Chapter 7

Chapter _ seven

Theme; Identity, Part 3

"I can't believe I am in City Hall," Joy whispers to Joel. "It was so meritorious, so magnificent, and everything was so fantastic." She said, with a giggle. Her eyes were also wandering around the whole hall. After she had finished taking her bath and dressing up, Joel had cast some sort of spell that automatically teleported them here.

Joel had taken her around the whole hall. She had met Joel's sister. She had also seen their father, mother, and other siblings. To be sincere, it was a happy family. Joy wishes she could have the same life that Joel's parents are giving him. However, the moon goddess had another plan for her.

She spun her body and the cool night breeze blew her long pink gown backward. "Be careful, and don't miss your step," Joel warned her, but she ignored him. At least this was the thing she could do to clear her mind.

She had thought of telling Joel about what her mom told her, but she was scared. She hardly knew Joel, and she didn't know whether he was also one of the D'Arcy soldiers. Lord Darius had different supernatural beings that he combined and that formed the D'arcy army.

Even though she was sure that the thunder and lightning that flashed in the sky earlier would have alerted Lord Darius, Nevertheless, she still needs to be careful.

She didn't want to expose herself. "When are we returning home?" Joy asked Joel. Though she couldn't tell the time by looking at the sky like her mom always does. Nonetheless, she could guess that it was already late because of how dark the sky had become. "I don't want my mom to worry about me." She told Joel with a puppy face.

"I will take you home as soon as the puppeteer finishes his shows." Joel retorted.

"When are they going to start?" She asked impatiently.

"Not when are they going to begin, they are already here." Joel elaborated, and Joy jumped with happiness.

Joel held her hand and dragged her towards the entrance of the main hall. Even though it was dark already, Joy could still see the brown paint on the city hall brick. It was ancient. The strange drawing that was tattooed on those walls also did a good job of making them look old, but glamour.

As the duo entered the main hall, they were welcomed by the loud cheering of the crowds. Without being told, Joy knew that most of the people here were supernatural. Joel held her hand tightly and dragged her to a nearby seat, trying his best not to anger her at the same time. Finally, she takes a deep breath, as the puppeteer begins their show.

'' Blood," Joy heard the strange female voice again in her head. No, it was not a strange voice anymore; it was the same voice that told her to fight back. "We need blood." She heard her saying again.

Joy felt a sudden twinge in her heart. It was so harsh, so bitter, and tremendous. Joy could feel her gut burning so badly, and she was trying her best not to scream. She didn't want to be a burden on Joel. Moreover, she didn't want to interrupt his concentration on the ongoing show.

If she was a normal human, Joy would have suggested that she was about to begin her menstruation. Or if she had met her mate, she would suggest that he was making out with someone else. However, the reverse is the case. It wasn't any of the above.

The pain struck her again, and Joy couldn't help but let out a soft, painful whimper. She could feel her teeth growing longer, and her body was beginning to sting.

"Are you okay?" She heard Joel ask with concern.

"I think I am fine," she retorted, trying her best not to scream out again. Joy could feel her hound growing longer, and she could feel her fingernails coming out.

How would Joel react if she saw her like this? She thought. Hell No! She couldn't allow that.

She could feel Joel's cologne coming closer to her nose. That could only mean one thing: he is trying to look into her face.

Can she allow that? Hell No! She couldn't. Joel would not only freak out, but it would distract him from the ongoing show. Joy knew she had to act fast. Or else, she might get out of luck and lose control.

Thank goddess, the main hall is like a cinema house. Not only that, they were sitting in the last row. That means people won't notice her. Joy closed her eyes again as she felt the pain becoming unbearable. She mashed her lips rigidly and bit them hard to avoid another scream. Finally, she couldn't take it again.

"Joy, what's wrong?" She heard Joel ask with concern. As he brought his face closer to her to examine her, Joy leaped out of the seat. Not wasting any seconds, she dashed for the door and pushed it open. As her hand touched the ancient wooden door, it went off its hinges and crashed with a loud bang.

Hell No! Joy thought. She had not only attracted the attention of everybody, but she had also just revealed her identity.

"We need blood," Joy heard the strange voice again. Not wanting to check the damage she had done, she went down the dark balcony. "Allow me to take over." She heard the feminine voice again. It was like she was shouting in her head.

"Shut up," Joy yelled back at her. She felt an immersive headache in her head as the strange voice was speaking. It was like two beings were fighting for control in his head. "We have just revealed our identity, all thanks to you." She said,

"I'm taking over, whether you like it or not." She heard the strange voice again. Before she could comprehend what was going on, she felt herself running at an inhuman speed. Joy thought she was fast when Delta Logan and Rebecca's crew were chasing her.

How wrong is she? It was like she was just jogging then. This speed is beyond anything she has ever seen. She was faster than Dan and much faster than anything she had ever seen in her life.

She had seen a cheetah once in the woods, and Joy had seen how fast the creatures could run. Regardless of the creature's speed, Dan had caught up with it within seconds.

Now, Joy could feel herself running faster than both Dan and the creatures. Not only that, she could hear every heartbeat in the whole hall.

The city hall is the largest structure in the middle land. It was a multiple-story building. According to what she heard from Dan, it took hundreds of workers about fifteen years before the building was completed.

Even at the rate at which Joy was running, she was able to hear everything they were saying at once. It was like their voices were placed directly in her ear. Not only that, she could feel the heat of every being inside the multi-story building. She could hear their heartbeat and read their minds. She went from one corridor to another. She was passing through a different room with different ancient drawings of both humans and animals.

After running for what seemed like forever, she finally entered a room that she suspected contained a single being. Upon merely touching the door, it went flying off its hinges and hit the being on the head.

Joy dashed at the female figure, and she suddenly had a crystal clear view of her neck. She could see all the veins that were running in her body, the way her heartbeat was running, and every organ in her body.

The sight of that made Joy's lust for blood increase. She tried to resist hurting the young woman, but she was not in control of her body. In one swift moment, she dived for the being that she suspected to be human and plunged her long, sharp razor teeth into her neck.

As Joy's teeth touch the veins that run blood to the human strait, she feels herself enjoying everything. She felt stronger, more powerful, and rejuvenated. She felt all the strange hunger pangs, bloodlust, and headaches diminish. Finally, Joy felt unstoppable. Joy felt as if she could wage war against the whole universe and conquer it.

The fast-approaching footsteps broke into her feeding moment. She dropped the lifeless body of the human and took a breath of satisfaction. She dragged in another deep breath and visualised herself on top of the city hall roof. Before she could even blink her eyes, she had broken the ceiling. She was now standing on top of the roof, and the cool night air was now blowing fresh air in her face.

She could hear the screaming and yelling of men all over the building. In a swift moment, Joy leaped away from the building and found herself in the woods. It is not just any wood, it is the same one that leads to her home. As her feet touched the ground, which had now been wet by the fumes, joy came back to her senses.

Everything came flashing in her head, and she gasped in shock. She had killed someone.

Hell No! She couldn't believe it. She had sucked blood from innocent women's bodies. What kind of creature was she? She didn't know. Even after she had returned to her senses, Joy could still feel the dampness of the woman's blood on her lips.

It was still in her throat, and her teeth were still long and sharp. The same goes for her claws; they are still intact. Not only that, she was feeling the same power. It didn't desert her this time. Unlike when she killed Rebecca and her crew. She was stronger, no doubt.

A sudden, painful scream broke into her thoughts. It was like the crying was coming from behind her. Before she could blink, she felt her senses picking up the scent of the victim. It was a familiar scent. In a swift moment, she dashed away.

As Joy emerged from the wood, running at inhuman speed towards the direction of the painful scream, she was welcomed with an awful sight. The scream has now stopped, and it has been replaced with a burning scent. She let out a scream that echoed throughout the whole atmosphere. She could feel herself changing into a blood rage. However, she tried to control it.

Her house was burned. She couldn't believe it. Everyone and everything she had grown up to love has now burnt to ashes. All the maple and oak trees are gone. They have been replaced with ashes.

"Mom," she screamed. "Dan, where are you?"

Hell No! How would she have thought that Dan was trapped in the same building as her mom? Dan was far stronger than this. She was sure that whoever did this had it all planned out. She dashed inside what was left of the burning building, her eyes wandering around for any sign of her mom.

Finally, she could hear her mom's heartbeat. Even though it was slow, she could still feel and hear it. She zoomed in on the burning building, and her eyes did her the favour of locating her mom's lifeless body. She dived at her, carried her in bridal style, and jumped out of the room. Just like she had done in the city hall.

"Mom," Joy screamed. "Wake up, you can't die on me." Hot tears were now slipping down her eyes, and mucus was emitting from her nose.

"Joy," her mom managed to say.

"No mom! Stay quiet, I'm going to get you out of here." She said and placed her palm on her mom's lip. She wants to lift her again, but the old woman holds her shoulder. Surprisingly, her grip was taut, firm, and tough.

"There isn't time for that," the woman said with a firm tone. "Even though I'm not your mom, I don't know your real name or any of your family. However, I love you as much as I love mine. You are the best family I have ever had."

"Keep quiet, mom, will you?" She stopped her mom.

Her mom said again. "Listen very well," she managed to say, her voice now returning to the old one. Joy could see that her breath was becoming heavier, and all she wanted to do was protect the woman. She didn't grow up to know any of her family, and the only person left to her as a mom is dying right in front of her.

"You must defeat Lord Darius and restore peace to the Middle Land." the woman said with a rough breath. "Remember Joy, no matter what happens, you are greater than the universe. Your power is immersive, and you mustn't let my death be in vain." She said and breathed in her last breath. Her body also went cold.

Joy holds the old woman's dead body tightly to herself and wails throughout the whole atmosphere. Her hand was wandering around the woman's body when she discovered a knife that was used to stab her mom.

Slowly, she removed the knife, and she gasped in shock. The knife can only be found in Alpha Malcolm's pack. That meant they had come for her.

On instinct, Joy rolled out of the way, and another knife narrowly missed her by breadth. She dashed towards the new knife before it could come to rest, and grabbed it. Even Joy was surprised with her newfound ability. How come she caught a knife that was thrown at her?

She examined the knife, and it was the same as the first one. It was crafted from the finest ore she had ever seen. The knife had a black handle, and a strange drawing was drawn on it. Even though she could guess that the knife was forged from unobtanium, adamantine, and silver. However, it was still light in her hand.

She had heard from Dan, the reason why werewolves and most of the night creatures were always hunted with silver and other special weapons.

It was because the first vampire was cursed by Artemis with silver. Since then, silver has been their major weakness. And if Alpha Malcolm had ordered his men to track her with this, that means they were ready to kill her.

"Are you going to allow them?" Joy heard the female voice in her head again.

Hell No! She couldn't. They killed her mom and burned their house. Now they have come for her.

"Then let's turn them into a barbecue." The voice concluded.

"Seems like she doesn't get affected by the fire." She heard Delta Logan's voice. He was emerging out of the darkness in his true Lycan form. His eyes were blazing blue, and he had about seven other Lycans behind him.

That is when the reality of what they say dawns on her. She had jumped into the fire, and it didn't affect her. What kind of power is she hosting? She thought.

"Whether she gets affected by the fire or not, she is coming with us. Either by fire or by force." Delta Logan spat in rage. "Guys, grab her." He ordered, and the seven Lycans dashed at Joy.

T. b. c