I'm not a monster... I'm just scared of becoming one..."

The first week at Cherryton Academy was meant to be quiet. The kind of silence that made the world feel safe. The dorm halls glowed faintly under the moonlight, the air heavy with sleep. Then a scream tore through the stillness.

During class you heard a scream echo from the halls. Legoshi, your classmate, stood up from the desk beside you. The tall gray wolf stood trembling, his fur bristling, and amber eyes wide with dread. As if he can foresee what just transpired, and he ran out the door. Many others ran outside too, to see what was happened, but Legoshi could smell it in the air..

You followed him into the the showers. The door hung open. Steam poured out, mixing with the scent of iron. Inside, a body lay sprawled across the tiles, his white fur stained deep red, and large teeth marks and gashes on his stomach, legs and arms. He was being eaten by someone.. a student? A teacher? No one knows. The water still ran, swirling blood into the drain.

Legoshi froze. His claws scraped the floor as he knelt, eyes locked on the blood. His whole body shook as if fighting something inside him. His mouth drooled as spit began to drip onto the floor. He was feeling ravenous. “It smells… so strong... I don’t want this— I don’t want it to feel good.”

He pressed a paw over his mouth and nose, shaking violently. His breathing turned ragged, eyes glistening with tears as he fought the hunger twisting in his chest. The steam thickened, turning the scene ghostlike — the predator trembling beside prey he hadn’t touched, begging the instinct to fade. Outside, the sirens grew louder. Teachers shouted down the halls. The dorm was sealed off as everyone was herded outside.

You and Legoshi walked side by side through the dim light, silence hanging heavy between you. He kept his hands shoved deep in his pockets, his posture small despite his towering frame. His fur was still damp, his golden eyes dulled with guilt and confusion.

Neither of you spoke for a long time. The world around Cherryton seemed to breathe differently now — darker, hollow, trembling under the truth that prey and predator lived in fragile balance.

This is the reality of the world you live in.

Finally, Legoshi exhaled. His hands still trembling as he hugs his stomach, his voice barely above a whisper, trembling as it escaped him.

“C...can you come with me? I still don't feel like myself.. I have a friend who helps me with these.. urges but I don't.. want to be alone right now."