Consequences

The tension in the castle hallways was thick, nearly suffocating. William paced nervously in front of the Headmistress’s office, his hands running through his disheveled hair. Sara sat on one of the ornate chairs lining the wall, her face pale, her eyes distant as if she were reliving the harrowing events in the forest. Sean leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his jaw tight with frustration. Kira, who had remained unusually quiet, paced slowly, her tail twitching in agitation as she tried to suppress the anxiety building inside her.

“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Sara finally whispered, her voice barely audible.

William stopped pacing, turning to her with a grim expression. “I don’t know,” he admitted. “I’ve never seen anything like that before. He wasn’t supposed to... change.”

Sean huffed, shaking his head. “Change? He didn’t just change. He snapped. Lost control.” He jabbed a finger toward the office door. “And now we’re here, waiting to get grilled, while Alex is out there—”

“Enough,” Sara cut him off sharply, her voice trembling. “This isn’t his fault.”

Kira growled low under her breath, pacing to the window and looking out toward the grounds where Alex had been moments before. "I can't believe he did that," she murmured, mostly to herself. "He's never—"

“Enough, Kira,” William interrupted, his voice strained. “We’re all upset, but we need to focus. We’ll figure this out.”

Kira’s golden eyes flickered toward him. “I didn’t say anything. But yeah… I don’t know what happened to him. This shouldn’t be possible.”

The door to the Headmistress’s office creaked open, cutting the conversation short.

“Inside,” Professor Blackthorn instructed, stepping aside to let them in.

The three students exchanged uneasy glances before filing into the room. Kira followed them in last, her eyes narrowed, a deep sense of unease clinging to her.

Inside the Office

The Headmistress’s office was grand and imposing, the high ceilings lined with shelves of ancient tomes and relics. At the center of the room, Katherine Vincent sat behind a large oak desk, her piercing gray eyes locking onto each student as they entered.

Professor Blackthorn stood to her right, his arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

“Sara. William. Sean. Kira,” Vincent’s voice was measured, but there was an edge to it that made the air feel heavier. “Sit.”

They obeyed, sinking into the four chairs positioned before the desk.

Vincent leaned forward, her fingers steepled. “Explain,” she demanded, her tone brooking no argument. “What happened in the forest tonight?”

Sara glanced at William, who hesitated before speaking. “We... we were out near the edge of the grounds,” he began cautiously, his gaze flicking toward Blackthorn. “We knew we weren’t supposed to be there, but—”

“Spare me the excuses,” Vincent interrupted. “Tell me what happened after the pack appeared.”

William swallowed hard. “They surrounded us. There were so many of them. And then... Alex—”

“He changed,” Sean cut in, his voice tight. “He went full wolf out of nowhere. One second, he’s standing there looking freaked out, and the next, he’s howling and snarling like one of them.”

Vincent’s sharp eyes shifted to Sara, who had been silent up until now. “And you?”

Sara met her gaze, her voice steady despite the fear simmering beneath it. “He kept the wolves from attacking, even though he couldn’t control himself.”

Kira flinched at the words but remained silent, her body coiled with the unease of what she had witnessed.

Blackthorn exchanged a glance with Vincent.

“That’s not entirely accurate,” Blackthorn said, his tone measured. “Alex didn’t protect anyone. He attacked me. If I hadn’t intervened, the situation would have escalated further.”

Sara’s fists clenched in her lap. “He wasn’t himself,” she snapped.

“Precisely the problem,” Vincent said coldly. “Do you realize how dangerous this is? Alex should not have been able to shift, let alone display that level of aggression. He’s a liability now—not only to himself but to everyone around him.”

Kira’s tail twitched irritably at the word “liability,” her feline instincts bristling. She wanted to say something, to defend Alex, but she knew her voice wouldn’t carry any weight in this room.

Sara flinched at the words, but William spoke up, his voice firm. “That’s not fair. He didn’t ask for this.”

“Fair?” Vincent raised an eyebrow. “Do you think the council will care about what’s ‘fair’ when they learn a student exhibited abilities far beyond what’s natural for his age?”

The room fell silent, the gravity of her words sinking in.

Sean, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. “What happens to him now?”

“That depends,” Blackthorn said. “Right now, he’s in a secure containment room, but his condition is unstable. Until we understand what triggered his transformation, he’ll remain under strict observation.”

“And what if you can’t figure it out?” Sara asked, her voice trembling.

Vincent’s expression softened slightly, but her tone remained firm. “We will. For now, the four of you are to stay away from him. Do I make myself clear?”

Sara hesitated, her gaze dropping to her lap. William and Sean nodded silently. Kira simply nodded, her gold eyes flashing with a hint of defiance.

“You’re dismissed,” Vincent said curtly.

The four students rose and left the office, their footsteps echoing down the silent hallway. Kira was the last to leave, and she paused just before the door closed, casting one final glance back at the Headmistress’s office. Her heart clenched with worry for Alex, but she knew that there was little she could do for him now.

In the Secure Room

Alex paced restlessly, the chains around his wrists and ankles rattling with each movement. His wolf was still in control, its rage boiling beneath the surface.

But somewhere deep inside, the human Alex was there, watching helplessly, trapped within his own body.

“Let me out,” he growled, his voice a guttural mix of human and wolf. “Let me—”

The runes on the walls flared with a bright blue light, silencing his outburst.

Outside the room, Blackthorn stood with another teacher, observing through the enchanted glass.

“Whatever he is,” Blackthorn said quietly, “he’s more than just a wolf.”

The teacher nodded, his expression grim. “We’re going to have to inform the council. If this happens again...”

The door opened, and Professor Blackthorn stepped away from the glass. His face was dark with worry. “We’ll figure this out,” he muttered, but his voice lacked the certainty he was trying to project.

Meanwhile, Kira, William, Sara, and Sean stood in the hallway outside the secure room, waiting for the next steps to unfold. Kira paced nervously, the tension in her body a mirror of the others.

The silence stretched on, heavy and oppressive. They all knew something big was happening with Alex, but none of them had the answers—not yet.