chapter 5 The first attack on

Dawn had not yet broken.

The sky was still pitch black, only illuminated by the Blood Moon hanging low. Its color was red like a wound that had not yet dried. Just looking at it made one's skin crawl.

At the edge of the forest, 50 pairs of golden eyes glowed in the dark. No sound. No movement. Like statues.

Standing in front of them was Alina.

But this was not the Alina from yesterday. Not the weak and gentle Alina.

Her blood-red dress now seemed to merge with her skin. There were golden lines moving like veins on her arms and neck. Her nails had grown long, black and sharp. From her back, the shadow of a thick tail occasionally swept the ground. Her eyes were golden, vertical like a tiger's.

Last night's blood bond had been fully absorbed.

Draven's blood flowed through her body. And now, she was no longer entirely human.

"How does it feel?" Draven whispered from beside her. His body had transformed into a giant white tiger, but his voice echoed clearly in Alina's mind through their bond.

Alina took a deep breath. The morning air felt different. She could smell the scent of fear from the village 200 meters away. She could even hear the heartbeats of 100 people inside.

"Strong," Alina answered. Her voice was heavy. There were two voices in it. Hers, and a low growl. "I feel... hungry."

Draven rubbed his head against Alina's arm. "That's normal. You just woke up. We'll hunt later," Draven said.

Alina nodded. Then she stepped forward.

With each step, she left claw marks on the ground.

*IN THE VILLAGE*

Raka hadn't been able to sleep all night. Since the early hours he had been restless. He had a nightmare. He dreamed of Alina coming with red eyes and carrying Budi's head in her hands.

"Boss, what's wrong?" asked Jaka, one of his men.

"I don't know," Raka replied as he wiped his face. "Something feels off."

Suddenly...

*A ROAR!!!*

_Auuuuuummmm..._

That roar split the sky. Not just one. Hundreds.

The roof tiles shook. Dogs howled. Children cried in fear.

"WHAT IS THAT?!" Seno shouted as he ran out of the house with a machete in his hand.

From behind the mist, a line of tigers appeared. Huge. Black. Eyes glowing red.

And in front of them stood a woman in a red dress.

The villagers immediately scrambled out. Some carried sickles, some carried machetes, but their hands trembled. They were terrified when they realized who the demon in front of them was.

"That's... that's Alina!" one villager exclaimed.

"This is all your fault, Raka! Look what she's become because of you!" another villager accused.

"Why are you blaming me?! I don't know anything!" Raka snapped.

"Liar!" the villagers shouted. Then they scattered back into their houses and locked the doors.

Raka stepped forward. Cold sweat drenched his back.

"Alina...?" his voice caught.

Alina stopped 10 meters in front of Raka. She tilted her head, like a tiger observing its prey.

"Hello, Raka. How are you? Do you still remember me?" Alina said with a faint smile.

That voice made Raka shiver. It was Alina's voice, but hoarse. And there was a growl behind it.

"What... what have you become?" Raka asked with a trembling voice.

Alina smiled. Her fangs were clearly visible. "I’ve become what I should have been all along. Something you couldn't just throw away."

Budi stepped forward, puffing out his chest. He was the one who used to laugh at Alina the loudest. "You think we’re scared just because you turned into a tiger?! This is our village!" he barked.

Alina didn't answer. She just stared at Budi.

Then in an instant, her body vanished.

*THUD!!!*

Budi was thrown 5 meters away. His chest was torn open with 4 deep, bleeding claw marks. He lay on the ground, groaning in pain.

The villagers watching from the windows held back their screams. Raka, seeing it, stared in terror.

"I told you," Alina said softly as she licked the blood from her claws. "I'm not going to kill. Not yet. You, Raka... you're the last one."

Jaka and Seno immediately fell to their knees. "Mercy, Queen! Mercy! We were wrong!" they said together.

Alina's gaze turned furious. Her emotions overflowed. In truth, she didn't want to kill Raka now. But just looking at his face made her sick.

"You might as well just die!" Alina screamed.

As Alina was about to claw Raka, Raka quickly pulled Seno and Jaka in front of him. Using them as shields.

*SLASH!*

Alina's claws pierced through Seno and Jaka's chests. Fresh blood splattered.

Alina walked around the two corpses. Her tail brushed against Jaka's lifeless leg.

"How clever of you, Raka," Alina said with a mocking smile. "Truly a selfish human. Sacrificing your own friends. But that's fine... I like this blood and these hearts."

She crouched beside Jaka's body. "You were the ones who told me to go to the cliff, weren't you?" she whispered.

Then to Seno. "You were the ones who called me a bringer of bad luck, weren't you?"

Seeing that horrifying scene, Raka immediately ran away in a panic to save himself.

But Alina deliberately didn't chase him. Her lips curved.

"Let him. Let this be the beginning of this village's fear. Just you wait."

Alina then looked at the entire village. Hundreds of pairs of eyes were peeking from gaps in huts and house windows, filled with terror.

"From today on," Alina said. Her voice echoed throughout the village. "This place no longer belongs to you. Wait for my revenge. One by one, you will all get your turn. Hahaha!"

"No more slaughter. Not today. That's enough. I'm full," Alina declared loudly.

"I want you to live. Live... in fear."

After she was done, Alina turned and left with her army. Leaving behind a village filled with blood, tears, and trauma.

*INSIDE THE CAVE*

"I kneel before the King," Alina said as she bowed before Draven.

"So, Alina. Was the hunt today satisfying?" Draven asked with a proud smile.

"I am very satisfied," Alina answered. Her eyes were still glowing. "The look of fear on their faces. Raka's face as he ran in terror. And the people I killed. I was pleased to see it. One by one, I will destroy them all," Alina said viciously.

"Hahaha... Good, Alina. Very good," praised the Tiger King.

"Thank you for giving me the power to take my revenge," Alina said sincerely.

"Hmm... it's nothing," Draven said. His smile faded. His face turned bitter. "To be honest, I also hate the people of that village. You should know... I became like this because of them too."

Alina was shocked. "What did they do to you?"

Draven stared into the darkness of the cave. "Well... this is the story..."

_To Be Continued_