The leader gave him a hard task. How was he going to tell all five of them? He was given a limited time to execute the leader’s orders. He was not allowed to tell each one about the others. The leader told him that the five should discover it for themselves. It will test their self-control and teamwork.
He shook his head as he proceeded to walk toward his quarters.
It has been quite a while since he discovered his other personality. Rather, the other half that made up his entire existence.
He was seventeen at that time. He barely recalled the first time he changed into his other self. It was a very painful experience. He would rather forget about it than keep the memory. It was not a very good memory. He had hurt people he loved. He didn’t mean to hurt them, but at that time, he didn’t have any choice. Everything happened quickly. It was as if a bullet had been shot through his heart. He had clutched it and felt his insides burning. It felt as if his eyes were on fire. He managed to drag his feet toward the front of the mirror and watch his reflection. His eyes had become red, his skin almost translucent. But a little while later, his arms started growing grey, fine hairs. Fur, to be exact. He looked right into his reflection in the mirror. He no longer saw himself. In front of him, staring at the mirror, was a big animal. Like a dog, but bigger, fiercer. A wolf. A cry had escaped his lips. He had been afraid. But his cry sounded like a low whimper. He tried calling his mom for help. But instead of his mom’s name, he heard a howl. That was when his mom knocked on his door to check on him. He had bounded toward the door and pressed his paw to lock the knob. Deep inside him, he had wanted his mom, but an unknown rage had formed around his soft heart. It made his mouth dry. He had started to lick his lips and taste the air. He had tasted meat. Blood.
And the rest of the memory became blurred. He had forced himself to blur everything. But until this time, he still heard the faint cries of pain that came from his mom.
No. He shouldn’t think about it.
He was in control of himself now. He had learned to control everything now. He can transform at will and avoid people. He didn’t attack for no justifiable reason anymore. It had been the longest year of his life. Every month, during full moon, he changed involuntarily. Until he met the leader and Miho.
He was wandering along the banks of the Golas River one day, feeling bad about himself. He had just made a meal out of a mugger he saw at one of the alleyways downtown. The guy had been holding a gun to a woman’s side. He hadn’t eaten for days and he didn’t have any money to buy food. He had steered clear from his home, to avoid further damage than what was done.
Now, as he walked along the banks, his sense of smell caught a queer aroma. His heightened eyesight caught smoke rising on top of some trees. He broke into a run. There was something about the scent that drew him in. It was the kind of scent that relaxed his tensed muscles and minimized the rage inside him. As he drew nearer the scent, his eyes saw a glint in between two trees. There was a house? He had been curious, so he slowly walked toward the two trees and saw a tiny house nestled between it. Smoke was rising up from a tall chimney and the front door was opened. A man was sitting down on what looked like a wicker chair. The man had his eyes closed, but when the wind blew, the man’s eyes flew open and as if the wind whispered something in his ears, the man looked toward his direction. He had started to run. But the man was faster. He had stopped. His heart was pounding hard when he saw the man’s eyes. They were blood red.
The blood red eyes surveyed him and as if in a move mastered through time, the man inhaled his scent. The eyes never left his, though. Then, the man spoke.
“You are alone.”
It was not a question. And the man’s voice sounded like authority. It was the voice of a leader. Deep inside him, he wanted to counter the man’s statement. But, oddly enough, he automatically surrendered. He knew this man was like him.
