Chapter 2

The First Change

It was too quiet in the house, too quiet. The kind of quiet in which every creak of the floorboards and rustle of the wind sounded like a warning. Evelyn sat on the edge of her bed, shaking hands flitting through the pages of her mother's bloodstained journal. Her heart raced in her chest, the repeating pulse mirroring the intensifying pain deep in her bones.

The curse starts with the rise of the full moon. Every Kael heir must transform by eighteen. Her mother's words appeared in her mind, but they were no comfort. The journal offered nothing that could help her understand what was happening inside her body.

Evelyn got to her feet, her legs shaking. Her breath was shallow, too quick, as if her body was readying itself to run from an unseen predator. But there was nowhere to run. Not anymore.

She was hit by a sudden wave of dizziness and stumbled to the window. The night sky was clear, the moon high and full, its silver glare already throwing long shadows across the earth. She knew it was happening, the transformation was starting.

The skin she felt tinged, a swollen heat that pulsed pain from deep in her tissues all the way to the periphery of her limbs, that affected limbs like a wildfire. She squeezed her arm, straining to keep herself together, but it was hopeless.

Her bones burned with an inhuman ache, and her pulse crashed in her ears, drowning out all else.

Then the first jolt hit her. A wrenching, twisting sensation in her spine, as though her bones had grown wings and were changing shape. She gasped, and her throat tore into a scream she could no longer hold. The pain radiated out, a sickening crack that rang in her body, the nails dug into her palms.

The curse became more than an ancient artifact in her accent. It was real, and it was here.

Her sight became fuzzy; a mist settled on her senses. When her head started to spin and the world around her warped, flickering in and out like a nightmare, she took a step back. Through the thick fog, she heard the pounding of her own heart, too loud, too fast.

A low growl rose from her chest, catching her off guard. It was a sound that was not quite human, primal and raw, imbued with rage and hunger. The sound of an animal fighting for dominance.

She slid back, the journal tumbling from her lap. The pages fluttered open, revealing an entry she hadn't noticed before. Her mother had written in a hurried, frantic script:

The hardest thing is making the first change. You will feel as if you're coming apart. It isn't just your physical body, it's your essence. The moon will tug at you, and you'll be tempted to surrender to let the golem take charge. But you mustn't. It's all about controlling the curse. And you'll need the artifact. The Blackpine Forest will be your final opportunity. Go before it's 100 late.

The words blurred before her eyes as her body trembled violently. Her claws-no, her nails-grew, stretching painfully as her skin stretched with them. She let out another involuntary growl, the sound echoing in the stillness of the room.

Her reflection in the window caught her eye, but what she saw was no longer her own. Her face was contorted, her eyes glowing a feral yellow, her skin pale and slick with sweat. The transformation wasn't complete, but it was already beyond her control.

Not yet, she thought desperately, clenching her fists. I won't give in. I can't.

Desperation clawed at her chest as she reached for the journal on the floor, fumbling with the pages. She needed to understand this, to find the artifact, to stop herself from becoming the monster in the reflection.

Her eyes scanned the next entry, written with more clarity but still frantic:

The artifact is hidden in Blackpine Forest. It is the only hope for severing the curse. But beware, Evelyn do not be fooled by the forest's dark magic. The guardian of the forest will test you. You must pass its trials before you can claim the artifact. Only then will you have the power to break the curse.

Evelyn's hand trembled as she traced the words. Guardian of the forest? Trials?

Her breath caught. If she didn't act now, the transformation would consume her entirely. The full moon's influence would only grow stronger the longer she waited.

She glanced back at the window, her gaze drawn to the eerie glow of the full moon. It seemed to beckon, a silent promise of the beast she was about to become. Evelyn swallowed hard, steeling herself for what came next.

She took a few unsteady steps toward her dresser, the floor creaking beneath her weight. The urge to flee was overwhelming her senses were sharp, too sharp. The scent of the moon, the night air, even the faintest trace of blood from the journal it all assaulted her like a physical presence. Her body ached for release, for the beast to take over, to rip through the walls of her humanity.

But Evelyn forced herself to focus. There was a choice to be made.

She reached for the silver dagger hidden in the drawer, the cold metal a stark contrast to the heat building inside her. It was a gift from her mother, a weapon to protect herself. A weapon that could kill her if she gave in to the transformation.

Evelyn gripped the dagger tightly, her knuckles white as she stared at the gleaming edge. It was the only thing that could stop her if she lost control.

"I won't let this happen," she whispered to herself, her voice a raspy promise.

Her eyes darted back to the journal, scanning it once more for any final clue. The artifact. Blackpine Forest. The full moon was already rising higher in the sky, casting its cold light into the room, urging her to embrace the change. But she wouldn't.

Evelyn turned away from the window, making up her mind. She had to leave now, before the curse took full hold. Before the rage overtook her completely.

Her decision was made. There was no more time to waste.

With shaking hands, Evelyn packed the journal, the dagger, and the few belongings she could carry. She slipped on her coat, her movements sharp and quick. The house felt smaller now, suffocating, as if the walls themselves were closing in on her. The full moon's glow seeped through every crack, every shadow, mocking her weakness,

But she couldn't stay. Not anymore.

As she opened the door, she felt the weight of the night settle around her like a cloak. The forest was waiting, its dark secrets beckoning. The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with danger and the unknown. But Evelyn didn't hesitate. She stepped out into the night, her breath sharp in the cold air, and began her journey toward Blackpine Forest.

Each step she took into the wilderness seemed to take her further from her humanity, Her senses

were on fire, every sound, every smell, amplified. The wind in the trees whispered secrets she

couldn't understand. The night was alive with the calls of unseen creatures, their voices an eerie symphony that sent chills up her spine.

The forest loomed ahead, its dark silhouette like a monster waiting to swallow her whole. She could feel the pull of it, like the moon was calling to her, urging her to give in to the curse.

But Evelyn held firm.

I'm not you, she thought fiercely. I'm not a monster.

But deep down, a part of her was afraid. The first change was only the beginning. And she was no closer to understanding what was truly happening to her.

As the full moon climbed higher, Evelyn moved deeper into the forest, the weight of the unknown pressing down on her shoulders. The guardian, the trials, the artifact it was all a haze in her mind. But she knew one thing: she had no choice now but to face whatever waited in the dark.

And the forest, with all its mysteries and dangers, was watching her every step.