CHAPTER NINE

As Noah started his journey back home, a vague sense of unease began to settle within him. Unbeknownst to him, he had lost track of time and it was now too late for him to make it to school.

It's not like he even had plans of going anyways but he kind of felt bad since he wasn't the type to miss classes but he soothed his thoughts, telling himself that this was far more important than school.

Walking along the familiar path, his thoughts were anything but ordinary.

His mind was completely consumed by the fantastical discussion he had with Aries, the whole thing about him having Lycan abilities still didn't sit well with him.

Though it felt as if a veil had been lifted, revealing a world of incredible possibilities. Memories flooded Noah's mind, replaying Aries extraordinary strength, speed and heightened senses.

As he reasoned with himself, Noah skeptically questioned the validity of all these . Though he he had already witness this all but the rational part of his mind demanded more explanations, seeking a plausible reason for such extraordinary abilities.

Yet, a part of him couldn't help but be drawn to the allure of this potential reality. He thought about the movies about werewolves and how cool it would be if he could access those powers to impress everyone in his school.

As he continued his solitary walk, Noah's mind formed a vivid image of himself, challenging the boundaries of humanity and embracing the untamed power of a lycan.

He would instantly become popular, the thought of it alone made Noah almost want the powers to come out here and now. But, he still had no idea how any of it worked.

He imagined himself running freely through moonlit forests, his senses heightened to a formidable degree, and the immense strength coursing through his veins. The mundane reality of everyday life seemed to pale in comparison to the thrill of this newfound existence.

However, as Noah's's wild imagination soared to new heights, a sense of caution crept into his thoughts. He began to question the consequences of such abilities and their impact on his relationship with friends, family, and society at large.

He remembered vividly the words Aries said about not dragging ordinary people into this. He badly wanted to let his best friend know but realized that this newfound knowledge came at a price, one that would change the trajectory of his life forever.

Finally, as Noah reached his home, a mix of apprehension and excitement settled in his heart.

He had concluded to himself that he would try to bring his powers out when he got home.

He knew his mom would be at work and his sister would also be in school so the house would be all his for the whole day.

The world he thought he knew had been shaken, and whether he would embrace the wild unknown or shy away from its mysteries remained to be seen. He contemplated the balance between embracing the extraordinary and maintaining a connection to the world he knew.

Gosh , this is such a drag..... Why was he even thinking about this too much. He had a task to do and that was to put this lycan powers to a test.

With a mix of excitement and trepidation, Noah hurried to his room to delve into the mysteries surrounding his newfound powers.

He scoured the internet, checking every website to get clues . He finally stumbled upon a strange website filled with information of supernatural creatures. It was a race against time to uncover the secrets to unlocking it . The void being could attack anytime and anywhere and the last thing he wanted was to be caught unaware.

Intrigued by the display of Aries healing abilities earlier which still baffled him.

Noah devised a test to ascertain the extent of his healing powers.

He had healed from injuries before but that was when he passed out, he had know idea how it felt .

He ran to the kitchen, almost tripping on his way coming down the stairs. He opened the bottom drawer and pulled out a knife.

With a trembling hand, he clasped a knife tightly and wanted to make a small incision on his palm, expecting the wound to stitch itself back together miraculously, but his hands was shaking so much that he ended up cutting himself more than he had expected to.

However, to his dismay, the cut lingered, refusing to heal like Aries did.

Disappointment washed over him, realizing that his powers didn't manifest in the way he had hoped and he had just inflicted him self with a painful cut for no reason.

Undeterred, Noah decided to try a different approach.

Inspired by tales of lycans leaping great distances, he climbed up to the highest point in his backyard, hoping that in a moment of sheer willpower, he would be able to leap over a considerable distance. He inhaled deeply, gathering his courage, and propelled his body forward, expecting to land gracefully far away from his starting point.

However, much to his dismay, gravity remained unyielding, and he found himself falling short, landing with an anticlimactic thud.

It hurt so bad that he had to give himself a little break before he would carry on.

With each failed attempt, Noah's hope of unlocking his lycan powers slowly dwindled.

He had envisioned himself as a formidable force, capable of performing astounding feats beyond the realm of mortal men.

But reality hit him hard, shattering his expectations and bringing the harsh truth to the forefront - his powers were not manifesting in the ways he had imagined.

Maybe it was going to take longer time than he had imagined.

Nonetheless, Noah refused to succumb to despair.

Although his tests had thus far yielded no favorable results, he realized that perhaps his lycan powers were not as straightforward as he had initially believed. Maybe, instead of honing his powers through forceful tests, it was imperative to embrace patience, self-discovery, and acceptance.

The sparks of his abilities might be hiding within, waiting for the right moment to kindle.

The thought of how stupid he looked testing out his powers and failing miserably made him burst out laughing.

There is always another day , he sighed as he went up stairs to bandage his bleeding hand.

He slumped down to his bed , and almost instantly fell into a deep sleep. He was more exhausted.

As the evening sun began to set, casting a warm golden glow through the windows.Rubbing his eyes and feeling disoriented, he couldn't believe that he had even fallen asleep in the first place. How could he have possibly dozed off without even realizing it? He looked at his bandaged hand but he hadn't healed yet. What's going on? This wasn't how it was supposed to be , even if heal couldn't heal instantly but he should at least healed after falling asleep. That should have been enough time .

Attempting to gather his thoughts, he slowly made his way downstairs, his footsteps barely making a sound on the wooden staircase.

As he descended, the tantalizing smell of food wafted through the air, causing his stomach to rumble with hunger.

His mother was in the kitchen, bustling around with pots and pans, concocting a delicious dinner.

"Hey mom, how was work today?".

"It was fine, thanks for asking Noah"

Feeling parched, he proceeded to the refrigerator, his hand hesitantly reaching for a bottle of water.

As he poured a glass and took a refreshing sip, he couldn't help but glance at his mother out of the corner of his eye.

She seemed preoccupied with her culinary endeavors, lost in her own little world of flavors and ingredients.

"Good, she hasn't said anything about me skipping school".

Just as he was about to quietly slip away, his mother called out to him in a tone that conveyed both concern and confusion.

"Where were you today?".

He gulped , slowly turning around with an akward smile. "What do you mean mom"?.

"Why weren't you in school today?".

Gosh, how did his plan slip? Did Ceaser not cover up for him? "You had one job Ceaser, one! "

"I got a call from your school and your teacher told me to tell you to get better soon. I was confused and asked what he meant, and he told me that you were sick, that's why you couldn't come to school ".

Dammit, he didn't think this through. Of course a teacher was going to call to ask about his well being.

She looked at Noah with a worried face making his heart skip a beat as he found himself momentarily speechless

His silence only heightened his mother's concern, causing her brows to furrow and her eyes to search his face for answers.

Glancing down, she saw his hand was bandaged which he tried to hide.

Worried lines etched themselves onto her forehead as she waited anxiously for her son's reply.

"Did you get in a fight with anyone? Why is your hand bandaged?".

His mind raced, trying to come up with a plausible explanation for his absence and his wrapped up injured hand but he couldn't find the right words to appease her growing unease.

In that moment, as the weight of his secret pressed upon him, he realized the impact of his actions.

This was unfair to his mom but he was doing this for her own good.

A deep sense of guilt washed over him, knowing that his mother's worry was a consequence of his own actions. He wished he could find the courage to open up and share the truth, to ease her troubled mind.

But those words of Aries ,about not involving normal people into all this echoed in his head making talking about it to his mom even harder.

He didn't want her to get killed because of his actions.

So for now, he decided to remain silent, lost in a whirlwind of his own thoughts. As his mother continued to stare at him, her worry etched onto her face, he could see that her love transcended words.

"Yesterday you were silent during dinner and when I tried to know why , you didn't give me an answer, now you skip school today and hurt your hand. Noah please talk to me, I am your mother".

And in that quiet moment, Noah knew she would always be there for him, despite his flaws and mistakes.

"Mom....." He started , slowly. "A lot of things are going on right now and I wish I could tell you , I really do, but I can't " .

He looked at her with unwavering determination"But I promise you I will, once I resolve this myself, so please don't worry too much about me mom. I'll be fine".

"Do you promise?". Wiping her eyes with her arm. She didn't want her son to see her crying.

She was going to trust him. He nodded to her question.

With a heavy heart, he turned away from his mother, feeling her eyes lingering on him as he left the kitchen.

Despite the lingering sadness, he carried with him the determination to rectify his actions and put an end to this.

To be continued