Adam woke like he'd been yanked out of something.
Not gently. Not gradually.
Violently.
His body jerked forward before his mind even caught up, breath snapping into his lungs like he'd been underwater too long. For a split second, everything felt wrong. The room spun slightly, the ceiling above him unfamiliar in a way that made his chest tighten.
"Yo! Adam!"
Hands gripped his shoulders and shook him again.
"There you are, bro. I thought you died or something."
Adam blinked, vision slowly focusing until Bryce's face came into view, hovering way too close and way too energetic for… whatever this was.
"What…?" Adam's voice came out dry, cracked. His throat felt like sandpaper. "What time is it…?"
"Time for you to get your life together," Bryce shot back instantly, already turning away and heading toward his side of the room. "We leave in like twelve minutes. Twelve. Minutes."
Twelve minutes.
The number didn't land properly.
Adam groaned, dragging a hand down his face as he pushed himself upright. The motion alone made his head throb, a deep, pulsing ache that settled right behind his eyes like something alive.
Why does it feel like my brain got hit by a truck…?
He shifted under the blanket—
And froze.
His hand stilled.
His brow furrowed.
Slowly, very slowly, Adam looked down.
Then he lifted the blanket slightly.
And immediately dropped it back down.
"…What the hell?"
That woke him up a little more.
Not fully.
But enough.
He sat there for a second, staring blankly ahead as the realization settled in.
He was naked.
Completely.
Not even a sock.
Behind him, Bryce let out a low whistle without even turning around.
"Oh yeah," he said, way too amused. "That's exactly the reaction I was waiting for."
Adam dragged the blanket tighter around himself, shooting him a look. "You wanna explain why I woke up like this?"
Bryce finally turned, grinning like this was the best part of his morning.
"Man, I should be asking you that," he said, chuckling as he zipped up his bag. "I walked in last night and found you sprawled out like a crime scene. Naked. No blanket. No dignity. Just vibes."
Adam blinked at him.
"…You're lying."
"I wish I was," Bryce said, laughing now. "You didn't even lock the door, bro. Could've been anyone walking in and seeing way more Adam than they bargained for."
Adam rubbed his face again, slower this time.
Think.
Nothing came.
Nothing.
No flashes of memory. No blurry images. Not even the usual fragments you got after a night out.
Just… blank.
"What happened last night?" he muttered.
Bryce raised an eyebrow. "You serious?"
"Yeah."
"You don't remember the party?"
"I remember…" Adam trailed off.
"Do you?"
He tried to reach for it, mentally grasping at something, anything.
Music.
Lights.
People.
After that…
Nothing.
"…Not really," he admitted.
Bryce let out a short laugh. "Damn. You went that hard, huh?"
Adam didn't answer.
Because it didn't feel like that.
"I didn't even see you at the throne room disco," Bryce continued, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Thought you dipped early or something. Guess you found your own entertainment." He wiggled his eyebrows. "Or someone."
Adam forced a weak chuckle.
"Yeah," he said. "Guess so."
But the words felt off.
Wrong.
He pushed the blanket aside and got up, keeping it wrapped loosely around his waist as he moved toward his suitcase.
Every step felt heavy. His body wasn't just sore, it felt… used. Like he'd run miles without remembering it. Muscles tight in places he couldn't quite explain.
He crouched down, rummaging through his bag.
Underwear.
Thank God.
He pulled it out quickly, stepping into it before dropping the blanket.
"By the way..." Adam muttered, "W-what time is it? and day too? I can't see my phone."
Bryce chuckled lightly before checking his watch, "it's November first. Friday, bout Nine, eighteen right now."
Adam paused.
November first.
His stomach dropped slightly.
Halloween was yesterday?
He pulled on a pair of pants, slower now.
"Party ended at like three," Bryce went on. "Whole thing was insane. Honestly, best one we've done so far. Student council went crazy." There was genuine pride in his voice. "Everything went smooth. No major incidents, nothing got wrecked. I'm telling you, man, we cooked."
Adam nodded absently as he grabbed a shirt.
"Yeah… sounds like it."
"Except for you apparently blacking out and forgetting your entire existence," Bryce added with a smirk. "How much did you even drink?"
Adam hesitated.
"I… don't know."
Bryce laughed. "That's never a good sign."
Adam zipped up his bag halfway, movements a little more rushed now.
Something wasn't adding up.
He didn't remember drinking.
Not even a little.
And yet…
He felt like this.
"Yo," Bryce called out, eyeing him. "You not gonna shower?"
Adam paused.
Right.
"…Yeah. No time."
"At least brush your teeth, man," Bryce said, shaking his head. "And deodorant. Please. For the sake of humanity."
Adam huffed a quiet laugh.
"Alright, alright."
He grabbed his toothbrush, moving toward the sink.
His reflection caught him off guard.
He looked… off.
Not just tired.
Different.
There was something in his eyes he couldn't quite place. Something that lingered just beneath the surface, like a memory that refused to fully show itself.
He stared for a second longer than necessary.
Then shook it off.
I don't have time for this.
___
The lake stretched wide and endless, its surface rippling under the morning breeze as students poured off the ferry in a steady stream of chatter and movement.
The air smelled fresh.
Clean.
Like nothing bad had ever happened.
Adam stepped onto the platform with his duffel slung over his shoulder, moving slower than most. His head still pulsed faintly, though it had dulled into something more manageable now.
Around him, voices overlapped.
Excited.
Tired.
Alive.
"Did you hear that last night?"
"I swear I did, like, it sounded like howling or something."
"Oh my God, stop. You're gonna freak me out."
"I'm serious! And the doors were locked, like all of them. That's not normal."
Adam slowed slightly.
"…haunted," one of the girls said, lowering her voice dramatically. "I'm telling you, that castle is haunted."
Another scoffed. "You're such a baby."
"Am not."
"Are too."
Their voices faded as they moved ahead, still bickering.
But Adam stayed where he was for a second longer.
Howling.
The word echoed.
And suddenly—
A flicker.
A crack in the emptiness.
Darkness. The full moon.
A feeling that wasn't quite human.
His breath hitched slightly.
I…
His grip tightened on the strap of his bag.
Of course. I transformed last night.
The realization settled in, heavy and undeniable.
That last night wasn't just Halloween.
It was the full moon.
A cold shiver ran down his spine.
He didn't remember it.
Not the change nor what he did.
Or even who he hurt or even worse.
He swallowed.
What color was I even…?
Nothing.
Still nothing, just… absence.
Adam moved again, slower now, following the flow of students toward the buses.
___
The ride back felt longer than it should've.
Adam sat by the window at the very back, his bag tucked between his feet, his head resting lightly against the glass. Outside, trees blurred past in streaks of green and shadow, the road stretching endlessly ahead.
Inside, the bus buzzed with noise.
Conversations and laughter.
Music leaking from someone's headphones.
Everything was normal.
Adam's gaze drifted across the rows.
People talking, sleeping, scrolling on their phones.
Anyone... It could be anyone.
His chest tightened slightly.
'They're closer than you think.'
He recalled his mother's voice.
Clear and sharp, like a it was being said to him in real time.
He shifted in his seat, glancing around again, more subtly this time.
Nothing.
No one looked out of place.
But that didn't mean anything.
Keep your friends close…
His jaw tightened.
But your enemies closer.
A chill crept into his bones.
He looked away, focusing back on the window.
The trees gave way slowly to buildings.
The outskirts of Moonstone.
Then the town itself.
Familiar streets rolled past, lined with shops and quiet sidewalks. Life moved on like it always did, unaware of the things lurking just beneath the surface.
And then—
It came into view.
Moonstone Academy.
The structure rose ahead like something pulled from two different worlds and forced to coexist. Parts of it stood tall and gothic, carved stone stretching upward in sharp angles, windows narrow and shadowed, like they were watching more than they revealed. Other sections broke away into sleek, modern designs, smooth glass reflecting the sky, clean lines cutting through the older architecture like a statement.
Old and new.
History and progress.
Beauty and something… colder.
The bus rolled closer, tires crunching lightly against the gravel as it entered the grounds.
Adam watched it all without really seeing it.
His mind was elsewhere.
You can use magic.
The thought felt absurd. Better yet, impossible.
And yet—
Nothing about his life had been normal lately.
Werewolves.
Bloodright.
His mother.
Sirens.
Him.
He exhaled slowly.
If it's real… then I need to learn it before I'm forced to use it.
But how?
He leaned his head back against the seat, eyes drifting shut for a moment.
A hooded figure...
Water...
The memory surfaced faintly.
Someone had saved him.
Saved him and Morris.
And then…
Wiped Morris' memory.
His eyes opened again.
If I find whoever that person was… maybe...
Maybe that was the way.
But even as the thought formed, doubt followed immediately.
How do you find someone who doesn't want to be found?
The bus came to a stop.
Students began to stand, grabbing their bags, filing out.
Adam didn't move right away.
He stayed seated, staring ahead.
He knew what he had to do.
Get stronger.
Learn.
Prepare.
Survive.
But knowing…
And doing…
Those were two very different things.
He swallowed.
For the first time since waking up, the weight of it all settled fully on his shoulders.
Not all at once or crushing. But steady and ever more so persistent.
Like something that wasn't going anywhere.
Adam stood slowly, grabbing his bag.
As he stepped off the bus and onto the academy grounds, one thought lingered quietly in the back of his mind.
Not loud.
Not overwhelming.
But there.
Waiting.
Can I actually do this?