Chapter 2. Visions

From then on, Ryn began to understand all the strange things that were happening. She believed she had died and that her soul had traveled to another girl's body. That was the only thing that made sense. There were so many questions echoing in her head. But Ryn tried to accept the circumstances. She lived life as another Ryn Aberdein. The one who would become a werewolf at the age of eighteen.
Lance said they were Freemega. A group of Rouges joined the pack under Walter Gerard's control. Ryn quickly adapted, despite some initial difficulties. She learned many things from Freemega, especially the skills to fight hand-to-hand as well as various weapons. Two months into life as Ryn, the future werewolf, her fighting skills improved greatly. And now, practicing agility is the most enjoyable activity for her.
"Oh, come on, is that all you've got?" Ryn grinned at Lance.
"Don't underestimate me, Miss! Because I'm only halfway there," replied Lance, who was practicing with the girl.
"Is that so? Come on, show me everything you've got!" challenged Ryn with an even wider grin.
Lance tightened his jaw with his hands clenched into fists. His breathing quickened, and in one blink, the color of the man's eyes turned golden.
"Oh, no! Werewolf against a human. That sounds unfair, but let's try." Ryn tightened her fists, as did her horses.
In half-wolf form, Lance ran at Ryn. He aimed a flurry of punches and kicks at the girl. Unfortunately, none of the attacks managed to land on the girl. Ryn was good at dodging and parrying, even though she had to fall several times to avoid the attacks.
"C'mon, Boy! Give me a shot!" challenged Ryn with a dismissive smile.
"Bloody hell!" Lance growled, not buying the taunt.
The man ran, then leaned against a tree trunk and aimed his kick at Ryn. This time, he no longer held back his strength. Lance managed to hit Ryn's body, sending the girl flying several meters above the dry leaves. Lance didn't give her a chance to get up. He rushed after her and locked her down.
"This is all you've got?" Lance taunted Ryn.
"Get lost, you fucking wolf!" growled Ryn.
Lance laughed so hard that his head was half up. At that moment, Ryn took a chance on Lance. The girl withdrew one hand, took the wolfsbane powder from her pocket, and attacked Lance with it.
"Aaargh!" Lance groaned and at once let go of the girl. He rolled on the ground, his form fully transformed back into a human. The wolfsbane powder left burns on his right arm.
Ryn got up and laughed at Lance's pain.
"You weak wolf!" the girl taunted.
"Dammit! Wait until you get your shift, and you'll know how much it hurts to be hit by this damn powder!" Lance retorted.
Ryn reached out, helping the man get up.
"Does it hurt that much?" asked Ryn as she pointed to the wound on Lance's arm.
"You think?" Lance glanced lazily at Ryn.
"Sorry," Ryn said with a chuckle.
The sound of applause distracted Ryn and Lance. They turned toward the source of the sound and saw Walter Gerard walking over with a proud smile.
"Losing for the umpteenth time, hum?" Walter said this to Lance with one eyebrow raised.
Lance looked away.
"She cheated," he said as he pointed to the scar on his arm that was slowly healing.
"I don't think it's cheating, son. It's clever," Walter corrected, tapping his temple with a fingertip.
"I can't wait to be like you guys," Ryn said, drawing Walter and Lance's attention.
"Just be patient, Ryn!" Walter patted the girl's shoulder. "Wait until you're eighteen, and your wish will come true," he continued.
"I can't wait for that day to come either." Lance looked at Ryn. "You have great fighting skills. I even doubt that you are an Omega descendant," he continued.
Walter smiled warmly. The middle-aged man squeezed Ryn's shoulder and said, "She will be a strong she-wolf because she is special."
Ryn looked at Walter for a few moments. He always said that she was special. At first, Ryn thought Walter said that because their relationship was as close as a father and daughter. However, this time, Ryn felt there was something different about the way Walter said it. Ryn didn't know what, but she felt like there was something Walter wasn't telling her.
"Ryn?" Lance gently shook the girl's shoulder.
Ryn blinked quickly. She smiled stupidly, then said, "Sorry, what did you say?"

"Daydreaming while others are talking to you—that's so rude!" protested Lance, which made Ryn frown.
Walter chuckled and said, "I think we should join them, so this girl doesn't daydream anymore." He pointed to some people who were preparing firewood for the party tonight.
"I agree!" said Lance.
They walked together toward the place Walter was referring to. However, Ryn's steps suddenly stopped. The girl clutched Walter's arm with a gasp.
"Ryn? Are you okay?" Walter asked with a worried look.
The girl did not answer. Ryn's eyeballs moved wildly. Flashes of horrific scenes crammed into her head. She saw a ruthless massacre. Blood was everywhere. Dead bodies lay on a bloody floor. Everything she saw seemed so real as if it were happening right before her eyes. It took Ryn's breath away, and her body was violently trembling. She saw the horrible creature grinning with satisfaction, watching the people die. Ryn shivered even more when she saw the creature shift into a human so that its face was clearly displayed.
"No way!" Ryn blurted out while rapidly shaking her head. Her chest felt so tight. Ryn could barely breathe when she saw the creature's face. It was her. The killer was her. Ryn dropped her gaze and saw that her palms were covered in blood.
"Ryn, what happened?" Walter asked. 
The girl did not answer. Ryn turned around and ran as fast as she could. That horrible face lingered in her memory. Ryn was terrified, and she ran further and further away from the herd through the wilderness without direction. She kept running until she felt like her legs couldn't swing anymore. Ryn stopped near a river. The girl was breathing hard. She forced her legs to walk toward a tree and sat down under it.
"What the hell happened? It wasn't me! I didn't do it," Ryn croaked while catching her breath.
Ryn could even smell the strong scent of blood. Screams and moans of pain that echoed in her memory made her whole body shiver. Then she dropped her gaze to her palms. There was no more blood on them. The girl then turned her head towards the river. She needed water. Ryn got up and approached the riverbank. She put her two palms together to get some water and gulped it down. 
Ryn felt much better. The girl was about to get some more water to wash her face. However, she was distracted when she saw the reflection of a man on the water's surface. Ryn blinked a few times and turned her head when she realized someone was standing behind her. She turned around and staggered back, keeping a safe distance from the man.
"Who are you? How dare you enter my territory?" he said in a deep voice.
Ryn gulped. The man's sharp, cold gaze seemed to paralyze every joint in her body. The strong defense instinct urged the girl to run away from this dangerous situation as soon as possible. Ryn got up quickly, then ran in the opposite direction of the man.
Unfortunately! Several other men suddenly came and blocked her way. They circled Ryn like predators, looking for prey.
The girl stopped running and looked around. That's bad! She was trapped. Ryn turned and saw the man behind her walking quietly toward her.
"You think you can leave before answering my question?" He said it with a cold tone and a glare that demanded an answer.