by Brandon Chen
“I’d think, considering your suffering, that you would strive to obtain more power. When Malyios showed me a vision of you in Oblivion, wearing that apathetic gaze and confident posture as you murdered Tanya, I thought that you were different from our initial meeting in Horux. But you haven’t changed at all, have you? You’re still groveling at my feet, like a servant in the presence of a god,” Faelen said, stomping before Yuri. He watched as the Ghost Wolf’s form reverted back to his human state. “It’s disheartening to see that the bastard that ruined my chance to be normal again is nothing but a frail boy.”
“I didn’t mean … to kill her, or to stop you from becoming human,” Yuri rasped. “I just couldn’t—”
Faelen silenced Yuri with a hard kick to the boy’s face, smirking. “You’re right, it wasn’t your fault. The Oblivion Claws’ corruptive energies manipulated you,” he said, squatting down as he reached into Yuri’s pockets and pulled out the Sacred Treasure, dangling the gloves before the boy’s face. “In that case, perhaps I should bring out the real monster that foiled my plans and kill him instead.”
Yuri stared at the Oblivion Claws with dismay. He couldn’t wield that type of power again. It was corrupt and uncontrollable. His hands curled into clenched fists, his body quivering. If he had the power to defeat Faelen on his own, he wouldn’t be in this position.
“You look frustrated,” Faelen asked, bringing his foot down on Yuri’s right leg, breaking it with a clean strike. The werewolf listened to the boy’s anguished scream, sadistically grinning. To hear the one he hated suffering so was like listening to harmonious music. “Good.” He broke the boy’s other leg with another stomp. “Now you shouldn’t be able to move.”
Tears trickled down Yuri’s cheeks and he sobbed, unable to believe the excruciating pain that he was in. He watched with horror as Faelen started to slip the Oblivion Claws onto his hands. Don’t do this … I won’t be able to control myself! “Stop! You don’t understand—”
“Oh, I understand perfectly,” Faelen said, sliding the gloves onto Yuri’s hands. A wicked grin stretched across his face when an eruption of magical power shot through Yuri’s veins, causing the boy to let out a tormented cry. “Show me the monster that I’ve been waiting to slay. This is the beginning of my new vengeance!”
Yuri felt cold, as if he’d been dipped in the waters of the Lake of Eternity. The Oblivion Claws fused with his flesh, turning his hands the color of night, as sharp, dagger-like ends protruded from his nails. He recognized this invincible feeling, this smug sensation that he could obliterate everything. With eyes gleaming violet, he slowly rose to his feet. As soon as Yuri merged with the Oblivion Claws, his body’s regeneration increased drastically. His bones snapped back into place while his flesh mended. Within moments, his wounds had vanished and he looked unscathed.
The moment that the gloves slipped onto his hands, Yuri could feel himself being cast into the back of his mind, as a new malicious entity took over. Like a forgotten ghost, he faded from existence, his body controlled by a new ruler.
Faelen narrowed his eyes as he watched his opponent. The werewolf’s maleficent aura surely did not belong to the boy. Centuries ago, when the Bount had wielded the Oblivion Claws, increased regenerative powers was not among one of the enhanced attributes he’d experienced. “It would seem that the Sacred Treasure reacts differently when it finds a new master,” he grumbled, digging his feet into the ground. He burst forward, practically teleporting in front of Yuri, his right hand tearing at the boy’s face.
Yuri reached out and grabbed Faelen’s wrist, halting the Bount’s powerful attack effortlessly. He smirked arrogantly, using his grip on Faelen to swing the werewolf to the ground with immense force, creating an explosion that shuddered the city.
The spectating werewolves, surprised at the sudden change in Yuri’s power, attempted to steer clear of the blast. Still intent on watching, they distanced themselves from the battle to stay out of the crossfire between the two formidable fighters.
Yuri released Faelen’s arm, watching as it slumped to the ground. He swung his arm to the side, slicing the air. The cloud of dust that obscured his vision cleared instantly, and he raised his eyebrows when he saw that the Bount was not on the ground in front of him.
There was a thump behind the Ghost Wolf, and the he stole a glance over his shoulder, catching sight of Faelen from the corner of his eye. “What happened to all of that confidence?” the boy called snidely, flexing his right claw inches from his face. “I’m the one that shattered your dream of becoming human. Come and claim your revenge.”
The True King
Faelen panted heavily, feeling a twinge of pain in his wrist and shoulder. He hadn’t expected that Yuri’s reflexes, speed, and strength would be enhanced this much. The boy’s aura was overwhelming, creating a dark, evil atmosphere that covered the entire city of Reidan. Every living being in the area could feel Yuri’s daunting presence. Flocks of terrified birds flew away, the surviving humans fled from the scene, and even the werewolves seemed to shift nervously as they stared at Yuri.
Faelen worked his jaw as Yuri faced him. Other werewolves had always regarded him with respect, viewing him as a leader. But Faelen could clearly sense quivering fear emanating from the beasts with clarity. They were terrified of the Ghost Wolf. Why are the Oblivion Claws making you this powerful? Faelen clenched his jaw so tightly that he thought his teeth might shatter. It’s like you’ve become a different person!
He let out a furious roar as he charged forward, digging his claws into the ground as he launched himself at his opponent. But Yuri simply stepped to the side, easily avoiding the assault. Faelen jammed his feet into the cracked ground, skidding to a stop. Whirling around, he unleashed a barrage of fierce slashes at the Ghost Wolf, his irate gaze filled with murderous intent.
But everything seemed to be moving in slow motion for Yuri. He had more than enough time to avoid Faelen’s attacks. Every swipe met open air as the composed boy ducked, flipped, rolled, and stepped out of the path of the Bount’s strikes.
“Not bad,” Yuri said, spinning around Faelen’s final attack. He rotated his body and kicked Faelen straight in the chest, sending the werewolf rolling down the street. Dark energy, drawn from his core, channeled through his forearms and into the Oblivion Claws. The ground began to quake as his hands emitted black and purple light, shining like two bright suns. Yuri grinned. “Recognize this?”
The Bount flipped to his feet, his eyes widening at the sight of Yuri’s glowing claws. Demonic energy that belonged to Oblivion poured into the boy’s Sacred Treasure. This was the same ability that Faelen was capable of using, and he knew of its destructive strength.
Faelen squatted down and launched himself into the sky, jumping a hundred feet into the air just as Yuri slashed his claws outward. A massive crescent of corrupted magic swept forth and ravaged the streets, practically ripping the area apart. Buildings ignited and crumbled, collapsing beneath Yuri’s devastating power. A whirlwind of dust consumed the destruction, engulfing the Ghost Wolf for only a moment. Bursting from the top of the cloud, Yuri propelled himself after Faelen.
Yuri transformed into his werewolf form just before he struck Faelen, tackling the Bount, sending them both smashing through a gigantic tower, piercing the structure like an unstoppable arrow. Bursting from the wall of the crumbling building, the combatants fell toward the city streets, biting and clawing at each other.
Faelen cried out as Yuri jammed his claws into the Bount’s flesh and hurled the werewolf down towards the city. The beast smashed into the earth with tremendous force, cracking the street pavement. Faelen gritted his teeth, struggling to get back to his feet. A powerful tremor vibrated beneath him, indicating that Yuri had just landed in front of him.
Faelen could only see a silhouette of the Ghost Wolf through the thick screen of dust that obscured his vision.
Corrupt energy flooded from Faelen’s chest and surged toward his claws, temporarily empowe
ring him. Dark magic swirled around his forearm, taking the form of an ebon mist. The Bount’s arms quivered at the enormous amount of concentration that it took to amass this much foul energy.
Faelen let out a fierce roar as he slashed his claws upward, releasing two projectiles of dark crescents that rushed forward, slicing through the smokescreen of dust, revealing Yuri.
The Ghost Wolf’s eyes widened as he stared at the deluge of magic darting towards him. There was a massive explosion when the crescents struck him. Yuri lost his foothold and was sent flipping backwards through the air, smashing through entire rows of buildings. A dozen streets were annihilated by the wave Faelen’s dark magic.
Faelen panted, collapsing onto his knees, drained by unleashing so much energy. Quavering, he looked forward at the scorched earth before him. What had once been a road of intact structures was now only smoldering ashes. The Bount smirked slightly. There was no way that Yuri could’ve survived.
The Ghost Wolf was lodged in the outer wall of Reidan, his arms and legs outstretched. Pieces of rubble crumbled from his body as Yuri groaned, prying himself from the cracked stone. He fell from the wall, falling a hundred feet to the ground. Smashing to the earth, the white werewolf reverted to his human form. A rivulet of blood trickled from his lip to his chin, dripping droplets onto the charred earth.
Yuri pressed his palms into the ground and rose to his feet, wiping the blood from his mouth. His gaze followed the path of destruction to Faelen, who was at least five miles away. “An impressive display,” Yuri shouted, flexing his claws at his side. “But your borrowed power from Oblivion is nothing compared to the real thing.”
Faelen blinked, and Yuri had disappeared. His heart skipped a beat when he sensed the corrupt presence of the boy behind him. A hand clamped onto the back of Faelen’s head and forced him downwards, cracking the street with the werewolf’s skull. Yuri had practically teleported behind Faelen, traveling multiple miles in only a millisecond. Such speed and power … it exceeded even that of gods.
“How does it feel to finally meet your match?” Yuri seethed, rotating his body as he hurled Faelen through a cottage behind him. The beast smashed through the wooden structure and rolled into an empty plaza, cracking his head painfully on the edge of a large marble fountain in the center of one of Reidan’s marketplaces.
An agonizing headache ravaged Faelen’s cranium and he groaned, massaging his head with his hand. He glanced up to see Yuri sauntering over the crumbling debris of the collapsed cottage. The boy stepped into the empty plaza and examined the area, smiling slightly to himself. “After using most of your magic to hurl those projectiles, you hardly managed to scratch me. What’s your plan now? Will you slash and bite me to death?”
Faelen spat blood on the ground, swaying to his feet. He held his fists out, clenching his teeth angrily. He bit back the temptation to charge at the Ghost Wolf, for he knew that would only result in his defeat. He needed to use his experience and skill to his advantage. Even if Yuri had many of his physical attributes augmented by the Oblivion Claws, Faelen could hopefully still beat him in a contest of aptitude.
Yuri ambled forward, grinning wickedly at the injured werewolf. “While I do think you are physically weak, Faelen, I must say that I still respect you. To spend centuries confined behind bars, wasting precious time in the cruel silence of isolation, must take a toll on your mental health. To think that you’re still stable after what could’ve been eons underneath the city of Horux — why, I don’t even think that I would last.”
Faelen slammed his foot into the tiled ground and launched a fast jab at Yuri’s face. “What would you know about confinement, huh?” he barked in frustration, watching as the Ghost Wolf stepped around his strike. He unleashed a flurry of punches, slashes, and kicks in a futile attempt to hit his nimble opponent.
Yuri swiftly ducked a sweeping punch and countered with a clobbering blow across Faelen’s face. The beast spiraled through the air and crashed into the fountain, splashing water at Yuri’s feet. The fountain’s clear liquid ran red with Faelen’s blood as the water poured onto the werewolf’s soaked fur.
The wounded creature wheezed, his entire body aching. “You think you know suffering, but you’ve only experienced a fraction of anguish that I’ve endured. I was tortured for centuries by the chosen wardens of Horux’s Wolf Noble House. Each keeper tormented me differently. I’ve suffered so much pain that I’ve become numb to its sting.”
Yuri watched Faelen apathetically. Becoming numb to pain. An image of Han flashed through his mind and he winced, feeling something pricking at his mind.
“Because I once wielded the Oblivion Claws, corrupted energy from that forsaken land fills me, keeping my body from aging. I’ve been caged for the length of multiple human lifetimes. You can’t begin to imagine the misery that I’ve been through. And yet, you have the audacity to call me weak?” Faelen roared, quaking the ground with his irate voice. “All of your power stems from the gloves on your hands; it isn’t even your own! You’re the one that’s feeble and wea—”
Yuri ended Faelen’s sentence by slamming a heavy kick into the werewolf’s stomach, sending the beast flying through the plaza and through the wall of a warehouse. “You’ll regret denying my power.”
Faelen was sprawled on the wooden floor of the empty warehouse, clutching his diaphragm. His right ankle was twisted in an unnatural position and a tiny pool of blood had formed underneath his injured body. He clenched his bloody teeth as he watched Yuri step through the hole in the building’s wall.
“I will acknowledge that you are indeed stronger than Tanya and Malyssa,” Yuri said, hovering over the incapacitated werewolf. “Your dark magic has enough destructive power to incinerate most beings in this world.”
“It should’ve vaporized you too,” Faelen snarled. “But you’re a monster.”
The smile faded from Yuri’s lips as his eyes narrowed. “It didn’t, because I am superior,” the Ghost Wolf said haughtily, malice gleaming in his eyes. He watched as Faelen lashed out at him with both claws, attempting to skewer the arrogant boy. But Yuri simply reached out, grabbing both of Faelen’s wrists before the werewolf reached him. A bit of pressure snapped the Bount’s bones like twigs.
Faelen dropped to the ground, his eyes wide with excruciating pain. “Gah … you filthy—”
“You look frustrated,” Yuri said, mirroring the Bount’s words from earlier. The boy ambled around the werewolf, calmly halting at the werewolf’s legs. “Good.” Mercilessly, he slashed his claws across Faelen’s legs, lacerating them so deeply that he couldn’t stand.
Disregarding Faelen’s screams of agony, Yuri’s eyebrows knit together as he frowned. He’d been ignoring a distant voice that echoed in his head, but now it was growing louder. Much louder.
Stop this!
Yuri scowled, aggravated at whoever was trying to command him. He listened to no one.
This is not me.
Yuri grabbed Faelen by his skull, the tips of his claws barely digging into the werewolf’s flesh. Streams of blood oozed from the cuts and trickled down the suffering beast’s face. Rage seized the Ghost Wolf and his arm quivered. It would be so easy to just smash Faelen’s head. To end the villain’s life, just as he had with Tanya and her werewolves, just as he had done to the hordes of vampires in Malyssa’s encampment! These claws have already felled thousands. What was adding one more to the list of dead?
A harsh tempest of angry memories churned within him. “This isn’t me? Then what is?” he boomed, his voice reverberating in the empty warehouse. “Mother, Han, Asmund, Beo — all of Horux suffered at the hands of this disgusting mongrel! What madman would spare a monstrosity like this?” He shook Faelen’s limp body in his hand.
That was when a translucent wolf with white fur materialized before Yuri. The corrupted boy stared at the spectral being, wondering if it was a ghost or a figment of his imagination. He ground his teeth, his eyes narrowing. “You’re the one speaking in my head?”
The wolf nodded. I am the real Yuri.
“I don’t know what the hell that means,” Yuri snarled, his eyes burning with impatience. “All I know is that you’re pathetic. I can’t believe that you would even think about sparing this wretched cur. Memories,” he grumbled, remembering all the companions that he’d lost in the past year. “Every memory I have has been corrupted by this filth! If you really are a part of me, then you understand that he’s harmed every person that we’ve ever loved.”
So, you kill him. Then what? Your hatred will not be sated by the death of just one.
Yuri averted his gaze from the Ghost Wolf.
You will continue massacring others until there is no one left. Faelen, like us, has also suffered immensely. For centuries, he’s searched for acceptance. But the humans deny him. They treat him like a monster, although all he wanted was their companionship. Horux’s massacre was a tragedy. We lost many loved ones on that day. The wolf met Yuri’s gaze. But if we were locked up for hundreds of years, I know we would understand his rage.
Yuri clenched his jaw, incapable of believing this mirage that was speaking to him. Why the hell should he listen to a hallucination?
The Ghost Wolf heard a crunch, and glanced up see Violet walking through the hole in the warehouse wall.
“Yuri?” she whispered, slowly walking forward. “What are you—
“Stay back!” Yuri snarled, raising his claw, prepared to execute Faelen.
It is time that you return control to me.
The voice spoke in Yuri’s mind once again and he trembled with fury, the wolf’s words echoing in his head. Over and over again, he heard the real Yuri speak the same phrase. But to spare Faelen … to be merciful was to show weakness. He was anything but that — the Oblivion Claws had granted him the power of a god! “For so long, we’ve sought power,” Yuri growled. His voice rose to an infuriated shout. “So why is it that when we finally have obtained the strength to defeat any enemy, you want to cast it away, huh? I am true strength. Without me, we’re nothing but frail weaklings that die at the hands of wretched beasts like Faelen and Malyssa!”
