WOLF WALKERS

Chapter 6.

 Hiroshi's POV

The moon hung high in the sky, casting a silvery glow over the forest. Hiroshi and his friends, Kazuo and Takeshi, stumbled through the underbrush, their flashlights casting erratic beams of light. The forest was eerily quiet, the usual chorus of nocturnal creatures strangely absent.

"This place gives me the creeps," Kazuo muttered, swatting at a branch that snagged his shirt."Relax," Hiroshi said, though he couldn't shake the uneasy feeling that had settled in his stomach. "It's just a forest. Nothing to be scared of."

Takeshi snorted. "Yeah, except for the fact that it's the same forest that almost burned down a few weeks ago. You remember that, right?"

Hiroshi rolled his eyes. "I remember. But that's all over now. Besides, I've got something to prove."

Kazuo glanced at him. "Prove what? That you can still be a jerk even out here?"

Hiroshi stopped and turned to face his friends. "No, I need to prove that I'm not afraid of anything. Not Kiyoko, not the forest, nothing."

Kazuo and Takeshi exchanged glances, but they said nothing. Hiroshi had been different since that day in the alleyway, quieter and more withdrawn. They suspected it had something to do with Kiyoko, but Hiroshi never talked about it.

They continued deeper into the forest, the trees closing in around them. Hiroshi's flashlight flickered, casting long, wavering shadows that danced on the forest floor. Every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig made his heart race, but he pushed the fear aside.

"What exactly are we looking for?" Takeshi asked after a while."Anything," Hiroshi said. "Signs of animals, tracks, whatever. I just want to show that we can handle ourselves out here."
As they walked, Hiroshi's thoughts drifted back to Kiyoko. He still remembered the shock of seeing those claws, the searing pain of the scratch on his cheek. The memory made his anger flare up again. 

How had Kiyoko done that? 

And what was he hiding?

The sound of snapping twigs broke through his thoughts. Hiroshi froze, signalling for his friends to be quiet. They listened intently, the forest seeming to hold its breath around them."Did you hear that?" Kazuo whispered.

Hiroshi nodded, his eyes scanning the darkness. "Stay close. We don't know what's out here." They moved forward cautiously, their flashlights barely penetrating the thick gloom. The sound came again, closer this time. Hiroshi's pulse quickened, but he forced himself to stay calm.

Suddenly, a figure darted out of the shadows, moving so quickly that Hiroshi barely had time to react. He stumbled back, his flashlight falling from his hand and clattering to the ground."Kiyoko?" he called out, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and anger.

The figure paused, and for a moment, Hiroshi thought he saw the glint of familiar eyes. But then the figure vanished into the darkness, leaving only the rustle of leaves in its wake.

Kazuo and Takeshi rushed to Hiroshi's side, their faces pale. "What the hell was that?" Takeshi gasped. Hiroshi shook his head, trying to steady his breathing. "I don't know. But we're not leaving until we find out."

They picked up Hiroshi's flashlight and continued on, their senses heightened. Every shadow seemed to move, every sound amplified in the stillness of the night. As they ventured deeper, Hiroshi couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. The forest felt alive, almost sentient, as if it were observing their every move. The memory of Kiyoko's transformation haunted him, fuelling his determination to uncover the truth.

Suddenly, they stumbled upon a small clearing, and Hiroshi's breath caught in his throat. The ground was scorched, the remnants of the recent fire evident in the charred trees and blackened earth. But what drew his attention were the tracks—huge paw prints that seemed to belong to an animal far larger than any wolf he'd ever seen.

Kazuo knelt down, running his fingers over the tracks. "These are fresh," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Takeshi looked around nervously. "Maybe we should head back. This doesn't feel right."

Hiroshi shook his head, a steely determination in his eyes. "No. We're close to finding something. Let's keep moving." As they followed the tracks, the air grew colder, and the forest seemed to close in around them. Hiroshi's mind raced with possibilities. 

Could Kiyoko be connected to these tracks? 

What kind of creature were they dealing with?

The tracks led them to a cave, its entrance hidden behind a curtain of vines. Hiroshi pushed the vines aside and peered into the darkness. A low growl emanated from within, sending a chill down his spine.

"We need to be careful," Hiroshi said, his voice barely audible. They stepped into the cave, the darkness swallowing them whole. Hiroshi's flashlight flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

 As they ventured deeper, the growling grew louder, more menacing. Suddenly, a pair of glowing eyes appeared in the darkness, and a massive wolf-like creature lunged at them. Hiroshi and his friends scrambled back, their screams echoing through the cave.

"Run!" Hiroshi shouted, pushing his friends towards the exit. They bolted out of the cave, the creature hot on their heels. As they burst into the clearing, the moonlight revealed the full horror of the beast. It was unlike anything they had ever seen—a monstrous fusion of wolf and something else, something otherworldly.

Hiroshi turned to face the creature, his heart pounding. "Kiyoko!" he called out, hoping against hope that his old adversary would hear him. To his shock, the creature hesitated, its eyes flickering with a hint of recognition. For a brief moment, Hiroshi saw a glimmer of Kiyoko within the beast, a connection he couldn't quite understand.

The moment passed, and the creature roared, charging at them once more. But before it could reach them, a figure leaped from the shadows, tackling the beast to the ground. It was another wolf, equally massive and powerful.

"Go!" the new wolf growled, its voice unmistakably Kiyoko's. Hiroshi and his friends didn't need to be told twice. They ran as fast as they could, not stopping until they reached the edge of the forest. Gasping for breath, Hiroshi turned back to see the two wolves locked in a fierce battle, their roars echoing through the night.

"What the hell is going on?" Kazuo panted, his eyes wide with fear.Hiroshi shook his head, unable to find the words. The truth was more incredible than he could have ever imagined. Kiyoko wasn't just a boy; he was something more, something wild and untamed.

As they made their way back to town, Hiroshi's mind raced with questions. He knew he needed to find Kiyoko, to understand what he had become. But for now, all he could do was run and hope that Kiyoko would survive the night.

The forest had revealed its secrets, and Hiroshi was determined to uncover them all.