Morgan reached out to examine the body, but Matt was quick to stop him, warning him not to move it at the risk of leaving fingerprints on it. "I just want to check what happened. Maybe we can help?" Morgan protested while Matt did not let go of his grip on Morgan's shoulder.

"Sure, you can practice that as your defense when you're inside a cell, locked up for murder." Matt pulled them back.

Morgan almost dropped his brother's guitar. It would not be at all damaged as it is protected in its case, but if Greyson sees even a speck of damage on the case, he is going to go ballistic. The time they froze standing there deciding what to do next may not have been that long, but it sure did seem like it.

They heard wheezing coming from the body, startling them, and when Morgan concentrated on it, "Wait, no, I think he is alive. I can hear his heart."

"What?!" Matt exclaimed, and he was quick to disregard his own advice as he bent down on his knees to check on the body, putting his fingers on the guy's neck. After a few seconds, he said, "It's faint, but he is alive. We gotta see where the blood is coming from." He dove in and turned the security guard on his back, not minding getting blood on himself and his clothes. The blood is coming from a large wound on the guy's stomach. "Three slashes here, looking like claw marks. It's deep. I think I have an extra shirt in my bag. We can use it to pack the wound for now. Bandages are there too. We have to control the bleeding."

Matt had to shout at him twice before Morgan realized he needed to assist. He put down his brother's guitar, and he reached inside Matt's backpack. Matt is always prepared, which is why he even carries a first-aid kit inside his bag. But this would not be of any help. They need to call for an ambulance.

"No use helping a deadman," Morgan heard.

"I thought you wanted to help him," Morgan said, now wondering if he should even hand Matt the roll of bandage.

"Uh yeah?" Matt answered, looking confused, packing his clean black shirt on the wound, not minding if it was going to be drenched in the man's blood. "That's what I said. And grab my phone in the front pocket. Call for help, ambulance. This is bad. This is really bad."

"More than you think..."

Morgan froze as he caught a glimpse of a figure in the darkness, just underneath the large archway of the building's entrance, standing on its houndlike hind legs, hunched over but still towering in size. Its eyes were glowing yellow and contrasted terrifyingly against its body, which was deeply covered in the shadows. Morgan could hear it growling with excitement as it slowly advanced towards them. Each step made Morgan's own heart beat faster. The closer it got, the easier it was to make out just how elongated and engorged its hands and feet were and how its whole body was covered in dark, unkempt fur.

"We're screwed," Matt whispered, trembling at the sight of the beastly head of a wolf attached to the grotesque humanoid body. Its elongated snout was sniffing their direction, and its sharp teeth were protruding from its mouth as if it needed any more of that to intimidate.

This is a monster, and fear has overwhelmed them.

Seconds turned into minutes as Morgan felt the monster's glowing eyes lock themselves on him. The beast opened its mouth and let out an enraged roar, sending shockwaves throughout Morgan’s body as the beast steadily made way for him, stretching out its twisted limbs and claws and aiming for Morgan's head.

Even with all his newfound strength as a werewolf, Morgan found his legs stiff and frozen.

Help. He thought.

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Matt jumped in the way with a vial of wolfsbane on hand, splashing the werewolf with a purple powder that quickly sent it backwards. It was one of the purple vials Matt’s lola had in the apothecary at the greenhouse, and when thrown, it exploded into a thick mist. Hints of the searing sensation it created can be felt even from Morgan’s distance, and he had to make sure he wouldn’t take in too much, or he himself might pass out.

The monster's pained howls echoed through the halls, but the blast of wolfsbane was not enough as it remained standing on its feet. Regaining itself, it lunged back and, with one quick swipe of its arm, sent Matt flying away.

The werewolf’s face was burning in places, with black smoke hiding some of its terrifying features, yet Morgan could see a scar running down its right eye thanks to the moonlight shining from the window. After a few but seemingly long seconds, Morgan realized it was also looking back at him with intensity.

"Break the chains of Prometheus." It only growled, but Morgan understood what it was saying.

Morgan wanted to run and help Matt, who remained lying on the floor, still squirming in pain, or he could also back away and save himself from the monster in front of him. But just as before, his body decided not to do anything at all, and he remained frozen in fear.

Time was passing by around him, but his thoughts were moving slower in his head. He is a werewolf, with the power and strength Matt could only wish for, and yet between the two of them, it was Matt who was the first to make a move to defend them. His body continues to betray him out of fear.

Morgan could hear the faint howl of a wolf deep inside his mind. It sounded to be coming from a distance, although he felt it was closer. If he could silence the noises in his mind, drowning everything else out, he might be able to hear the wolf much more clearly.

Silence.

The wolf wants to lend him its powers, and it is up to him to take them if he can let go of his fears and reservations. Seeing the monster he turned into on Matt's camera has terrified him, and he is still scared to see that monster again. No matter how many times Matt tries to convince him that the creature he saw is not one to be feared, he still sees it as it is—a monster.

But he needs to silence that fear. Even just some of it.

"I need to help my friend. Please." Morgan pleaded loudly in his thoughts.

He focused on that very wish.

The wolf's howling grew closer. It wasn’t loud enough, but Morgan could hear it much clearer than before, and along with it, an energy pulsed through his body, converging on his eyes, his mouth, and his hands. It was wild energy, unflinching, and unwilling. The same sensation he feels when he screams at the top of his lungs out of rage—this is fiery anger that is trying to surface.

Sharp claws dug into his legs before Morgan got thrown around like a ragdoll. He landed poorly on his back, and the monster climbed on top of him, as if sniffing its prey. It was an even more terrifying sight up close now that it is easier to see how dirty and ragged the monster is with its untamed gray fur, decaying rows of teeth, and breath that smells of death. Worst of all were its yellow eyes, which were filled with rage as it stared straight down on Morgan.

What else is there to worry about if he is about to die in mere seconds? All he wishes is for Matt's safety.

“You’re new!" It was the monster's voice. It was just howling, and yet again, Morgan understood what it was saying, “Feed into the rage. Let it all out. Help me break the chains.”

An arrow of white light speared its way towards the werewolf, piercing deep into its shoulder. It missed the head, but that was intentional. Roars of pain echoed through the halls again. This time, panic was along with it as the werewolf released Morgan from its grasp, sped out of the archway, and launched itself into the night.

It took a long time after the monster escaped for Morgan to regain a sense of where he was. The first thought on his mind was to check on Matt, who was barely conscious, muttering the word wolfsbane over and over. But he was coming to, and he seems fine, all things considered.

“Morgan, your face," Matt said, startled for a second before smiling in joy of what he was witnessing.

Morgan was about to touch his face but stopped soon as he saw claws protruding from his fingers. If he were to go about Matt’s reaction and the fangs he could feel in his mouth, it might not be wrong to assume that he has taken on some werewolf features. There was no need to explain it to Matt, but what explanation does he have to offer Kira, Janina, and Cedric, who were all standing just by the stairs?

The excuses he started making in his head turned into questions as soon as he got a better look at them. They don't even look surprised or terrified at all, as if they were expecting this.

Kira was also holding a bow in one hand, but it was difficult to tell if the bow was actually there as it looked incorporeal, made entirely of white light. It would seem that the arrow of light that sent the beast running away in pain was Kira's after all.