[ The Administrator ]

Part II Chapter 19 - Unknown object

It was a land of endless woods. The densely packed trees loomed high above, but their twigs curled in a distorted way, as the cold and the wind still howled in tempestuous gusts. The forest, dark and foreboding, was bereft of noise, as if every rustle was stolen away in the night. A thick mist floated in the air, as a glimpse of moon and stars could be seen in the cloudy sky. Without any maps to follow and the woodland stretching unbroken for miles, the perpetual dark would disorient more than one. Anyone sane would refuse to step into the forest, so it was usually silent. However, this night, the sound of footsteps could be heard.

A dozen of figures were making their way through the branches and the knotted roots. The group was following nothing else but their senses. In these lands, it was the only way to navigate. Despite the icy breeze flowing around them, they still sank in the thick maze of woodland, seemingly not bothered by the utter blackness of nighttime.

In the darkness, anyone would have mistaken the group for humans. However, they weren't. While their general aspect was the one of a human's, they still had some distinct features. Their eyes were glowing in the night, and instead of having nails, they had claws. On their forearms, there was a nascent fur that went down until their hands. They also had pointy ears, similar to elvish ears, but much shorter. Infamous for being cursed, transforming whenever the full moon crested in the sky, they were werewolves.

"It should be here. Start searching." The cold voice of the one who seemed to be the leader ordered.

Proudly standing in the semi-shadow, he knew no fear. He was on the top of the food chain and he knew it. With the killer instinct of a wolf, but the intelligence of a human, he led his pack to be the strongest. Their kills were always premeditated. They weren't murders, but slaughters. Still, they did not kill randomly. They were not monsters; they were protectors, fighting for their kind's survival.

Immediately complying with the alpha's orders, the group split up. Only one boy stayed behind. Not even older than twelve, he was the splitting image of the leader, in a younger version.

"You should start searching too, Virion." The alpha muttered. "I didn't take you with me so that you could sit there and wait. It is time for you to deserve your place within the pack."

"Father, I..." As his voice died down, the boy fell silent for a few seconds. He wanted to speak up, but he knew that the chief's words were absolute and that it was useless to contest.

He had grown in these hostile lands, so the ominous atmosphere they gave off did not impress him. However, this time was different. The pack didn't know what kind of threat they would be facing off, so the boy couldn't help but feel worried. Still, his father wasn't going to spare him. The young werewolves were taught the hard way, and those who couldn't follow were left behind. Being the Alpha's son wasn't going to help him, he knew that. In order to survive in these lands, the pack needed to be ruthless. Only the strongs were allowed to stay, while the weaks were exiled.

It was a test. The boy knew that if he couldn't do this much, the pack will definitely abandon him, and here, being left alone was equivalent to a death sentence. Putting his fears aside, the boy gathered his courage as a new glimpse of determination could be seen in his eyes.

"Yes, father." He said, before disappearing behind the trees in his turn.

Not even bothering looking behind him, where his son just left, the leader stayed indifferent. As a father, he should have felt some pride seeing his boy wanting to prove himself, or some concern knowing that he would be venturing alone in this dangerous place. Yet, the chief didn't feel any of these, or at least, he didn't manifest it. He had learnt to never show his emotions and stay cold-blooded in all circumstances. Werewolves were known to have anger issues, so they were taught from a young age to control their emotions. As the Alpha, he was even more expected to stay emotionless all the time. Besides, he didn't have the time to worry about his son's safety.