Chapter 44 A monster in daylight.

Chapter 44: Chapter 44 A monster in daylight.

Back in the classroom, at the very back far from where they usually sat, Damian was breathing so hard that his entire body had begun heating up.

His breathing came in ragged gasps, each one more painful than the last.

"Marcus..." His voice trembled. "I’m scared."

He clutched his chest tightly as if trying to stop something from bursting out.

"I need Ashton. His scent can calm me down. Please... find him. I don’t want to kill people."

His entire body shook violently.

Marcus glanced around the classroom.

Several students had stopped whatever they were doing and were openly staring at them, whispering among themselves.

"What are you two staring at? Get out of here!"

His voice thundered through the classroom.

The two boys standing nearby immediately hurried away without saying another word.

Marcus was usually one of the calmest members among the Moonlight Alphas, second only to Killian.

Seeing him lose his temper like this made everyone understand that something was terribly wrong.

"Shit..."

He ran a hand through his hair in frustration.

"I can’t just leave you here. What if something happens while I’m gone?"

He didn’t even know where Noah was.

The idiot had disappeared with his friends, and searching for him would mean leaving Damian completely alone.

That was something Marcus didn’t dare risk.

Damian let out a bitter laugh.

"Maybe... maybe we shouldn’t have kept this secret."

His lips trembled.

"Everyone will know now."

His eyes slowly filled with tears.

"Marcus... I’m dead."

Marcus immediately shook his head.

"Don’t say that."

He grabbed Damian by the shoulders.

"Remember who you are."

"Dude, you’re Damian Whitmore."

"So stop talking like you’ve already lost."

He forced out a smile despite the panic eating at him.

"Let’s get you some suppressant drugs. Maybe they’ll buy us enough time."

Damian slowly shook his head.

"They’re useless."

His pupils had completely dilated.

His face had turned frighteningly pale.

Even his silver hair seemed duller than usual, while the brilliant blue eyes everyone admired had almost completely lost their sparkle.

"Nothing slows the curse."

His voice sounded defeated.

"I shouldn’t have come to this school."

Marcus frowned.

Damian continued.

"The curse never appeared my entire life."

"It only started after I came here."

"That night..."

"The first full moon."

"That was when it awakened."

"I don’t know why."

"I don’t know what triggered it."

"But ever since then..."

"The entire school has been hunting the monster."

"And they don’t even know..."

A painful smile formed on his lips.

"...they’re looking for me."

Marcus remained silent for several seconds.

Something had been bothering him ever since the previous night’s incident.

"I have a question."

Damian looked at him through half-lidded eyes.

"What?"

Marcus hesitated.

"Was that really the first time you transformed?"

Damian narrowed his eyes despite the pain.

"Why are you asking?"

His voice became colder.

"Are you doubting me?"

Marcus quickly shook his head.

"No."

"Not like that."

He lowered his voice.

"Think about it."

"We’ve all heard the rumors."

"There are creatures that hunt around the academy every midnight."

"Students aren’t allowed outside after dark."

"Especially near the restricted grounds."

"The cemetery."

"The forest."

"They warn everyone to stay away."

Damian remembered.

The restricted section lay beside the ancient cemetery.

Opposite it stretched an enormous field that eventually disappeared into a forest so thick that sunlight barely reached the ground.

No student willingly stepped into that place.

Stories claimed countless people had vanished inside.

Others claimed monsters lived there.

Whatever the truth was...

Everyone feared it.

Damian slowly shook his head.

"I don’t think that’s my problem."

"This academy is filled with secrets."

"That’s nothing new."

His breathing became uneven again.

"My problem is different."

"If nobody stops me..."

"I’ll kill innocent students."

His voice cracked.

"I already have enough blood on my hands."

"I can’t..."

"I can’t live with even more."

He grabbed Marcus’s arm desperately.

"Please."

"Find Ashton."

"He’s my only hope."

Tears finally rolled down his cheeks.

Marcus froze.

Never.

Not once in all the years they had known each other...

Had he ever seen Damian cry.

He stood there speechless.

"But—"

Damian interrupted him.

"Go."

"If you stay here..."

"And I lose control..."

"I’ll never forgive myself."

Marcus clenched his fists.

After a long moment...

He nodded.

Without another word he sprinted out of the classroom.

Students instinctively moved aside as he rushed past them.

The moment Marcus disappeared...

Every curious gaze in the classroom landed on Damian.

Feeling their eyes burning into him...

Damian slowly lowered his head onto the desk.

"...Fuck."

His entire body burned.

"Ashton..."

"Please..."

"Where are you?"

If only he had known this would happen today...

He would never have let Ashton leave his side.

But class had started.

Too many people had been watching them.

Neither of them could have predicted the curse would strike now.

Hidden beneath the desk...

Damian bit his arm to stop himself from screaming.

Pain exploded through every part of his body.

His bones felt as though they were cracking apart from the inside.

Just then...

A pair of polished black boots stopped in front of him.

A fresh lemon scent drifted into his nose.

It was strangely calming.

"Are you okay?"

The voice was soft.

Gentle.

Almost lazy.

As if the owner didn’t really feel like speaking but couldn’t ignore what he was seeing.

Damian froze.

He didn’t need to look up.

He recognized that voice immediately.

He had heard it only moments ago in class.

Slowly...

He raised his head.

The students surrounding him gasped.

"Damian!"

Emily rushed over first.

"What the hell happened to you?"

"You look terrible."

Behind her stood the two boys who had remained with her ever since Sylvia left the group.

"Dude."

One of them crouched beside him.

"Talk to us."

"What’s wrong?"

Their voices only made Damian’s emotions spiral further out of control.

Abigail quickly pushed through them.

Without hesitation she placed a hand against Damian’s forehead.

Her expression instantly changed.

"Oh shit!"

She jerked her hand back.

"He’s burning up!"

"We have to take him to the medical facility now!"

The others immediately nodded.

But Damian violently shook his head.

"No."

He staggered onto his feet.

"I’m not going."

His breathing became rougher.

"None of you are taking me anywhere."

"I won’t go!"

His roar echoed through the classroom.

With a single swing...

He grabbed one of the classroom chairs that had been bolted firmly to the floor.

The metal supports snapped apart as though they were made of paper.

The chair flew across the room before smashing against the wall.

Silence.

Absolute silence filled the classroom.

Emily stared with her mouth hanging open.

"...How?"

"How did he even do that?"

No one answered.

Damian held his head.

Everything around him had begun spinning.

Colours blurred together.

Voices echoed strangely inside his ears.

His vision doubled.

No.

Tripled.

"...I’m leaving."

Ignoring everyone’s frightened expressions...

He stumbled out of the classroom.

Each step felt heavier than the last.

"Please..."

"Ashton..."

"Come save me."

Far away...

Marcus was sprinting through the academy corridors.

"Where are they?"

His breathing became increasingly uneven.

He knew one thing.

If he found Rose or Lamia...

He would find Ashton.

As though luck had finally remembered him...

He spotted both of them walking out from the direction of the library.

The moment they noticed each other...

Marcus and Lamia spoke at exactly the same time.

"Where’s Ashton?"

All three of them froze.

Marcus felt his stomach drop.

Everything was going horribly wrong.

"Wait."

Rose frowned.

"You’re not with Ashton?"

Marcus slowly shook his head.

His thoughts were in complete chaos.

Rose immediately sensed something wasn’t right.

"Marcus..."

"Is everything okay?"

"Why are you looking for Ashton?"

Marcus opened his mouth.

Then closed it again.

He couldn’t tell them.

Not yet.

Not without Damian’s permission.

"...I’m sorry."

Before either of them could stop him...

He turned and ran.

His next destination was Noah’s dormitory.

Maybe...

Just maybe...

Ashton would be there.

Rose and Lamia exchanged worried glances before immediately chasing after him.

Then—

A terrifying howl echoed across the academy.

The sound froze every student where they stood.

Lamia slowly looked toward the school grounds.

"...Wasn’t that..."

"The monster?"

Rose’s face turned deathly pale.

"No."

She whispered.

"No..."

"Where’s Ashton?"

"I’ve got a really bad feeling."

All three of them broke into a run.

When they reached the school grounds...

A large crowd had already gathered.

Students stood several meters away in complete panic.

Right in the middle...

Damian lay on the ground screaming.

Marcus was kneeling beside him.

Trying desperately to pull him up.

But Damian refused to move.

"Help him!"

Rose shouted.

"What are you all standing there for?"

One trembling student pointed toward Damian.

"We can’t..."

"Look."

Rose lowered her eyes.

Her breathing stopped.

Damian’s right hand...

No longer looked human.

The fingers had stretched into enormous black claws that dug deep into the concrete beneath him.

Cracks spread across the ground.

Marcus still refused to back away.

He grabbed Damian’s shoulders again.

"Come on!"

"You have to fight it!"

Nothing happened.

Another deep growl erupted from Damian’s throat.

Someone from the crowd suddenly shouted.

"Get away from him!"

"He’s the monster!"

"He’ll kill you!"

"We have to end him before he kills anyone else!"

Marcus whipped around furiously.

"Listen to yourselves!"

"I am not leaving him!"

"Never!"

The next second...

A deafening roar exploded from Damian’s body.

Everyone instinctively stepped backwards.

Then...

Right before hundreds of horrified students...

The transformation finally began.

Bones snapped one after another.

His spine twisted violently.

His muscles expanded beneath tearing skin.

His screams became so agonizing that several students covered their ears.

Some couldn’t bear to watch.

Others stood frozen in terror.

And just as the last shred of Damian’s consciousness struggled to remain...

He screamed one name with every bit of strength he had left.

"ASHTON!"