Echoes of the Past, Shadows of the Present

CHAPTER 18

Ethan's voice cracked, a strange mix of curiosity and fear. His eyes never left his father's piercing gaze as he asked:

— "Father… what are you talking about? Who is it? When you say 'he's back'… how do you know?"

Vlad drew in a long breath. The lines on his face seemed to deepen, carrying the weight of years all at once. Slowly, he turned his back to Ethan and looked toward the others waiting in the corner of the room. He raised his hand, calling them closer.

— "Children… come here. There's something I need to tell you."

Ethan stepped forward, and the five who followed him formed a half-circle before Vlad. The room grew heavier, the silence thick. Only the faint echo of the old stone walls remained.

When Vlad spoke, his voice was slow and deliberate, as if he were summoning ghosts from the past.

— "When your Aunt Svetlana was still a baby… I was about your age. Back then… we were attacked. And when it came…"

His words trailed off as his eyes darkened.

— "It forced everyone except my father… back into human form. Just one roar, and we were stripped of our strength. I too… was thrown back into my human form. My father was the Alpha then. He was the only one strong enough to hold his form. But he was alone… and the creature caught him."

Vlad's voice wavered for just a moment. He clenched his teeth, the memory stirring a buried rage.

— "It grabbed my father's head with its claws… and smashed it against the ground over and over until it killed him. With each strike, it seemed to grow stronger. I watched my father's life fade before my eyes… and that monster… became even more terrifying."

Everyone in the room froze, their expressions stiff. Ethan felt his throat go dry.

— "But I couldn't stand by. I couldn't stop myself. I lunged at it… I couldn't just watch my father die. But… with a single swipe of its claws, it hit me. I blacked out. I was thrown back, meters away. And from that day on…"

Vlad's fists tightened, knuckles pale.

— "…I swore I would make myself stronger. That's why I always told you 'you must train, you must push yourselves'. Because… I knew one day this would return."

Ethan took a deep breath, but the shock in his eyes hadn't faded.

— "Father… back then you saw it leave. You were sure it was gone. You believed it was dead. So… how has it returned now?"

Vlad's gaze darkened further, his voice dropping to a low, almost guttural tone.

— "Back then… it was different. Someone else. Or maybe… a changed vessel. A different host under the creature's control. But the legends we were told… were they wrong all along?"

He shook his head with quiet fury.

Just as Ethan was about to speak, he cut in sharply.

— "Father… that creature… it was in our class. It's a boy named Mike…"

Vlad's eyes went wide, as if a realization had just struck him like a blade.

— "So… the host has changed… damn it."

He exhaled deeply, then his voice grew hard and commanding.

— "Then we must find a way to stop this."

Svetlana stepped forward silently, her eyes gleaming with resolve.

— "Then prepare yourself to form alliances with people we'd never expect."

Just then, Vlad turned his head slightly. His voice was cold, but there was an edge to it, something different something sharper.

— "We have… visitors."

And the door creaked open with a slow, heavy groan.