บท 29: Phantom Shift

Chapter 29

LOU RIVERS

Most in my life, I am a bystander.

My heart is calloused when it comes to the oppressed that it barely feels sympathy for them.

I'm just so used to watch or to walk away everytime.

When I was younger— innocent and naive, I tried to be the hero that I thought I was but it caused me a scar, a nightmare that's haunting me in my sleep every now and then.

'yeah'

'a nightmare'

It was a mistake, an impulse of the young me that I don't wish to remember; that I wish I didn't do.

But there are limitations to my being a bystander especially when it comes to people I hold dear.

Just so happen that Marc and Maggie are among them.

In a speed that no other werewolf has, I slightly pushed Marc on the side and took hold of the man by his face.

He was caught by surprise and—

'yeah'

My fingers lengthened that my hand was able to hold his face fully.

Then my finger nails protruded, along with the changing of my arm's complexion till it took a new form.

'a new form'

A form like that of my wolf but partly human.

'yeah'

I can Phantom Shift—

It's an ability only unique to the Canis Lycaon, where I can shift partially any part of me; may it be my arm, nails, canines or feet.

'I am unique'

I am— the Canis Lycaon.

I cocked my head on the side, this time I was the one grinning; I was the one with the vile smirk.

It was a laughable scene for me.

The man was astounded and his eyes went round gradually after realizing who I was. And through the spaces of my fingers, I saw his fear; his terror.

I smiled a vicious smile and I was sure that the brightness of my eyes as they glowed a forest green in the dark intimidated him more.

'tsk tsk tsk'

Where was the man with the confidence?

... with the devilish grin?

... with the smile of mockery that I disdained?

Where?

Well, that man has vanished. There only remained a terrified dog.

Having enough of the visual, I tightened my grip on his face then securing a good hold of his head, I—

...I crushed it.

'yeah'

I crushed his head with my hand.

His head popped like a water balloon— or more likely a crushed tomato. The velvet of blood bursted out staining my clothing, some even splashed on my face, dripping down to my neck.

Then I squeezed to a pulp, the remaining part of his shattered brain that was stuck in my palm. Soon after, I watched his lifeless body fall with a head like that of a crumpled can of soda on the ground.

I turned to Marc on my side, his butt on the ground, slack jawed, definitely in utter shock.

I left him—

I left him there without a word and started my pace towards the enemy woman. This time, I was taking my time. I was the one who was dragging my feet on the ground; exactly the same thing she did earlier, but that confident woman was gone. All I can see was a coward, taking a many steps back.

'haha'

Laughable—

Why be scared?

I was just letting her feel what my friend's had felt.

Then I spotted Maggie, she was lying flat on the ground, her face on it. She was in pain. The state of her body spoke for it but despite that, her face showed a mixture of emotion: pain, anger, hopelessness and more than that, the shock and the terror were manifested most.

I pitied her.

The only part of her body she can move was her eyeballs.

'yeah'

Only the eyeballs; those orbs that never left me.

I turned my heels to her, sped up and scooped her up. I stared down at her in my arms. I could see she was terrified, wanting to flee but just too weak to do something about it.

I gave her a small smile before rushing her to Marc's side.

I layed her down carefully, then my eyes noticed the balling of Marc's hand into a fist on the ground.

I stood up, sharpened my claws and cut a vein in my other arm. Blood dripped and I let to fall a good amount for licking on Maggie's open palm and I did the same on Marc's broken leg.

Marc—

He was baffled. His brows contorted. He stared at my blood on his leg. Then after some time, his breathing became shallow, his heartbeat sped up and his jaw trembled.

'Of course'

Who would not?

I was giving him a gift or— or a curse after all.

Werewolves had learned from a young age about the omen: about the Canis Lycaon. Horrendous stories were told from tongue to tongue throughout the generation.

Informations are written down in all history books; some are facts while a few are hypothetical.

With Marc's reaction, definitely he knew what I just did; what my blood can do.

If— only if he'll lick it will he gain the strength he's never had before,

... a saving grace of his trampled ego,

... a privilege of growing in power as I grow,

... and at the same time, cursed as he will be bound to me through and through— my slave.

From the terror I was seeing from his expression, he sure was educated of those bookish information about the slavery of my predecessors.

'tsk'

I glanced at Maggie, and I saw her falling tear. She was aware about the blood too and the weight that it holds.

"If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done," I spoke in my most calming yet serious tone.

"I'm not forcing that to both of you," I referred to my blood.

"You can lick that or not."

"The choice is yours."

Then I turned to the enemy woman and saw her running away. So, I phantom shifted my legs and ran after her.

Smirking, I caught up to her. Her speed wasn't even comparable to mine. With one swoop of my leg, her wolf screeched in pain as soon as my kick hit its neck and it went tumbling down.

Walking towards to now a groaning woman, I came to a halt then hovered down at her like a hungry predator.

She was shivering in fear, hardly breathing at all.

Then something snapped inside me, that odd feeling yet familiar. I smiled and looked heavenward.

After a moment , I crouched down to the woman, making her frozen on her spot.

I leaned in a little closer to her ear, " Never mock a pain that you haven't endured," I whispered.

"Or karma will slap you in the face a tenfold."

I stepped back, retracted my phantom shifted arms and legs, then mind linked back the newest member of my own little pack.

'hehe'

"She's all yours— Magz."