The barricade groaned like it was alive, splinters raining from the impact of claw and fang. Hunters shouted orders, their voices trembling even as they tried to sound firm. Arrows loosed in desperate volleys, spears jabbed over the top, but against the two massive Rank 5 Dire Wolves, their efforts looked like children poking giants with sticks.
And in the middle of it stood Aiden.
His wooden sword lay in splinters at his feet, yet his stance didn't waver. Every eye behind him burned with questions. Why isn't he afraid? Why is he smiling?
The wolves paced before the barricade, intelligent malice in their glowing blue eyes. Saliva dripped, sizzling as it hit the frost-bitten ground. They weren't rushing. No, they were testing him, measuring him the way predators do when they sense another predator in their midst.
---
"Fall back, boy!" Captain Darius roared, his iron spear raised. His face was pale, but his voice carried the weight of command. "That's Rank 5—you'll die in one strike!"
But Aiden didn't move.
His crimson eyes flickered faintly as he let his breath slow. Inside, the hunger pulsed, stronger than ever. He had been careful for months—careful to fight below his true ability, careful to hide what lived inside him.
Now? The wolves' killing intent pressed against his chest like a storm trying to break through glass.
He couldn't stay careful anymore.
Not if the village was to survive.
---
The first wolf lunged.
It moved like a shadow splitting from the earth, massive claws slashing downward, jaws snapping with enough force to break stone.
The hunters cried out.
But Aiden stepped forward.
His foot struck the ground, and the packed dirt cracked beneath the weight of his strength. His hand lashed out, catching one of the broken shards of wood from his shattered sword. It wasn't steel, it wasn't enchanted—it was barely a weapon.
But it was enough.
He moved faster than eyes could follow.
The shard drove upward, straight into the wolf's jaw. The beast's head whipped back, a yelp of pain tearing from its throat as blood spurted.
The hunters gaped.
That speed… that strength… it's not Rank 2. It's not even Rank 3.
---
The second wolf leapt while the first staggered, its body a black blur. Aiden rolled aside just as claws shredded through the barricade, ripping a log the size of a man clean out of its socket. Wood exploded, hunters stumbled back, and the gate shook violently.
If that beast pushed once more, the barricade would collapse.
Aiden landed on his feet, panting, the shard dripping wolf blood in his hand. His crimson gaze flared brighter, burning through the morning mist.
The hunger whispered: Take more. Show them. Devour.
He clenched his jaw, refusing. He wouldn't let it consume him. Not yet.
---
"Hold the line!" Miriam shouted from behind, her voice cutting through panic like a whip. She stepped forward, staff in hand, and raised a barrier of shimmering light across the broken section of the gate. The glowing shield trembled as wolves clawed against it.
But it gave them seconds.
Seconds Aiden could use.
---
The first wolf recovered, snarling, blood dripping from its jaw. It lowered itself, fur bristling, then lunged again. This time, Aiden didn't dodge.
He stepped into the strike.
The paw slammed downward, claws flashing. But Aiden caught it with both hands, muscles surging, veins burning red beneath his skin. The ground cracked under the force, dirt exploding outward. Hunters gasped as they saw him—just a boy—holding back a Rank 5 wolf with his bare strength.
And then he twisted.
With a guttural roar, Aiden heaved, flinging the wolf over his shoulder. The beast's body smashed into the earth, sending up a tremor that rattled the barricade again.
The wolf yelped, stunned.
Silence fell, broken only by the heavy panting of men and beasts alike.
---
"Aiden…" Miriam whispered, disbelief in her voice. She wasn't the only one. Every hunter stared, spears forgotten in their hands.
The captain's eyes narrowed, a shiver running down his spine. "What… what are you?"
---
Aiden's chest rose and fell, the crimson glow in his eyes fading slightly as he fought for control. He could feel it—his limit pressing close. He had shown too much already.
But the wolves weren't done.
Both Rank 5 beasts rose, snarling, their eyes blazing brighter, their howls deafening as they rallied the remaining pack. Rank 3 and Rank 4 wolves surged forward, throwing themselves against the barricade in a wave of black fur and fangs.
The hunters shouted in panic.
The gate would not hold.
---
Aiden tightened his grip on the bloodied shard of wood. His knuckles turned white. His hunger screamed inside him, demanding release.
He stepped forward.
One man against an army of wolves.
His voice was calm, almost cold, as he muttered under his breath:
"Fine. If you want to see what I am…"
He lifted his head, crimson eyes glowing like coals in the dark.
"…then watch closely."
And with that, he leapt into the swarm.
---
The world became blood, fur, and chaos.
---