63

The air in the room was filled with tense silence, only broken by Lucas's ragged breaths. Kessler and I exchanged looks, both knowing that this was just the beginning of a long and challenging journey.

"We need to better understand his transformations," Kessler said as he struggled to stand up. "It's getting harder each time."

I nodded, feeling the weight of responsibility. "We can't let him go through this alone," I replied, looking at Lucas who was now resting more peacefully. "We have to find a way to help him control his changes."

Kessler leaned over the nearby table and pulled out an old book, its pages worn with time. "There might be something here," he said, carefully flipping through the book. "This diary belonged to someone who went through the same thing. Maybe their experiences will give us a clue."

As Kessler read aloud, I stayed watching Lucas. In his wolf form, he still retained a part of his essence, a connection that hadn't been severed despite the transformations. I g