[Volkov Estate — Eastern Corridor, October 31st, 11:53 PM]

The twisted laughter echoed across the corridor.

"Vol...Kov... Hahahaha..."

Every servant in the corridor froze.

Rain blasted inward through the shattered eastern gate far beyond the estate walls, while alarm sirens immediately erupted downstairs. Red emergency lights flooded the mansion corridors seconds later, staining the polished marble floors the same colour as the Moon overhead.

Nikolai’s blood pumped faster, his heart racing.

There was something about the Blood Moon which made his emotions harder to control.

He wanted to tear that thing apart, an instinctive desire that overwhelmed him.

Its disgusting scent resembled rotting wet fur and burnt flesh.

Though it called his name, he didn’t know who or what it could be and didn’t try to understand as he stepped forward, extending his deformed black claws.

"Nikolai?" Selene immediately stepped closer toward Nikolai, pale fingers tightening subtly around his sleeve.

He knew she wanted him to flee, but it was a foolish desire.

"That’s the thing that messed you up?" He asked, gently palming Selene’s hand.

His heart softened, knowing her feelings, but he could only give her a faint smile; there was no choice but to avoid conflict.

Madoka’s expression stiffened at the sight of the abomination.

"...That thing followed me."

Another crash thundered from outside.

Screams came in waves, along with the snap of tree trunks torn from the earth and hurled into the mansion’s walls. Then came heavy footsteps somewhere beyond the eastern courtyard gates.

Each step enough to shake the mansion floor beneath their feet.

Finally, the creature came into sight, something massive and unholy, with a figure proving some things should never be attempted.

Moonlight spilt through the broken eastern gate and revealed it piece by piece.

First came the long and deformed arms, thicker than a tree’s trunk.

One dragged against the ground with a wet scraping sound while black claws carved trenches through soaked marble. The other looked grotesquely swollen, muscles layered atop muscles until the flesh had split open in several places. Dark blood leaked steadily from those tears, steaming against the cold air.

Then its torso emerged from the smoke.

Now its chest bulged outward unnaturally with surgical scars, staples that barely held the ribs together while something writhed underneath the flesh, like worms trapped under his flesh.

Beneath that was a bizarre mouth with jagged teeth that smiled around its belly button, something once human had become a complete aberration.

Its head tilted to the side with a loud crack.

A wolf’s muzzle jutted from an almost human face, though the jaw hung lopsided as if broken repeatedly and healed wrong every time. One cloudy eye stared forward blindly.

The other glowed crimson beneath the Blood Moon.

"The hell is that freak!?"

"Hurry, shoot it!"

The maids and butlers arranged their rifles and weapons, standing between the monster and Nikolai.

"Master! Please retreat."

"Patriarch, we will stop the beast—you must survive!"

The creature twitched violently before inhaling.

SNFFFFFFFF.

Its ruined lips peeled back into something resembling a grin.

"There..."

Its voice sounded layered.

Something between human, animal and something else.

"...you... are..."

Nikolai stepped forward, ignoring their concern.

He tapped their shoulders, gently smiling as he felt the subtle tremble of their muscles.

" I am ordering you to go back and prepare the inner wall defensive structures. You are to protect my daughters and wives."

Several servants hesitated.

Fear was obvious in their eyes, yet none of them stepped back immediately.

Rainwater dripped from their rifle barrels while the crimson emergency lights reflected across trembling hands and silver bullets alike. One older butler tightened his grip harder instead, jaw clenched despite the sweat running down his temple.

"Master, with respect—"

Nikolai’s golden eyes shifted toward him.

The older werewolf immediately fell silent.

Though Nikolai’s power dwarfed his, there was something different about Nikolai under the Blood Moon.

He almost appeared taller and more fierce as his black claws extended from his fingers, and a violet desire for carnage reflected deep inside his pupils whenever he glanced at the old werewolves.

The pressure rolling from his body alone made breathing difficult.

"Go back," Nikolai repeated softly.

This time, there was no room for argument or refusal.

"...prepare the defences at the inner walls. That is my order."

The creature outside continued twitching beneath the mansion.

"There... you... are..."

Nikolai slowly stepped past the servants.

"You are to protect my daughters and wives... because this thing is here to kill me."

The corridor fell silent after those words.

Even the creature stopped twitching for half a second.

Rain hammered against the shattered mansion wall, while the screams grew distant, fading into a faint echo behind the estate’s eastern walls. The Blood Moon painted everything in a wine-red light, including the trails of blood dripping from the abominations claws.

Selene’s fingers tightened unconsciously around the edge of her sleeve.

Even Madoka’s shoulders shook.

Both women immediately understand that the moment the monster saw Nikolai, it wasn’t there by chance but with a purpose.

The older butler lowered his rifle first.

"...Understood, Patriarch."

One by one, the others followed.

Reluctantly, at least.

Because retreating meant leaving him alone with that monster.

Not a single one looked relieved to be leaving the danger zone, a bizarre yet warming feeling for Nikolai, who took a deep breath while glancing at the mutated werewolf corpse.

Nikolai rolled his shoulders until they cracked, then stepped fully beyond the corridor entrance and into the freezing rain.

Icy water soaked his black shirt instantly, and a faint mist rose from his skin.

The creature grinned.

Its stomach-mouth chattered hungrily while strands of saliva stretched between jagged teeth.

"There... you... are..."

Nikolai slowly raised one clawed hand toward it.

"Yeah, I’m here."

Then his expression sharpened, "Unfortunately for you..." His voice lowered into a growl. "You picked the wrong house."

The creature didn’t seem to appreciate his warning.

It rushed him instantly.

Marble exploded beneath its feet as the gigantic abomination lunged through the shattered eastern gate with horrifying speed. Despite its grotesque size, it crossed the courtyard like a wild animal unleashed from chains.

Its swollen arm swung downward with a howling scream.

"Tsk!"

Nikolai sidestepped the blow at the last second.

The mansion wall behind him detonated inward beneath the impact. Stone fragments blasted through the corridor while several servants barely managed to shield themselves in time. Dust and shattered marble erupted everywhere.

The monster laughed.

"Fast~~~ Fast!!!—Aaaaaaaah!"

Nikolai’s claws tore across its ribs before the sound finished.

SHRRRK.

Black flesh split open violently.

Dark blood sprayed across the rain-soaked courtyard in thick streams, hissing faintly where droplets touched Nikolai’s claws. Yet the creature didn’t recoil or seem fazed; it just grinned back at him while bleeding.

Its stomach-mouth opened unnaturally large before lunging toward Nikolai’s torso with snapping rows of jagged teeth.

Selene’s eyes widened.

"NIKOLAI—!"

Chomp!

The sound echoed wetly through the courtyard.

The monster bit straight through empty air, missing Nikolai, who leapt onto the remaining eastern wall above.

He dove at the monster with a flying knee.

His knee slammed into the creature’s jaw hard enough to fold its neck sideways.

Bone burst through its skin with a crack.

The abomination skidded backwards through the flooded courtyard, smashing apart a stone fountain before crashing into the eastern garden wall.

A moment of silence lingered before the creature slowly stood back up, its broken neck twisted violently.

"Painful..." It groaned, placing both hands against its sunken cheeks.

CRK-CRK.

Until the head snapped back into place.

Several servants, watching from the corridor, visibly lost colour.

"...What the fuck..."

Madoka stared coldly at the regenerating flesh.

"W-What do we do, can he win...?"

Selene’s brows furrowed as she snapped her head back to Madoka.

"Shut up, bitch. If you’re going to be his woman, support him... grab a gun and get ready to fucking fight!"

The creature inhaled deeply again.

SNFFFFFFFF.

Its crimson eye locked entirely onto Nikolai while the stomach-mouth drooled endlessly onto broken marble.

Then it spoke more clearly than before.

"... Moon... Heir... Cursed Child..."

The smile on Nikolai’s lips faded as he clenched both fists.

"What did you say?"

The creature’s swollen lips twitched upward.

Rainwater streamed down its ruined face while crimson moonlight reflected inside its single functioning eye. The mouth along its stomach rattled wildly, jagged teeth snapping against one another hard enough to crack.

"... Moon... Heir..." It inhaled sharply again, almost intoxicated by Nikolai’s scent. "Cursed... Child..."

Nikolai’s muscles tightened at the sound of that title.

Something about those words stirred irritation deep in his chest.

The creature suddenly slammed both fists against its own skull. Fragments of rotten fur and flesh splattered outward as it screamed toward the heavens.

"HE LEFT US THERE!"

Its layered voice shook violently now, dozens of distorted tones overlapping together.

"HE LOCKED US IN THE DARK!"

The entire courtyard trembled.

The creature’s cloudy eye rolled wildly before locking back onto Nikolai.

Then it pointed one grotesque claw toward him.

"TELL ME..." Its stomach-mouth stretched into a bloody grin. "DID YOUR GRANDFATHER EVER SCREAM WHEN THEY TORE HIM OPEN TOO?"

That’s when Nikolai’s eyes widened, and he recognised who this werewolf was. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

A man who once adored his grandfather yet still became deluded and betrayed him completely.

Alaric Drago of the Drago clan.

Though it was hard to see, his shaved head, bronze skin and the dark brown eyes that once glowed with resistance now lacked any human form... stitched into the werewolf’s body like an afterthought.

"My Grandfather is fine, Alaric."

Once he called the man’s name, the monster began hitting itself, making strange sounds and repeating its name over and over.

"Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhh Alllaric.... Alaric..... Alaric!?"

’So this is how you ended up...’

Nikolai couldn’t help but worry about his grandfather.

Would he accept this end for his once faithful brother, and that’s why he decided to end it here.

To cut off that possible source of despair.

"I will put you to rest, Alaric."