When I got home, my dad was in the living room watching TV. "Hey, sweetie," he said when he saw me. "How was the rally?"

"It was great!" I said, trying to sound casual. "Hey, dad, can I go out with Kevin and Salina tonight? We're just going to grab some food."

"Sure, honey," my dad said with a shrug. "Just be back by ten, okay?"

I kissed his cheek and ran up to my room, feeling relieved and excited. I took a quick shower and changed into my pink sweatshirt and running pants, knowing I might need to transform later. I slipped on my sandals and grabbed my backpack, making sure I had everything I needed for our adventure.

As I ran down the stairs, I felt a rush of adrenaline. This was going to be amazing. "Bye, dad!" I called out as I ran out the door.

*****

As we drove towards the lake docks near the industrial district, the glow of the streetlights illuminated the factories and warehouses around us. The buildings were old and worn, with broken windows and rusty metal gates. The air smelled of damp concrete and exhaust fumes.

Kevin parked his car and got out, followed by Salina and me. We all huddled close, the chilly air nipping at our noses. Kevin wore a brown trench coat like he was some sort of detective, and Salina had on a black leather jacket with rugged gray jeans, as if she wanted to look badass. I just wore my usual pink sweatshirt and running pants, feeling a little out of place among their dark and edgy outfits.

I asked Kevin if he brought any weapons, to which he replied he brought some and took out a backpack from the back of the car. He opens the bag and shows me he has silver stakes, a flashlight, and a medical kit. It may not look like much, but it was better than nothing.

As we made our way towards the boat, I couldn't shake off the eerie feeling of the buildings looming over us. Salina must have felt it too, as she clutched my arm tightly.

"Is it safe here, Kevin?" I asked nervously.

"Don't worry. This place is deserted at night. No one will bother us," Kevin reassured us.

We hopped into the boat and started making our way towards the island at the center of the lake. The water was still and quiet, the only sound being the hum of the boat's motor. The lights from the industrial district faded away behind us as we made our way into the darkness.

"What do you think we'll find on the island?" Salina asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it's not going to be good," I replied, feeling a knot forming in my stomach.

We reached the island in the middle of the lake, and the eerie silence surrounded us. The trees were tall and dense, casting deep shadows that danced in the faint moonlight. The ground was rocky, and the grass was overgrown, as if nobody had set foot on the island in years.

"This place gives me the creeps," Salina said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I like that."

"I don't blame you," Kevin replied, scanning the surroundings with his flashlight. "You always liked creepy places."

I shivered. "Let's focus on walking to the castle instead of talking about creepy stuff."

We walked in silence, searching for any sign of the hidden passage. Suddenly, I heard a low growl. I turned my head and saw a pair of glowing yellow eyes in the darkness.

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"Guys, we're not alone," I whispered.

Kevin aimed his flashlight at the source of the growling and revealed a pack of wild dogs, their eyes glinting menacingly. Salina stepped forward and raised her hand.

"Relax, pups. We come in peace," she said in a calming tone.

To our surprise, the dogs stopped growling and wagged their tails. One of them approached Salina, and she petted its head.

"Looks like we made some furry friends," Kevin said with a grin.

I widened my eyes. "How did you totally do that?"

Salina smiled as one of the dogs licked her palm. “Nobody can resist a witch's charm.”

We continued our search with the dogs following us, as if they were our protectors. The island was getting darker and colder, and I could feel the hairs on the back of my neck standing up.

As we approached the castle, my heart started pounding like crazy. It was huge! Just how I remembered it! The five-story-tall building was made of gray stone bricks and had one tower at the top. It looked like something out of a gothic horror movie, the kind of castle where vampires lived. Four bat-winged gargoyle statues perched on each corner below the tower, and their eyes seemed to follow us as we got closer.

The wild dogs moaned and ran away as if the castle scared them. It gave me the chills. "Why did they run?" I asked, curious.

Salina joked, "The castle is cursed. Maybe it's haunted, and the dogs know it."

I couldn't help but feel that Salina was right. Ever since that incident, I've believed in things that go bump in the night.

Kevin approached the door and shook the handle. "It's locked," he said, frustration clear in his voice.

I remembered that Kevin always had a trick up his sleeve. "Can you pick it?" I asked him.

"Of course," he said, taking out a paper clip from his pocket. He bent it into shape and inserted it into the lock. After a few seconds, the lock clicked, and Kevin opened the door.

A cold breeze with a musky smell escaped from the entrance. The inside of the castle was darker than the outside. Kevin switched on his flashlight and walked in first, as he always did. Salina and I followed him, staying close to each other.

I couldn't help but feel that the castle was watching us.

We entered the main hall, and my jaw almost dropped to the ground. The room was massive, and the walls were adorned with paintings, vases, and candles. It was a mix of different types of architecture, and I couldn't help but feel like I was in a historical museum. The large red carpet covering the floor was the first thing that caught my attention, leading to a stairway that looked like it led to the upper level. Candelabras were placed on tables in each corner of the room.

I took a closer look and noticed the dirt and dust balls scattered along the carpet. It looked like no one had cleaned this place in ages. Salina must have noticed my expression as she chuckled and said, "Looks like no one's been here in a while."

I grimaced. Of course, nobody has been here for a while! Mysterious teen deaths in a spooky castle?

Yup, no way in hell anyone would totally return to keep the freaking castle cleaned without getting spooked.

The chandelier hanging from the high cathedral ceiling was beautiful, but it looked like it could fall apart at any moment. Archways lined the left and right walls beneath the second-floor balconies. I counted four doors on both sides of the room, but I couldn't see the other doors at the top.

Kevin spoke up, breaking my thoughts. "Let's split up and search the area. We'll cover more ground that way."

Salina nodded and headed towards the left archway, while Kevin went to the right. I decided to stick to the main hall and search for any clues. As I walked towards one of the doors on the right, I noticed something strange on the wall. It was a small, black symbol that looked like a snake wrapped around a skull.

"Guys, come look at this," I shouted.

They came over and examined the symbol.

“Was this symbol here before?” I asked, curious.

“I can’t remember,” Kevin replied, scratching his chin.

“Maybe someone broke in and sprayed it on the wall,” Salina suggested.

But I didn’t believe her. It seemed too eerie to be just a random act of vandalism. When Kevin touched the symbol, it vanished like a ghost. We all shivered in fear. Maybe it was a bad omen.

“I think we should leave,” I said, my voice trembling.

But Kevin was determined. “No way. We’ve come this far. We have to check out the library upstairs. Maybe we’ll find some useful information about the castle.”

I swallowed nervously, but agreed. We followed Kevin up the stairway, leaving the strange symbol behind. The library was our next stop.

*****

As we entered the library, I couldn't help but feel awestruck. The room was vast, filled with towering bookshelves, which lined the walls from top to bottom. Each shelf was filled with leather-bound books of various sizes and colors. There were even some old tomes, which looked like they could crumble with one touch.

The air was musty and had a sweet, earthy smell to it. It was a smell I found familiar, like that of an old bookstore. There was a faint sound of pages being turned, as if the books themselves were alive and whispering secrets to each other.

Kevin was quick to scan the room, his eyes scanning through the shelves. Salina and I did the same. We picked out books at random and flipped through them, looking for any information that could help us.

As we read, time seemed to pass quickly, and before I knew it, Kevin had found something important. He showed us a history book with a worn-out cover, and inside were pages with faded writing. It was about Lord Dregan's history.

"He was in England in the 1300s?" I gasped.

Kevin nodded. “Yes, and he built his own werewolf clan there. He fought against a kingdom called Alnor, but he failed to conquer it. Maybe this was why he fled to North America to start over.”

I remembered Lord Dregan, the one who started the werewolf curse in Moondale. He was born in Romanian, where his family ruled a village. I guessed after the werewolf hunters attacked his family; he fled to England before North America.

I couldn't believe how much we had uncovered about Lord Dregan. It was like we had found a hidden treasure trove.

Suddenly, Salina leaned against a lantern on the wall, and with a click, a hidden doorway opened next to her.

We were all surprised to find a secret passage that we had never seen before. Kevin suggested we explore it, and I couldn't shake the feeling that it was a bad idea. But my curiosity got the better of me, and I followed my friends into the passageway, hoping that we would uncover even more secrets.