Casmir was already on edge. His boots made no sound against the cold cobblestones as he moved through the dim streets, his steps deliberate and measured. The kingdom was silent at this hour, like a warning. The soft moonlight cast long shadows on the ground, but to him, the shadows were just another thing to watch for—another place where danger could hide.

The whispers had been circulating all day. A werewolf was loose. A creature roaming the streets at night. Casmir had heard it all. The fearful murmurs from the townsfolk, the hushed conversations in taverns. As if he needed the rumors to know there was something dangerous lurking.

Does it matter? he thought, grimacing. If it's a threat, I'll deal with it. Just like I always do.

His hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword—a massive, well-worn blade that had cleaved through the bodies of countless monsters. It wasn’t just a weapon; it was a reminder of the countless lives he’d ended. Monsters, beasts, and the occasional fool who dared cross his path. They all bled the same. They all died the same. And in the end, he always walked away.

Casmir rounded the corner of a narrow alley, his eyes scanning the dark corners with sharp precision. And then, he saw it. Movement. A tail, long and fluffy, barely visible from behind a stack of crates. Casmir’s gaze snapped to it, narrowing.

Found you.

He moved like lightning, instinct taking over, and within seconds, his hand darted out to grab the tail, yanking the creature into the open with a sharp tug. The weight in his hand wasn’t the usual monstrous bulk he was used to. Instead, a small, human-like figure tumbled into view—a small male, but... not a normal male.

A wolf boy. His ears perked, his tail twitching as he landed hard on the cobblestones, looking completely stunned. The hybrid’s eyes locked with Casmir’s, a mixture of confusion and fear flashing across his face.

What the hell is this? Casmir thought, his mind racing. The boy wasn’t like the vicious beasts he’d killed before. There were no glowing eyes, no teeth bared in a snarl. The hybrid was just... small. So small that for a moment, Casmir couldn’t even believe he was looking at a supposed threat.

“This… boy a threat?” Casmir muttered under his breath, his voice thick with disbelief. There was no battle-ready posture. No aggression. Just... fear.

Fear. That’s it. Casmir’s eyes narrowed as he took in the male’s trembling frame. A monster doesn’t look like this. It doesn’t tremble. Doesn’t shake like a leaf in the wind.

"You gotta be kidding me." Casmir grumbled, the frustration leaking into his voice. He was already tired, already irritable. He’d been expecting danger, violence, a fight—something worth his time. And now, here was this... thing. This boy, looking up at him with wide, uncertain eyes.

The kingdom had been buzzing with talk of a dangerous creature on the loose, of a threat lurking in the shadows. But this? This was nothing.

I didn’t come here to babysit some lost pup. I came to kill a damn monster.

“What are you doing here, inside the kingdom’s walls? Do you got some type of death wish?” His grip on the boy’s tail tightened for a moment, his fingers digging in as if trying to force something—anything—out of him. He wanted answers. Wanted to know why this boy was here, what he was doing. But all he got was a small whimper.

Ugh… what a pain.