"Little wolf."
That word kept tearing through my mind.
It felt like I wouldn't be able to rest until I understood what it meant.
I was so lost in thought that I forgot I wasn't alone.
A hand suddenly waved in front of my face.
"Jeremy."
I blinked and snapped back. Philip was staring at me.
Then it hit me—I needed answers.
"Do you know what that thing was?"
He paused, like he was choosing his words carefully.
"Some people call them… vampires."
My eyes widened. I didn't expect him to actually answer.
"How do you know that?"
For a second, I noticed his hand twitch… then it went still.
Maybe I imagined it.
"I read about them in an old book my grandmother gave me," he said.
I didn't know what to say.
"They feed on human blood… and they don't age."
My stomach twisted.
The thought alone made me feel sick.
"And you believe that? Because of a book?"
Philip looked at me like I was the crazy one.
"After what you saw tonight… you still think it's impossible?"
I opened my mouth to argue… but no words came out.
Because I saw it.
Not a dream.
Not an illusion.
I saw everything.
Which meant…
"that creature wasn't lying."
"Little wolf…"
_
Meanwhile…
Far from the quiet streets and unaware humans…
a gathering was taking place.
The room was dim, lit by flickering lights that made the shadows crawl along the walls.
Figures stood in silence, their presence heavy—unnatural.
Eyes glowed faintly in the dark.
Watching. Waiting.
A figure stepped forward.
It was him—the vampire from before.
His clothes were still stained, his expression calm… but his eyes carried something deeper.
"Report."
The voice came from the far end of the room. Low. Commanding.
The vampire bowed his head slightly.
"The target is dead."
A few nodded. Unimpressed.
"Then why are you here?" another voice cut in, sharp and impatient.
The vampire paused.
"…I encountered something unexpected."
That caught their attention.
"Speak."
He lifted his head slowly.
"A boy."
A few chuckles echoed across the room.
"You're telling us a human interrupted you?"
The vampire didn't smile.
"Not human."
Silence fell.
The air shifted.
"Explain."
He exhaled slowly, as if choosing his words carefully.
"At first… I thought he was just another weakling."
"Pathetic. Afraid."
His eyes darkened slightly.
"Then he moved."
The room grew still.
"Too fast for a human.
Too sharp.
Too… instinctive."
A low murmur spread among them.
"What are you implying?"
The vampire hesitated.
Just for a second.
"During the fight…"
His voice lowered.
"I called him something."
No one spoke.
"Little wolf."
The words lingered in the air.
Some frowned. Others scoffed.
"A wolf?"
"You expect us to believe that?"
"There are no packs in that region."
"And even if there were, you would have sensed it."
The vampire's jaw tightened slightly.
"I didn't say he was a wolf."
The room quieted again.
"That's just what he felt like."
He looked up now, meeting their eyes.
"His movements… his reactions… the way he fought back…"
A pause.
"It wasn't human."
Silence.
Thicker this time.
"Then what is he?" someone asked.
The vampire didn't answer immediately.
Because for the first time—
He wasn't sure.
"…I don't know."
That answer didn't sit well.
A figure in the shadows leaned forward slightly, interest flickering in their glowing eyes.
"A boy that is not human…"
"…and not quite a wolf."
A faint smile appeared.
"How interesting."
The room seemed to grow colder.
Then—
"Find him."
The command cut through everything.
Absolute. Final.
"Observe him."
"Do not engage… unless necessary."
A pause.
"If he is something new…"
The faint smile returned in the darkness.
"…then we will decide what to do with him."
The vampire lowered his head.
"Understood."
And just like that—
The hunt… began.