Chapter 24: Whispers in the Dark.

  The dawn bled crimson, a pale light that made the island look less alive and more like it was ready to burst from holding something it shouldn’t.

  “GET UP!! ASH!!”luna roared,

  Ash’s eyes snapped open at Luna’s roar. His instincts jolted him upright, short sword in hand, every muscle braced to kill.

  “Shit, sorry—I must’ve dozed off. What is it?! Are we under attack?!”

  “IT’S ADAM!! HE’S GONE!!”

  “What?!” Ash barked, eyes scanning the cave, but the spot Adam should’ve been lying in was empty.

  “Don’t just stand there!” Luna’s panic was raw, her words tumbling out. “We need to find him—NOW!”

  Ash cursed under his breath. ‘’Shit, shit, shit! Of all the times I slipped into the healing cycle!!… should’ve known.’’

  (Whenever Ash pushed his Overdrive Factor to 100%, the aftermath was brutal. His body would shut down, forcing a blackout to heal and adapt faster than any human alive. Resisting only slowed recovery—and once he slipped, nothing could wake him until his body was done. A dangerous gamble. And this time, Adam had vanished in the gap.)

  Ash wasted no more words or thoughts as he bolted after Luna, both tearing through the undergrowth until they bursted into a clearing.

  And there he stood.

  Adam stood by a waterfall, sunlight dripping over his frame as though he’d never been wounded. His torn shirt clung wet to his chest, the spray from the falls glistening across his skin.

  The first thing Ash noticed wasn’t the disappearance of the wound. It was the faint scalelike pattern beneath his torn fabric—subtle, glimmering, unnatural.

  “ADAM!!” Luna’s voice cracked with relief as she sprinted toward him.

  “Oh, hey guys—” Adam started, but his words cut short with a sharp smack! to the back of his head.

  The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  “OW!!” he yelped, clutching his skull.

  “What are you doing?! Are you trying to give us a heart attack?!” Luna snarled, her face twisted into a cartoonishly demonic glare.

  “S-sorry…” Adam muttered with a nervous laugh.

  “Sorry doesn’t cut it! Who walks off with a STAB wound in their stomach?!”

  Adam rubbed his neck sheepishly. “But I’m fine now… look.” He lifted his shirt, revealing smooth skin and a body far more refined than before. Not just healed—better.

  Luna blinked, staring. “…Oh wow. Were you always this toned?”

  Adam’s head snapped toward her, scandalized. “Excuse me?!”

  “I mean—uh, wow, the wound’s really gone.” Luna covered quickly, flustered.

  Ash’s eyes stayed fixed on Adam’s torso. ‘’I swear I saw scales just then…’’

  Whatever it was, it’s gone now.

  “How…?” Luna asked, half in awe.

  Adam grinned, falling back on his awkward bravado.

  “Guess I just heal faster than normal. Since I’m a chimera, it’s to be expected not to expect the unexpected, right?”

  “…Right,” Luna said, pretending she understood half of what he said.

  “Oi,” Ash finally cut in, voice flat as steel. “If you’re all good, then we need to move.”

  They nodded, but Ash’s vigilance sharpened.

  ?

  Hours later, as they crossed the jagged slopes, Ash kept one eye on Adam.

  Adam walked behind them, shoulders loose, expression casual—but Ash knew better. His steps were too measured. His gaze too sharp.

  Then Adam halted, tilting his head slightly.

  “Did you hear that?” he muttered, voice calm but unnervingly precise.

  Ash frowned. “…Hear what?”

  Adam’s nostrils flared, his pupils narrowing. “Reeds. A mile out. Movement. Two scavenger scouts. Low, cautious. Hiding.”

  Luna blinked. “What? No way—”

  A twig snapped. Exactly where Adam had pin pointed.

  Luna’s eyes went wide. “No way… why didn’t you tell us you had this sensory factor?”

  Adam shrugged. “I didn’t. I think I awakened it after the fever.”

  But Ash noticed the faint ripple of scales along Adam’s forearm as he spoke. Testing him, Ash flicked a pebble toward his eye. Adam dodged it effortlessly.

  “Wow!!” Adam exclaimed.

  “What was that for?!”

  Ash didn’t answer immediately. He just turned and kept walking. “Let’s move.”

  That’s when he felt it—a flicker of killing intent aimed at his back. Subtle, sharp. Adam.

  “Do you guys always play like this?” Luna teased.

  “No. Don’t know what his problem is,” Adam muttered, irritation simmering in his tone.

  Ash filed it away in silence. His senses sharpened. Reflexes heightened. And anger comes quicker now. He’s not the same.

  ?

  Later, resting by the waterfall, Ash washed the dirt and blood from his hands. His eyes drifted across the clearing to where Adam helped Luna change her bandages.

  As she unwrapped the cloth, a faint trickle of blood welled from her wrist.

  Adam froze.

  “Can you grab that wrapper?” Luna asked, but he didn’t move.

  His nostrils flared. Breath caught. His head leaned forward, just slightly—like a predator catching prey. For a fraction of a second, bloodlust shimmered across his face, raw and animalistic.

  Ash’s grip tightened on his blade. The ripple was small, but undeniable.

  “Hello? Earth to Adam,” Luna snapped.

  Adam blinked rapidly, posture relaxing, a nervous laugh tumbling out. “Shit… I didn’t—uh, I didn’t mean to…”

  Luna frowned. “What’s up with you?”

  He waved her off, grin forced. “Nothing. Just… nothing.”

  Ash said nothing. He had seen it. He always remembered.

  “Let’s move.” Ash slung his pack over his shoulder. “Oi, Adam. From now on, you’re our eyes and ears. Stay sharp. No more surprises.”

  “Yeah! Since you’ve awakened your sensory system, you can be our guardian,” Luna added with a cheerful smile.

  Adam nodded weakly, falling into step behind her. His head lowered, as if tired, but his eyes glinted with something Ash didn’t like.

  Ash’s gaze lingered. Something’s changing. And if I’m not careful… it won’t just be dangerous for him.

  The three vanished into the forest, leaving only the whisper of blood in the wind—and the first red light of the rising Blood-Moon.

  Nine days remained before the hunt.

  End of chapter 24.