The three brothers watched Nattalie from afar, each wearing a different expression — fear, worry, and resignation. None of them knew what to do.
They decided to remain silent and observe while welcoming the guests who came to celebrate Nattalie's sixteenth birthday — a day that, coincidentally, also fell on Christmas. Guests exchanged gifts and laughter filled the grand hall, but beneath the glittering decorations, an invisible tension hung in the air.
Vincent smiled faintly as he watched his sister's radiant face. She looked happy — genuinely happy. But deep down, he dreaded what would happen when that smile disappeared… when she saw the form that would soon no longer be human.
Across the room, their parents exchanged nervous glances. They, too, were hiding the truth — desperate to protect their daughter from fear before the inevitable happened.
Nakulla Huang, their father, caught Vincent's eye. Neither spoke, but the weight of understanding passed between them. Both men knew the countdown had begun.
Then — a scream.
"Aaahhh!"
The cry came from a group of women gathered near Nattalie. The music stopped. All eyes turned toward the commotion.
"Miss Huang! W–What's happening to your hair?" one of the guests stammered. "There are… ears— animal ears!"
Gasps filled the room. Some women covered their mouths in shock; others stumbled backward in fear. From beneath her dress, something gray and soft flicked behind her — a tail.
Nattalie froze. Her face went pale as her trembling hands reached up, feeling something furry where her ears should be. Her reflection — caught in the mirror a guest was holding — revealed the full horror.
The full moon had risen.
It shouldn't have been possible — the lunar chart said the perfect full moon wouldn't appear until midnight. But now, at only eight o'clock, its silver light poured through the windows, merciless and complete.
"Damn it!" Vincent hissed, slamming down his glass. He tore down the nearest curtain rod with a sharp crack and rushed toward his sister.
Nattalie's mind spiraled in disbelief. She touched her head again, feeling the twitch of the new appendages. Her heart pounded. Her breath quickened.
Her parents forced their way through the panicked crowd, while her brothers cleared a path.
"Move aside!" Norte shouted, his voice booming through the chaos. The guests scattered immediately.
David reached her first. "Nattalie— are you okay? Are you—" He stopped mid-sentence, his voice breaking.
Vincent arrived next, wrapping the curtain around her shoulders to hide her trembling form. His voice softened.
"You're okay," he whispered, though his eyes betrayed the lie. "It's going to be all right. We're here, all of us. Don't be afraid."
Nattalie stared up at him, speechless. In that instant, she knew. They all knew. They had always known.
Her lips trembled. "Brother… what's happening to me? Why do I have… ears and a tail? Am I cursed?"
Tears welled in her eyes as the whispers around her grew louder. Shame. Fear. Disbelief.
Nattalie Huang — once the perfect daughter of the Huang family — now stood beneath the light of the full moon, trembling between two worlds.
The curse of her bloodline had awakened.
***