Chapter 3(Scene 1); Morning came quietly.
Too quietly.
Kael stood at the edge of the forest, watching as the first light of dawn filtered through the trees.
The night felt distant now.
Like something that had happened to someone else.
But the ground behind him told a different story.
Broken earth.
Shattered trees.
Blood that hadn't fully washed away.
Proof.
"…So this is my life now," Kael muttered.
"This is only the beginning."
Kael didn't respond.
He was getting used to that answer.
He stepped forward, leaving the clearing behind.
Each step felt… lighter.
Not physically.
But mentally.
Something had settled inside him.
The chaos from before—
The confusion—
The overwhelming surge of power—
It was still there.
But now—
It listened.
"…Control," Kael said under his breath.
The word echoed in his mind.
The man from last night.
His words.
His power.
"You're not ready yet."
Kael's jaw tightened slightly.
"…We'll see about that."
The forest thinned as he moved forward, trees giving way to a narrow dirt path—one that hadn't been used often, but wasn't abandoned either.
Civilization.
Close.
Kael paused.
Something felt… off.
Not danger.
Not exactly.
Different.
He crouched slightly, pressing his fingers against the ground.
"…Someone passed through here."
Fresh.
Hours ago.
More than one person.
But what caught his attention wasn't the number.
It was the scent.
Faint.
Subtle.
But unmistakable.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…A wolf?"
"Not just a wolf."
The voice sounded intrigued.
"Another one."
Kael froze.
"…Another… what?"
Silence.
Then—
"Another like you."
The words hit differently.
Kael stood slowly.
"…You're saying there's another Alpha?"
"No."
A pause.
"But not human either."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
"…A survivor?"
No answer.
That was answer enough.
Kael turned toward the direction of the trail.
"…Then I guess I'm not the only one left."
For the first time—
Something close to anticipation flickered in his chest.
Not just enemies.
Something else.
Something unknown.
Hours later—
The forest opened into a wide valley.
And at its center—
A town.
Small.
Quiet.
Unremarkable.
But Kael stopped walking the moment he saw it.
"…There's something wrong."
The town looked normal.
Smoke rose from chimneys.
People moved through the streets.
Nothing seemed out of place.
And yet—
Kael could feel it.
A tension beneath the surface.
A hidden pressure.
Like something dangerous was buried just out of sight.
"You feel it."
Kael nodded slightly.
"…Yeah."
His eyes scanned the area carefully.
"…They're here."
The organization.
There was no doubt.
He could feel traces of them.
Faint.
But present.
Watching.
Waiting.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…Good."
Then—
He started walking.
The town didn't react to him.
At least—
Not obviously.
People passed by normally.
Shops were open.
Voices filled the air.
But Kael noticed the small things.
The way some people avoided eye contact.
The way others looked at him for just a second too long.
And most importantly—
The ones who didn't look at him at all.
Those were the dangerous ones.
"Hunters."
Kael's gaze shifted slightly.
"…Yeah."
He spotted them easily now.
Three.
No—
Four.
Blending into the crowd.
Watching without watching.
Tracking him.
Kael smirked faintly.
"They're not even trying to hide."
"They don't need to."
Kael kept walking.
"…Then let's not disappoint them."
He turned into a narrow street—
Quiet.
Empty.
Perfect.
A few seconds passed.
Then—
Footsteps.
Behind him.
Then another.
And another.
They stepped in.
Four of them.
Blocking both ends of the street.
No civilians.
No witnesses.
Clean.
"…Convenient," Kael said.
One of them spoke.
"You shouldn't have come here."
Kael didn't turn around.
"…You should've stopped me."
Silence.
Then—
Steel slid free from its sheath.
Kael exhaled.
Slowly.
"…Let's see how much I've improved."
The air tightened.
And just before the first attack—
Kael felt it again.
That presence.
Stronger now.
Closer.
Watching.
Not one of the hunters.
Something else.
Kael's eyes flickered slightly.
"…So you came too."
The hunters didn't understand.
But they didn't need to.
Because the next second—
Kael moved.
Chapter 3(Scene 2); Kael moved first.
The moment his foot shifted—
The air snapped.
One of the hunters lunged from behind, blade flashing toward his spine.
Too slow.
Kael turned slightly—
Just enough—
His hand shot out.
GRAB.
The hunter's wrist stopped mid-strike.
"…You really should stop aiming for my back," Kael said calmly.
CRACK.
The wrist bent unnaturally.
The blade dropped.
Before the hunter could even scream—
Kael twisted—
And slammed him into the ground.
BOOM.
The impact shook the narrow street, cracks spreading across the stone beneath them.
The other three moved instantly.
No hesitation.
No panic.
Coordinated.
Two attacked from the front.
One from above—leaping from the side wall with a downward strike aimed at Kael's head.
Kael exhaled.
His world slowed again.
Not because they were slow.
But because he wasn't.
He stepped forward—
A blade passed where his neck had been.
He leaned—
Another strike missed by inches.
Then—
He moved.
Fast.
Clean.
His fist drove into the nearest hunter's chest—
CRACK.
The man flew backward, slamming into the wall hard enough to dent it.
Kael turned—
The one above was already descending—
Kael stepped into it.
Not away.
His shoulder collided with the hunter mid-air—
BOOM.
The impact redirected him straight into the ground.
Dust exploded upward.
The last hunter hesitated.
Just for a second.
That was enough.
Kael appeared in front of him.
"…Don't."
The hunter froze.
Kael's golden eyes locked onto his.
"Run."
Silence.
The hunter's grip trembled.
For a moment—
He considered it.
Then—
His training kicked in.
He attacked.
Wrong choice.
Kael sighed.
"…Yeah. That sounds about right."
A blur—
Then—
Silence.
Moments later—
The street was still again.
Four bodies.
No movement.
Kael stood alone.
His breathing calm.
His body steady.
"…Too easy," he muttered.
"You're improving."
Kael glanced at his hands briefly.
"…Not enough."
Because he could still feel it.
That presence.
Watching.
Waiting.
Not interfering.
Kael turned slowly.
"…You're not very subtle."
Silence.
Then—
A voice.
"…Neither are you."
It came from above.
Kael looked up.
And saw her.
Standing on the edge of a rooftop.
Still.
Balanced.
Watching him.
Her silhouette was sharp against the morning light, long hair shifting slightly with the wind. Her posture was relaxed—but not careless.
Ready.
Always ready.
Kael's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…You've been following me."
She tilted her head.
"Observing," she corrected.
Her voice was calm.
Clear.
But there was something underneath it.
Something familiar.
Kael took a slow step back.
"…You're not human."
She smiled faintly.
"Neither are you."
Silence.
The air between them shifted.
Not hostile.
But not friendly either.
Measured.
Kael studied her more carefully now.
"…You're the one I sensed earlier."
She didn't deny it.
Instead—
She jumped.
Landing lightly in front of him without a sound.
Too light.
Too controlled.
Kael's instincts reacted instantly.
"Wolf."
The voice inside him confirmed it.
"But not like you."
Kael's gaze sharpened.
"…What are you?"
She looked at him for a moment.
Then—
She answered.
"…A survivor."
Those words hit differently.
Kael's expression shifted slightly.
"…From Ashfang?"
For the first time—
She hesitated.
Just a fraction.
Then—
She shook her head.
"No."
A pause.
"But I know what happened to them."
Kael's eyes darkened.
"…Then start talking."
She didn't move.
Didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
Her gaze shifted slightly… past him.
Kael felt it too.
Another presence.
Faint.
But growing.
More hunters.
And not just a few this time.
The girl exhaled quietly.
"…We don't have time."
Kael didn't look away from her.
"Make time."
She met his gaze.
Serious now.
"If you stay here…"
A pause.
"…you'll die."
Kael smirked slightly.
"I've heard that before."
Her expression didn't change.
"…And next time, you won't come back."
Silence.
That—
Got his attention.
"…Explain," Kael said.
But she was already turning away.
"Follow me."
Kael didn't move.
"…Or?"
She glanced back slightly.
"…Or stay and find out what happens when they stop sending scouts."
A pause.
"…And start sending monsters."
Silence.
Kael looked at her.
Then at the bodies around him.
Then—
At the direction she was heading.
His eyes flickered.
Decision made.
"…You better not be wasting my time."
She smirked faintly.
"Keep up."
Then—
She vanished.
Not like the man.
Not like Kael.
Different.
Faster in bursts.
Lighter.
Kael's lips curved slightly.
"…Yeah."
Then—
He disappeared too.
And just seconds later—
The street was empty.
But far behind them—
Something else arrived.
Dozens of figures.
Standing over the fallen hunters.
One of them stepped forward.
"…He's evolving faster than expected."
Another spoke.
"…And he's not alone anymore."
Silence.
Then—
A single command.
"Deploy the hounds."
The air grew colder.
And somewhere in the distance—
Something howled.
Chapter 3(Scene 3);
The moment they left the town—
They ran.
No hesitation.
No slowing down.
The girl moved like the wind.
Light.
Precise.
She didn't break through the forest—
She flowed through it.
Branches bent just enough.
Roots missed her feet by inches.
Every movement was efficient.
Kael followed.
At first—
He kept pace easily.
Then—
She sped up.
"…Trying to lose me?" Kael called out.
Her voice came from ahead.
"Trying to keep you alive."
Kael smirked slightly.
"…Same thing."
But even as he said it—
He felt it.
That pressure again.
Behind them.
Growing.
"They're coming."
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…How many?"
The voice didn't answer immediately.
That was a bad sign.
"…More than before."
Kael exhaled.
"…Of course."
The girl suddenly changed direction—
Sharp left.
Kael followed instantly.
"…You know where you're going?" he asked.
"Better than you."
Fair.
They burst through a dense section of trees—
Then slowed.
Not stopped.
Slowed.
The girl landed lightly on a thick branch, crouching low.
Kael landed beside her a second later.
"…Why are we stopping?"
She didn't answer.
Instead—
She raised a hand slightly.
Wait.
Kael frowned—
Then he felt it.
Closer now.
Much closer.
And different.
Not like the hunters.
Not controlled.
Not human.
Wild.
His instincts reacted instantly.
Danger.
"…What is that?" Kael asked quietly.
The girl's expression hardened.
"…Hounds."
Kael blinked.
"…Dogs?"
She shot him a look.
"…If you think that, you'll die."
Silence.
Then—
They arrived.
The forest went still.
Then—
Something moved.
Low.
Fast.
A blur between the trees.
Then another.
And another.
Kael's eyes locked onto one—
Just in time.
It stepped into the open.
And for a moment—
Even he didn't move.
"…That's not a dog."
The creature stood low to the ground, its body lean but twisted, muscles too defined, too sharp. Its limbs bent at unnatural angles, its claws digging into the earth as it exhaled slowly.
Its eyes—
Glowed.
Not gold.
Not human.
A cold, unnatural blue.
Its mouth opened slightly—
Revealing rows of jagged teeth.
Too many.
Then—
It smiled.
Kael's instincts screamed.
"These are wrong."
More stepped out.
Three.
Five.
Eight.
Surrounding them.
Completely silent.
The girl stood slowly.
"…They don't think," she said quietly.
Kael didn't take his eyes off them.
"…I figured."
"They don't feel."
"…Yeah."
"They don't stop."
Kael's lips curved slightly.
"…Good."
The girl glanced at him.
"…You're serious?"
Kael cracked his neck slightly.
"I just got warmed up."
One of the hounds stepped forward.
Then—
Without warning—
It lunged.
Too fast.
Even faster than the hunters.
Kael reacted instantly—
He stepped forward—
And punched.
BOOM.
The impact sent the creature flying sideways, crashing through multiple trees.
But—
Kael's expression changed.
"…It didn't break."
The girl moved.
A flash of motion—
Her leg cut through the air—
CRACK.
The hound she struck was sent into the ground with force—
But it twisted mid-impact—
Landing on all fours again.
Unharmed.
"…Told you," she said.
The hounds began to circle.
Slow.
Patient.
Predatory.
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"…They're testing us."
The girl nodded.
"…They always do."
Then—
All at once—
They attacked.
The forest exploded into motion.
One from the left—
Two from the right—
Three from above—
Kael moved.
He ducked low—
A claw passed over his head—
He spun—
His kick connected—
BOOM.
Another hound was launched back—
But again—
It landed.
Still moving.
Still alive.
"…Annoying," Kael muttered.
The girl dashed past him—
Fast.
Sharp.
Her hand flashed—
A blade appeared—
Not silver.
Black.
She struck—
Clean.
Precise.
The hound froze.
Then—
Collapsed.
Not injured.
Dead.
Kael's eyes widened slightly.
"…That worked."
She didn't look back.
"…Aim for the core."
Kael blinked.
"…The what?"
Too late.
Another hound slammed into him—
BOOM.
They crashed into the ground, rolling through dirt and roots.
The creature snapped at him—
Teeth inches from his face—
Kael's arm blocked it—
Straining.
"…Okay—now would be a great time to explain!"
The girl's voice came sharply—
"Chest. Slightly left. That's where it is!"
Kael's eyes flickered.
Core.
He shifted—
Ignoring the claws digging into his side—
And drove his hand forward.
Straight into the creature's chest.
CRACK.
His claws pierced through—
Something inside—
Shattered.
The hound froze.
Then—
Dropped.
Gone.
Kael stared at it for half a second.
"…Huh."
Then—
He smiled.
"…Now that makes things interesting."
Around them—
The remaining hounds didn't retreat.
Didn't hesitate.
Didn't fear.
They just…
Prepared.
For another round.
Kael stood.
Blood on his hands.
Eyes glowing.
Beside him—
The girl spun her blade once.
"…Don't get careless."
Kael smirked.
"Too late."
Then—
They moved.
Together.