19:35

The music channel blared metal at full volume, saturating the cramped confines of the motel room. It had been playing since 18:00, the moment he had secured the room and cloistered himself within its walls. Despite the persistent ringing of the room's phone, he chose to disregard it after the initial call, allowing its clamor to reverberate unanswered through the room. This neglectful behavior elicited irritated thumps from neighboring rooms, yet they paled in comparison to his current preoccupations.

A timid staff member ventured to knock on his door, but one glimpse of his countenance compelled her – basically a teenager – to hastily retreat in what surface-wise seemed as fear.

He comprehended the gravity of the situation. Sooner or later, the staff member would involve the authorities. He contemplated fleeing into the woods, a tactic he had employed once before. However, exposed to the elements, he found it increasingly arduous to maintain his composure. The morning after such nights found him disoriented and unclothed, stumbling upon a dilapidated treehouse in disarray. Hours would elapse before he could retrace his steps to where he had concealed his belongings, his grip on sanity slipping with each passing moment. Along the way, he silently expressed gratitude to his departed loved ones for the desolation enveloping the treehouse, devoid of any signs of human presence.

During that fateful night and throughout the ensuing month, whenever he sensed the ominous swell of a mental and emotional crescendo while on the road, he sought out remote rental locations, preferably ones with a modest human presence. He was acutely aware of the potential risks his erratic behavior posed to others, yet paradoxically, it compelled him to fortify his willpower with each passing ordeal. Conversely, when traversing through populated areas like towns or cities, the peril loomed too large – the threat of harm to himself and others, the looming specter of law enforcement encounters, and the omnipresent surveillance cameras. In such instances, he sought refuge in abandoned spaces, mustering every ounce of resolve to anchor himself through the long, harrowing nights.

...

"Water!" Taeun Aldhiyaab's voice echoed urgently as he darted into the bathroom, plunging his head between the tap and the sink, dousing himself under the cascading stream. Beside him, the bathtub stood half-filled, water gushing forth relentlessly. Five ice buckets lay strewn across the floor, ready to be emptied into the already overflowing tub for the third time.

With closed eyes, Taeun Aldhiyaab chanted fervently, "Come on! Come on! Come on!" His skin, dark and glistening with perspiration, emitted tendrils of steam, casting a crimson glow in the humid air.

He immersed his hand into the water-filled bathtub, exhaling a sigh of momentary relief. However, a furrow creased his brow as he lifted an ice bucket and poured its contents into the already chilly water. Contemplating the remaining buckets with a hint of hesitation, he opted to leave them untouched, at least for the time being.

With deliberate movements, he shed his garments and gingerly lowered himself into the tub, wincing as his feet encountered the sharp edges of the ice cubes lining the bottom.

"This can't continue," Taeun Aldhiyaab muttered to himself, stretching out as best he could within the confines of the small bathtub, his fingers gripping the rim tightly as they alternated between swelling and returning to their normal size. "Hold it together! Hold it together!" he admonished himself through gritted teeth, battling to suppress the impending transformation even as foam gathered at the corners of his mouth.

Despite the persistent background music, the renewed pounding at his door reverberated through the room. Drawing a deep, steadying breath through his nostrils, he struggled to acclimate to his heightened senses, which remained as volatile as his shifting mood during these moments of transformation.

Through the cacophony, he discerned the presence of the female staff member and another unidentified male, the latter issuing thinly veiled threats of involving law enforcement.

"Too late for that now," Taeun Aldhiyaab expelled the last remnants of air from his lungs. The transformation halted abruptly, and the sensation of ice cubes beneath him vanished, replaced by the unnerving warmth that now permeated the water in the bathtub. He hoisted himself out, collapsing onto the floor with an audible groan before managing to wrap a towel around his half-naked form. With a decisive flick, he silenced the television and swung open the door.

His imposing figure and scantily clad appearance caught the attention of the middle-aged man outside, who had been vehemently pounding and shouting.

"Is this the individual, Jase?" The man's attempt to mask his unease and intimidation didn't escape Taeun Aldhiyaab's notice. It was a familiar sight – the pretense of authority wielded by those whose influence extended no further than their small, insular communities.

The young woman regarded the man incredulously, as if pondering the absurdity of his question, stealing a surreptitious glance at Taeun Aldhiyaab, who now appeared somewhat less volatile without his usual disheveled attire. She swallowed hard.

"Jase!" Don's tone brooked no argument as he prodded his companion to respond.

"Yes, Don, I—"

"Listen here, sir," Don interjected, jabbing a finger toward Taeun Aldhiyaab's face with palpable irritation. "Your thoughtless conduct has forced me to make an unnecessary trip here! I won't mince words. Either lower the music or cut your stay short. Otherwise, you'll compel me to return with the police, and I assure you, they won't hesitate to levy fines for wasting my fuel!"

Stepping further into the room, Taeun Aldhiyaab's towering, muscular frame loomed over Don, eclipsing the latter's own substantial build. Despite Don's attempt at bravado, his trembling finger curled into a feeble fist as he recoiled slightly.

"It won't happen again," Taeun Aldhiyaab replied calmly, his voice carrying a steely resolve. "Can you arrange for more ice?" he directed towards Jase.

"Yes, of course. I apologize. I'll bring it to you shortly," Jase muttered, visibly embarrassed by the confrontation.

"It better be," Don huffed, casting a disdainful glance before pivoting to leave.

As the door closed behind them, Taeun Aldhiyaab winced, his expression contorted in pain as he leaned heavily against the bed.

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"Not yet," he murmured through gritted teeth, willing himself to maintain control. 'Hold it in. The girl needs to return with more ice. I can't risk harming her!'

Time elapsed slowly as Jase eventually arrived with two hefty buckets of ice, straining under their weight. She made an attempt at conversation, but Taeun Aldhiyaab rebuffed her with a curt dismissal, shutting the door in her face. He couldn't help but wonder how many more buckets lay unused around the motel.

At 22:00, steam billowed from the bathroom, where seven empty buckets lay scattered across the tiled floor. Taeun Aldhiyaab emerged with a frigid demeanor, swiftly dressing himself in black pants and a crisp white t-shirt that accentuated his chiseled physique. Over this, he donned a long coat, concealing within it a pair of hunting knives, and pulled on heavy boots.

Exiting his room with a stoic expression and groomed mustache, Taeun Aldhiyaab detected the murmur of a television emanating from the neighboring room on the left of his own in the two-story motel. From the ground floor, the telltale creaking of beds could be heard several rooms to his right. While eight other rooms were occupied, the motel was far from full, with twenty-eight rooms in total, excluding offices – a clear indication of the remote and isolated location to which he had driven.

"Mister Aldhiyaab?" Jase's voice cut through the quiet of the lobby. The Front Desk, situated at the foot of the stairway from the ground floor, was where she idled with her phone, the metallic clinks of footsteps drawing her attention to meet his imposing figure.

Ignoring her, Taeun Aldhiyaab pivoted to face the road and the dense woods beyond.

"Is there something I can assist you with, Mister Aldhiyaab?" Jase ventured, stepping closer. "I should mention, there isn't a store open within an 80-mile radius at this hour. The nearest pub, if that's what you're seeking, is in town, but…" She hesitated, her agitation palpable as she forced out the next words in a hushed tone. "You might not find it to your liking…"

"I'm not headed to town," Taeun Aldhiyaab stated flatly.

"Good," Jase exhaled, visibly relieved. "But… I wouldn't recommend staying out too late either. The wildlife around here is active at night. They tend to steer clear of residential areas, so it's safe within the confines of the motel even with the doors open. I have bear spray and noisemakers to deter them, but there are incidents every year of travelers getting attacked."

"I'm not a traveler," Taeun Aldhiyaab countered firmly, cutting off Jase before she could respond. "I'm a passerby. Travelers come and go for the scenery. Passersby are on a Path."

…

Lost in contemplation, Taeun Aldhiyaab ventured deeper into the woods. 'Why did I phrase it that way… Path?' he pondered, uncertain of the answer but feeling a strange sense of resonance. 'I can't dwell on this now. I must focus on the scent,' he resolved, plunging further into the foliage.

With the moon shrouded by clouds, minimal light filtered through the dense canopy. Yet, his vision surpassed that of an ordinary person in broad daylight. Though accustomed to this heightened sight, he couldn't help but appreciate its utility, while lamenting its absence in his former life.

'Four, no, five footsteps,' Taeun Aldhiyaab counted, his acute senses discerning the faint traces of their scent. 'It's the same, but…" He inhaled deeply, allowing the image to materialize in his mind's eye. 'Three more. Two women and a man.'

Bending down, he trailed his fingers along the ground, detecting the subtle presence of sanguine substance mingled with the earth.

'It's fresh,' he mused, scrutinizing the ground for signs of recent activity. 'Hopefully it's not too late.' Despite his cautious optimism, he braced himself for the worst, gripping one of his hunting knives tightly. 'If all goes well, it'd only be the eighth, ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth. The largest pack so far.'

It marked his third official hunt since that gruesome night when Diego fulfilled his three demands: money, identity, and transport.

…

The following early morning, Taeun Aldhiyaab departed, grappling with the lingering question of whether he should have dispatched Diego and Kareli alongside the still-breathing Blood Plates. Ultimately, he dismissed the notion, troubled by the memory of his uncontrollable actions and the bitterness it left in his mouth. Moreover, Diego had upheld his end of the bargain promptly.

As he drove away, Taeun Aldhiyaab found himself in possession of a sleek 2020 black Ford Mustang, registered to a person unlikely to report it stolen – Diego – a duffle bag overflowing with $50,000 in cash neatly stowed on the passenger seat, and a new identity. Three compelling reasons to put the ordeal behind him, or so he had thought.

The next day, as he drove along the road, the glovebox of his car began to ring unexpectedly. Inside lay a concealed cellphone – a burner, he presumed, and his assumption was promptly confirmed when he answered.

"Feel free to dispose of it once we're done, but hear me out first," Diego's voice resonated from the other end, skipping any pleasantries or confirmations of Taeun Aldhiyaab's identity. "My greatest wish is to erase last night from my memory. Since that's impossible, I'll settle for the next best thing: never seeing you again. To ensure this, I'm taking a risk by reaching out. The money you have... it's not mine. It belongs to someone for whom the Blood Plate gang is merely one insignificant ant colony among many. Perhaps you already suspected as much. Frankly, I don't care. Just know that not long ago, this individual took decisive steps – what my Chinese step-grandfather would refer to as 'jumping through Longmen', i.e., the Dragon Gate. Sooner or later, he'll come looking for his money and stumble upon your trail. Consider yourself warned, and kindly disappear from my life forever!"

…

'A cabin in the woods…' Taeun Aldhiyaab's voice barely audible, he stood roughly two hundred meters from the aforementioned structure.

Concealed within the dense foliage, he maintained a vigilant watch over the cabin, his keen sense of smell confirming the presence of seven out of the eight scents he had detected.

'Calm down,' he urged himself, feeling his heart pounding in his chest like a rusted machine, pumping corrosion rather than blood, yearning to transform into the grim hulking form that lurked within him. 'Not like this,' Taeun Aldhiyaab forced himself to set aside the hunt, closing his eyes and focusing on slow, deliberate breaths. 'Either you listen to me, or I'll do my utmost to rein you in!' he declared, acknowledging that the struggle was with himself, with the new persona he had become, rather than some external malevolent force. Yet, it felt more manageable to address it in the third person, a tactic he employed during his free moments to delve into online research on the subject of "Nibelrous's Rabies" – with no results thus far.

After counting to a hundred, his heart rate eased slightly, though he begrudgingly accepted that it wouldn't improve further. Whether it was his own battle to control the curse inflicted upon him or the presence of his prey nearby, the tension remained palpable.

Drawing closer to the cabin, Taeun Aldhiyaab remained attuned to every sound emanating from within – some laughter, some whimpering, but not yet the sounds he anticipated. 'It's only a matter of time,' he thought grimly, steeling his resolve for the inevitable confrontation to come.

As Taeun Aldhiyaab prepared to adjust his position for better concealment, the cabin door groaned open, revealing a familiar figure.

It was Don, his belly jutting out as he stepped into the open, lazily undoing his jeans and cracking jokes with an air of nonchalance that seemed out of place given the circumstances. "First that show off, now them… I can't bear another minute in there, or I'll go stir-crazy and rip these clothes apart," he remarked, wiping his mouth with his elbow in a manner that felt distasteful given the gravity of their situation.

Taeun Aldhiyaab's mind raced in disbelief. 'How could it be him?' he pondered incredulously. 'He appeared entirely human back at the motel...' His thoughts were abruptly halted as Don slammed the cabin door, shed his jeans, and let loose a primal howl, transforming into a towering three-meter-tall brown Werewolf before bounding off into the woods.

Clutching his teeth together, Taeun Aldhiyaab swiftly drew his second hunting knife, steeling himself for the imminent encounter.

...

Moments later, Thomas cautiously cracked open the cabin door, his face etched with discomfort as he scanned the area.

"Strange... I could've sworn I sensed something," he spat, his irritation palpable. "That fool, Don, needs to rein in his damned Magick."