Somewhere on earth....In some city....In a particular house...on a terrace...near mid-night...
A young man, barely in his twenties, walked back and forth, murmuring to himself.
"What am I supposed to do with my future?" he whispered. "What if I never get a job… what should I even be learning?"
A quiet sigh escaped him as he stared into the night.
These thoughts always returned after dark—uninvited, relentless.
After a while, he began staring at the moon.
"The moon looks beautiful… I can't help but keep staring at it. Truly beautiful."
After some time, a voice called from downstairs, "Noah, it's getting late. Come down—and make sure to lock the door."
The boy, Noah, replied,"Sure, I'll be there in five minutes."
After lingering on the moon for a while, he let his gaze drift across the night sky—stars scattered like sprinkles across a black endless mattress. It was time to go downstairs.
"I feel… a little at peace now," he whispered. "Maybe the dreams won't come back tonight."
"Time to go downstairs."
Noah locked the door, then made his way downstairs and slipped into bed.
Tick…
Tick…
Tick…
Tick… Tick…Tick… Tick… Tick…TickTickTickTickTick—TICKTICKTICKTICKTICKTICK—
DONG...
"Hmm… it's getting colder…" Noah murmured in his sleep, his voice barely more than a whisper.
The world bent and twisted around him… and then, a sudden chill.
Noah's eyes snapped open.
He was no longer in his bed.
Snow crunched beneath him and night above. A dense forest stretched in every direction, and towering above it all stood the shadow of a mountain.
"Where am I?"
My breath quickened as I looked around, panic rising with every passing second.
"Just a moment ago, I was lying in my bed… and now I—I am… where am I?"
"What is this place…?"
I turned in place, my breath shaking.
"Snow… everywhere… how is this possible?"
"Is this a dream…?"
I clenched my fists, feeling the cold bite into my skin.
"No… it doesn't feel like one."
The air, the cold—everything felt far too real.
Amid my thoughts, I heard a wolf howl—Awoooo…
the howls keeps getting closer.
"I should run… but where?" I muttered. "Damn it—running from wolves is my only option now."
I started running.
Where should I go in a place like this?I need to find somewhere safe… somewhere I can hide.
Awoooo…....Awoooo...Awoooo..Awoooo.Awoooo
"The sounds… they're getting closer. I need to move," I muttered.
I ran.
Snow crunched beneath my feet as I pushed through the forest, heading toward higher ground where the trees began to thin.
Then I saw it.
Standing atop a jagged rock—
A figure.
Human in shape… but its head was that of a wolf.
Its hands and feet ended in long, claw-like nails, nearly three to four centimeters in length glinting faintly in the moonlight. Fur clung to its body in rough patches, and its large eyes pulsed with an eerie glow.
It raised its head and howled.
Awoooo…
The sound echoed into the night.
Above it, the moon loomed—
Big.
Beautiful.
Terrifying.
Not mesmerized by the beautiful yet terrifying sight, I began to notice something else—
Eyes.
Glowing eyes.
All around me.
From every direction.
A pack of wolves had surrounded me… and at their center stood the humanoid wolf—their alpha.
Before I could be completely encircled, I ran.
The wolves gave chase immediately.
But the humanoid one didn't move.
It simply watched.
As if it didn't need to chase me itself… only command the others to trap me.
My heart pounded as I ran blindly through the forest.
Then—
I stopped.
Not knowing where to go my path came to a dead end.
A cliff.
Far below, a river cut through the valley, its distant sound barely audible beneath the howl of the wind. The air was freezing, the gusts sharp against my skin.
I turned back.
The wolves had already closed in.
I had no choice. Or rather—two choices..
Jump—and risk death.Or stay—and become their prey.
Then I saw it.
Just below the cliff, about seven or eight meters down—
A small cave entrance.
There was no time to think.
My body moved on its own.
I jumped.
Pain shot through my back as I landed on a narrow ledge jutting out near the cave entrance and exploded through my back as I hit the ledge.
I gasped, the air knocked out of my lungs.
My vision wavered.
The world spun.
No… I need to move…
The howls in the distance grew faint… or maybe my hearing was fading.
The edges of my vision darkened.
I can't…
And everything went black.
Tick....Tick....Tick....
some time later...
Cold....
Pain....
Where…?
My thoughts felt heavy. Slow.
Then—
The memory came rushing back.
The Wolves., The Cliff, The Fall.
After sorting through my thoughts, I realized I was lying just inside the cave entrance.
It wasn't completely dark.
Some of the stones embedded in the walls were glowing faintly—strange, unfamiliar, and unlike anything I had ever seen before.
This world itself felt different.
The moon… it was at least five times larger than the one on Earth.
And those creatures—
They looked like something out of myths. Werewolves. The kind I had only ever seen on TV or read about.
Where am I…?
I didn't know what else this place had in store for me.
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to think clearly.
My back throbbed with pain. If I didn't do something soon… I might not survive.
Focus.
I needed to find civilization.
If this world worked anything like mine, people would likely settle near resources—especially water.
The river below the cliff… that might be my best chance.
I pushed myself up slowly and looked deeper into the cave.
The path sloped downward, disappearing into darkness.
Maybe it led somewhere. Maybe it was a way out.
Moving carefully, I began walking.
As I went deeper, I noticed more of those glowing stones—red, blue, green… scattered along the walls like fragments of light.
It was strangely beautiful.
But something felt off.
This cave… it didn't feel empty.
It felt like something lived here.
I just hoped I wouldn't run into it.
After some time, a faint light appeared ahead.
I stepped out—
Back into the forest.
The same one as before.
And this time…
Morning had begun.
I ran downhill, heading toward the river.
Along the way, I spotted all kinds of trees. Some were still covered in snow, while others looked similar to the ones back on Earth. A few bore strange fruits I had never seen before.
Maybe they exist on Earth… I've just never come across them, I thought.
As I kept moving, I noticed different animals—squirrels, birds, foxes… and many more I couldn't even recognize.
Gradually, the snow began to thin. Patches of green started to appear.
And finally—
After all that running, I reached the river.
"Ugh…"
A sharp pain flared in my back. The injury was getting worse.
I need to move…
I steadied myself, breathing heavily as I looked along the flowing water.
If I follow the river… I might find a village.
As I followed the river, I saw different animals coming to drink—squirrels, birds, foxes—and fish swimming beneath the surface.
But after a while, the number of animals near the river began to decrease.
"Hmm…"
Something doesn't feel right…
It feels like something dangerous is ahead… maybe that's why fewer animals are coming here.
After walking a bit further—
I froze.
The same pack of wolves. Drinking from the river.
And their leader… the humanoid wolf… was with them.
I immediately kept my distance.
I can't afford another injury in this condition… it'll only make things worse.
As I carefully maintained my distance, the werewolf suddenly lifted its head.
It began sniffing the air.
Then—
Awooooo…
The pack became alert instantly, spreading out and searching.
"Huh… did the werewolf smell something?" I muttered under my breath. "Is it me…? Or did it smell my blood…?"
But I'm keeping quite a distance…
I had a feeling…They're looking for me.
The wolf pack spread out, moving relentlessly, sniffing the ground and the air as they searched for their prey. And right now… I am that prey.
I tried to put more distance between us, moving carefully—
But slowly…
They began heading in my direction.
My heart sank.
They've found me.
Before the pack could fully close in, I needed to move.
Run.
I turned and rushed downhill, following the river, scanning for any safe place.
Then I changed direction—taking a wide arc, nearly a kilometer away from the river, planning to rejoin it about three kilometers ahead.
That should get me out of their range…
As I moved—
A howl echoed through the forest.
Awooooooooo…
"Oh no…"
My breath caught. They've spotted me.
Now I made a run for it and looked back, but I saw nothing. Not too far ahead, it seemed like the river ended where a waterfall was forming.
After running for a while, a wolf jumped from nowhere. Luckily, I dodged it, but this made me realize I had once again fallen into their trap.
This time also, I didn't see their alpha—
Thud. Thump. Thud.
"Uhh…"
"What just hit me? I… I didn't see it…"
Something big had hit Noah and pushed him toward the river's waterfall.
A big figure came into Noah's sight. It was none other than the pack's alpha—the humanoid wolf… The Werewolf.
Noah was surprised and in immense pain. Why had the alpha joined the hunt now?
Was it grumpy that it didn't get him back then? Or was it itself hungry now, when it wasn't before? Noah's thoughts were running wild, and they stopped when the werewolf slowly started coming toward him. Everything suddenly became silent.
"W-what… what is happening…?"
"No… it shouldn't be happening…"
While Noah tried to recover, the werewolf lunged toward him and bit into his shoulder.
Crunch… crunch.
The pain was immense, and Noah started twisting and turning in agony.
Just when death was starting to come for Noah, he made a final push from the waterfall's edge and caused both himself and the werewolf to fall.
"Ahh—! It's hurting… this damned wolf—!"
Crunch.
Noah also bit into the werewolf's shoulder, tearing its flesh and biting again and again.
"I ain't letting you walk away alive—!"
The bodies were rolling in the air and—
Thud… Ptssss…
Awooooo… Awoooo…
"What is this sound… I am sick of this sound…"
Hmm… everything is getting blurred…
Maybe this is—
this—
Noah's eyes blacked out.
Both landed on a huge rock at the bottom of the waterfall.
Blood started flowing out. After some time, their bodies came ashore.
The internals of the werewolf's body gushed out. Its jaw had been knocked out of place—it was a gruesome sight.
Blood was also coming from Noah's shoulder. His left hand was fractured, and his head was bleeding.
It seemed like the werewolf's body landed first, and Noah's body landed upon the werewolf's body.
The werewolf died on the spot. As for Noah, it seemed he would soon meet the same fate.
For a moment, everything was still.
Then—
A faint light emerged from Noah's body…something strange started happening.
Some light came from Noah's body. It absorbed something from the werewolf's body and put Noah's injured parts into a state they were in a little while ago. However, his body was not fully healed or completely restored. Noah's left hand, which was fractured, was now in a better condition.
The light slowly faded, leaving only silence behind.
After some time…
Tick… Tick… Tick…
"Salvē."
Some men came near Noah, with spears in hand, seeming astonished to find a body with a werewolf along the river. They were speaking a language that was not known.
"Hode paresti, zēi."