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Chapter 1 – The Night of the First Howl
The world of Nebula was vast — a realm where ancient races ruled the shadows: vampires, werewolves, hybrids, witches, fae, and demons.
But far from the chaos of their warring kingdoms, hidden deep within a human continent, a boy named Blue lived believing he was nothing more than human.
His parents, Xavier and Selene, kept their truth buried in silence.
No one in the nearby village knew that Xavier was once the King of Hybrids, born of werewolf and vampire blood. Nor that Selene had once worn the crown of the Crimson Court, the oldest and purest line of royal vampires.
They had abandoned their thrones for love, fleeing across continents to a quiet forest where sunlight kissed the trees and monsters were only bedtime tales. There, on seventy acres of hidden land, they built a life — peaceful, secluded, human.
Almost.
On some nights, the pull of the full moon drove Xavier into the woods, his instincts too powerful to cage. He would run wild beneath the stars, shedding every trace of his human guise.
And sometimes, Selene would return home late, her lips faintly tinted red from hunting wild deer to satisfy her blood's craving.
Blue knew none of this.
He was sixteen that day — his birthday — and his three best friends, Kin, Gus, and Rito, had insisted on celebrating. They were inseparable: Kin, the cautious one with a brave streak; Gus, the jumpy but loyal follower; and Rito — fierce, clever, and unafraid to keep the boys in line.
They decided to take their usual walk into the woods. But the laughter and teasing carried them deeper than usual. By the time they realized how far they'd gone, the sun was already slipping below the horizon.
"Alright, time to turn back," Blue said, checking the dimming sky. "My parents said to be home before dark."
"Oh, come on, it's your birthday!" Rito said, tossing him a grin. "You can't call it a night already."
But as the forest darkened, Blue felt something strange stirring inside him. His skin burned. His vision blurred. The world tilted.
"Blue?" Kin asked, noticing him stumble.
Blue fell to his knees, clutching his chest. "It hurts—" he gasped, choking.
Before any of them could react, his body convulsed. Bones cracked. His back arched. His scream twisted into something inhuman — a deep, echoing growl that chilled their blood.
"Kin, he's—he's dying!" Rito cried, grabbing his shoulders.
They tried to lift him, but the ground beneath them crumbled. Kin and Rito slid down a steep hill — and Blue fell even farther, tumbling over the edge of a cliff.
Silence.
"BLUE!" Kin shouted, his voice breaking. No answer.
Rito trembled. "We have to go down there!"
Kin shook his head. "It's too dark. We'll come back at sunrise."
Behind them, Gus was already running, panic driving him toward the village.
And then it came — the sound that froze them in place.
A howl.
It tore through the night, powerful and wild, not the voice of any beast known to man. It carried rage, hunger, and something heartbreakingly human.
Miles away, Xavier and Selene stopped mid-search.
Selene's eyes widened. "That was—"
Xavier's voice dropped. "Our son."
They vanished into the forest in a blur of supernatural speed.
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When Blue awoke, he was no longer human. His senses were alive with sound and scent — the heartbeat of every creature, the whisper of blood in the air.
The hunger was unbearable.
He moved — fast, silent, unstoppable.
Kin and Rito barely had time to react before something massive lunged from the trees. Kin was thrown into a trunk. Rito was lifted off her feet, claws pressing against her throat.
"B-Blue?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
The creature's eyes — gold and crimson — met hers. And just as he bared his fangs, a powerful hand struck him across the face.
Xavier appeared like a shadow, his fist glowing faintly with energy.
"Sorry, kid," he said softly. "But I had to."
Darkness swallowed Blue!