Chapter 7 : whispers of nightmare

Nathan's POV

Darkness consumed me.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a tunnel.

The air reeked of decay, thick and suffocating, curling into my lungs like invisible tendrils. A cold sweat slicked my skin as I clutched a flickering torch, its weak flames barely pushing back the darkness. The tunnel stretched endlessly, the walls jagged and uneven, carved from something ancient.

With each step forward, pain jolted up my legs. I hissed and looked down. The wet ground was littered with jagged stones and brittle bones that cut into my bare, bloodied feet. The sight made my stomach churn.

Whose bones were these?

I walked carefully, my ragged clothes clinging to my sweat-soaked body. The distant sound of dripping water echoed through the cavern. But beneath it… something else.

Breathing.

I wasn’t alone.

My pulse quickened as I entered a vast chamber. At its center stood a throne.

A grotesque thing, built from the remains of the fallen. Skulls lined its armrests, their empty sockets glowing with eerie light. Clawed bones curled around the edges, twisted and unnatural, as if the throne itself had devoured its previous occupants.

A chill crawled up my spine.

Seated upon it.

“Him.”

The whisper left my lips before I even realized I had spoken.

The monster that haunted my nightmares.

His form was more shadow than flesh, shifting and unnatural, his eyes burning like molten gold.

"You have forgotten who you are."

His voice was a growl—deep and ancient, filled with both mourning and rage.

I tried to speak. I couldn't.

Tried to move. I couldn’t.

"You abandoned your family."

A searing pain exploded in my skull. Blood dripped down my nostrils. My breath hitched as I looked down.

My hands.

They were coated in red.

Bodies lay at my feet, twisted, lifeless.

Werewolves. Humans.

I staggered back, falling onto the wet ground. My heart pounded like a war drum.

No. This wasn’t real.

Just another nightmare.

The monster tilted his head, watching me. "Do you see now?" he rumbled. "You cannot serve both worlds."

Something shimmered in his hand. A gem, glowing like trapped starlight.

I didn't know what it was, but I knew it was important.

He gripped the gem tightly—then crushed it.

Its fractured light flickered before vanishing into the void.

A cruel chuckle echoed in the cavern.

The figure leaned forward, stepping down from the throne.

"It is time to choose, Nathan."

I struggled to rise, to run—but before I could move, a violent tremor surged through me.

My body twisted.

Bones cracked.

Muscles stretched, pulling taut and reshaping.

Panic gripped me as fur sprouted from my skin, claws replacing my fingers.

I screamed, but it came out as a howl.

The tunnel vanished.

The world shifted.

I was in a dense forest beneath the moonlit sky.

I ran.

My paws pounded against the damp earth, mist curling around towering trees. Shadows emerged from the darkness.

Wolves.

They ran beside me.

My pack.

We were hunting.

I wasn’t in control.

A lone figure crashed through the undergrowth, breath ragged with terror. His pounding heart called to me.

Instinct took over.

I lunged.

Claws met flesh.

The body hit the ground. My teeth found his throat.

Warm. Fragile.

Hunger roared through me.

I bit down.

Blood spilled, hot and metallic.

Then—he looked up.

I locked eyes with him.

It was me.

I staggered back, horror twisting through me. My own lifeless gaze stared up from the forest floor. My own blood stained the earth.

"No, damn it!"

The hesitation was all it took.

The pack struck.

Jaws snapped.

Claws ripped into me.

Agony consumed me.

I watched helplessly as they tore me apart.

"Free us..."

The whispers came.

Everything shifted.

I was human again.

Back in the tunnel.

The forest and wolves were gone.

"Heir of the lost pack."

The voices were soft.

"The blood of the last Alpha runs through you..."

I clenched my fists, bracing for whatever was coming next.

Suddenly, the tunnel melted away.

I was standing in an ancient city, its towers glowing with symbols I somehow understood.

“Elio.”

The name surfaced in my mind.

Why is this city calling me?

Is it my home?

"Wake up, Nathan."

A firm hand shook my shoulder.

I gasped, lurching upright.

The dream shattered like glass, leaving me sweat-drenched, pulse hammering.

Harsh office lights.

The scent of coffee.

Keyboards clattering.

Blinking hard, I forced myself to focus.

My computer screen flickered in front of me, emails waiting. My desk was a mess of papers and half-empty coffee cups.

But the dream still clung to me.

"Nathan," a voice said again.

I turned to look up at my coworker, who had woken me.

My gaze shifted to the doorway.

A man stood there, scanning the room before settling his eyes on me. His expression was neutral, but expectant.

"Have you seen Mrs. Vanessa? Someone's looking for her."

Vanessa?

I frowned. She hadn’t mentioned any meetings today.

“I’ll be right back,” I muttered, straightening my tie.

Grabbing my notebook, I headed for her office.

It was empty.

Something felt off.

Her chair was pushed back slightly, as if she’d left in a hurry. Papers were neatly stacked, no signs of disruption—except for a single folded letter on her desk.

I hesitated before picking it up.

“Nathan,

I will be gone for a while. Take care of any issues in the office. Don’t try to trace me.”

That was it.

Vanessa had disappeared without a word of explanation.

I exhaled sharply, but before I could process it, something outside caught my eye.

I turned toward the window.

I saw golden eyes staring back at me.

And then, they were gone.

By evening, exhaustion weighed on me, but Vanessa’s absence still haunted my thoughts.

As I left the office and walked halfway down the street, unease crept over me.

I had an unmistakable feeling that I was being watched.

I turned sharply.

Across the street, in a dimly lit alley, a shadow shifted.

I hesitated, then stepped closer.

A man emerged.

Unnaturally still, his golden gaze burned through the darkness.

"You shouldn’t be here, Nathan."

His whisper sent a chill through me.

"Get ready for your journey to Elio."

Before I could react, he vanished.

Leaving me alone on the silent, empty street.

I swallowed hard, my pulse still racing.

Whatever this was, it wasn’t over.