CHAPTER SIXTEEN

As the weight of guilt pressed heavily upon his conscience, Noah trudged back home, his footsteps slow and burdened.

Each step reminded him of the moment he stood frozen, witnessing the untimely death of the girl.

The haunting image of her mother's tear-stained face etched itself upon his mind, intensifying the pain he already felt deep within.

Self-hatred consumed him more than ever as he questioned his own inaction.

How could he have allowed fear to paralyze him, preventing him from saving a life? The gravity of his inaction weighed heavily upon his soul, crushing it under the immense and relentless guilt that threatened to consume him whole.

When he finally arrived home, his body collapsed onto the bed, a physical manifestation of the emotional exhaustion he felt.

He laid there, unable to escape the tormenting thoughts that swirled through his mind, tormenting him with images of what he could have prevented.

Tears streamed silently down his face, each droplet a testament to the remorse and anguish that haunted him.

The tears seemed endless, a never-ending cascade that offered no relief.

Desperately, he attempted to justify his decision to not save her, to convince himself that it was the rational choice.

Maybe if he had intervened, the situation could have escalated, putting more innocent lives at risk.

Maybe if he had tried to help, he would not have been able to use his abilities; recalling his near death experience back in school.

Maybe it was the safer option to walk away, to let someone else with more experience handle it.

But deep down, he knew he could never deceive himself. He could never absolve himself of the guilt that clung to him like a poison.

The irrevocable past couldn't be altered, no matter how desperately he longed to rewrite his actions.

He couldn't turn back time or resurrect the girl who had lost her life. The bitter reality of his inaction was a constant reminder of his moral failure, a reminder that would haunt him for the rest of his existence.

In a feeble attempt to escape his memories, he closed his eyes, hoping to find solace in sleep. But even dreams offered him no respite. Nightmares danced within his subconscious, replaying the tragic events, each time with a different outcome, each time filling him with even deeper remorse.

.....

For two arduous weeks, Noah dedicated himself to a grueling and intense training regimen, honing his skills to control his latent lycan powers.

Each day, he pushed himself to the limits of endurance and beyond.

With sweat pouring down his brow and muscles aching, he relentlessly practiced the art of harnessing his abilities without succumbing to the full transformation, a feat that Aries hammered into him , the importance of it .

He learned to focus his inner strength and channel it through his body to command his lycan powers.

With countless hours of rigorous physical training, he mastered the art of seamlessly transitioning between his human and lycan forms, maximizing the efficiency of his abilities in both states.

No longer would his transformations as a result of desperation but a controlled manifestation.

There were moments when he teetered on the edge of exhaustion, his body and mind pushed to their breaking point.

In those bleak moments, he contemplated giving up, doubting his capability to endure.

However, the fear of disappointing himself held him back. He knew that surrendering to weakness would mean not only betraying himself but also risking his very existence.

So he fought through the pain, the doubt, and the unyielding fatigue, demonstrating an unwavering determination.

As the days stretched into nights, Noah's control over his lycan abilities grew stronger.

He could harness the raw power within him without losing grasp of his human conscience, enhancing his senses, speed, and strength while maintaining his rationality.

With newfound control, he could walk the fine line between his two forms, perfectly balancing both sides.

At the end of those two transformative weeks, Noah felt different.

The hours of punishing practice, the sacrifices, and the moments of despair had all been worthwhile.

It was the last day of their meeting and Noah was just rounding up, while Aries was seated on a tree branch fast asleep.

Which each passing day, his mood became better and he had more optimism when he spoke.

Noah still haven't heard from his best friend since ,or May . He was sure they had gotten home safe but still, he hadn't checked up on them.

He really needed to get a new phone. He had saved up enough money to buy a new bicycle but he contemplated maybe using it to get himself a phone rather. It was more important in terms of daily use.

"Hey Aries, I think I'll be heading home".

Aries groggily waved him away, not wanting his sleep to be interrupted .

He was more than grateful for what he did for him and he had no way to repay him.

"Aries!! Thank you for everything!".

Aries was visibly irritated but he smiled to himself.

"Don't bother to come crying back to me for help. I'm done with you"

"Yes sir, Aries sir ". Noah said out loud, with a teasing salute.

"Mind if I take you out for lunch, to at least repay you".

"You can repay me by leaving".

Noah grinned, he expected nothing less .

He turned to leave, but Aries voice jolted him, making him stop to listen. "Be careful out there. You are no longer a normal human, so you don't expect humans to treat you to same like before. Remember what I said about keeping this a secret. It's for your own good".

Noah knew that all to well but something about the way Aries said it this last time made him more cautious.

As the sun beamed down upon the lush forest, Noah made his way through the forest, his steps were slow and deliberate, as if, and with a swift shift in demeanor, he suddenly burst into a sprint.

His feet barely grazed the ground as he effortlessly vaulted over fallen logs, performing awe-inspiring flips and twists with finesse skills

He seamlessly navigated from tree to tree, his agile movements instilling an air of untamed grace.

"Hell yeeeeeeaaaahhhhh!".

Fueled by the raw power coursing through his veins, he propelled himself towards the road.

Noah made his way back home, the sun sinking lower on the horizon, his stomach let out a growl of hunger.

"All that training left my stomach empty, I'm starving", gently patting it.

Craving a quick snack, he caught sight of a brightly lit vending machine on the corner.

The promise of satisfying his cravings while enjoying the solitude of the empty streets was too irresistible to resist.

He approached the machine, the soft hum of its refrigeration system filling the air. Selecting his favorite snacks, he inserted the coins and eagerly awaited the sweet reward that awaited him. With his hands full of treats, he resumed his journey back home, as he stuffed his face senseless.

Upon getting to his house, he tried unlocking the front door when he noticed it wasn't even locked.

"Mom must me home then". Stepping into his home, closing the door behind him.

"Mom! Nora! I'm home".

No one replied, "Huh... that's strange. Did they step out and forgot to lock the doors".

He made his way to the kitchen to offload the snacks that still remained in his deep hoodie pocket.

There was a strange stillness in the air, a heaviness that seemed to settle around him.

The usual sounds of the neighborhood were absent, replaced by an eerie silence that enveloped his surroundings.

He scanned his surroundings, searching for any signs of disturbance or unusual activity, but everything appeared deceptively normal.

The house was perfectly intact, nothing seemed out of place. Yet, deep down, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched, that unseen eyes were fixated on him .

He took a deep breath and tried to rationalize his feelings.

With a cautious step forward, he decided to go upstairs to his room .

But almost immediately he heard a faint sound of broken glass coming from downstairs. As he turned his body to see who it was or what it was that tipped over a glass, shattering it. He was immediately met by a massive barrage of bullets.

Only inches away from a headshot, Noah dodged the incoming bullet almost falling down the steps.

Without a second thought, he ran to his room, his heart pounded in his chest as he raced up the stairs, skipping steps to reach the safety of his room.

.

Finally reaching the top of the stairs , Noah hurriedly made his way towards his room.

The adrenaline coursing through his veins heightened his senses, allowing him to hear the heavy thuds of footsteps closing in behind him.

The urgency in their pursuit intensified the threat, motivating him to slam the door shut and lock it .

The sound of footsteps grew louder, echoing ominously through the hallway. He leaned against the door, straining to listen for any signs of their next move.

Panic filled his mind as he tried to comprehend the sudden and violent intrusion. Who were these people?

As if mocking his predicament, a bullet shattered the serenity of the moment, piercing through the door and embedding itself in the wall just inches away.

A queasy feeling settled in his gut as he realized the seriousness of the situation. This was not a mere random act of violence; they were targeting him specifically.

To be continued.