Divine Odyssey: Book one

Part 2

 "But we never got your name," Delphine interjected. Dori, still bewildered, hesitated before responding.

"So, y'all are just some girls living in this canyon?" she asked, seeking clarification.

"Oh no," Delphine replied, shaking her head. "We aren't just some girls."

Dori stared at them blankly. "Okay... So, are y'all warlocks too?"

"Warlocks too?" Eden screeched. "You're a boy?"

Dori was taken aback. "A boy?"

"Yeah, aren't warlocks only boys?" Delphine questioned.

"No, but that doesn't matter. What are y'all?" Dori pressed, trying to make sense of the situation.

Dori's eyes hadn't fully opened yet, but she could hear faint whispers among the girls, suspicious of her.

The girls exchanged more suspicious glances before Eden spoke up. "Me and Cornid are shape-shifters," she said slowly, as if she were nervous to say. "And I'm a werewolf," added Delphine shyly.

"So, does this castle rule over a village or just itself?" Koi inquired as Finley guided him through the castle's corridors.

"Yeah, there's a village at the base of that hill," Finley replied, gesturing towards a window. "My dad and stepmom are trying to arrange a marriage for me with some girl from the village."

"Really? They're forcing you to marry someone you don't want to?" Koi's incredulity was evident as he fixed Finley with a questioning gaze.

Finley's response was tinged with a hint of cynicism. "Are you stupid or something? That's how things work in every kingdom."

As they reached the doorway to Finley's room, Koi persisted, "Who do you actually want to marry?"

Initially met with silence, Koi turned to leave, but Finley's voice halted him. "A boy. You know him," he admitted with an enchanting smirk.

That morning, Koi rose early and set out for a walk along the trail behind the castle. Lost in a whirlwind of thoughts about the events of the past few days, he failed to notice the brown wolf stealthily approaching him. It wasn't until it was too late that he became aware of its presence.

With a sudden lunge, the wolf pounced, its teeth bared and claws extended. Koi barely had time to react before he found himself knocked to the ground, the weight of the wolf pinning him down. Sharp pain shot through his shoulder like flaming needles as the wolf sank its teeth into him.

He attempted to conceal the wound as he made his way back to his room, covering it tightly with one hand. Even so, his magical abilities couldn't mend it. Puzzled by this failure, Koi racked his brain for an explanation. Then, a memory surfaced— the recollection of an old warlock from his hometown. A patient had once arrived with a wolf bite on his calf, and Koi distinctly remembered the warlock's words: it was no ordinary wolf bite, but rather a werewolf bite.

The realization struck Koi like a bolt of lightning, causing him to gasp in disbelief. As footsteps approached down the hallway, Koi hastily retreated into his room, leaving the door slightly ajar to observe Finley entering his own quarters. With a sharp intake of breath, Koi tensed his shoulder, bracing for the pain, only to let out a cry of surprise as the bite vanished, leaving no trace of its presence behind.

Koi rapped lightly on Finley's door. When it swung open, Finley's expression betrayed surprise. "Koi? What's up?" he inquired.

"Yeah," Koi replied, shuffling awkwardly. "I just wanted to know tonight's moon phase," he blurted out hastily.

"Oh, sure, I can tell you," Finley responded, disappearing briefly into his room before reemerging. "It's a full moon," he announced.

Koi's complexion turned ashen as the implications dawned on him. He knew all too well what this meant — every new werewolf would undergo a transformation, losing control of their mental faculties.

"Thanks," Koi muttered in response, turning on his heel and retreating to his own room. For the remainder of the day, he remained holed up inside, unwilling to face any questions about his peculiar behavior.

As the sun dipped toward the horizon, Koi slipped out of the castle, determined to ensure his transformation went unnoticed. Finding a secluded spot beneath a tree in the forest, he settled down, his gaze fixed on the fading light of the setting sun.

Anxiety gnawed at him as he waited, his nerves manifesting in restless movements, his fingers absently toying with sticks and pebbles. Suddenly, an agonizing sensation ripped through his body, as if a multitude of knives were slicing through his flesh from within. Koi cried out in pain, doubling over and curling into a tight ball, his groans echoing through the stillness of the forest.

The excruciating torment gradually subsided, but so too did his consciousness. With faltering movements, Koi attempted to rise, only to collapse back to the ground, succumbing to the darkness that enveloped him as he lost consciousness. He felt a falling sensation for a second as thoughts of destruction that weren't his creeped into his head. He felt his teeth bearing and claws flexing as he lay in his personal darkness, but closed his eyes once more. Begging to hold on, his heart was beating furiously. He felt all of his own mind slip away like sand through his fingers.