Samhain

chapter ten: where he runs

He speeds past a 'NO RUNNING' sign, which spins and topples over. The sign didn't mention chasing, so he figured this was an okay exception.

"Wooyoung!" San shouts behind him. "You can't outrun us!"

Mingi's call follows, more composed but still urgent. "We just want to talk!"

Wooyoung's feet hit the ground a little faster now, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. The night air is frigid against his skin, a stark contrast to the burning in his lungs.

None of the werewolves expected him to start running the moment they left the church. They are giving chase, their urgent cries begging him to stop, but he can't afford to slow down. Not now.

He isn't stupid. He had seen the guarded glances they exchanged, the unspoken fear in their eyes. The way Yunho's eyes were dark with anger as he glared at Wooyoung. It's obvious to him what their plans are – killing him is the easiest way to break the curse that has wrapped its sinister claws around their lives.

With each step he takes, grief clutches his heart a little tighter, weighing him down as though he were made of lead. He feels the burden of his recklessness, stealing the forbidden spell book in search of more power, casting the dark magic sealed within it. The consequences of his catastrophic spell failure had thrust them into this mess, and he intends to solve it on his own.

He could crumble under his guilt.

Wooyoung's pulse quickens as he strains against the speed charm he hastily casts on himself. He pushes his body to the limit, trying to propel himself forward with all the strength he can muster.

Despite the grueling effort, the pursuing werewolves effortlessly match his pace. Their supernatural abilities grant them extraordinary agility and speed. Footsteps sound relentlessly behind him, a steady drum of shoes against pavement that echo their determination to catch up to him.

It's at this point that Wooyoung wishes he wasn't so afraid of heights. If only he had a broom - he could escape so much easier from the murderous werewolves following right behind him. He had always been terrified of soaring high above the ground, a fear that always held him back from experiences that other magic users take for granted.

All of the witches he knows love flaunting their state-of-the-art broomsticks, loaded with modern features like LED lights, USB ports, and automatics. These sleek and powerful brooms symbolize courage that Wooyoung could never have.

Maybe that's why he did it. His worries drew him to the forbidden section, and his insecurities pulled the book off of the shelf.

He will never be good enough in his own eyes.

Wooyoung dips into an alleyway.

"Yunho, San - grab him!" Hongjoong barks his orders. Wooyoung hears two sets of feet splinter from the group and follow him into the narrow passageway.

Desperate to escape his two pursuers, Wooyoung summons his magic. With a focused mind and whispered incantation, golden duplicates begin to melt off of his body and spring to action beside him. Dozens of Wooyoungs are now mirroring his every thought and instinct, some running alongside him, some knocking over boxes, and others splitting into different directions.

He begins to choke on air from overexertion. He's being hunted. Life or death. Life or death. He repeats this mantra in his head over and over as he dodges past trash cans and feral garden gnomes scavenging for food.

The only thing he can hear is the clamor of his magical duplicates, darting through narrow alleyways to throw them off. He dares to hope, to entertain a touch of optimism that he managed to lose them, though he knows it's a foolish thought. No one can outrun a pack of werewolves when they are caught up in the fervor of the hunt.