Reaching the dorm building, Philip and I had to go our separate ways.
"See you tomorrow," Philip said casually before heading toward his room.
"Yeah," I replied, waving lazily.
My body felt unbelievably tired. The events from last night were still fresh in my mind, and my muscles ached as if I had run a marathon.
The moment I reached my room, I dropped my bag beside the bed and collapsed onto the mattress.
Sleep came almost instantly.
But then… the dream began.
Darkness.
Cold air brushed against my skin.
When I opened my eyes, I found myself inside a cave. The walls were rough and damp, and the faint sound of dripping water echoed through the hollow space.
I tried to move.
Clink!
A sharp metallic sound rang out.
My eyes widened.
Chains.
Heavy iron chains were wrapped tightly around my wrists and ankles, pinning me to the cold stone ground. No matter how hard I struggled, they wouldn't budge.
Panic slowly crept into my chest.
"Is anyone there?" I shouted.
My voice echoed through the cave.
"Help me!"
I shouted again and again, my voice growing hoarse with each cry.
But no one answered.
Then suddenly—
A deep, slow breath echoed through the darkness.
It was heavy.
Almost irritated.
As if whoever it belonged to had been listening to me scream the entire time.
Then a voice spoke.
"Are you done shouting?"
I froze.
My breathing was uneven from all the screaming, and for a moment I couldn't even reply.
Finally, I forced the words out.
"W-Who are you?"
The voice answered calmly.
"I am you."
My mind went blank.
That didn't make any sense.
Slowly, I lifted my head and looked around the cave.
At first, I saw nothing but darkness.
Then… something moved.
A massive shadow shifted deep within the cave.
My heart skipped a beat.
There was a figure sitting in the darkness.
A gigantic figure.
Its body was barely visible, but I could clearly see the chains wrapped around it—thicker and heavier than the ones binding me.
Just like me… it was imprisoned.
I stared at the shadow, trying to understand what I was looking at.
Then I saw its eyes.
Two glowing crimson eyes slowly opened.
They locked directly onto me.
A chill ran down my spine.
Those eyes were terrifying.
Wild.
Ancient.
Monstrous.
"That… that can't be me," I muttered in fear.
"I can't be you."
The creature remained silent for a moment.
Then it spoke again.
"You cannot run from what you are."
The red eyes glowed brighter.
"No matter how far you go…"
"You will always return to me."
Suddenly—
I woke up.
I shot upright in bed.
My entire body was covered in sweat, and my heart pounded violently in my chest.
I looked around the room quickly.
Everything was normal.
My desk.
My bag.
The window.
Sunlight streamed into the room peacefully.
I wiped the sweat from my forehead and took a deep breath.
"That was just a dream," I whispered to myself.
"It had to be."
But as I sat there, something strange happened.
I started hearing things.
Voices.
Footsteps.
Doors opening.
Students talking and laughing.
Birds chirping.
At first I thought it was normal.
But then I realized something strange.
The sounds felt… far away.
Very far away.
Much farther than the dorm hallway.
I stood up slowly, confused.
"How am I hearing this…?"
My hearing felt sharper than ever before.
Almost like my ears were picking up sounds from all across the campus.
My brows furrowed.
"What is happening to me?"
Meanwhile…
Later that night.
Philip walked quietly through the empty streets.
His hands were buried deep inside his pockets as the cold night wind brushed past him.
The campus lights slowly disappeared behind him as he moved farther away from the school.
After several minutes, he stopped in front of an old abandoned building.
The structure looked ancient, its walls cracked and worn by time.
For a moment, Philip glanced back toward the distant glow of the university dormitories.
Then he turned and pushed the heavy door open.
The door creaked loudly as it slowly swung inward.
Inside, the hall was dark.
Massive pillars stretched toward the ceiling, and faint candlelight flickered along the walls.
The shadows danced across the room like silent ghosts.
At the far end of the hall, a man sat on a tall chair.
His figure was relaxed, yet his presence carried a strange pressure.
Philip walked forward slowly.
When he reached the center of the hall, he stopped several meters away and lowered his head respectfully.
"Master."
The man remained silent for a moment.
Then he finally spoke.
His voice was calm… but carried an unnatural weight.
"Tell me, Philip."
"Has there been any change in the boy?"
Philip hesitated slightly.
Then he answered.
"Yes."
The man leaned forward in his chair.
"Oh?"
Philip continued.
"He fought back against the bullies last night."
"Something awakened inside him… but only for a moment."
Silence filled the hall.
Then the man slowly smiled.
"Interesting…"
He leaned back into his chair again.
"Continue watching him."
Philip nodded.
"Yes, Master."
Without another word, he turned and walked toward the exit.
The heavy door slowly closed behind him.
The hall fell silent again.
For a moment, the man sat alone in the flickering candlelight.
Then he spoke again.
"Did you hear that?"
From the darkness behind the chair, another figure slowly stepped forward.
The man's smile widened.
"It seems…"
"The Primordial Wolf is finally awakening."
A low laugh escaped his lips.
Then the laugh grew louder.
And louder.
His laughter echoed throughout the entire hall.
"Things…"
"Are about to become very interesting."