Chapter One: Any Last Word

He was running fast, away from the dense woods, afraid of being caught. Every part he crossed, he left a trail in his wake. He was a werewolf, and he knew that the werewolf hunter was hot on his heels. He was running towards safety, as he believed he was the last of his kind.

He had been living in hiding for years and was getting tired. He knew that he couldn't keep this up for much longer. The hunter was relentless and would stop at nothing to capture him.

As he ran through the forest, he could hear the howls of the hunter's hounds, baying for his blood. He could smell the fear and desperation in her scent, and he knew that she was getting closer

The beast could feel his energy waning. He knew he had to find a way out before it was too late. But just as he thought he had escaped, he suddenly felt a pull, like he was being yanked towards something. He looked up and saw a shimmering portal in front of him. He hesitated for a moment, but he knew he had no other choice. He ran towards the portal and jumped through.

As soon as he landed on the other side, he knew he was in trouble. The fierce witch was waiting for him, surrounded by her hounds. He was trapped.

The hunter stood before him, her silver blade gleaming in the moonlight. "Give up," she said, her voice low and dangerous, "It's over. You're the last of your kind, and you know it. There's no way you can escape me."

The beast could feel his fear mounting. He had always known this day would come, but he never imagined it would be like this. He had hoped to live out his life in peace, away from the prying eyes of humans and hunters.

But now, with the hunter standing before him, he knew that his time had come. He had the decision to make. He could either give up and be captured, or he could fight and risk his life.

The werewolf knew that his chances of survival were slim, but he couldn't let her win. He would fight until his last breath, even if it meant sacrificing himself- he would die smiling, he thought

He bared his teeth, preparing to attack, but before he could make a move, the hunter opened another portal behind him. He stumbled, and the hounds were on him in seconds. They pinned him down, and the hunter approached with her silver blade.

"Any last words?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice.

He didn't answer. He was too afraid to speak. He closed his eyes, waiting for the final blow.

But it never came. And then, everything went black.

.

.

.

"Welcome to Shadowbrook," the enormous sign, obviously old and dusty, greeted them as they drove past it. Nate looked out the window, feeling a sense of calm as they arrived at their new home.

Lost in thought, he didn't realize they had arrived until they had already parked their car. The Blackwood family had finally made it to their new house, which appeared out of place and likely abandoned for years.

As soon as Nate stepped out of the car and his feet touched the ground, he took a deep breath of fresh air. The place was full of energy. "Nate, what are you doing?" His mother called out as she stepped out of the car, looking vibrant and flashy.

Nate came from a prestigious and infamous family known for their ability to hunt down spiritual beings. Although he had tried his best in the past to be like them, he found out that he would never be as good as them.

"Why don't you help us out here?" His mother cooed, looking around. "I can feel the energy around here."

"This place is awful, Mom. Dad, say something," Ryan, Nate's elder brother, sneered. Although the place didn't have the homey aura he expected, it was different.

As they entered the house, it was clean, as if someone had done a thorough cleaning. "Can't we go back? This place screams creepy," Ryan remarked. "Why? This place is nice, and it's much bigger than our old house," Nate replied, looking around in admiration.

"Okay, boys, I want you both to head upstairs. Your father and I have a lot of things to do," their mother instructed.

"You mean to hunt for ghosts and creepy things?" Ryan sneered, looking at the front door. Their sister Morin walked in, not caring at all.

"Don't talk to me," she said, her gothic appearance matching the whole witchy atmosphere.

Nate went up to his room, which was cluttered with a lot of work to do. He sighed, picked up his box, and opened it to find a small picture of himself. Although he wasn't happy about leaving his former life behind to be here, his family had always been the weird ones.

They boasted so much about catching supernatural beings, but it made him even more miserable. Maybe by being away from the world, he would finally feel like he belonged somewhere.

Nate Blackwood was the last of the Blackwood family. His great family had all been gifted with casting spells to kill supernatural beings, but Nate was stuck with just his magic spells. He had tried hunting like the rest of his family, but he just couldn't. His sister, Morin, could boast of spotting witches and relics that had traces of sorcery. His brother Ryan, on the other hand, was a jack of all trades; he worked alongside his father when hunting. As for his mother, she was an exorcist.

Although he felt she was crazy when he was little, as he grew older, he understood that this was what the Blackwoods did - they handed down this gift for generations.

As for him, he stayed at home, learning spells and chants. He had always wanted to prove himself, and this was his chance. "I hope Shadowbrook has something in store for me," he sighed.

He decorated his room in the style he wanted and turned to see his sister standing by the door. He flinched. "Mom said to come down. Dinner awaits," she said in a tone that made it seem like she was going to die the next minute. How gothic could she be?

Nate walked down the stairs, and they all sat at the table. "That was fast," he observed, glancing at the table. "Please don't tell me this is one of the enchanted foods," he muttered under his breath.

 "Well, now that we are all present, let us eat," she remarked, her gaze shifting towards Morin, who was incessantly tapping her phone. "Morin," she called out, to which Morin responded with a dismissive "whatever," dropping her phone on the table.

After dinner, Ryan turned to Nate and brusquely commanded him to pack up. Ryan had always been rude and frequently acted like a bully. "And why should I?" Nate retorted, glaring at him, causing Ryan to scoff. "You have grown up, huh?" Ryan taunted, his lips pursed, ready to fight him.

 "Would you two just stop it!" Mr. Blackwood reprimanded. Morin stood up and muttered "morons" as she walked to her room with her phone, indifferent to the conflict.

"So incompetent. The least you could do is pack the dishes. Since you're essentially useless to the family, anyway," Ryan spat out, disregarding Nate's feelings. "What did you say?" Nate abruptly stood up, ready to fight his older brother, but their parents intervened.

 "We came to Shadowbrook to avenge your brother's killers, not to bicker and argue amongst ourselves," their mother scolded. Glaring at Ryan, Nate grabbed his jacket from the chair and left the house in anger. "Nate!" his mother called out, but he was too upset to respond.

It was already nightfall, and the sky looked as though it was about to pour down. Nate took off running, needing to cool off. "Damn them all?!!" he shouted, punching the tree next to him as soon as he stopped.

 Everything was just so frustrating. He came across a nearby stream with many rocks surrounding it and sat on one of them. The sky opened up and began to rain, and with his hands, he tried to cast some spells, but couldn't. Something seemed to be holding him back.

"Aaahhhh!!!!" he screamed, with the thunder clapping around him. He didn't want to go home, at least not yet.

He stood up in the rain, clasping his hands together, closed his eyes, and tried to sense if there was something around him, but he couldn't.

"Focus, Nate, focus!" he urged himself, but then lightning struck, hitting him against a tree, and he immediately lost consciousness.