Hour of the Moon

Chapter 28: The Truth

In the stillness of the night, fear gripped my heart like icy talons as I stood transfixed, gazing into the eyes of my once-deceased brother. His presence, once a distant memory buried beneath layers of grief, now stood before me, a haunting specter resurrected by the blood of a white wolf demon.

"I died, but I was revived by the blood of the white wolf demon. He gave me a new chance at life, again," Wohali's voice cut through the silence, each word dripping with an otherworldly weight that sent shivers down my spine.

His movements, seemingly harmless, held an unspoken threat that coiled around me, squeezing the air from my lungs. "Why are you here?" I managed to choke out, my voice barely a whisper against the suffocating weight of fear.

A deep sigh escaped Wohali's lips, his gaze drifting downward as if weighed down by the burden of his existence. "I came back because I wanted to see you, I wanted to get my life back together. But this town, the place that I called home, is going to meet its end. It is the prophecy being fulfilled."

The softness in his eyes hardened, morphing into a raw fury that burned with the intensity of a wildfire. His eyes, tinged with a crimson hue, spoke of a darkness that threatened to consume everything in its path.

As his words pierced through the air, each syllable a dagger aimed at my heart, I felt the familiar ache of grief swell within me. "The community mourned your loss, Wali," I protested, desperation lacing my voice.

But his laughter, bitter and filled with scorn, echoed through the night, cutting through the silence like a blade. "The same community that pretended to love me," he spat, his words laced with venom.

And then, like a storm unleashed, his anger surged forth, tearing through the fragile facade of brotherly love that once bound us together. His accusations, sharp as daggers, pierced through my defenses, leaving me raw and exposed.

But even as his words lashed out like a whip, I refused to believe the darkness that threatened to consume him. "You don't mean the words you're saying," I pleaded, my voice trembling with uncertainty.

Yet, as his gaze bore into mine with a ferocity that left me reeling, I knew the truth. He hated me, despised me for the role I had unwittingly played in his demise. And as the realization dawned upon me, a fire ignited within, burning with a righteous fury that demanded retribution.

"I had NO choice," I roared, my words a defiant challenge against the darkness that threatened to consume us both. "I had to step in, the Elders indoctrinated me to take your place! And I hate every minute of it!"

But his laughter, cruel and mocking, echoed through the night, drowning out my protests. "Who do you think ordered the HIT to kill me?" he sneered, each word laced with a bitter disdain. "The beloved Elders, funny right? Mom and dad never told you that, because they wanted to protect their precious baby boy. Poor little Waya, PATHETIC."

The rage within me, a primal force unleashed, surged forth like a tidal wave, drowning out the darkness that threatened to consume us both. And as I charged toward him, my form shifting and contorting beneath the light of the moon, I knew that this would be a battle not just for survival, but for the very soul of our fractured bond.

But amidst the chaos and the fury, one thought burned brighter than the rest: the knowledge that I, Waya, was betrothed to Nani, Wohali's old girlfriend, a truth that added another layer of betrayal to an already fractured relationship.

I couldn't see through the fur and blood, as I felt his sharp claws tearing into my skin, the wounds oozing with copious amounts of blood. I didn't want to fight my brother, but in a sick twist of fate, here we were battling like ancient adversaries.

The clash between our primal forms echoed through the night, each collision sending shockwaves of pain reverberating through my body. As Wohali's teeth sank into my shoulder, a primal howl of agony tore from my throat, mingling with the frenzied symphony of our growls.

We circled each other, locked in a deadly dance of predator and prey. Despite Wohali's larger size, the years of training and growth had rendered us evenly matched in our lupine forms.

A sharp, piercing sound shattered the tension, causing us both to pause in our savage assault. Wohali's head snapped up in alert, the sound a signal of his newfound allegiance to the wolf demons. In an instant, he transformed back into his human form, his clothes tattered and stained with blood.

A bloody smile twisted his lips as he looked down at me, a grotesque parody of sibling affection. With an annoyed sigh, he patted his clothes, as if the brutal fight we had just engaged in was nothing more than a minor inconvenience.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't kill you now," he mused, his voice dripping with venomous intent. "But I'll be back, baby brother. Consider this a courtesy warning. The full moon approaches, and with it, your community's reckoning."

With a final taunting glance, he dissolved into the darkness, leaving me alone with the weight of his ominous words. If I had been an unbeliever, I might have doubted the reality of what had just transpired. But the truth was undeniable, and I knew that I could not face this threat alone.

With a silent prayer to the moon above, I reached out telepathically to my pack, sending out a desperate plea for help.

For once in a long time, I feared the eminent danger lying ahead.