Chapter 12: Howl of Sacrifice

The scream echoed through the sterile hospital corridors, a sound that ripped through the sterile white walls with a primal agony. Claire stumbled out of the hidden chamber, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm against her ribs. The lunar crystal, still clutched tightly in her hand, pulsed with a dull light.

The scream had come from Ethan's room. Images of the hulking tomb guardian, its claws tearing into Ethan's weakened body, flooded her mind. Adrenaline fuelled her steps as she raced towards the source of the sound.

Bursting through the door of Ethan's room, she was met with a scene ripped from a nightmare. Ethan lay sprawled on the bed, his clothes shredded, moonlight streaming through the window illuminating his contorted face. His screams had morphed into a guttural growl, a terrifying transformation unfolding before her very eyes.

But he wasn't alone. The hulking tomb guardian, its fur matted with blood, stood next to the bed, a monstrous claw clamped around Ethan's leg. A low growl rumbled in its throat, its eyes fixed on Claire with a predatory gleam.

Without hesitation, Claire charged. Grasping a metal bedpan from the nearby table, she swung it with all her might, catching the creature square on the head. A surprised yelp ripped through the room as it stumbled back, momentarily stunned.

This was her chance. Claire rushed to Ethan's side, ignoring the raw fear clawing at her throat. She needed to get him out of here, before the transformation completed and he lost himself entirely.

"Ethan!" she screamed, her voice a desperate plea. Through the haze of pain and the primal urges coursing through his veins, a flicker of recognition flickered in his eyes.

"Claire… run…" he rasped, his voice distorted by the monstrous transformation creeping across his face.

The guardian recovered from its surprise, charging towards them with a ferocious roar. Claire threw herself between it and Ethan, holding the bedpan up in a futile attempt to ward it off.

The creature slammed into her, sending her flying across the room. Pain erupted in her shoulder as she hit the floor, the metal bedpan clattering away. She lay there, dazed and breathless, as the monster loomed over Ethan, its razor-sharp teeth inches from his throat.

Just as it was about to deliver the final blow, a deafening howl echoed through the room. A figure, bathed in the moonlight streaming through the window, landed on the guardian's back. A ferocious snarl filled the room, a sound that resonated with a primal power.

It was Ethan, fully transformed. His fur was a dark gray, his eyes glowed with an eerie green light. He was a fearsome beast, but Claire couldn't help but see a flicker of Ethan's humanity within those emerald depths.

The battle between Ethan, the monstrous wolf, and the guardian was brutal and swift. Claws ripped through fur, teeth clashed in a dance of primal violence. Claire watched in horrified fascination, fear warring with a fierce protectiveness.

The fight ended with a sickening crunch. Ethan, exhausted and bleeding, stood over the fallen guardian, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. Slowly, the transformation began to recede. His fur retracted, his limbs shrunk back to human proportions.

By the time Ethan stumbled back to human form, collapsing onto the bed next to the still unconscious Claire, the first rays of dawn were painting the sky a pale pink. He looked at Claire, a flicker of despair clouding his emerald eyes.

"I… I couldn't control it," he rasped, his voice raw with pain.

Claire crawled closer to him, ignoring the throbbing pain in her shoulder. Cupping his face in her hand, she looked him in the eye.

"You did enough," she whispered, her voice filled with a newfound determination. "We'll figure this out. Together."

As the sun rose, casting its golden light upon the hospital room, a sense of weary triumph settled over them. The threat from the tomb guardian was neutralized, but the curse still loomed large. The lunar crystal, pulsing faintly in Claire's hand, offered a glimmer of hope.

They still had a long way to go, but one thing was clear – their bond, forged under the moonlight, was strong enough to weather even the darkest night.