Finding the Monster Within
Morning school was not the same. No one collided with Marcus. No taunts, no pushes, no jokes. The air itself appeared to hum whenever he walked down the hallway with Duke and Jiho. They gazed at him anxiously, a mixture of appreciation and wary respect burning in their eyes. Everyone kept a safe distance from him — no one wanted to confront him now.
Jiho: (whispering) "You see? Ain't nobody bothering us no more."
Duke: (nervously) "It's like… since they did what they did to Logan, everybody's scared. Even the teachers don't say no questions."
Marcus: (low) "Good. Let's just get through the day and keep a low profile."
For the first time in a long time, the three of them made it through the day without anything happening. After school, Marcus said goodbye to Jiho and Duke, strolled down the quiet streets to the modest apartment that he shared with his mom, and entered it just as she was grabbing her bag to go to work.
Mom: (smiling) "Hi, baby. You okay?"
Marcus: (smirking) "Yeah, Mom. Just tired."
Mom: "Alright. Don't wait up. I'll be late tonight."
With a quick hug, she was gone. The door clicked shut, and suddenly it was just him and the silence. But this silence felt charged… electric.
The Experiment
Marcus stepped into the kitchen and pulled a sharp knife from the block. Memories came flooding back from movies and comics, the stories of werewolves and immortality. Slowly, incredulously, he pulled the knife across his palm.
A searing pain. A bead of red. And then…
It stopped. The skin healed itself. The pain disappeared. The blood dried in a flash.
Marcus: (eyes widening) "No way…"
He grinned as adrenaline ran through his veins. He was no longer speculating. This was real.
Marcus: (whispering in excitement) "If I can heal like this… I can train more. Harder. Endless. Just like Saitama."
The Revelation
With the revelation burning within him, he started doing pushups until sweat poured down his shirt. Pushups. Squats. Pullups. The kind of exercise that would destroy a normal human. But every strain, every ache of a burst muscle, vanished within moments.
Marcus: (grinning, panting) "I can make myself. Stronger. Faster. Better."
And then another thought came — one that he remembered from an old book he'd read on the internet.
My Werewolf System". the MC, Gary, could consume regular food, but raw meat gave him strength.
Marcus felt an unusual hunger stir within. Not the panging for regular snacks… but a beastly craving for meat.
He pulled on a hoodie, left, and walked down the empty streets until he found a corner shop. The old man behind the counter gave him a suspicious glance as he picked out a fresh, bloodied steak. No cooking. No spices. Just… raw.
The First Bite
In the alley, under the faint glow of a streetlight, Marcus sank his new, razor-sharp teeth into the steak. To his amazement, it was incredible — savory, rich, filling him to the brim with a rush of warmth and strength. The strength flowed through him.
Marcus: (eyes glowing softly) "So this is it. This is what I am."
As he concluded, he reached for his phone, glancing at the calendar. The date took his breath:
14 days until the next full moon.
He clenched the phone tightly. Whatever was taking place, he had two weeks. Two weeks to master this monster, to tame it… and to make sure that when the full moon arose, it wouldn't gain control over him.
Marcus: (whispering) "Alright… Let's do this."