A Glimpse of the Other
The shaking stopped, but the low noise still went through the ground.
Liam stood still too, his eyes wide.
Was he scared or excited? Hard to tell in the dim moonlight.
I looked away from him at some moss on a frozen tree.
It usually glows green under the moon.
Now it flickered like it was dying.
I touched it. It felt cold and hard.
Not alive.
I need to be strong. The cold tree felt rough.
My arms still hurt from before.
The air felt strange. The quiet was gone, replaced by a low hum.
It wasn't the sound of bugs or wind. It was something else.
"What's happening?" I whispered to Liam.
He didn't answer. He looked at the stream where the frozen water moved before.
Now it was still again, but his eyes looked like he was waiting for something.
Something's coming. My heart beat faster.
The forest felt like it was holding its breath again.
I looked back at the moss. Mom said it had a bit of the spirit world in it.
Now it just felt cold.
Then I heard a noise in the frozen plants.
A sharp, breaking sound.
But it had a beat, like something moving fast.
I held my knife tighter.
That wasn't a normal animal sound.
It was too strong.
That's not right. I listened carefully.
The hum in the air got louder.
"Did you hear that?" I whispered to Liam.
He finally turned, his eyes shining in the moonlight.
"Yes. It's starting." He sounded excited, which made me feel uneasy.
"Starting what?" I asked, scared.
He didn't answer.
He looked at the edge of the open space where the noise was getting louder.
The frozen branches started to shake hard.
Whatever was moving was strong.
Too strong for a normal animal.
What's in the shadows? I held my knife tight.
I wanted to fight or run.
Then a low growl went through the still trees.
It was deep and rough, not like any animal I knew in the forest.
It was something old.
Fear hit me hard. This was why everything was still.
Something strong and dangerous was here.
The plants broke apart, and a person stumbled into the moonlight.
It was Liam.
But he looked different.
His body looked bigger, his arms and legs longer and twisted.
His clothes were ripped.
His face was longer, his jaw stuck out.
His teeth looked longer and sharp.
His hands… they weren't hands anymore.
They were paws with sharp claws that scratched the frozen ground.
I made a scary noise.
This wasn't just a change. It was turning into something else. Something scary.
Liam… what's happening? I couldn't believe it.
Mama's stories about creatures that change shape… could they be real?
Liam, or whatever he was, walked into the middle of the open space.
He was breathing hard, a low growl in his chest.
His eyes glowed yellow like an animal's. He looked like a monster.
He looked at me, and for a second, I saw the human Liam in his eyes.
He looked like he was in pain.
Then it was gone. Now his eyes just looked hungry.
He's looking at me like food. I felt a cold fear.
I was happy to see him before, but now I was terrified.
He took a step towards me, his claws clicking.
The growl got louder. He smelled like an animal.
"Liam?" I whispered, begging the creature that used to be him.
He didn't answer. His yellow eyes stared at me.
His lips pulled back, showing sharp teeth.
I knew the Liam I hoped for was gone.
This was something dangerous. Something else.
I have to get away. My legs felt frozen.
But I had to run.
I moved back, holding my knife out, watching the creature.
He took another step, faster, his growl louder.
The moonlight looked brighter.
The frozen forest was still waiting, again.
Liam jumped at me.
I screamed.
Just as his claws reached me, a bright silver light came from the Lumina Bloom.
The creature that was Liam hissed and closed his eyes.
The light flashed again.
And in that light, I saw something behind Liam.
A dark, wolf-like shape with the same yellow eyes.
Then the light went away. Liam was gone.
But the growl was closer.
I realized I didn't just see Liam change.
I saw something else using him.
Liam disappeared in a flash, but the growl was closer.
What was that dark shape? Am I really awake, or in a worse dream? The forest is moving again, and something is hunting