Chapter 1

Rain fell softly on the city that night. Streetlights shimmered in puddles, and every passing car left a trail of silver water behind.

Seventeen-year-old Thalric Gray walked alone across the bridge, his hands deep in his hoodie pockets and his backpack hanging low on one shoulder.

He wasn’t afraid of the dark—he just liked when the world was quiet. The rain made everything gentler, hiding the noise of people, hiding the weight of school, hiding the loneliness that had followed him for years.

The bridge lights flickered once, then steadied again. Far below, the river moved like black glass, silent and endless.

Thalric stopped for a moment to watch the water. His breath came out in a faint mist. Behind him, the city hummed—neon signs, bus engines, laughter from a nearby bar—but here, halfway across, the sound faded. It almost felt like another world.

Then he heard footsteps.

Soft, careful steps. Someone was coming from the far end of the bridge.

He turned quickly. A girl was walking toward him. She wore a dark coat that brushed her knees and boots that barely made a sound on the wet ground. Her hair clung to her face in damp waves, and when she looked up, the streetlight caught her eyes—gray, almost silver.

“Sorry,” she said quietly. “Didn’t mean to startle you.”

“You didn’t,” he said, even though she had.

She smiled a little. “That’s good. Most people get nervous when they see someone walking alone at night.”

Thalric gave a weak laugh. “Guess I’m not most people.”

She tilted her head as if studying him. “No. You’re not.”

He frowned. “Do I… know you?”

“Not yet.”

Before he could ask what that meant, she glanced toward the woods on the other side of the bridge. The trees stood like shadows in the mist, the edges fading into darkness.

“You shouldn’t go in there,” he said without thinking. “It’s dangerous at night.”

“That’s why I go,” she whispered.

Something about the way she said it made the hair on his arms stand. The wind brushed past them, carrying the smell of wet leaves.

Then she looked straight at him. “You should head home, Thalric Gray.”

He froze. “Wait—how do you know my—”

But she was already walking away, her figure dissolving into the fog.

He stood there for a long time, heart racing. Then he checked his phone—9:23 p.m. He had stayed too long.

---

That night, sleep refused to come. He kept seeing her face behind his eyelids—those eyes that seemed to glow, the way she’d said his name.

Maybe she went to his school? Maybe she saw his ID somewhere?

None of the guesses made sense.

He tossed and turned until past midnight. When he finally drifted off, his dream was filled with moonlight and running—through trees, through rain, through something that felt alive and watching.

When he woke, his heart was pounding, and there was a faint, burning mark on his wrist. It faded before he could see what it was.

---

Morning looked normal again.

His mother was in the kitchen talking loudly on the phone. The smell of toast filled the air.

“Thalric, you’re late!” she said, hanging up. “You stayed at that library again, didn’t you?”

He mumbled, “Yeah,” grabbed a slice of bread, and left before she could ask more.

The sky was cloudy, the kind of gray that promised more rain.

---

At school, the halls buzzed with chatter and footsteps. Thalric slipped quietly to his seat in the back of the classroom, pulling out his notes.

He liked mornings like this—simple, predictable. But that peace lasted only five minutes.

The door opened. The teacher looked up. “Ah, you must be the new student. Come in.”

Thalric’s hand froze halfway through writing.

The girl from the bridge stepped inside.

She was wearing the same calm expression, as if she’d expected this. Her gray eyes swept across the room, pausing on him for just a heartbeat before she turned to the teacher.

“Class, this is Veluna Vale,” the teacher said. “She just transferred here. Be kind, alright?”

Veluna gave a small nod. The teacher pointed. “You can sit by the window.”

That was the empty seat two rows from Thalric.

For the rest of the lesson, he could feel her presence like a quiet hum in the air. She didn’t take notes. She didn’t fidget. She just watched the world outside the window, lost somewhere else entirely.

When the bell rang, she glanced back at him. Their eyes met for a second. Then she smiled faintly—as if to say yes, it’s me—and walked out.

---

By lunch, everyone was talking about the new girl.

“She came from another city.”

“I heard she doesn’t talk much.”

“Her eyes are weird but kinda pretty.”

Thalric ignored most of it, but curiosity kept nagging him. He found her sitting alone by the window in the cafeteria, untouched food in front of her.

He hesitated, then walked over. “Hey.”

She looked up, expression unreadable. “Hey.”

“Uh, you probably don’t remember, but we—”

“Met on the bridge,” she finished softly. “I remember.”

He blinked. “Right. You kinda disappeared after that.”

“I had to.”

“Because?”

Veluna looked at him for a long time before saying, “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”

“Try me.”

Her lips curved slightly. “Not here.”

Before he could ask what she meant, she stood up and left.

---

Evening came faster than usual. The rain returned, heavier this time. Thalric walked home alone again, thoughts spinning.

Halfway across the bridge, he stopped.

The woods on the far side were darker than ever, but something pulled him toward them—a strange, deep tug inside his chest, like a heartbeat that wasn’t his own.

He stepped off the road and followed the narrow path. Rain dripped from the branches, soaking his hair.

After a few minutes, he saw a faint light ahead—a soft glow like moonlight through fog.

Veluna stood in a small clearing, her coat gone, her hair loose and wet. She turned when she heard him.

“You came.”

“I had to know,” he said, breathing hard. “Who are you?”

Her eyes caught the light. “Someone who shouldn’t be here.”

“That doesn’t explain anything.”

She took a step closer. “You wouldn’t believe me if I said you’re not supposed to be here either.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Thalric…” She hesitated, looking at the sky. The clouds were breaking apart, revealing the full moon. “You’re changing.”

He frowned. “Changing how?”

She reached for his wrist. The moment her fingers touched his skin, heat rushed through his veins. A symbol—two curved lines forming a crescent—glowed faintly before fading again.

He stumbled back. “What did you do?”

“It’s not me,” she said quickly. “It’s the moon. It’s your blood waking up.”

“Blood? What are you saying?”

A low, distant howl echoed through the forest. It wasn’t a dog. It was deeper, ancient. The ground seemed to tremble under his feet.

Veluna’s expression turned sharp. “It’s coming.”

“What is?”

She didn’t answer. She just grabbed his hand and pulled him along the path. They ran, branches whipping against their arms.

“Veluna!” he shouted. “What’s happening?”

“Keep running!”

Behind them, something moved through the trees—fast, heavy, breathing loud. The sound made his chest tighten.

They burst out of the woods onto the bridge. The city lights looked too bright, almost unreal.

Veluna stopped, turning back toward the darkness. Rain plastered her hair to her face.

“Thalric,” she said breathlessly, “if you start to feel the pull, don’t fight it. Fighting makes it worse.”

“The pull? What pull?”

“You’ll know when it happens.”

Lightning flashed. For a second, her eyes glowed silver again, brighter than before.

Then she was gone—like she had melted into the rain.

Thalric stood alone on the bridge, drenched, shaking. The night was silent except for the rain and his heartbeat.

He looked down at his wrist. The faint mark glimmered there again, soft but alive, as if pulsing with the rhythm of his heart.

Another howl echoed far away, and something inside him stirred in answer.

He didn’t know it yet, but that night was the beginning—the first crack in the world he thought he understood.

The moon shone through the clouds, pale and watching.

And Thalric Gray realized that whatever had started in the woods… wasn’t finished with him.

🌙 Chapter 2

The next morning came too fast.

Thalric barely slept. His head felt heavy, and his wrist still burned a little where the strange mark had appeared.

He stared at it again under the dull morning light. Nothing. Just skin. Maybe it was a dream… maybe everything was.

He shook the thought away, grabbed his backpack, and headed to school. The air smelled of wet ground after the night rain. The city looked normal again—like nothing strange had ever happened.

But he couldn’t stop thinking about Veluna. The way she’d said his name. The way her eyes had glowed.

---

At school, things felt off.

Students whispered more than usual. Some glanced at him, then looked away fast.

When he sat down, his best friend Kai leaned closer.

“Hey, man. You okay? You look like a ghost.”

Thalric sighed. “Didn’t sleep.”

Kai smirked. “Lemme guess—video games again?”

“Something like that,” Thalric said quietly.

Before Kai could reply, the classroom door opened. Veluna walked in.

This time, she didn’t look at anyone. She just went straight to her seat and stared out the window again.

But Thalric noticed something new. Her eyes weren’t just gray today—they had a faint silver glow, even in daylight.

He tried not to stare, but she suddenly turned her head, and their eyes met.

For a moment, everything went silent. The chatter, the footsteps, the teacher’s voice—it all faded.

Then she smiled. Just a small one. And that strange calm washed over him again.

---

After class, he caught up with her in the hallway.

“Veluna,” he said.

She stopped but didn’t turn. “You shouldn’t talk to me here.”

“Why not?”

“People are watching.”

“I don’t care. I just want answers.”

She finally faced him. Her expression was soft, but her voice was firm.

“You’re changing, Thalric. You can feel it, can’t you?”

He hesitated. “I don’t know what I feel.”

“You will soon.”

“Then tell me what’s going on!” he said, louder than he meant to. A few students turned to stare.

Veluna took a step closer, lowering her voice. “Not here. After school. By the old train tracks.”

Before he could say anything, she walked away.

---

All through the day, Thalric couldn’t focus. His pen kept tapping, his leg kept shaking, and every clock tick felt too slow.

When the final bell rang, he rushed out before Kai could even say goodbye.

The old train tracks lay behind a small hill near the city’s edge, half-buried under weeds and rust. The sun was already sinking when he arrived.

Veluna was waiting, sitting on one of the broken rails, her coat fluttering in the wind.

“You came,” she said softly.

“You said you’d explain,” he replied.

She stood, her eyes serious now. “The mark on your wrist—did you see it again?”

He nodded slowly. “Only once. At night.”

“That’s when it begins,” she murmured. “Your blood is waking up. You’re connected to the Night Fall.”

“The what?”

“The Night Fall,” she repeated. “It’s not a curse… not really. It’s something old. It’s what lives under the moon.”

Thalric frowned. “You’re not making sense.”

Veluna looked at him sadly. “You will understand when it happens again. But listen carefully—when the moon calls you, don’t fight it.”

He took a step closer. “Why me? Why any of this?”

She opened her mouth to answer—but then froze. Her head turned sharply toward the trees.

“What is it?” he whispered.

Veluna’s eyes glowed faintly. “We’re being watched.”

A low growl echoed from the shadows. Then another.

Something moved between the trees—dark, fast, and heavy.

Veluna grabbed his arm. “Run!”

They sprinted down the tracks as the growls grew louder. The air felt thick, the sound of claws scraping against metal behind them.

Thalric’s heart pounded hard, but something else pulsed inside him too—a strange rush, wild and hot. His senses sharpened. The air, the smell, the movement—it all became clearer.

They reached an old tunnel. Veluna pulled him inside and pressed a finger to her lips.

The growling stopped. For a moment, there was silence.

Then, a loud crash. Something hit the wall outside, hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling.

Thalric grabbed a metal rod lying nearby. His hands trembled, but he lifted it anyway.

Veluna whispered, “Don’t.”

“I’m not hiding forever.”

The thing outside snarled again—and suddenly, Thalric’s wrist burned. His body tensed.

The same mark glowed again, brighter this time. He gasped. His eyes flashed gold.

Veluna’s voice trembled. “It’s happening…”

The growl came again, closer—then a shape lunged through the tunnel entrance.

Thalric swung the rod instinctively. The sound of metal hitting flesh echoed.

The creature staggered back, but before he could see it clearly, it vanished into the darkness.

Veluna grabbed his arm, eyes wide. “We need to leave. Now.”

They ran out the other end of the tunnel, breathing hard, rain beginning to fall again.

---

By the time they reached the road, Thalric’s hands were shaking.

“What was that thing?” he asked.

Veluna’s voice was low. “A shadow wolf. They hunt anything connected to the Night Fall.”

“And I’m connected to it?”

She looked away. “Yes.”

“Then what are you?”

Veluna hesitated. Her silver eyes met his. “I’m here to protect you… before it’s too late.”

Thalric stared at her, unsure whether to believe or run.

But deep down, a part of him already knew—his life would never be normal again.

The moon rose behind the clouds, pale and full.

And somewhere inside him, the beast stirred once more.

🌙 Episode 3

The next morning, the rain had stopped, but the streets were still wet and gleaming. Thalric walked slowly to school, his backpack feeling heavier than usual. Every shadow seemed to twitch, every sound sharper. He couldn’t tell if it was the world that had changed, or him.

At breakfast, his mother chatted about the weather and her plans for the week, but Thalric only nodded, spooning cereal into his mouth mechanically. His mind kept drifting back to last night—the growls, the glowing mark, Veluna’s warning.

He glanced at his wrist. Nothing. Just skin. But the memory of the burning pulse lingered, and he rubbed it subconsciously, feeling a tingle under his fingertips.

By the time he arrived at school, the hallways were already buzzing with students. He kept his hood up, hoping to stay unnoticed. But that was impossible.

As he rounded the corner, he collided—literally—with Kai.

“Whoa! Careful, ghost boy,” Kai said, steadying him. “You’ve been acting weirder than usual. Something happen last night?”

Thalric opened his mouth, then closed it. “Just didn’t sleep well.”

Kai raised an eyebrow but said nothing more, letting it drop.

He slid into his seat at the back of the classroom, pulling out his notebook. He tried to focus on the teacher’s voice, but every word seemed muffled, distant. His eyes kept drifting toward the door, half-expecting Veluna to appear.

And, as if on cue, she did.

Veluna walked in silently, her coat pulled tight against the wind, her eyes scanning the classroom until they found him. They met. Gold met silver—both glowing faintly. Thalric felt a jolt that made his chest tighten.

She gave a subtle nod before turning her gaze to the window. For a long minute, he sat frozen, unable to breathe normally.

The bell rang, snapping him back to reality. The classroom emptied faster than usual, leaving him standing in the hall. He knew he couldn’t wait any longer. He had to talk to her.

“Veluna!” he called.

She stopped mid-step and turned slightly, her silver eyes piercing him.

“You should be careful,” she said softly. “Not just with them—” she gestured to the hall, crowded with students —“but with yourself.”

“Your warning isn’t enough,” he said. “I need to know what’s happening to me. I can’t pretend this is normal.”

She studied him for a moment, then finally sighed. “I said it once. You’re connected to the Night Fall. But it’s more than that now. You’re waking… faster than expected.”

“Waking?”

She didn’t answer immediately. Instead, she motioned for him to follow. They slipped through the back door, past the courtyard where students milled about. Nobody noticed them—if they did, they didn’t care.

Once outside the school gates, the city felt different. The sunlight was pale, almost dim. The air smelled faintly of wet stone and moss. Veluna led him down narrow streets, away from the main roads, toward the outskirts where buildings thinned and the shadows grew longer.

“Where are we going?” Thalric asked.

“To see what’s inside you,” she said simply. “Before it sees us.”

He frowned. “What do you mean?”

“You don’t know yet,” she said, stopping at a small, abandoned warehouse. Rusted doors hung open on broken hinges. “But you will. Come in.”

Thalric hesitated. Everything in him screamed to run, to stay safe. But something stronger—a deep, unfamiliar pull—made his feet move forward.

Inside, the air was cool, tinged with metal and dust. Shafts of sunlight pierced cracks in the roof, illuminating floating motes of dust. Veluna walked to the center of the room and turned to face him.

“Stand here,” she instructed.

He did, unsure why.

Veluna closed her eyes, and the air seemed to shift. The sunlight dimmed. Shadows pooled in the corners, creeping closer like silent, waiting predators.

“Now,” she whispered.

Thalric felt it immediately—a pulse in his veins, a rhythm unlike his own heartbeat. His body trembled, a low growl echoing in his chest. He staggered, clutching his head.

“Relax,” Veluna said urgently. “Fight it, and it will control you. Let it flow—just let it show you who you are.”

A golden light burst from his chest, spreading to his arms, hands, and finally his face. His eyes flashed gold again, brighter, sharper. Every sound around him sharpened—the creak of the old warehouse floor, the faint drip of water, the distant cry of birds outside.

And then he heard it—a voice.

Not in words. Not in sound. It was inside his head, low and deep, whispering, “Thalric… awaken…”

He fell to his knees, gripping the floor as images flashed in his mind: forests under moonlight, glowing wolves, shadows that moved like liquid. He saw Veluna—but not as the girl he knew. She was luminous, almost ethereal, her eyes like silver moons.

“You see it now,” Veluna said. Her voice shook slightly. “Your blood remembers. The Night Fall calls you… but it doesn’t hate you. It’s part of you.”

A sudden roar outside shattered the warehouse. Thalric jumped to his feet, the golden glow pulsating faster.

“What was that?” he shouted.

“Shadow wolf,” Veluna said sharply. “They sense your awakening. They will come for you—and they won’t stop.”

The walls of the warehouse seemed to shrink. Shadows moved closer, stretching long claws across the floor, whispering threats that only Thalric could hear.

Veluna grabbed his shoulders. “Focus! Listen to the rhythm! The Night Fall isn’t just power—it’s protection. Let it guide you, not frighten you!”

He nodded, closing his eyes. He breathed slowly, letting the golden light fill him, stretching to every nerve. His hearing sharpened further, his smell of wet stone and moss intensified, and every shadow in the room became a living shape.

The door burst open with a slam. Two dark, hulking forms slipped inside. Their eyes glowed red. Their claws scraped the concrete, and a low, rumbling growl vibrated through the floor.

Thalric felt a surge of something wild inside him. He instinctively stepped forward, hands glowing with golden light.

Veluna leapt to his side. “Don’t hold back!”

The first shadow lunged. Thalric’s golden aura flared. A wave of energy knocked it back, scraping the wall. He gasped—he had done that. With just a thought, with just his awakening, he had defended himself.

The second shadow hesitated, then charged. Thalric met it head-on. His body moved on instinct, faster than thought. He ducked, kicked, and thrust forward, a golden strike hitting the creature. It yelped and vanished in a puff of dark smoke.

Veluna landed beside him, breathing hard. “That… was amazing.”

Thalric sank to his knees, exhausted, hands trembling. “I… I didn’t even know I could do that.”

“You will,” Veluna said softly. “And you’ll need to. This is only the beginning. Once the Night Fall fully awakens in you, the Shadow Wolves won’t stop. They will hunt you relentlessly.”

Thalric swallowed hard, trying to steady his racing heart. “Why me? Why now?”

Veluna’s silver eyes softened. “Because you’re meant to be more than human. And because if you don’t awaken, the balance will break. The Night Fall chooses those it needs to survive… and you are one of them.”

The warehouse fell silent. Only the faint drip of water echoed. Outside, the sun dipped lower, casting long shadows across the city.

Thalric looked down at his wrist. The mark glowed faintly, almost like a heartbeat under his skin. He clenched his fists.

“I… I don’t know if I’m ready for this,” he admitted.

“You don’t have a choice,” Veluna said gently. “But you do have a choice in how you fight it.”

A distant howl carried over the city. A low, sinister sound that made his stomach twist.

Thalric rose, looking at Veluna. “Then… I’ll try. I’ll fight it.”

She nodded, a faint smile on her lips. “Good. Because tonight… it comes again.”

The moon peeked from behind the clouds, pale and glowing. Thalric felt it tug at his very bones. The Night Fall inside him stirred, alive and impatient.

And deep inside, he knew one thing for certain: his life, his city, and everyone he loved would never be safe again.