*Chapter 5: The Investigation Begins*

Emilia's mind was reeling as she tried to process the revelation her mom had just dropped on her. A werewolf? It sounded like something out of a fantasy novel, not something that could actually happen in real life.

But as she looked back on all the strange occurrences that had been happening to her, Emilia couldn't deny that something weird was going on.

And she wasn't the only one who thought so.

The next day at school, Emilia's best friend Sarah cornered her in the hallway.

"Emilia, what's going on with you?" Sarah asked, her eyes wide with concern.

Emilia hesitated, unsure of how much to reveal.

"What do you mean?" Emilia asked.

Sarah lowered her voice.

"I mean, all the weird stuff that's been happening to you. The visions, the hearing voices. You can't tell me that's just coincidence," Sarah said.

Emilia sighed, knowing that she couldn't keep the truth from Sarah forever.

"It's just...I don't know, Sarah. My mom told me something last night, and I'm still trying to process it," Emilia said.

Sarah's eyes lit up with curiosity.

"What did she tell you?" Sarah asked.

Emilia took a deep breath.

"She told me that I'm a werewolf," Emilia said, the words feeling strange on her lips.

Sarah's expression didn't change.

"I knew it," Sarah said. "I mean, I didn't know it was werewolves, but I knew something weird was going on."

Emilia laughed, feeling a little better.

"You're not freaked out?" Emilia asked.

Sarah shook her head.

"No way. I'm just curious. What does it mean, being a werewolf?" Sarah asked.

Emilia shrugged.

"I have no idea. My mom didn't give me many details," Emilia said.

Sarah's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Well, we'll just have to investigate then," Sarah said.

Emilia raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?" Emilia asked.

Sarah grinned.

"I mean, we'll do some research, talk to some people. See if we can figure out what's going on," Sarah said.

Emilia felt a surge of gratitude towards Sarah.

"Thanks, Sarah. Just knowing that you're here for me makes me feel better," Emilia said.

Sarah hugged her.

"Of course I'm here for you, Emilia. We're in this together," Sarah said.

And with that, Emilia and Sarah set out on their investigation, determined to uncover the truth about Emilia's strange new world.

They spent the rest of the day researching online, looking for any information they could find about werewolves.

But as the sun began to set, Emilia realized that they weren't going to find the answers they were looking for online.

They needed to talk to people.

And Emilia knew just the person to start with.

"Sarah, I need to talk to my mom," Emilia said, as they walked out of the library.

Sarah nodded.

"Okay, what do you want to ask her?" Sarah asked.

Emilia took a deep breath.

"I want to ask her about our family's past. About the werewolves," Emilia said.

Sarah's eyes sparkled with excitement.

"Let's go," Sarah said.

And with that, Emilia and Sarah set out on their journey to uncover the truth about Emilia's family and her strange new world.

As they walked into Emilia's house, her mom was waiting for them in the living room.

"Emilia, I'm glad you're home. We need to talk," her mom said.

Emilia nodded, gesturing for Sarah to follow her.

"Mom, this is Sarah. We're trying to figure out what's going on with...you know," Emilia said.

Her mom nodded, smiling at Sarah.

"Nice to meet you, Sarah. Please, sit down," her mom said.

Sarah sat down next to Emilia on the couch, while Emilia's mom sat in the armchair across from them.

"Emilia, I know this is a lot to take in. But I want you to know that you're not alone. Our family has a long history of...shape-shifting," her mom said.

Emilia's eyes widened.

"Shape-shifting? You mean, like, turning into animals?" Emilia asked.

Her mom nodded.

"Yes, exactly. Our family has the ability to transform into wolves. It's a gift, but it's also a curse," her mom said.

Sarah's eyes were wide with excitement.

"That's so cool!" Sarah exclaimed.

Emilia's mom smiled.

"I'm glad you think so, Sarah. But it's not all fun and games. Being a werewolf comes with a lot of responsibility. And danger," her mom said.

Emilia felt a shiver run down her spine.

"What kind of danger?" Emilia asked.

Her mom hesitated.

"There are people who don't understand us. Who are afraid of us. And they'll stop at nothing to hurt us," her mom said.

Emilia's eyes narrowed.

"Who are these people?" Emilia asked.

Her mom sighed.

"That's a long story, Emilia. But I'll tell you this: our family has been hiding in plain sight for years. We've been living in this town, pretending to be normal. But we're not normal. We're werewolves," her mom said.

Emilia felt like her whole world had been turned upside down.

"What does this mean for me?" Emilia asked.

Her mom looked at her with tears in her eyes.

"It means that you have a choice to make, Emilia. You can either accept your true nature and learn to control it, or you can try to suppress it and live a normal life. But either way, you need to know the truth about our family's past," her mom said.

Emilia nodded, feeling a sense of determination wash over her.

"I want to know the truth," Emilia said.

And with that, Emilia's mom began to tell her the story of their family's past, a story that would change Emilia's life forever.