Deep within the Beacon Hills forest, two hours before the death of Ciri Pandrickon, Scott and David finally reached the waterfall that concealed the plant capable of saving Alex's life.
"So what does this plant look like?" Scott asked curiously.
"It's a plant that looks like a flower, but it's dry and hard," David replied calmly. "It's called the Yellow Wolf Strangler."
"Wolf Strangler?"
"It's poisonous to werewolves. Don't touch it when you see it," David warned.
He unfolded the paper that contained a drawing of the plant, and the two of them began searching the area.
The search took some time, but eventually they found it.
"I found it!" Scott shouted.
David walked over, carefully pulled the plant from the ground, and placed it inside a bag.
"Now let's go save Alex," he said.
Bush... bush... bush...
Three arrows suddenly landed in the ground right in front of them.
Scott froze.
"Are those arrows?"
A figure stepped out of the darkness.
The stranger wore a mask and old hunting clothes, carrying a bow, several arrows, and a large knife.
In a cold voice, the figure asked,
"What are you doing here? This is a private area."
Suddenly, several pairs of glowing yellow eyes appeared in the darkness behind him.
Then voices emerged from among them.
"It's a vampire!"
"There's a vampire among them!"
A terrifying chorus erupted from the shadows.
"Kill them!"
"Torture them!"
"Aaah!"
Scott tensed immediately.
"We came in peace," he said quickly. "We just came for a plant. We're leaving now."
Tick… tick… tock…
Suddenly, a bomb landed at their feet.
David glanced at it and his expression darkened.
"Damn."
BOOM!
The vervain bomb exploded directly in their faces.
"Aaaah!"
David screamed in agony as the burning substance filled the air.
Scott staggered backward, stunned by the blast.
Before he could recover, the masked figure wearing the Wendigo mask rushed forward.
CRACK!
The sound of bones snapping echoed through the forest.
David's neck snapped violently, and he collapsed to the ground.
"David!"
Scott screamed in horror. As far as he knew, no creature could survive a broken neck.
But before he could react further, the masked figure rushed him.
Scott tried to defend himself, but a brutal punch slammed into his jaw.
Everything went black.
"Oh… what happened…?"
Scott groaned as he slowly opened his eyes.
He found himself inside a cell.
David was sitting right in front of him, bound with thick ropes.
Scott immediately noticed how terrible David looked.
He was sitting in a pool of his own blood. Bruises covered his body, and blood dripped from multiple wounds.
Scott stared in shock.
He had never seen David weak before.
To Scott, David had always been strong, fast, mysterious—almost invincible.
But now he looked like a beaten animal.
"David… what happened?" Scott asked anxiously.
"It was a pack of werewolves," David replied.
He paused before continuing.
"We're in serious trouble. Listen to me carefully, Scott. This pack is running from something. They're hiding in the shadows, deep in the forest, far from civilization."
He looked up.
"And I think they're running from vampires. Which means they might not spare my life."
"You must—"
"What?! There's a whole pack of werewolves in Beacon Hills?!" Scott shouted in shock.
He had always believed the only werewolf was the one who had bitten him and his cousin.
Now he realized there were many creatures like that monster in Beacon Hills.
The thought made him immediately worry about his mother… and his friends… especially Stiles.
David frowned in annoyance.
"Shut up and listen!"
Scott immediately fell silent.
David continued.
"I might not get out of here alive, Scott. My body is filled with vervain, and there's no blood around us."
He reached forward and handed Scott the plant.
"So no matter what happens to me… take this plant to Alex."
Scott stared at it.
"Wait a minute. What's vervain? And how am I supposed to find Alex if I don't know where he is?!"
"Alex is at a veterinary clinic in Beacon Hills," David replied. "The doctor treating him is Alan Deaton."
Then his voice lowered.
"As for what vervain is… I don't have time to explain."
Scott frowned.
"Why?"
David's eyes moved toward the darkness behind Scott.
"Because… they're here."
"Who?"
Scott slowly turned his head.
Several glowing yellow eyes stared back at him from the darkness.
A tall figure stepped forward.
The man wore a Wendigo mask, old hunting clothes, and a brown cloak.
"It seems you two are awake," he said coldly.
"Take them to the courtroom."
The guards dragged Scott and David out of the cell and into a massive arena.
As soon as the crowd saw them, a deafening roar filled the air.
"Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
"Kill them!"
Scott looked around in shock. The arena was filled with dozens of people. Many of them had glowing yellow eyes, and all of them were staring at Scott and David with pure hatred.
Suddenly, someone from the crowd threw a stone that struck Scott in the face.
"Traitor!"
Another voice screamed.
"Damned vampire!"
A woman stepped forward and spat directly onto David's bloody face.
The guards continued pushing them forward until they reached the center of the arena.
There stood a circular platform large enough to seat five people.
In front of the platform were several chairs arranged in a perfect circle.
Each chair was occupied by a silent figure.
None of them spoke.
None of them moved.
Their faces were completely hidden beneath dark coverings.
They all wore loose black robes, identical to one another.
And above all of them stood something far more imposing.
A massive throne.
It stood in the center, towering above everything else.
The throne was made of wood, brass, and iron, beautifully decorated with golden bands that gleamed faintly under the dim lights.
"Enter!"
One of the guards slammed his spear against the ground.
A door suddenly opened in the platform, and Scott and David were shoved inside.
Scott immediately tried to push the door open again, but it didn't move even an inch.
"Don't try, traitor," one of the guards sneered. "You can't break it no matter how hard you try."
Scott stared at him in confusion and anger.
"Traitor?! What is wrong with you people? I don't even know you! How did I betray you?!"
At that moment, Scott couldn't help but wonder how his life had become so insane.
Just two days ago, he had been a normal teenager struggling with asthma.
Now he was chained with burning restraints around his hands and neck.
And on top of that, strangers were calling him a traitor for no reason.
But Scott had no idea that this was only the beginning.
Much more madness and suffering still awaited him.
"Shut your mouth!"
The captain of the guards suddenly thrust the sharp end of his spear forward.
"Aaaahhh!"
A sickening tearing sound echoed through the arena.
Blood splattered everywhere.
The spear pierced Scott's mouth and drove straight through it.
Then the captain twisted the weapon violently.
A wet slicing sound followed.
Scott's tongue was severed.
"Aaahhh!"
A horrifying scream escaped Scott's throat — or something close to a scream.
"This is better!" one of the guards shouted happily.
Then he spat on Scott in disgust.
The crowd erupted with cheers.
They celebrated as if they had just witnessed a festival.
Scott collapsed to his knees on the wooden floor of the platform, clutching his mouth as blood poured between his fingers.
He tried to scream, but only broken sounds came out.
Meanwhile, David watched silently from the side.
His expression remained completely blank.
Suddenly, something strange happened.
David's shirt moved slightly.
Then something pushed outward from beneath the fabric.
A long blood-red thread slowly emerged from his back.
It moved like a living thing.
The thread shot forward with incredible speed.
A disgusting piercing sound echoed through the arena.
For Scott… time seemed to stop.
He slowly looked down.
A thick red thread had pierced straight through his back and emerged from his chest.
Scott's eyes widened in disbelief.
He looked up at David.
Then his body collapsed.
Darkness swallowed his vision.
The sound of his body hitting the wooden floor echoed through the silent arena.
Everyone froze.
For a moment, complete silence filled the air.
Then David finally spoke.
"Oh? You were calling him a traitor because he was with a vampire… right?"
David's voice was cold and filled with mockery.
"Then I'll kill him myself."
He looked at the crowd with burning hatred.
"Just so you don't get the pleasure of torturing him… you damn dogs."
His lips curled into a cruel smile.
"You are like rabid dogs attacking anyone who isn't part of your race. You don't even care if they are innocent or not."
His eyes glowed faintly red.
"You are a despicable race."
"No wonder you are endangered."
David suddenly laughed.
"In my personal opinion… you should spend your time sniffing each other, peeing beside trees, and barking on the roadside instead of hiding here with your tails between your legs."
"You werewolves are truly an ignorant race."
"You deserve everything that is happening to you."
Then David stepped forward and pointed toward Scott's body.
"That boy… his name was Scott McCall."
"And right now, his mother is waiting for him at home."
His voice became colder.
"But he will never return."
"Because of you."
"He was an innocent human just two days ago."
"But he became one of your dogs… because a mentally ill Alpha of your kind bit him for no reason."
David slowly lifted his head and looked at the crowd with pure hatred.
"You do not deserve to survive."
"You do not deserve to live."
"Believe me… the only thing your race truly deserves…"
His eyes glowed blood red.
"Is complete destruction."
"And the world would be far better without you."
Suddenly, a deep voice echoed across the arena.
"Isn't that funny?"
"A vampire… talking about how the world would be better without us."
The entire arena fell silent.
Then suddenly, every werewolf in the crowd stood up at the same time.
They all knelt down together and shouted in unison.
"Long live the Alpha!"
David slowly turned his head toward the throne.
There stood a massive man.
He was nearly two meters tall, with broad shoulders and an imposing presence.
His hair and eyes were as black as night.
His skin was bronzed and scarred from countless battles.
The man looked down at David with calm interest.
"What do we have here?"
"A vampire… in the lands of the Malraux Pack."
He smirked slightly.
"You'd have to be an idiot to come here alone."
David grimaced but said nothing.
The Alpha walked toward his magnificent throne and sat down.
Then he looked down at David.
"Start the trial."
The seven hooded figures stood up at once.
Their voices echoed together in eerie unison.
"David Wilson, also known as the Witch Eater…"
"You are accused of trespassing upon the territory of one of the Seven Original Packs of Werewolves — the Malro Pack."
"You are also accused of verbally assaulting members of the pack."
"You have been judged to be a danger and a threat."
"Therefore… you are sentenced to death."
A pause followed.
"If you have any last words… say them now."
For a moment, David remained silent.
Then he suddenly burst into insane laughter.
"Hahahaha…"
"A trial?"
"You call this a trial, you barbaric dogs?!"
David slowly lifted his head and smiled at the Alpha.
"So… they call you the Alpha, right?"
His smile widened mockingly.
"Then why are other people passing judgment for you?"
"Are you a failed Alpha… who can't control his own pack?"
At that exact moment…
David's hands moved.
The ropes binding him suddenly loosened.
Before Orien could react, David tore them apart.
He grabbed the vervain rope even as his hands burned violently.
The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
But David didn't stop.
He ripped the remaining restraints off his body.
Then he stood up slowly.
"Do you really think… this is enough to hold me?"
A terrifying smile spread across his face.
Dark veins appeared beneath his eyes and spread toward his jaw.
His eyes began to glow bright red.
Then several blood-red threads burst from his back and swirled through the air like living serpents.
The sight was horrifying.
"You fools…"
David's voice became monstrous.
"People didn't call me The Witch Eater for nothing!"
David let out a terrifying roar.
Then one of his blood tentacles grabbed Scott's body and hurled it high into the sky in a random direction.
The platform beneath him shattered instantly.
His blood tentacles lifted him high into the air — like a monstrous spider suspended above the arena.
The crowd screamed in terror.
Fighters rushed forward in a chaotic swarm.
But then—
"Hold!"
Orien rose slowly from his throne.
"This one…"
His eyes began glowing deep golden yellow.
"...will be mine."
With a monstrous roar, the Alpha leapt into the air.
David hissed like a predator and lunged toward him.
The two monsters collided in midair.
BOOM!
The shockwave shattered chairs and tore apart the arena.
Chaos exploded everywhere.
Screams filled the night.
The moment Orien and David collided, the entire arena shook violently.
BOOM!
A powerful shockwave exploded outward, shattering wooden platforms and throwing several werewolves off their feet.
David's blood-red threads lashed through the air like living whips.
Orien moved with terrifying speed.
He twisted his body midair and slammed his fist into David's chest.
CRACK!
David's ribs shattered from the impact, and his body was hurled across the arena like a broken doll.
He crashed through two wooden pillars before finally slamming into the far wall.
Dust filled the air.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then a wet coughing sound echoed through the arena.
David slowly pushed himself up from the rubble.
Blood dripped from the corner of his mouth.
Yet… he was smiling.
"Heh…"
"You really are strong."
Orien landed gracefully on the ground.
His glowing golden eyes locked onto David.
"You talk too much," the Alpha said calmly.
Then he vanished.
The next moment—
BOOM!
His fist slammed directly into David's face.
The ground beneath them cracked.
David's head snapped sideways from the impact, and blood sprayed across the floor.
But suddenly—
Several blood threads shot forward like spears.
Orien reacted instantly.
He twisted his body and dodged the first two threads.
But the third one sliced across his shoulder.
A thin line of blood appeared on the Alpha's skin.
The entire arena gasped.
No one had ever seen Orien bleed before.
David laughed loudly.
"Hahaha!"
"Look at that!"
"You bleed just like everyone else, dog!"
Orien slowly touched the blood on his shoulder.
His expression didn't change.
But the air around him suddenly became heavy.
His muscles began expanding.
His bones cracked loudly.
Golden fur started spreading across his arms and neck.
His teeth sharpened into long fangs.
Within seconds, Orien had transformed into a terrifying wolf form in a size of Polar Bear.
His golden eyes burned with primal fury.
David's smile slowly widened.
"Oh…"
"So that's your true form."
Orien lowered his body like a predator preparing to strike.
"You should have stayed silent, Vampire."
David raised his eyebrows and said, "You can talk in your dog form? Well... that's new."
Orien snored and didn't speak. he vanished again.
But this time, even David couldn't track his movement.
A massive claw slammed into David's stomach.
CRASH!
David was launched through the arena wall and disappeared into the forest beyond.
The werewolves roared in triumph.
"Long live the Alpha!"
"Kill the vampire!"
Orien stepped slowly toward the broken wall.
But suddenly—
Something flew out of the darkness.
A red thread wrapped around his leg.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens of blood threads shot out from the forest like hunting serpents.
Orien's eyes narrowed.
David emerged from the darkness.
His clothes were torn.
His body was covered in blood.
But the terrifying smile was still on his face.
"You really think… this is over?"
His eyes burned with crimson light.
The blood threads surrounding him began multiplying rapidly.
Hundreds of them twisted through the air like a living storm.
"You stupid dogs really thought you captured me?"
David spread his arms wide.
The threads shot forward in every direction.
SCREEECH!
Several werewolves were instantly impaled.
Blood splattered across the arena floor.
Panic erupted.
"He's killing them!"
"Stop him!"
But the threads were too fast.
They pierced through bodies, wrapped around throats, and tore limbs apart.
The arena turned into a slaughterhouse.
A glimpse of madness and anger spread through Orien's eyes when he saw the death of eight members of his pack.
Orien growled deeply.
His massive claws ripped through several threads, but more kept coming.
David laughed like a madman.
"That's right!"
"Run!"
"Scream!"
"Beg for mercy!"
His voice echoed across the forest.
"You wanted to torture us, right?!"
"Now let's see how much you enjoy pain!".
"Oorrraaahhh!".
Orien roared and then a sound wave spread and destroyed all of David's blood threads.
David frowned and formed another network of bloody threads.
The Alpha tore through the storm of threads like a living tank.
But just as he reached David—
A sudden scream echoed from far away.
A blood thread suddenly yanked something out of the sky.
It was Scott's body.
The corpse crashed onto the ground beside David.
The arena froze.
David looked down at the lifeless boy.
For a brief moment…
The madness in his eyes faded.
Then he sighed softly.
"Sorry, kid."
He lifted Scott's body using one of the threads.
Then, without warning—
He hurled the body far into the distant forest.
The corpse disappeared into the darkness.
Orien growled.
"You think throwing away a corpse will save you?".
David wiped the blood from his mouth.
"No."
His smile returned.
"But it might save someone else."
The Alpha's golden eyes narrowed.
"What are you planning?"
David's grin widened.
"Oh, nothing much."
"Just making sure…"
"...that tonight becomes the worst night your pack has ever experienced."
The blood threads around him suddenly exploded outward like a crimson hurricane.
Orien scowled in anger and said, "That's enough!".
Suddenly, a pink and green mist spread, enveloping David from all sides.
David's pupils shrank, and he stared at the scene in shock, then the surroundings began to change.
He found himself standing in a vast green meadow instead of the chaotic, blood-stained square.
David looked around in astonishment, then glanced at his clothes and saw he was wearing simple, rural, woolen garments from the 15th century.
"Matthias!"
He heard a young, sweet female voice, and his eyes widened in disbelief. He quickly turned toward the source of the voice.
What he saw made tears instantly fill his eyes.
Before him stood a stunningly beautiful young woman with golden blonde hair, clear blue ocean-like eyes, cherry-red lips, and a small perfect nose.
She was the very definition of beauty.
The woman ran toward David with a longing smile and said, "I have good news, Matthias! Aunt Dahlia has gone behind closed doors to craft a new spell!"
She grabbed David's hand and, with a mischievous grin, added, "Which means we can relax for the rest of this week! Isn't that wonderful?!"
David's lips trembled. He raised his hand and touched the girl's cheek as his hand shook uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. He whispered, "Fr… Freya."
"Hmm? Matthias? What's wrong?"
David opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly found a massive wolf claw before him.
"BOOOOM!"
The air exploded violently, and David was thrown forcefully, rolling across the ground multiple times as every bone in his body broke.
He lay on the ground, his eyes returning to their normal color as he vomited blood violently, staring at the pitch-black night sky in shock.
Orien stood on all fours with pride and arrogance, gazing at David with deep disdain.
He transformed back into his human form with a cracking sound, then ordered his men to seize David. Of course, Orien could have killed him easily, but he wanted to interrogate him first.
Two men advanced from behind to lift the defeated David, but before they could grab him, a shadowy figure descended from the sky at lightning speed.
"BOOOOM!"
A massive cloud of dust exploded and engulfed the area.
"Ahhh!"
All Orien could hear were the screams of his men dying.
"Who's there?!" Orien shouted in fury.
Suddenly, a man with huge crow-like wings emerged from the smoke and struck Orien forcefully in the face.
"BOOM!"
A shockwave spread, sending Orien flying several meters backward.
Before anyone could react, the winged man grabbed David and soared into the sky, escaping at incredible speed.
Orien roared in anger, then shouted to his followers:
"Catch them! Don't let them escape!"
"Yes, Your Highness Alpha!"
The Seven Judges shouted, leaping into the air, climbing trees, and chasing after the man who had fled with David.