*Two nights after the events of the previous chapter*

*4/20/90*

Castell Henllys sat dead silent in the late hours of the night. Scattered pockets of light originated from a handful of patrolling guards. A few shards of the pale waxing moon above were scattered across the sky. Its dim light pierced through the thick clouds, illuminating the land in an eerie glow.

First, there were cracks and bangs as wooden doors and fences splintered and broke. Then came the screams. Finally, the dreadful howls ripped through the night like claws ripping through flesh. The werewolves had come.

Hunter was awoken by the screams. He was already out of bed, fumbling for his armor, when the others burst into his room. "Where are they?”

"On the eastern side of town in the Albino District, judging by the screams," Rose said as she rushed out the door.

Hunter looked over at Coraline. “Coraline, I want you to stay here and keep Mom safe.”

Coraline nodded. “Got it.”

Hunter and the others rush out the door and toward the Albino District, ready and willing to defend their home from the werewolf threat. They had to hurry, though. The longer the battle lasted, the more Shadows would be drawn to the negativity and death.

Through the eye slots on his helm, Hunter glanced at Bianna. She didn't have time to put on makeup to hide her albino skin. Instead, she put on her contacts, threw on her wig, then covered her face with a bandana.

“You better be careful out there, Brianna! I don't want you to be a hero!” Hunter ordered.

Brianna looked back at Hunter with determination in her eyes. “Understood.”

Hunter glanced at each of his comrades. “Mason, you take up the right flank. Brianna! You go provide sniper support at the bell tower! Jade! You and Garrett help the injured get to safety. Rose, you’re with me.”

“Team blind magic is on the case!” Jade cheered.

“Please don't call us that,” Garrett asked.

For a few minutes, Hunter forgot the familiar fear that surfaced before every battle. All that mattered was that his home was in danger. Of course, nothing could have prepared him for the gruesome sight that awaited him. The ground was littered with corpses, all oozing blood into the earth, staining it a deep shade of red. Then came the darting furry shapes appearing and disappearing behind buildings and shrubs. Then, one came close.

It was an ugly beast that crouched on all fours but would likely be over six feet tall if it stood on its hind legs. Its wolfish face was broad, with a long snout filled with large, jagged fangs. Its thick dark brown fur is matted with dirt and grime. Its forepaws were larger than milk saucers, with five long, clawed fingers. A bushy tail swished back and forth in a grotesque imitation of a cheerful hound.

With a cry of rage, Hunter rushed forward, swinging his sword at the werewolf's face. It nimbly dodged to the side, swiping with its claws. He barely has enough time to activate the feature on his left gauntlet allowing a circular shield to form and block the blow. His sister lunged at the beast's side, hacking at it with Emberforge. The red axe blade lit the werewolf's fur and wounds on fire. The creature snapped at her, barely missing her shoulder.

Grunting with exertion, Hunter thrust his sword into the beast's side, allowing the yellow blade to send electric currents straight into the werewolf's mussels, stunning it. That was all Rose needed to deliver the killing blow into its neck. They spare each other a brief nod before splitting off in different directions.

~o0o~

Brianna wasted no time climbing to the top of the bell tower and took aim. She breathed in and out to relax herself. She was now in the zone, her sniper instincts taking full control of her body and mind. Her eyes were sharp as a surgeon's scalpel. She loaded a standard rifle round into Phantom Enforcer when she spotted a werewolf charging some fleeing children. She pulled the trigger, adding another mark to her one shot, one kill score etched onto the side of her rifle.

She spotted an elderly couple trapped inside a burning building. She loaded a magazine full of dark blue rifle rounds. She opened fire, and when the bullets struck a solid object, they burst into bucket-sized splashes of water. Once her magazine was empty, the doorway was clear, allowing the couple to escape.

~o0o~

Mason burst through a door to rush a Teddy. The overwhelming amount of fear and other negative emotions was already drawing in Shadows. He exchanged blows with the creature, his mace, Feldspar, against claws. He focused most of his Energy on his muscles, allowing him to match the strength of the Teddy.

He chuckled lightly. After all the loss and pain experienced by that train crash, there was one blessing they were gifted. Energy. Since they were brought to death's doorstep, they were able to unlock it. A forcefield in the sense that protected them from harm and added strength to ones muscles. All with a little focus.

And Mason was indeed focused. One mistake and everything would end. His mace could fend off Teddy’s claws, but for how long? He rolled to the side, dodging a heavy claw swipe, teeth clenched tight in annoyance. He hated albinos, so protecting them really angered him. He did, however, restrain his anger away from Brianna. Mostly due to her earning his unyielding respect many, many times over.

Deflecting the Teddy's next blow, he found an opening. He pressed the singular button on his mace's shaft, just above the grip. This activated a system in his weapon to heat up the dark red Stone held in a small open compartment at the top. He slammed Feldspar against the Teddy's torso, causing the hot and now fragile dark red Stone to burst into a fiery explosion blasting out of the compartment, and killing the creature.

"Yeah! What do you think of th-URGH!" He did not see the second Teddy charging from behind. Its powerful claw strike threw him into a nearby wall. His Energy protected him from any damage. However, he would have some ugly bruises the next morning.

“You’ve got to be kiddin' me? How did he not see it coming?!” Rose nearly shouted as she rushed the second Teddy from behind. She shouldn't be complaining. Mason had always been like a bull. Once enraged, he won't see anything past his target.

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Mason burst into a rage. “Come on, beast!” Trying to get up, his eyes showed stubborn anger. The Teddy wasn't fazed at all. It knocked him away with a second blow.

Mason looked at his hand, shocked to see his Energy was already cracking. It couldn't take much more punishment. The next strike could possibly be his doom.

"Take thaaaaaat!" Shouted Rose as she drove her axe blade into the gaps in the Teddy's back armor, knocking it off-balance and away from Mason.

Mason took the occasion to load his weapons compartment with a light blue Stone. He carefully aimed his strike while pressing the button again. He slammed Feldspar against the Teddy’s armored head. The Stone exploded into a wave of ice, encasing the creatures in a thick cocoon of ice before being smashed.

~o0o~

Hunter raced toward ever more pockets of chaos scattered all throughout Castell Henllys. A werewolf pounced toward him from behind. He spun around, sword drawn, shield at the ready. It was then that the beast was surrounded by a purple aura before that slammed it against a building, killing it instantly.

He turned to see Jade and Garrett running toward him. Their armor was damaged, and their clothes were torn. “Are you two okay? How is your Energy?”

“A little beaten up, but our Energy is still going strong,” Jade replied.

Hunter smiled. “Well, let's go try and support the othe-”

Two werewolves approached and started circling the trio.

Garrett's eyes narrowed behind his glasses as he pumped his staff, Gravitas Glaive, like a shotgun. Two long, curved blades popped out of either end. One blade was dark purple, the other light purple. The trio charged the werewolf duo.

For a few bloody minutes, battles raged all across Castell Henllys. Then, as suddenly as the attack started, the werewolves ran. Huntsmen, guards, and even some armed civilians pursued them to the edge of the village. The werewolves superior speed allowed them to escape. Reluctantly, everyone withdrew. They had to wipe out any remaining Shadows, tend to the injured, and kill anyone infected.

~o0o~

Early the next morning, an albino girl walked down the road. She passed by albino corpses that were being burnt along with all the dead werewolves. They weren't given the respect like the normal humans who were buried with full respect.

She was clearly uncomfortable at all the gazes she received from nearly everyone around her. She decided to cut her losses and just go home. Her broken arm can be treated another day. Before she could turn around, a brick was thrown at her.

She fell hard against the ground, clutching her cracked skull that oozed blood. The crimson-red liquid ran over her eyes, blinding her. Quickly, she wiped her eyes clean. She almost wished she hadn’t as she stared back at the furious mob surrounding her.

One by one, they started kicking, punching, hitting, and even stabbing her. She desperately tried defending herself, all the while calling for help. Help that would not come for fear of retaliation.

Over on the other side of Castell Henllys, Hunter cleaned his sword with an old rag, feeling distinctly proud that he had managed to defend his home so well. His chest plate was slightly damaged, and the armor for his right arm has been completely torn off, leaving only bandages to cover his arm. He noticed a few were a little loose. He quickly tightened them, happy that there was nobody around to see.

His Energy had taken a little bit of a beating. That was no worry though, after a good meal and some rest his Energy would be completely restored.

He frowned when seeing Rose on her knees in the doorway of their shared house. He walked closer, noticing that she was sobbing. "Rose, are you okay?"

All Rose could do was point at two pools of blood. One had a few of Coraline's throwing knives, while the other had a broken wheelchair.

Hunter took a step back, his face distraught. "B-But those are Coraline's knives and Mom's wheelchair." He looked around the room in a panic. "Rose, where are Mom and Coraline? Tell me this didn't happen!"

Rose fought back a sob, unable to look Hunter in the eye. "It was like this when I came back here. The werewolves must have stolen their bodies. Or, they were taken… That means that they are.... they are... "

Hunter felt as if the whole world had just ended abruptly. He glanced around, wanting to look at anything other than the grim sight lying in front of Rose. He eventually noticed a werewolf's corpse lying near him. Two of Coraline’s knives were lodged in its thick, furry neck.

"Coraline died fighting like a true Dead Rabbit," He thought as he pulled the knives out of the corpse. He cleans them before gently stuffing them into his pocket. He grabbed the werewolf's burnt-black fur and started dragging it toward the nearest burning fire. He eyed it, noting that a broken neck was the case of its death. He wondered how Coraline could have managed that. Its fur was black, not chestnut. He checked every werewolf for the same green eyes and chestnut fur he had seen as a child. So far, he had seen none. That was a small comfort. He had told no one about his little encounter a few years back and had no intention of doing so, especially now.

Still, if he found that werewolf's corpse among the others, he would never forgive himself. He would spend the rest of his life wondering if the beast he had once let go of was the one to kill his mother and little sister. He pushed the werewolf’s corpse into the flames, watching it burn and darken.

Jade walked over with Garrett and placed a comforting hand on Hunter’s arm. "Are you okay?"

Hunter breathed a shaky sigh. "I've…been better," he didn't trust himself to talk too much. He'd probably start crying. All he could think about were his baby sister's bright, baby-blue eyes. He remembered how they shined when she showed him the rare battle scythe their uncle Joey let her play with. How she always managed to cheer others up no matter how dark the mood was.

He hadn't been as close to his mother in recent years but still missed her presence. She was loud, bossy, manipulative, and a control freak. However, she was still always willing to support those close to her. As long as she wanted too, of course.

Garrett seemed to understand Hunter's struggle. "We can talk about it when we're done here."

"Thank you," Hunter sighed, his shoulders relaxed a little. "Rose is taking it far worse than I am. She was a lot closer to Mom and Coraline than I was."

"Losing your mom and little sister in one night…." Jade shook her head. "I can't imagine that."

Garrett gave Hunter a comforting smile. "It is best to see it from the perspective that they are now in the Summerland now. An eternity of paradise free of pain and hardship awaits them."

Hunter's throat tightened, and he had to scrunch his eyes shut and take a few deep breaths to keep from sobbing. Looking up, he saw Garrett wiping a tear from his cheek.

"Sorry," he muttered. "I shouldn't have mentioned it."

A loud crash, followed by a scream, caused all three of them to turn around. A crowd had gathered a bit down the street surrounding Ada.

Hunter immediately broke into a run, followed closely by Jade and Garrett. He started shoving through the crowd, trying to get to the center. As he did, he felt his heart sink at the snippets of conversation he had heard.

"Better to be safe than sorry."

"No good having that sort in our village."

"The attack was concentrated in the Albino District. Everyone knows werewolves are drawn to them."

“Let’s just string her up right now!”

When the trio got to the center of the crowd, they saw Ada brandishing a dagger in one hand while the other rested on her injured wrist. Tears leaked from her eyes, ruining her makeup and fully revealing her albino identity for all to see. Kevin and his mercenaries surrounded her, their weapons drawn.

"Hey, what's going on?" Garrett asked.

Kevin sneered. "Beat it. We're just killing another cursed freak."

"I wasn't bitten!" Ada protested.

"Your arm's bleeding!" Kevin pointed out.

"It scratched me. Scratches don't turn people!"

"Yeah, but you're an albino. That makes you more likely to turn than any normal person," Kevin countered.

"That's not true, and you know it!" Hunter snapped, drawing his sword and planting himself between Kevin and Ada. "We'll show her to the village healer. He'll know whether she's cursed or not."

"That's right," Garrett added. "There's no need for a mob, not when we still have repairs to make."

"You better watch your friend like a hawk. Albino lovers like you should be ashamed. Especially now." Kein and his men withdrew, and soon after, the mod as well.

"Are you okay?" Jade asked as she hugged the crying girl.

Ada wiped the tears from her face. "Yes. I was so scared that they'd kill me. Thank you. I've already been to the healer. I'm not infected."

"I figured," Hunter replied, sheathing his sword. "Of course, those idiots wouldn't have listened to that."

"Probably not," Ada agreed. "I'm so sorry for your loss. I liked Coraline and Emma. Give my regards to the others as well."

"We will. Thanks," Hunter managed a smile. "Let us know if anyone gives you trouble again."

"I'm going back to Kenny's house," Ada assured him. "I was letting the other albinos in town know that they should probably not be in their homes tonight."

Jade snorted in disgust. "I still can't believe people are this stupid.”

Garrett shrugged helplessly. "Well, stupid or not, it's our job to help and protect them. Let’s get back to work.”

The three worked tirelessly throughout the day before going home. The following morning, they discovered that many albino homes had been burned to the ground. No one was particularly surprised.