Chapter 9: Homecoming

“So, did I kill that monster after defeating it? I never saw its body after waking up.”

“You didn’t. It disappeared. It’s still out there.”       

It was still deep into the night. 

They were almost there. They were on the path that led to their home—to their village. They could smell it thanks to their new abilities that they had yet to understand.

“We’re almost there!” Michael communicated to Maleva as the two of them were both running in the forest. 

“I know!” Since she was running much faster than he was, she had to slow down for him at times. It didn’t help that Maleva was much taller than Michael was. His legs simply couldn’t keep up with hers, but at the same time, the young man did  go through a lot. This complete transformation into a werewolf had taken a serious toll on him (understandably so) and he was recovering from it.   

“We can make it!” Maleva attempted to cheer him up a bit.

“Oh, boy! I cannot wait to eat some warm stew from the inn! I’m so hungry!” Michael was jumping up and down with joy as he ran, following his busty childhood friend. 

“Same!” 

The two of them kept running until reality finally set in a bit.

Once again, it was quite important to remember that the monstrous beast, which had been after them from the beginning, was still out there… 

As Michael and Maleva could both already smell some fresh stew being cooked, they suddenly heard a terrifying voice in the darkness… 

“You truly thought that I was going to let you two get away like that?” It was the same dark and cold voice as the one of the shadow werewolf from earlier. 

Michael and Maleva abruptly came to a brutal stop in the woods. 

“You heard that?” The red-and-green-haired huntress asked Michael.

“Of course, I did.” 

“You’d really imagine that I would let one Moonlit Sin slip through my fingers?” The dark voice confronted them again. Yet, they couldn’t see the wolf anywhere. They kept looking everywhere they could as they were both back-to-back, but they could never locate it. 

Oh no… Maleva thought to herself.               

“Moonlit Sin? What does it mean by that?” 

“I really have no idea…” Maleva looked away, blushing. Obviously lying. 

“Don’t tell me you’re still attempting to ignore that you are one of the Seven Deadly Moonlit Sins, sweet Maleva?” The dark voice tormented her. 

“What? The Moonlit Sins? Just like the cursed people from the old legend?” Michael questioned Maleva. 

“...” Maleva still wouldn’t talk much. 

“Do you mean that you never told your hunting partner about who you truly are?” The voice was always there, painfully whispering to the both of them. 

“...” Maleva’s head was down. She came across as shocked. 

“You know what? It doesn’t matter for now. We don’t have to stand here and listen to this voice. Come on, Mal! We’re going home!” Michael swiftly grabbed her by the hand and took her with him. They ran together in the direction of their village. They were almost there. They could smell how close it was. It was less than a kilometer away now for sure. 

“Where do you think you’re bringing my Moonlit Sin?” The dark and lustful voice asked him as he took her with him. 

Michael and Maleva ran and ran as fast as they could until they couldn’t anymore… Until they hit a wall! 

“Ouch!” Michael was the only one who got hurt as he hit a semi-transparent barrier in the woods. They were stuck. They could no longer move forward anymore. 

“What’s that?” Michael asked.

“It’s some kind of barrier…” Maleva investigated.

Then, before they knew it, a presence was felt behind them. It was the creature behind the dark voice.

They turned around and saw the same shadow werewolf as before but slightly different… 

The werewolf came out from a wall of moldy trees and roots. The werewolf came across as if he was one with nature and his fur made of leaves almost. 

The werewolf slowly and silently preyed upon them as it moved closer and closer… 

“I’ve waited so long to finally get my hands on a Moonlit Sin…” The beast was coming for them. 

“Mal. Do you know anything about what they're talking about?” Michael asked her.   

“Michael. I may not have been entirely honest with you,” she admitted to him.

“What do you mean?”

“Don’t you get it? She was never human to begin with!” 

“That’s true, Michael… I was born a Moonlit Sin…” She continued admitting to him.

“But I thought Moonlit Sins were a story that parents told their children before bed so they didn’t venture too far in the woods at night?”

“That’s also true, but the point is that people born with a Moonlit Sin inside of them are demons. I am a demon. Look. You didn’t turn me into a werewolf when you attacked me the other day—I was already one.” 

“What are you talking about?” Michael couldn’t believe what he just heard at first. 

“It’s the truth…” She mentioned.

“She’s finally honest for once in her life. How cute?” The shadowy werewolf covered in leaves pointed out.

“So, you've been a wolf since when, Mal?” Michael had to know. 

“Since… Forever…” She explained. 

“Since birth?”

Maleva nodded. Not smiling at all. 

“But since I’ve recently become a beast as well, does this mean that I am like you? I am a Moonlit Sin too?” The young man’s mind was filled with all sorts of important questions. 

“Oh? You believe you’re like her? Forget about it, hunter-wannabe! She’s the real deal! She's pure blood! You're just a prey that was in my way and was bit by one of my wolves and you’re cursed because of it! The curse that has been bestowed upon you is more like a real sickness than a gift! You’re trash! You’re worthless! Just like a bastard! And I am going to kill you first before taking the Moonlit Sin for myself!” The vile night beast explained to the young man right before it began crawling their way. Processing and planning the next attack. 

“No!” 

Michael suddenly ran around Maleva and placed himself right in front of her. Standing there with his arms wide open. 

“Michael?” Maleva didn’t want him to get hurt by trying to protect her in any way, shape, or form.

“What do you think you’re doing?” The werewolf roared at him.

“I am not going to let you hurt her! You’re not leaving with her either!” 

“Michael. You can’t do this. Hide somewhere and let it take me.”

“Never…” Michael was adamant about protecting her.   

“You’re making a mistake, Michael.”

“That wouldn’t be the first time that I do something, you tell me not to do it and that it turns out that you were right all along. Me hunting with you was one big mistake already, but I couldn’t care less. I don’t care if there’s no way to defeat this monster. I just want to protect you with my life.”

“Michael…” Maleva blushed. She had no idea what to say.

Meanwhile, the werewolf covered in leaves walked and then ran on two feet. Rushing toward them. Ready to strike them down. 

“Your life is over, kid!” The beast coldly declared to him.

It was now and then that Michael remembered that he still had his weapon on him: His pistol. 

That’s right! I still have two bullets left! 

He pulled his gun out. He looked into the barrel. Right. Exactly as he remembered it to be the case: Two bullets left in there.  

“I will end you,” the werewolf menaced him. 

“Oh yeah?” 

He quickly aimed at the beast.

His vision was still painfully blurry. 

He still aimed and took his shot. 

Bang! 

Missed him…

The bullet went to his right between the trees.   

“Michael?” Maleva was startled by the shot at first. 

“You’re weak,” the werewolf analyzed him as he moved closer toward them.  

One more bullet… Here goes nothing…

Michael aimed and took his shot at the beast again.     

Bang! 

He missed him again.

The bullet nearly touched him this time. It went right above his head.   

His vision was even blurrier than before. 

No… He thought to himself.   

“Michael! We must get away!” Maleva was the voice of wisdom right about now. 

“Too late…” The werewolf confirmed as it moved even closer and stole his weapon off of his hand and broke it by squeezing it in the palm of its hand! 

The pistol fell into a million pieces everywhere on the ground. Scattered around.  

“Michael. There might be one way to defeat it,” Maleva thought of this at the last second.

“There is?”