Inside the Forest
The forest was silent, save for the crunch of broken leaves under Khaled's heavy steps.
His massive frame, the axe slung over his back, commanded attention. But his eyes searched for one thing only:
Chris.
Between the oak trunks, the werewolf finally appeared… standing firm, hands in pockets, his face half-hidden in shadow.
Chris (raising an eyebrow slightly): "Early… not your usual style."
Khaled: "Any news?!"
Chris (sighing, staring off for a moment):
"Yeah… I found a site. Vampires are working there."
"They're moving… planning things that could change everything around us."
Khaled (tense, stepping forward): "Vampires! You talk about them like they're just stories…"
Chris (locking eyes, voice low and serious):
"I wanted you to see them for yourself."
"Because I know you never believed me before… I get it. But this time, you won't be able to deny the truth."
Khaled (exhaling, still hesitant, glancing at the dense forest around them): "I don't know if I can trust you…"
Chris (taking a step closer, voice calmer):
"Trust… isn't a choice, Khaled. It's survival."
"Follow me. I'll show you… then decide for yourself."
Chris led Khaled through a winding path between the trees.
Khaled: "Is it far?!"
Chris: "Not too… maybe fifteen minutes."
They pressed deeper into the dense forest, slipping through a narrow dirt path, descending into an area littered with rusty machines and torn cables.
Khaled (looking around): "An old factory?!"
Finally, they reached a hidden mine entrance.
The air was thick, metallic, carrying the smell of burned metal and a faint radioactive dust.
Khaled froze at the opening, his features tight… a creeping unease crawling across his skin.
Khaled (uneasy, staring into the dark): "A mine?!"
Chris didn't answer. He bent forward and stepped in first. His footsteps were light, cautious… as if every sound could wake something.
Khaled hesitated, then followed, axe on shoulder, eyes scanning every detail.
Khaled: "Where… are we going? I'm talking to you!"
Chris raised a hand, signaling silence, then whispered barely audible:
Chris (soft, cautious): "No noise… they're here."
---
Inside the Mine
The tunnel was narrow. Walls coated in a dull yellow uranium dust glowed faintly in the dark, like they were breathing.
Broken lights hung from the ceiling, flickering intermittently.
Khaled (quietly, staring at the walls): "What is this?!"
Chris (whispering): "A uranium mine."
Step by step, the sounds grew louder:
thuds… drags… scratches… then metallic screeches.
Chris (low, sharp): "They're working inside."
Adrenaline surged through Khaled. Hand on his axe, heartbeat racing.
They descended rusty metal stairs. The deeper they went, the heavier the air felt… as if the ground itself warned them.
At a deep, green-tinged basement, shadows moved with unnatural speed.
Vampires. Their gray, wrinkled skin stretched over long limbs. Eyes glowing red. They wielded mining equipment, lifting chunks of raw uranium onto small carts. The clang of pickaxes filled the cavern.
Chris and Khaled crouched behind a large rock, watching.
Chris (whispering): "Here… you'll see the truth."
Khaled froze, stunned.
He had never seen vampires with his own eyes.
Khaled (in disbelief): "Vampires!!!"
Chris (low, cautious): "Quiet! Don't draw attention."
One vampire, clearly in charge, barked commands in a language Khaled didn't understand.
Chris (watching him): "That one… he's the overseer. Mid-rank, I'd guess."
They hauled uranium onto iron carts, sliding them along tracks into black crates connected by metal pipes.
Khaled (whispering): "What… are they doing with the rocks?"
Chris (observing from afar): "Shipping them somewhere… to separate the uranium, then refine it."
"They need it… to strengthen themselves. And for something bigger."
Khaled raised an eyebrow, worried: "A weapon?"
Chris (dark whisper): "Maybe… or power."
"All I know is, they're preparing something we can't stop if we wait."
Khaled (looking at Chris, astonished): "…Okay… I guess you weren't lying."
Chris (whispering): "That's the problem… your people think we were hiding something; my people don't trust shapeshifters, fear betrayal."
"Now… you see it with your own eyes. Something bigger is coming."
Khaled was about to ask more, when something unexpected happened.
Chris' super-hearing picked up a light footstep… out of sync with the mine.
He spun toward the rear passage, face hardening, instincts screaming.
Khaled (low, raising his axe): "What is it?!"
Chris' expression changed suddenly… eyes narrowing… chest expanding… fangs slowly showing as he growled a deep, guttural rumble. Khaled gripped his axe tighter.
Chris: "Someone's following us."
Khaled (shocked, looking back): "How did you know?!"
Chris stepped toward the corridor, fingers brushing the stone wall, nose sniffing the air like a predator ready to strike. Every movement precise, every muscle tense.
Chris (sniffing): "I can smell the forest on him…"
Before he could finish, a human shadow emerged from behind an iron column. Khaled froze—Connor stepped out slowly, hands raised slightly, face showing pure shock.
Connor (defensive, unexpected): "Wait! Wait… I'm not here to spy!"
Chris whirled instantly, shoulders tensed, blue eyes glinting with suspicion. He didn't know this man… but instincts screamed danger.
Chris (growling, stepping forward): "Who are you?! Why are you following us?!"
Khaled (intervening quickly, hand on Chris): "Calm down… this is my friend. Connor."
Connor's expression shifted suddenly. The shock vanished. Hands slowly dropped. He eyed Chris from head to toe… then smirked.
Connor (cold, sarcastic): "Honestly… if I were spying, I'd pick a better-lit place."
"And this thing… (gestures at Chris)… what is it? Wolf? Man? Somewhere in between?"
Chris growled, stepping closer. Eyes sharp, muscles tense. The werewolf inside him surged. Fur sprouted along his arms, veins bulged, fingers stretched like claws ready to tear through anything.
Khaled (alarmed, eyes wide): "Ah… no! They've noticed us!!!"
Chris' growl rose, filled with rage and danger:
Chris (loud, threatening): "Come closer… and you'll find out."
Connor stepped forward, face still cold, like he was assessing prey with no fear:
Connor (staring directly at Chris): "Threat?"
Before anything else… their voices echoed through the metallic tunnels, bouncing between passages.
Vampires looked up, halting their work, eyes fixed on the hiding spot. A chilling silence fell.
The lead vampire pointed, voice harsh in his strange language: "There! Intruders!!!"
Long, twisted hand gesturing toward the rock where the three hid.
Chaos erupted.
Connor's expression shifted… not fear, but dark excitement.
Connor (small insane smile): "Oh… perfect!"
"Finally, a party to greet us."
Veins bulged in his neck. Head dipped slightly, then lifted.
Teeth became saw-like, overlapping like a deadly trap. Eyes turned completely white with black slits, radiating pure savagery.
Metal claws erupted from his fingertips, sparking as they scraped stone.
Skin cracked, dark blue scales emerging like shark hide. Small gill openings widened on his neck.
He had become a half-human, half-shark… yet the cold smirk never left his face.
And Chris, a black-and-white werewolf, growled fiercely:
Chris & Connor: "WRAAAAAHH!!!"
Khaled gripped his axe with both hands, pressing hard. Edges blazed yellow, radioactive energy crackling along the blade.
Khaled: "Move… before they bury us here! ".
Which of the three characters did you like the most, and how do you imagine their first encounter with the vampires?