Chapitre 2: New Beginnings
The old pickup truck groaned to a halt, and I killed the engine, leaning back against the worn leather seat. This was it. My new beginning. I gazed at the small house before me, its weathered blue paint peeling at the edges. It wasn't much, but it was mine—or at least, it would be for the next six months.
I stepped out, the gravel crunching beneath my feet. The air here was different—crisp, with a hint of pine. So unlike the smog-filled city I'd left behind. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent of my new life fill my lungs.
"You must be Isabella," a voice called out, startling me. An older woman with silver-streaked hair approached, a gentle smile on her face. "I'm Mrs. Hendricks. I've got your keys right here."
I returned her smile, grateful for the warm welcome. "Thank you. It's nice to meet you."
As Mrs. Hendricks handed over the keys, her fingers brushed against mine. A jolt, like static electricity, passed between us. I flinched, and she drew back, a flicker of... something crossing her face. Concern? Fear? But it was gone so quickly, I thought I must have imagined it.
"Well, dear," she said, her voice a touch higher than before, "I'll leave you to get settled. If you need anything, I'm just down the road."
I watched her retreat, a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. What was that all about?
Shaking off the odd encounter, I turned back to the task at hand. It took only two trips to bring in my meager belongings. As I unpacked, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was being watched. Every few minutes, I found myself glancing out the windows, but the street remained empty.
I was hanging the last of my clothes when it hit me—a wave of dizziness so intense I had to grab the dresser for support. The room spun, and for a moment, I could have sworn I heard whispers, too faint to make out the words. Then, as quickly as it came, the sensation passed.
"Get it together, Isabella," I muttered, pressing a hand to my forehead. "It's just the stress of the move."
But even as I said it, I knew it wasn't true. Something was off about this town. I could feel it in my bones.
As night fell, I decided a walk might clear my head. The street was quiet, lit only by the occasional streetlamp. The houses looked almost identical in the darkness, their windows like eyes watching my every move.
I'd gone about two blocks when I heard it—a low growl coming from the shadows between two houses. I froze, my heart pounding. Slowly, I turned toward the sound.
Two gleaming eyes stared back at me from the darkness. They were too high off the ground to be a dog. Whatever it was, it was big.
I took a step back, then another. The eyes followed my movement. Run, a voice in my head screamed. But I couldn't move, couldn't breathe.
A cloud shifted, and moonlight spilled onto the street. For just a second, I caught a glimpse of a massive, wolf-like creature. But it couldn't be a wolf. It was too big, its face almost... human.
A scream built in my throat, but before I could release it, the creature vanished into the night. I stood there, shaking, for what felt like hours but was probably only minutes.
Finally, I managed to turn and run back to my house. I slammed the door behind me, locking it with trembling hands. What the hell had I just seen?
Sleep eluded me that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw those gleaming eyes, that impossible creature. By morning, I'd almost convinced myself it had been a hallucination, a product of stress and an overactive imagination.
Almost.
I was making coffee when there was a knock at the door. Hesitantly, I opened it to find a handsome man with intense green eyes standing on my porch.
"Hi," he said, his voice deep and slightly rough. "I'm Damien. I live next door. Thought I'd come welcome you to the neighborhood."
"Isabella," I replied, shaking his outstretched hand. That same jolt I'd felt with Mrs. Hendricks passed between us, but stronger this time. Damien's eyes widened slightly, and I knew he'd felt it too.
"So," he said, recovering quickly, "how are you liking our little town so far?"
I hesitated. Should I mention what I'd seen last night? Would he think I was crazy?
"It's... interesting," I said finally. "Actually, I was wondering if you could tell me something. Are there any large animals in the woods around here? I thought I saw something last night, but it was probably just my imagination."
Damien's entire demeanor changed. His body tensed, and something dark flashed in his eyes. "What exactly did you see?" he asked, his voice low and urgent.
I described the creature as best I could, watching Damien's face carefully. With each word, he seemed to grow paler.
"Listen," he said when I'd finished, glancing around as if afraid we'd be overheard. "You need to be careful. This town... it's not what it seems. There are things here, dangerous things. You'd be better off leaving while you can."
"What do you mean?" I asked, my heart racing. "What things?"
Damien opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, a howl echoed through the air. It was close—too close.
His head snapped toward the sound, his whole body going rigid. When he turned back to me, his eyes had changed. They were the same intense green, but now they seemed to glow with an inner light.
"I have to go," he said, already backing away. "Remember what I said. Be careful, Isabella. And whatever you do, don't go out after dark."
With that, he was gone, leaving me standing in the doorway, more confused and frightened than ever.
I closed the door, leaning against it as I tried to process what had just happened. Damien's warning echoed in my mind. What had I gotten myself into?
Another howl split the air, closer this time. Despite the morning sun, I found myself checking the locks on the doors and windows. As I moved to the last window, movement in the yard caught my eye.
There, at the edge of the woods behind my house, stood a wolf. But this was no ordinary wolf. It was enormous, its fur a deep, rich brown. And its eyes...
I gasped, stumbling backward. Its eyes were a familiar, intense green.
The wolf—Damien?—held my gaze for a long moment before disappearing into the forest.
I sank to the floor, my mind reeling. This couldn't be happening. Things like this didn't exist in the real world.
But as another howl echoed in the distance, I realized with growing dread that I was no longer in the world I thought I knew.
And I was no longer sure I was safe.
État de l’alimentation hebdomadaire
-- Classement
Power Stone 
-- Power
stone