Cedrick vaulted out of the kitchen window, landing silently on the damp earth. His father and brother were still out on the balcony… unaware.
Inside, Amelia knelt beside Shelly, gently brushing strands of hair from the human girl's clammy face.
Amelia: "Poor human… even other races take three or four days to recover after witnessing their first bloodbath. I don't know if you'll make it… Stay strong, human."
---
Meanwhile, Cedrick padded down the road toward town, the night air thick with unease.
??: "Kid! Don't come here—go back! Go, fast!"
Cedrick blinked, stepping closer. "Why are you lying in the middle of the road? You should get home."
The man's eyes were glassy. ??: "I… I've become the victim…"
Cedrick's stomach turned as his gaze dropped. The man's leg—torn open, flesh burst, blood pooling.
Cedrick (thinking): Oh no. If that blood touches me, I'll be cursed too…
Panic surged. Run. Run now.
"Wolf—come out," he muttered.
Bones shifted. Fur erupted. In a heartbeat, Cedrick was on four legs, sprinting into the night, paws pounding the ground as fast as fear could carry him.