Lucas screamed so loudly that the whole house jumped. Lydia, only ten, dropped her book and rushed toward him, while Romeo, seventeen, slammed open the door and sprinted inside. Their little brother was shaking so violently that he threw himself into Romeo's arms the moment he saw him.
"Lucas, hey—what happened?" Romeo asked, trying to steady him.
Lydia fumbled for the wall switch. The lights flicked on—
And both siblings froze.
Strange marks—thin, dark, almost like ancient symbols—ran across Lucas's cheeks and around his eyes. His normally soft blue eyes now glowed faintly with a shimmering golden light. It flickered once… and then disappeared instantly, leaving only the marks behind.
"Am I seeing things? Tell me you saw that, Lydia," Romeo whispered.
"I… I did. Lucas, what happened to your face?" Lydia stepped closer, voice trembling.
Before Lucas could answer, heavy footsteps thundered down the hallway.
Their father burst into the room.
Dante Jerom—chief of the Jerom clan, broad-shouldered, black-haired, and carrying the tired weight of someone who'd led alone since their mother died—stopped in place the moment he saw Lucas's face. His blue eyes widened with something between shock and fear.
"What was that noise?" Dante started, but his voice died the moment he saw the marks.
"Dad," Romeo said, "look at him."
Dante didn't hesitate. He grabbed Lucas carefully but firmly. "We're going to the elder. Now."
He carried Lucas out into the cold night, moving fast, his steps sharp with urgency. Lydia and Romeo followed close behind, confused and scared.
They reached the Elder's Hall, where incense smoke curled through the dim air. Elder Yin was performing a rite, but the moment he saw Dante carrying Lucas, he stopped. His old eyes narrowed, studying the marks.
"What happened to him?" the elder asked.
Dante set Lucas down. "We don't know."
Elder Yin placed his hand above Lucas's face and whispered a spell. A pale blue aura formed… then flickered violently, like something inside Lucas rejected the magic.
The elder's expression twisted."It can't be… No… there's no other explanation to this."
Dante stepped forward. "What do you mean, Elder Yin?"
"This phenomenon stopped two hundred and fifty years ago," he muttered, almost to himself.
"What are you talking abou—" Dante froze. The realization hit him before the elder even finished.
Elder Yin turned his back slowly, his voice low and heavy.
"Chief Dante… do you know anything about the Fangs?"
"I know the blessing stopped two hundred and fifty years ago," Dante said, trying to stay calm.
Elder Yin shook his head slowly. "Then respectfully, Chief… you don't know anything."
Dante froze. Even Lucas, lying on the ritual bed, blinked in confusion.
"The Blessing of the Fangs began with our ancestor—your grandfather—the very first Fang, and the founder of the Jerom clan… Arthur Jerom," the elder continued. "From him, the Fang title passed to chosen individuals among the five other clans. Those six clans were created because their strongest warriors once carried the title of Fang."
He paused, his voice lowering.
"But among the Jeroms, only Arthur ever awakened it. That was why he was called The First Fang. In total, there have been twenty-one Fangs in history."
Elder Yin turned, his eyes sharp and certain.
"Chief Dante… I hereby declare your son, Lucas Jerom, the Second Fang of your bloodline…"He placed his hand gently on Lucas's marked face."…and the Twenty-Second Fang in all of history."
His voice deepened, echoing through the hall.
"Lucas Jerom is destined to be a Fang."