The forest was silent—too silent. Jake tightened his grip on the flashlight, its beam cutting through the thick mist. He shouldn’t have taken the shortcut through Blackwood, but the town’s warnings about the "beast" seemed like superstition. Now, with the full moon looming overhead, he wasn’t so sure. A twig snapped behind him. Jake spun around, heart pounding. Nothing. Just shadows. He exhaled, laughing at his own fear—until a low growl rumbled through the trees. Something moved in the darkness. Eyes, glowing gold, locked onto him. Jake ran. Branches lashed at his arms as the creature gave chase, its snarls growing closer. He stumbled into a clearing, panting, and turned to face it. The beast was massive—a wolf, yet not. Its fur was streaked with silver, muscles rippling beneath as it circled him. But the most terrifying part? Its eyes held intelligence. Recognition.
"You shouldn’t have come here," a voice growled—not from the beast, but inside Jake’s own mind.
Pain seared through his body. Bones cracked, muscles twisted. He screamed, but it became a howl. The world sharpened—scents, sounds, the pull of the moon. The beast was gone. Now, he was the monster. As the last of his humanity faded, one thought remained: the curse wasn’t just a story. And he was now part of it.
