Chapter 166: Werewolf in the woods
Jennifer nodded. "Yes, exactly. There were claw marks on the floor, and the scene was drenched in blood. The professors are currently investigating the matter."
"It might be some animal from the forest."
Jennifer nodded, her expression grave. "That's what the authorities suspect. They're currently investigating the scene and trying to determine what kind of creature could have caused such damage." Pierre's mind raced with questions as he struggled to comprehend the gruesome scene that had unfolded at their school.
Jaegar gently placed his hand on Pierre's shoulder, causing the poor guy to jump in surprise. "Man! Why'd you have to sneak up on me like that?" Pierre exclaimed, looking a little shaken.
With an innocent grin, Jaegar responded, "What? I was just trying to offer some comfort."
Pierre sighed in response, and Jennifer chimed in, teasingly, "I had no idea you were such a scaredy cat, Pierre."
Ellamaria's image flashed through Jaegar's mind, but he had no way of knowing where she was after their encounter the previous night.
As the students settled in for the assembly, the headmaster addressed them, warning of the need for caution and assuring them that the cause of the student's death and the identity of the perpetrator would soon be revealed.
The atmosphere in the hall was laden with uncertainty as the specter of an ominous threat loomed over the academy.
As the day unfolded at the academy, an air of unease lingered among the students. The news of the student's death had cast a dark shadow over the once-hallowed halls of the school.
Whispers and speculations darted through the corridors like shadows, mingling with the hushed tones of concerned conversations.
After the final class bell rang, Jaegar embarked on a solo quest, determined to uncover more about the gruesome incident. With each echoing step, he journeyed towards the scene of the mysterious attack, the place where the student had met his unfortunate end.
The corridor revealed itself in a state of disarray. Claw marks etched deeply into the walls and floors, remnants of a ferocious struggle, were unmistakable. The sinister signs painted a vivid picture of the terror that had befallen the student.
Jaegar observed the marks closely, and his thoughts gravitated towards Ellamaria, the enigmatic young woman he had encountered in the woods. Her primal nature, now evident in his mind, made her a potential suspect in the gruesome attack. The similarities between the claw marks and Ellamaria's claws nagged at him like a persistent riddle, but he knew better than to jump to conclusions.
Her wolf form was huge, and considering the corridors, she would have wreaked more damage than it was now.
The day turned into evening, and Jaegar returned to his room, the weight of the academy's secrets heavy on his mind. Despite the curiosity and desire to seek out Ellamaria, he hesitated, doubting whether the woods held any answers. He chose to place his trust in the academy's faculty and the investigation they were conducting.
Realizing that he was thinking too much, he lay down in bed, gazing at the ceiling as his own thoughts started filling his mind.
*
The following day dawned, casting its silvery light upon the imposing corridors of Cledwarys Academy.
A sense of dread hung heavy in the air as Jaegar found himself standing there, gazing down at the lifeless body of yet another student. He hadn't anticipated such a grim occurrence, especially so soon after the previous day's tragedy.
And what puzzled him even more was the meticulous precision with which the unknown assailant seemed to be claiming their victims, one by one.
Jaegar crouched down, his eyes fixed upon the gruesome wounds that marred the young student's body. This time, the brutality was beyond belief, the abdomen was nearly severed. The lifeless figure lay there, shrouded in the deep navy and silver robes that identified them as a Lionallores. The once vibrant face of youth was now frozen in an expression of unbridled fear and despair.
As the shocking scene unfolded, students began to gather around, their whispers and gasps filling the corridor.
Professors, alerted by the commotion, hurried to the scene, urging the students to step back. Among the onlookers, Headmaster Ashfield himself, Professors Heath, Isadora, Jeanine, and others stood in grim silence, their brows furrowed with deep concern.
Jaegar, along with his friends Pierre and Jennifer, moved away from the macabre spectacle.
Pierre couldn't help but voice their shared sentiment, "Fuck... This is becoming too terrifying."
Jennifer chimed in, her voice tinged with unease, "It's definitely the work of an animal, and I think it might be a wolf."
Jaegar furrowed his brow, puzzled by her conclusion. "Why do you think that?" he asked.
Jennifer explained, her voice quivering slightly, "Last night, I heard a wolf howl. It was close, Jaegar, as if it were right here, near the academy."
Jaegar's suspicions were confirmed, but he was at a loss for what to do next. He could venture into the woods to investigate, but the prospects of finding the culprit were dim.
The pressing question gnawed at him: why was this malevolent force preying upon the students of Cledwarys Academy?
The answer remained elusive, shrouded in the ever-deepening shadows that clung to the ancient school of magic.
Jennifer's words hung heavily in the air as they contemplated the dire situation. "It seems like the professors have decided to take the night to guard themselves and investigate.
Things are spiralling out of proportion," she murmured, her voice heavy with worry.
Pierre added, "This year has gotten off to a terribly disturbing start. We've only just begun the school year, and already, our world has been shaken to its core."
Jaegar, deep in thought, stared ahead, lost in contemplation.
Classes had been dismissed for the day, and the once-bustling corridors were now empty as students had retreated to their dormitories, urged to remain there for their safety.
Fear gripped the hearts of those within the academy's ancient stone walls, rendering them motionless, trapped in the chilling uncertainty of the unknown.
Outside, the professors took it upon themselves to guard the institution, patrolling the darkened corridors, their wands at the ready, and starting their vigilant watch around dawn.
The night stretched on, casting a shroud of unease over Cledwarys Academy.
Jaegar remained rooted by the window of his dormitory, his eyes fixed on the lit corridors below.
The professors, their silhouettes barely discernible in the dim glow, patrolled with a heightened sense of caution.
Shadows seemed to take on a life of their own, dancing to the macabre tune of uncertainty while the air hung heavy with tension, stifling the very essence of the ancient school.
Then, in the heart of the stillness, a mournful howl echoed through the hallowed halls, as if it sought to permeate the very stone and mortar of the academy itself. It was a sound too ethereal for the professors to catch, too distant to be within their grasp, but Jaegar's keen ears did not falter.
The eerie wail reverberated through his being, a haunting chorus that left his skin prickling with apprehension.
The mournful howl subsided, and as minutes stretched into an agonizing eternity, Jaegar's gaze locked onto the distant hill that rose behind the academy. Those woods, cloaked in mystery, concealed their own grim secrets.
It was there, atop that elevated ground, that his eyes fixed upon something that sent a shiver down his spine—a pair of crimson, incandescent eyes. Those fiery orbs gleamed with an unnatural malevolence, radiating bloodlust that seared into Jaegar's very soul.
As he stood there by the window, frozen in astonishment and realization, it felt as though those eyes were not just surveying the academy but had honed in on him specifically.
Wasting not a moment, Jaegar hurled himself out of the window and landed nimbly upon the rooftop of the academy's towering corridors. There, beneath the moonlight, he cast a swift glance to reaffirm the location of the malevolent red eyes he had seen earlier. In an instant, he shot through the night with a determined streak of energy, heading towards the ominous woods that crowned the distant hill.
Arriving within the woodland's dark embrace, Jaegar found the crimson-eyed creature conspicuously absent. The air was heavy with the pungent stench of fresh blood, and the atmosphere seemed to thicken with an eerie pressure. Jaegar remained vigilant, darting his gaze from side to side, every sense heightened to its utmost.
Returning to the spot where he'd first glimpsed those haunting eyes, he looked back towards the academy, his frown deepening. It was then that he sensed movement in the shadows.
The mysterious animal, whose fiery gaze was no longer a distant memory, was now closing the gap between them. It came out of nowhere and suddenly jumped towards Jaegar.
Jaegar acted swiftly, seizing the beast's powerful forelimbs with his own, preventing its razor-sharp claws from rending him apart. He was met with the fierce growl of a werewolf, its ebony fur bristling, its fangs bared, and those crimson eyes burrowing into his soul.
Holding the creature at bay with his hands, Jaegar was met with a powerful kick to his abdomen that sent him reeling backward, momentarily losing his grip. The werewolf landed on all fours, snarling, its feral instincts fully awakened.
"Woo! That was close," Jaegar muttered as he regained his footing. The impact from the kick had been brutal, the force of it sending shockwaves through his frame.
His hands began to crackle with electric energy, a dangerous and arcane power he had inherited. With a determined expression, he muttered to himself, "Let's get started." The battle was joined, and within the heart of the dark woods, the clash between Jaegar and the werewolf echoed through the trees.