Prologue

It all began with the sudden sound of gunshots, cutting through the stillness of a dense forest. The brightness of the full moon was not enough to expose the hidden creature lurking behind the trees.

In the midst of the chaos, six men, dressed in black uniforms, frantically sprayed bullets at anything that moved. The echoes of the gunfire reverberated throughout the forest until a voice from within the group commanded, "Hold your fire! Hold your fire!"

The youngest member of the group, whose legs remained steady and unshaken by fear, was the one who called for a ceasefire. As the gunfire ceased, a deep and unsettling silence fell over the forest, broken only by the sound of their hearts pounding in their chests

"Everyone, just listen," the young man said, keeping his gun trained on anything that moved. Anyone who made a sound risked attracting attention, and all six guns would be pointed at them in an instant. The group was standing in a small, open field surrounded by trees, with no cover to shield them from the piercing light that shone down from above. They were at a disadvantage: the creature could see them, but they could not see it.

Suddenly, a static crackled through his earbuds, and he nearly pulled the trigger in response. "Michael! Michael!" a voice shouted urgently.

"Keep it down, Old man." Michael hissed, his eyes never leaving the trees.

"Listen to me, Michael," the voice continued urgently. "Something is jamming our signal. You and your team need to get out of there now. This is beyond anything we've dealt with before."

Michael's frustration was palpable. He had brought nine well-trained men to this forest to take down an alpha werewolf they had spotted, but they had quickly realized that they were dealing with something else, something far more sinister. Whatever it was, it was not a creature they were prepared to fight. Three of his men had been ripped apart in less than a minute before they could even react with their guns.

All Michael could do now was pinpoint where the creature is and lead his team to safety on the opposite side. But with the eerie silence of the forest, it felt like they were being surrounded from all sides.

One of Michael's team members tried to get his attention. Michael realized that he needed his ears and eyes fully attuned to the danger around him and his team. He pulled out his earbuds, to the caller’s dismay and pocketed them, then turned to face the man who was pointing into the darkness.

As Michael stood beside the man, straining his eyes to see what he was pointing at, a movement caught his attention. Something was watching them from behind a tree. Michael's heart was pounding in his chest as he tried to make out its features in the dim light. It stood like a human but clearly not one.

Despite the fear that gripped him, Michael knew that he had to keep his wits about him. He signaled to his team to stay alert. "Okay men, slowly back away." he whispered them, hoping that they could make it out of this dangerous situation alive. They moved cautiously trying to reach the end of the open field with their guns aiming at the creature that remained motionless. Its eyes were fixed on them, tracking their every move with eerie precision. The creature seemed to revel in their fear, relishing in the power it held over them.

Michael weighed his options, contemplating the possibility of running, but ultimately decided against it. Given where they were, he doubted they could make it far enough to escape to their vehicle.

The creature's eyes widened as it watched the men make their way towards the end of the open field. It lets out a deafening sound that caused the men to freeze in their tracks. Slowly, it began to move, circling the field, drawing closer and closer to its prey.

As the creature closed in on the men, one of them made a quick decision and bolted into the forest, leaving the rest of his team to fend for themselves.

Michael, realized that silver bullets were useless against it. He knew they had to get away and fast. "RUN!" he shouted, and they all sprinted towards the forest, not bothering to shoot at the creature.

The chase was on, the creature swiftly dropping onto all fours and closing in on them with each passing moment. Anyone unlucky enough to get a glimpse of the creature was doomed to never tell the tale.

With every ounce of strength they had, they ran faster and faster, hoping to outrun the beast. It was a race for their lives, and they were determined to win. That’s what they thought.

The creature quickly caught up to them, slicing through the two last men. Michael, who had managed to jump a small stream, turned back only to see another man attempt the same leap but fail miserably, with only half of his body making it to the other side.

The first man, who had run ahead of the group, tripped and fell, injuring his foot. Despite his pleas for help, his teammates didn't notice him as they ran past him. Desperate to catch up, he struggled to his feet and began to limp, calling out Michael.

When Michael finally heard him and turned, the man was suddenly dragged into the darkness. Michael's mouth dropped as he heard the man's bloodcurdling screams. "Shit," he muttered under his breath. They were all going to die.

As the two remaining men sprinted through the forest, tree branches slapped against their faces and arms, leaving them with cuts and scratches. In the distance, Michael caught sight of their vehicle's bright yellow headlights. The sight brought a glimmer of hope.

"We're almost there," he encouraged himself, pushing harder to catch up with the man in front of him. The crunch of leaves and twigs echoed beneath their feet as they raced towards the vehicle. Michael's heart pounded in his chest. "Almost there," he muttered to himself, his eyes locked on the distant glow of the vehicle.

As he ran, scenes from his past flashed before his eyes; Memories of his father, his first day of training, and the day he killed his first werewolf played out like a movie in his mind. He thought of his beloved girlfriend, "I'm almost there," Michael muttered to himself, pushing through the exhaustion.

But just as he thought he had escaped the danger, the creature caught up to him. Its massive claw slashed through his stomach, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground. Blood gushed from his wound as he struggled to catch his breath.

The creature loomed over him, no one sees it and lives. Michael stared into its glowing eyes, feeling a sense of dread wash over him.

As the creature raised its razor-sharp claws to strike Michael's head, the sound of an engine shattered the eerie silence of the forest, causing the creature to freeze. The vehicle was pulling out of the forest and heading towards the main road. The creature left Michael to bleed out on the ground as it sprinted after the vehicle. Michael watched helplessly as the monster vanished into the darkness, grateful that one of his men was able to escape.

As the adrenaline wore off, Michael's world began to fade. He began slipping slowly into unconsciousness. “Michael! Michael!” he could hear the familiar voice calling out to him from his pocket. But Michael was too weak to respond; his wounds had drained him of all his strength to even move his arms. He listened as his father's voice grow fainter and fainter until it eventually faded away entirely, leaving him alone in the peaceful night.