasn't as experienced as Aiva had originally thought. This might also imply that Luna was significantly young as a werewolf. Putting it that way made more sense to her and explained why Luna had hidden away in the school buildings.Thinking this way made Aiva sympathize a bit with Luna. Maybe she was being too hard on her. Maybe because she also had eyes for a certain special someone. Either way, she couldn't let her mind dwell on that as she climbed into her bed and pulled her fluffy red blanket to cover herself. One way or another, Luna was still a threat, and if Aiva wasn't careful, someone would get hurt or worse. And Luna's secret would get out. Only Aiva knew about her... well, for now.***Days passed, and Adam found himself consumed by a relentless curiosity—an insatiable thirst for knowledge that drove him to delve deeper into the mysteries of werewolves. From the dusty shelves of the library to the pages of the novel dropped by Luna, he scoured every available resource, desperate to uncover the truth behind the legends.Despite his fervent research, Adam couldn't shake the feeling of disbelief that gnawed at him. Werewolves? Vampires? It all seemed too fantastical to be true, too far-fetched to believe. And yet, the nagging reality remained, lingering at the edges of his consciousness like a persistent shadow.As he closed the final pages of the book on werewolves, the one Luna had mysteriously dropped, Adam couldn't help but feel a sense of frustration wash over him. Try as he might, he still couldn't reconcile the fantastical tales with the reality of his own experiences. Were werewolves truly real, or was it all just a figment of his imagination? Maybe he had just imagined everything?With a sigh, Adam set aside the book, his mind swirling with unanswered questions. For now, he could only cling to the hope that the truth would reveal itself in due time, shedding light on the mysteries that haunted him.That wasn't the only thing troubling him. As the days passed, Adam's wariness of Luna grew, his suspicions fueled by the events of the previous Monday when she had disappeared into the forest. Her enigmatic demeanor, her calmness in the face of chaos—it all felt too deliberate, too practiced. He watched her from a distance, noting her every move with a blend of curiosity and caution.Despite his wariness, Adam chose to keep his suspicions to himself, opting instead to avoid Luna whenever possible. He hoped to steer clear of any potential danger lurking beneath her seemingly calm exterior, but the question of her true nature continued to gnaw at him, an itch he couldn't scratch.In the quiet moments between classes, Adam's thoughts often wandered back to that night—Luna slipping away into the forest, the haunting howl that followed, the fleeting moment when their eyes almost met. It all played out in his mind like a scene from a movie, vivid and surreal, refusing to fade.Determined to find some semblance of normalcy, Adam tried to immerse himself in his usual routine—basketball practice, studying, hanging out with friends. But even in the midst of these familiar activities, the mysteries of werewolves and Luna's secret weighed heavily on his mind.***Meanwhile, Luna couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss with Adam. On multiple occasions, she attempted to engage him in conversation, only to be met with reluctance and avoidance. In class, she tried to strike up a conversation about the lesson, but Adam's responses were guarded, his usual easy-going demeanor replaced by a palpable sense of fear.Undeterred, Luna made another attempt after a thrilling basketball game, hoping to engage Adam in small talk about the match. But once again, Adam deflected her advances, feigning interest in a conversation with his teammates to avoid speaking to her. It was as if he were deliberately keeping his distance, his every move a calculated attempt to keep her at arm's length.As Luna watched Adam slip away yet again, a sense of unease settled over her. How much did he know? Did he suspect her true identity, her secret? The questions gnawed at her insides, driving her to seek answers no matter the cost.And so, as the evening descended and Adam rummaged through his locker, Luna appeared almost out of nowhere, her presence catching him off guard. For a moment, they stood in awkward silence, the tension between them palpable."Are you afraid of me?" Luna finally ventured; her voice tinged with uncertainty.Adam hesitated, his gaze flickering away, unable to meet hers. The silence stretched between them, each passing moment weighing heavily on Luna's heart.But then, with a forced laugh, Luna brushed off the tension, pretending it was all just a joke. "I'm just kidding," she said, her words ringing hollow in the dimly lit hallway.Changing the subject, Luna mentioned the book she had dropped in the earlier days, the werewolf book, *Via Lupum,* and asked Adam if he had picked it up. Adam confirmed that he had, handing it back to her with a puzzled expression."Why do you have a book like this?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.With a playful smile, Luna explained that it had belonged to her grandmother, a werewolf fanatic who had passed it down to her. "I'm into fantasy reading," she added, hoping to ease his suspicions with a harmless explanation.As Adam played along, Luna couldn't help but wonder—had she convinced him, or was he merely biding his time, waiting for the right moment to reveal what he knew? Originally, Luna had wanted Adam to know about this. She foolishly believed that the kind and open Adam would understand and accept her for who she was. That was the whole reason for dropping the book. It was done on purpose to get Adam to pick it up and read it and maybe be slowly familiar with all this. She hadn't expected this sort of reaction from him. If this was the way things would be, it was best it remained a secret from him. At least until he was ready for the truth.Watching Adam's cautious demeanor, Luna felt a pang of regret. Perhaps she had miscalculated. Maybe the truth was too much for him to handle right now. She'd hoped to slowly reveal her secret, to find acceptance and understanding. But now, she realized that protecting him might mean keeping her distance.As they stood in the dimly lit hallway, shadows dancing on the walls, Luna made a silent promise to herself. She would keep her secret safe, for now, shielding Adam from the truth until the time was right. Until then, she would watch and wait, hoping that one day he would be ready to see her for who she truly was.***Night fell, and once again, Adam couldn't sleep. The thought of his confrontation with Luna still lingered in his head. How did she know he had the book? Nobody saw him pick it up unless... What if she intended for him to find it? But that was too big an assumption to make, Adam thought to himself, trying to brush off the suspicion.But what if she knew or at least suspected him to know? He recalled the previous Saturday. If he hadn't barricaded the doors, he might be dead right now. Or would he? If Luna truly wanted him dead, she could've just killed him when they ran into each other earlier when he was being pursued by the vampires, right?Adam decided to stop thinking about this and try to get some sleep, but sleep eluded him. He found himself staring at the moonlit sky, the peaceful chirping of crickets outside and the occasional hoot of an owl. Slowly, the serene scene seemed to lull Adam into drowsiness, and he began to drift off into sleep when he saw her.Luna had made her way out of the dorm house again, just like before. This time she wore a jade green nightdress and moved with a sense of purpose and urgency, a stern look on her face as she disappeared into the forest. What was she up to? Whatever it was, it couldn't be good, could it? Adam tried to ignore the questions swirling in his mind, but curiosity got the best of him. He decided to follow her and see what she was up to. If it was bad, he would stop it.Adam slipped out of his bed and began putting on dark-colored clothes to blend into the night. He stuffed the small flashlight he had into his pocket before heading out.But before he could close the bedroom door behind him, a voice broke through the stillness of the night. "Adam, wait!"Turning around, Adam saw Bryce, who seemed to have woken up, his expression a mixture of curiosity and confusion. With a sinking feeling in his chest, Adam realized he couldn't hide his intentions any longer."I'm just going to the dormitory study," he lied, his words coming out in a rush. "Couldn't sleep, so I thought I'd do some reading."Bryce eyed him skeptically, but Adam plastered on a fake smile, hoping to reassure his friend. With a nod, Bryce sighed before laying back down. "Have fun reading," he said, before falling right back asleep.As Adam slipped out of the dormitory, a sense of determination settled over him, driving him forward with purpose. With each step he took, his heart pounded in his chest, a mixture of fear and adrenaline coursing through his veins.Outside, the night air was cool and still, the moon casting an ethereal glow over the campus grounds. As he disappeared into the night, Adam couldn't shake the feeling of unease that gnawed at him. But he pushed aside his doubts, focusing instead on the task at hand—confronting Luna and uncovering the truth, no matter the cost.