Chapter 4: Shadows in the Dark

The night was alive. Not with the gentle hum of crickets or the soothing rustle of leaves Aiden had known from Earth, but with unearthly growls, the occasional snap of twigs, and the eerie howls of distant predators. Every sound sent shivers through his small wolf body.

Kael lay sprawled on the forest floor, his ears twitching as he rested. Aiden sat nearby, his gaze locked on the trees. The faint glow of the boar's magical core still lingered in his veins, giving him an unusual sense of energy. But it also came with a haunting awareness: the energy was a target.

"How can you sleep in this?" Aiden asked, his voice low but sharp.

Kael cracked open an eye. "Sleep is a luxury. When you've fought as long as I have, you learn to take it whenever you can."

"But what if something sneaks up on us?"

Kael let out a soft laugh, not bothering to move. "If something's dumb enough to come here after the fight we just had, I'll deal with it. You, on the other hand, should get used to the fear. It keeps you alive."

Aiden scowled, but he couldn't argue. The fear was real, gnawing at his every thought. He turned his gaze back to the trees, scanning for movement.

For a while, there was only the unsettling cacophony of the forest. Then, a sound stood out—soft, deliberate, and too rhythmic to be random. Footsteps.

Aiden's ears perked up, and his body tensed. "Kael," he hissed.

Kael didn't respond.

"Kael!" Aiden growled louder, nudging him with his nose.

Kael finally sat up, his eyes glowing faintly in the dark. "What is it now?"

"Something's out there. Footsteps."

Kael's ears swiveled, and his posture shifted instantly. The lazy, overconfident fox was gone, replaced by a predator ready to pounce.

"Where?" he whispered.

Aiden gestured toward the sound with his nose. "That way. I think."

Kael sniffed the air, his expression darkening. "It's close. And it's not alone."

Aiden's heart raced. "Not alone? You mean—"

"Shh," Kael snapped, his voice low. "Stay behind me. And don't do anything stupid."

The bushes rustled, and a shape emerged. No, two shapes. Their bodies were low to the ground, their eyes glowing a sickly yellow in the moonlight. Wolves—but not like Aiden. Their fur was matted, their movements predatory and calculated.

"Rogue wolves," Kael muttered, his voice dripping with disdain. "Scavengers. They probably smelled the boar."

One of the wolves stepped forward, its lips curling into a snarl. "Well, well. What do we have here? A fox and a runt?"

Aiden bristled, but Kael remained calm, stepping forward to meet the wolf's gaze. "Move along," Kael said coldly. "There's nothing here for you."

The rogue wolf let out a harsh laugh, his companion circling to flank them. "Oh, I think there's plenty here for us. That boar smells fresh. And your little friend looks like an easy snack."

Kael's fur bristled, his voice dropping into a dangerous growl. "Try it, and I'll make sure neither of you leaves this forest alive."

The tension in the air was palpable. Aiden felt his legs trembling, but he forced himself to stay still. He couldn't afford to show weakness now—not with predators circling.

The second rogue wolf, a larger and bulkier one, stepped forward. "Big talk for a fox. But you're outnumbered. How about you hand over the food and the pup, and we let you slink away with your tail intact?"

Kael smirked, his teeth glinting in the dim light. "Outnumbered? No. I think you're mistaken. You're the ones at a disadvantage."

Before Aiden could process what was happening, Kael lunged. He moved like a blur, his claws slashing at the first rogue wolf's face. The wolf yelped, stumbling backward, blood dripping from a deep gash above its eye.

"Fight, pup!" Kael barked as he turned to face the second wolf.

"Fight?!" Aiden echoed, panic rising in his chest.

The injured wolf growled, its yellow eyes locking onto Aiden. "You're dead, runt!"

Aiden's mind raced. He wasn't a fighter. He was a scientist, a thinker. But here, in this moment, none of that mattered. It was him or the rogue wolf. Survival or death.

The rogue lunged, its jaws snapping inches from Aiden's face. Instinct took over, and Aiden jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"Think, Aiden, think!" he muttered to himself, his heart pounding.

The wolf charged again, but this time Aiden noticed something—a slight limp in its back leg. It was injured, likely from a previous fight.

A plan formed in his mind.

As the wolf lunged a third time, Aiden darted to the left, aiming for the injured leg. He bit down hard, his teeth sinking into flesh. The wolf howled in pain, thrashing wildly, but Aiden held on, using every ounce of his strength.

"Good!" Kael called out, his voice sharp. "Don't let up!"

Aiden released his grip and jumped back just as the wolf swung its paw at him. The rogue staggered, its injured leg buckling under its weight.

Seeing his opening, Aiden leapt forward, aiming for the wolf's throat. His teeth sank in, and the rogue let out a choked whimper before collapsing to the ground.

Panting, Aiden stepped back, his legs trembling. He stared at the lifeless body, a mix of adrenaline and nausea churning in his stomach.

Kael, meanwhile, stood over the second rogue wolf, who was bleeding heavily and barely standing. "Leave," Kael growled. "And tell the others what happens when you mess with me."

The wolf hesitated, its eyes flicking between Kael and its fallen companion. Then, with a low whine, it turned and fled into the trees.

Kael watched it go before turning to Aiden. His gaze was unreadable, but there was a hint of approval in his tone. "Not bad, pup. Not bad at all."

Aiden swallowed hard, his breathing uneven. "I… I killed it."

Kael stepped closer, his expression softening slightly. "And you'll kill again. That's the reality of this world. It's brutal, but it's the only way to survive."

Aiden stared at the ground, his mind racing. He had never taken a life before. Even though the rogue wolf had been a threat, the weight of what he'd done pressed heavily on him.

Kael nudged him with his nose. "Don't dwell on it. You fought well. That's what matters."

Aiden nodded slowly, his thoughts still a whirlwind.

The two returned to the clearing, the boar's carcass untouched. Kael settled down, his demeanor calm as if nothing had happened.

"You'll get used to it," Kael said after a while. "The killing, the fear—it becomes second nature."

Aiden didn't respond. He wasn't sure if he wanted it to become second nature. But one thing was certain: he wasn't the same person—or wolf—he had been when he woke up in this world.

As the forest settled into an uneasy quiet, Aiden lay awake, his mind replaying the fight. The fear, the adrenaline, the instinct—it all felt like a different kind of science, one he was only beginning to understand.

In this world, knowledge alone wouldn't be enough. If he wanted to survive, he would have to become more than a thinker. He would have to become a fighter.

And maybe, just maybe, he could become something more.