Dreadful Ambush

A Temporary Calm

The next few days passed in an eerie stillness.

Hayato, after much internal conflict, finally agreed to Sid's slow and methodical approach. It wasn't easy for him, but he knew rushing into battle without enough information could end in disaster. Instead, he focused his energy on gathering intelligence, tracking down anything that could lead them to the deeper operations of the Axiom Syndicate.

Meanwhile, school felt almost normal again—at least on the surface. There were classes, assignments, and the usual buzz of students chatting in hallways.

And for the first time in weeks, Sid returned to school.

Seeing him back felt refreshing. His presence had been missing, and even though he wasn't as deeply involved in the fighting like Remond or Hayato, he was their brain. The strategist. The one who kept things grounded.

Sid exchanged greetings with his classmates, cracking a few sarcastic remarks as he always did. He even complained about having to catch up on assignments, despite the fact that he probably already knew everything by heart.

But the peace wouldn't last.

And it would start with him.

---

The Vanishing of Sid

During lunch, Sid excused himself to the restroom, claiming he needed a break from all the noise. He stepped into the tiled room, running a hand through his hair before leaning over the sink.

Damn, it's been a while since I was here, he thought to himself.

He glanced at his reflection, then at his phone. A single new message from an unknown number blinked on the screen.

"We see you."

A chill ran down his spine. Before he could react, the lights flickered, and the temperature in the bathroom seemed to drop.

The last thing Sid saw was his own reflection, distorting unnaturally, before everything went dark.

---

A Growing Worry

After school, Remond waited at their usual meeting spot for Sid, but his friend never showed up.

At first, he thought maybe Sid had gotten caught up in something—maybe a sudden errand, or he just went home early. But when he tried calling, it went straight to voicemail.

A nagging feeling crawled into his gut.

Something was wrong.

Remond's grip on his phone tightened as he tried again. No answer.

Innes, who had been waiting beside him, noticed the change in his expression. "What's wrong?"

"Sid's not answering."

Innes frowned. "Maybe he left already?"

Remond shook his head. "No. He would've texted. Something's off."

The concern in his voice was enough to make Innes hesitate. But she knew there wasn't much she could do.

"Be careful," she said. "If anything happens, call me."

Remond nodded, his mind already racing with possibilities as Innes turned to head back to his apartment.

Neither of them knew that danger was already waiting for her.

---

A Visitor at the Apartment

Innes approached the apartment, her mind still thinking about Remond's worry over Sid. The evening air was cool, and the streets had already started emptying out.

As she reached the door, she immediately noticed something was wrong.

The door, which Remond always made sure to lock, was slightly open.

Her body tensed.

Slowly, she pushed it open further, stepping inside as quietly as she could. The air inside felt… different. There was no immediate sign of an intruder, but the atmosphere was heavy, like something was waiting in the shadows.

Her eyes scanned the dimly lit apartment.

Then, she heard a sound from the kitchen.

A soft clatter—like a glass being set down.

Her heartbeat quickened as she carefully made her way forward. Every step felt heavier.

As she turned the corner, she finally saw the figure standing at the counter.

It was Remond's mother.

At first, relief washed over her, and she let her guard down. "Oh… it's you. You scared me for a second."

Remond's mother, a seemingly kind woman, smiled gently. "I didn't mean to. I was just waiting for Remond to come home."

Innes relaxed a little but still felt something was off.

She stepped further in, closing the door behind her. "Remond's not home yet. He's looking for Sid."

"Oh, I see…" Remond's mother stirred a spoon into a cup of tea, her movements slow and deliberate. "It's nice to finally have a chance to talk to you alone, Innes."

Innes shifted slightly. "Oh? About what?"

Remond's mother took a small sip of her tea before looking at Innes with an unreadable expression.

"About my son. And his father."

There was something about the way she said it that made Innes hesitate.

"Remond doesn't talk much about his dad," Innes admitted. "I know he passed away in a shootout, but that's all he ever told me."

Remond's mother exhaled softly, setting her cup down. "Yes… that shootout. It was tragic, wasn't it?"

The way she said it made Innes' stomach twist. There was no sadness in her voice. Just something… unnerving.

She continued, her tone calm and steady.

"You see, Innes… things like that don't just happen randomly. My husband didn't just 'get caught' in a crossfire. No, it was planned."

Innes felt a cold chill crawl up her spine. "…Planned?"

Remond's mother nodded. "Yes. His death was necessary."

Innes' breath hitched. "Necessary? What the hell do you mean?"

Remond's mother gave a small, almost amused smile. "You're a wannabe journalist, aren't you? Always looking for the truth. But some truths… should remain buried."

Innes clenched her fists. "Are you saying—"

Before she could react, a sharp pain exploded at the back of her head.

Darkness swallowed her whole.

---

The Beast Awakens

While Innes was taken, elsewhere in the city, another battle was beginning.

Hayato and Yuki were walking home, discussing their next assignment of chemistry class when the ambush happened.

Figures moved from the alleyways, shadows shifting unnaturally, and before they could react, the attackers transformed—into monstrous hybrids of humans and animals.

Animaloids.

Their eyes glowed with primal aggression as they lunged.

"Yuki, get back!" Hayato shouted, instantly moving to intercept one of them. A polar bear-like beast roared as it swung at him, and he barely dodged, rolling to the side.

Yuki turned to run, but one of the animaloids—a tiger man—chased after her.

Hayato knew he had no choice.

He had to transform.

The air around him grew heavy as his muscles tensed. His skin prickled, his senses sharpened, and then, the transformation took over.

Fur spread across his arms, his fingers lengthening into claws. His face stretched, his fangs bared, and his eyes glowed a fierce golden hue.

The werewolf had awakened.

He let out a guttural snarl before launching himself at the polar bear beast.