Combat classes became part of their daily rhythm.
Every morning, the clang of steel and the sharp thud of bodies hitting the mat echoed through the training hall. Bruises were no longer shocking; exhaustion had become familiar. They were learning how to fight —not just with fists and weapons, but with instinct, discipline, and control. For most of them, it was thrilling. For others, terrifying.
Then, on a unfortunate afternoon, Mrs. Helen arrived.
She stood at the center of the hall, her posture straight, her presence commanding silence without effort. Mrs. Helen was the transformation teacher — feared by the newbies and respected by everyone else. Her lessons were never simple, and never forgiving.
"Today," she announced calmly, "we'll be doing business — General business of course!"
Whispers were heard in the hall.
She explained that the new students would begin learning how to transform into their supernatural forms. Not fully—not yet. What they would attempt was a half transformation, just enough to awaken what slept inside them. More importantly, they would also learn how to return to their human bodies. Control, she emphasized, was everything.
Cole's name was called early — but not for participation.
"You won't be performing today," Mrs. Helen told him, her eyes lingering on him a second longer than necessary. "Your situation requires… special handling." She elaborated.
Cole said nothing. He simply stepped back, moving to the edge of the hall, where shadows gathered near the stone pillars. From there, he just watched, not thinking much.
Kevin and Lenora were the firsts set she called forward.
Strangely, they looked calm — almost comfortable. The air itself seemed to respond to them, as if recognizing what they were. They followed every instruction carefully: breathing steady, minds focused, bodies relaxed but ready.
The change came slowly at first.
Kevin's eyes shifted, glowing faintly as his muscles tightened, his stance becoming more predatory. Lenora's transformation was quieter but no less powerful — her presence sharpened, her movements fluid, something ancient flickering beneath her skin. Both of them stood there, caught between worlds: not fully human, not fully supernatural.
Half-transformed.
At Mrs. Helen's command, they simply reversed the process.
The glow faded. The tension eased. Flesh and bone settled back into their human forms. When it was over, Kevin and Lenora were breathing hard — but they were smiling. They had done it.
From the distance, Cole felt something twist inside him. Kevin winked at him before the class ended, as other new students had done thiers with ease.
After the class ended, Mrs. Helen approached him briefly.
"You'll do yours privately," she said. "When the time is right."
The room Mrs. Helen assigned to him was small and circular, hidden deep beneath the academy. No windows. Just stone walls etched with ancient symbols that pulsed faintly, as if they were alive.
Cole stood alone at the center.
Minutes passed..... Then longer ones. She never came.
At first, he told himself it didn't matter. He'd trained. He'd watched Kevin and Lenora. He knew the basics— focus, breathe, let it rise, don't fight it.
But whatever lived inside him didn't respond to rules.
The air around him shifted.
Cole's chest tightened as a strange heat spread through his veins — not painful, but overwhelming, like two heartbeats trying to exist in the same body. He staggered back a step, pressing his palm against the cold stone wall.
"Easy," He muttered to himself. "Just… half. Half of it and that's all"
He closed his eyes.
The first change came without permission.
His senses sharpened all at once —the silence grew loud, every sound echoing too clearly. His breath deepened, heavier than it should've been. When he opened his eyes, the symbols on the walls glowed brighter, reacting to him.
Then came the pull.
Something ancient stirred beneath his skin, something wild and something cold — two forces awakening at the same time. His reflection in the polished stone floor flickered, unstable, like it couldn't decide what he was supposed to be.
His hands trembled.
Dark veins briefly traced along his arms before fading. His shadow stretched unnaturally across the floor, splitting, merging, shifting shape. His heartbeat thundered in his ears as his body hovered on the edge of change —fangs threatening to form, strength surging, instincts screaming. This wasn't a half transformation.
This was a war.
Cole dropped to one knee, breathing hard, sweat dripping from his brow. He forced his mind to focus — not on what he was becoming, but on who he was.
Memories began to flash through his head — the images with a woman in a white robe, the suited man with enormous books and the chaotic Ruch of people was all over his mind. He had experienced this before but not in the same way.
"It's still me,"he said aloud, voice strained.
Slowly—painfully—the chaos began to settle.
The glow dimmed. The pressure in his chest eased. His body stabilized, caught in a fragile balance: eyes faintly glowing, muscles coiled with unnatural power, presence heavier than before—but still human enough to stand.
Half-transformed..... Barely. The moment didn't last.
A sharp wave of exhaustion crashed over him, and the supernatural edge retreated just as quickly as it had appeared. Cole collapsed fully to the floor, gasping, his body reverting to human form. Silence returned.
When he finally pushed himself up, his legs shaky, one thought echoed clearly in his mind: Mrs. Helen hadn't stayed away by accident.
Whatever he was… he wasn't meant to learn this alone.
In thoughts, suddenly, his consciousness faded and he landed weightlessly onto the wooden floor.