Mine

I am not stupid not to know what monster this was... it was a werewolf.

But even though my brain knew the word, my heart screamed in denial. My eyes refused to look away from the terrifying beast standing before us. Its grayish fur bristled in the moonlight, and its size was… twice the size of my father’s body. Dad was already huge, with broad shoulders and strong arms that always looked powerful whenever he carried logs or built fences. But this creature... it was monstrous. Its shadow stretched across the ground, making everything around it look small.

Still, my eyes caught something that shattered me inside. Blood. Dripping from its stomach. Wounds so deep I could see how badly they hurt him.

I wanted to tell myself this wasn’t real, that this wasn’t Dad. My heart wanted to scream no. But when its glowing eyes landed on us, I froze.

It was him.

Even with his fur, his claws, his fangs… the eyes staring back at me were my father’s.

My brother took a step back, his legs trembling, his lip quivering. He looked like a little boy lost in a nightmare he couldn’t wake up from.

“D… Dad…?” His voice cracked, weak and broken. His body shook so hard that even his words stumbled.

The werewolf... my father... then he turned his gaze toward Zonen. For one brief second, before his eyes left mine, we locked stares. I felt it in my soul. It was him. My father was trapped inside this terrifying form. His body changed… but his soul, his eyes, were still there.

Gasps erupted behind me. It was only then that I remembered... we were not alone.

We were surrounded.

“You fucking monster!” one of the villagers spat, his voice shaking with rage.

“This family is cursed! We should have killed you long ago!” another yelled.

“He slaughtered my sheep! He ruined us! He shouldn’t be spared!”

Their voices burned my ears, stabbing into my chest. Each word carried nothing but hatred and disgust.

Behind us, I heard the sound that haunted me since earlier while running... the metallic clanging of weapons. Only now, it was louder. More men. More weapons. The sound of iron scraping and striking filled the night air like a cruel song.

“You ruined our village! You deserve death!”

My father, no, the beast that was still him, let out a growl that shook the earth beneath my feet. It was loud, deep, and terrifying. The kind of sound that crawls up your spine and makes your whole body want to collapse. My knees buckled. My heart hammered in my chest, begging me to run.

His sharp teeth flashed as he bared them at the villagers. In that moment, I couldn’t stop my thoughts... those teeth could kill a man in one bite… or rip apart an animal in seconds.

And yet… why? Why did he always promise us we had nothing to fear, that he never hurt anyone? Why would he lie? Or… was he really innocent, and these people just blinded themselves with hatred?

The banging of metals grew louder, echoing around us. The crowd’s rage thickened like smoke, choking the air. Instead of trembling in fear at my father’s terrifying form, the villagers grew bolder, their eyes burning with resentment.

“Kill him!” someone roared.

I snapped out of my frozen state. My knees bent, my body leaning forward. I wanted to run to my father, to shield him somehow.

But before I could, a loud THUD struck my ears.

A man had slammed something heavy against Dad’s back.

“No!” I screamed, my voice tearing my throat.

Another man rushed in, swinging a pipe at him. Then another. Then another.

I wanted to cover my ears, but I couldn’t. The sound of pipes smashing into flesh and bone, the sickening whines and growls from my father... it was unbearable.

Tears spilled down my cheeks as I watched my father stagger under their attacks. With no choice, he fought back. His fangs flashed, sinking into a man’s arm. Flesh tore, blood sprayed, and screams filled the air.

But that only fueled their anger.

“Kill the beast!” they shouted louder, as more of them charged.

I ran forward, my arms stretched wide. “Please! Stop! Don’t hurt him! He’s a good man!” My sobs broke my voice, but I didn’t care. I was desperate.

But nothing stopped them. Their eyes, their faces, their hearts... all hardened with hatred. Not a single soul showed pity.

They stabbed him. They struck him. Over and over. Pipes, knives, sharpened tools. Blood sprayed. His growls turned weaker, more pained.

And I saw it... Dad wasn’t fighting with everything he had. He could have torn them apart. He was stronger, bigger, faster. But he held back. He didn’t want to hurt them. Even as they tore him apart, he restrained himself.

How could he be so kind? How could he still think of them… when they were killing him?

It shattered me.

His knees buckled. His massive body dropped to the ground. Blood covered his fur. His breath came in shallow growls that broke into whines.

“No!” I screamed again, running forward, but hands grabbed me. Rough, calloused hands yanked me back, holding me away from him.

“Stay back, girl!”

I struggled, kicked, clawed, but I was weak compared to them.

“Finish him!” someone yelled.

And then…

Silence.

A man’s voice rose above the crowd. “He’s already dead!”

My body froze.

My eyes locked on my father’s. They were closed. No movement. No breath. Only blood.

“No…” My voice cracked. I shook my head violently. “No, that’s not true! He’s not dead! He can’t be!”

But the truth was right in front of me. And yet, my heart refused to accept it.

The villagers smirked. They were proud. Proud that they slaughtered him like an animal.

And then one of them spoke words that made my blood run cold.

“Take her as a sacrifice. It’s the only way the deity will favor us again.”

My body went stiff. Sacrifice. They wanted to kill me too.

I shook my head. My lips trembled. “No… no, please…”

“What about the boy?” another man asked.

Only then did I remember... Zonen.

My eyes darted around and found him. My little brother was pinned down by men. He wasn’t crying anymore. His tears had dried, leaving empty eyes that stared only at Father’s broken body.

“Kill him… or he’ll become a monster like his father,” someone spat.

My heart nearly burst from panic. “No! Please! He’s just a child!”

Zonen’s lips finally moved. His voice was flat, lifeless. “Kill me.”

My entire body froze.

“No, Zonen! Don’t say that! Don’t give up!”

But his eyes… oh God, his eyes. They were empty, but deep inside, I saw his anger. His pain. His soul breaking.

“QUIET!” the man holding me barked.

Before I could breathe, a heavy fist slammed into my stomach. My breath caught, pain exploding through my body.

I cried out.

It seemed not enough for them.

And so, another punch, harder, slammed into me.

And then...

A sharp pain pierced my back... a knife. I gasped, choking on the agony as my knees gave out.

“Maive!” Zonen’s voice finally broke, his scream echoing into the night.

But I couldn’t respond. My body collapsed to the dirt, the taste of blood filling my mouth.

“Take her to the Ghost Cave,” someone ordered.

Hands grabbed me again, dragging my body. My tears blurred the world as everything became faint, muffled, and distant.

---

When I woke, I was being carried into darkness. My body was numb, heavy, but pain burned through my back like fire.

The man carrying me smirked before throwing me like garbage onto the hard stone floor. My body hit with a crack. I groaned, blood pooling beneath me.

The cave swallowed me whole... dark, cold... empty.

“He's probably dead by now,” the man muttered before sealing the entrance with a boulder, leaving me alone in the suffocating dark.

His words echoed in my head.

'He's probably dead by now.' At that point, I knew they were talking to one person...

“No… no…” My voice trembled, weak, broken. “Zonen’s alive. He’s alive. He’s not dead…”

I dragged myself toward the stone blocking the exit. My fists pounded weakly against it, each strike making my wounds scream. “Let me out! Please! Somebody! Get me out!”

But no one came.

The darkness was endless. The silence was unbearable. My body was weak as blood dripping, strength leaving me second by second.

I stumbled deeper into the cave, hoping for another way out, but every step felt like dragging chains. I couldn't hold on anymore... my body fell forward, hitting the ground again.

I tried to stand up but my arms shook, too weak to push myself up.

I sobbed. “I can’t… I can’t do this…”

And then... I felt it.

A presence.

The air shifted. The darkness wasn’t empty anymore. Someone was here. Watching.

Suddenly, I felt a warm hand touched my cheek. My heart stopped.

Hallucination, I thought. Oh, I had lost too much blood, I couldn't think right anymore.

But then, a deep voice whispered into the darkness.

“Mine.”

My body stiffened.

Before I could move, a sharp sting pierced my neck.

And the world turned black.