Author's note: this is from Aldus's point of view

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I listened as Serina narrated her last moments as a mortal, and I barely contained the flood of questions mixed in with curses, in order not to disturb her.

The tension that built inside the room over the course of her story became tangible from the moment she mentioned that her drink was spiked by the girls with whom she went to Venice.

I found myself consumed in rage as Serina spoke about how she was helpless while her so-called friends watched and took photos of some creep manhandling her.

Humans disgust me in general. They are petty creatures, easily manipulated by jealousy and greed to the point of betraying their own kin. No wonder everyone thinks of humans as a lowly race. Humans are spending their short lifespans chasing after money, power, and fame like they can take any of those into the afterlife. No matter how much they have, it's never enough.

Serina managed to convince me that there are still a few of them who are unspoiled. Other than general curiosity about what is at her disposal, she never showed any interest in how much money I have on the bank account. She cares about creatures in general, respecting life even when it comes in a form known as Krob.

To be honest, I was concerned about how this memory will change her personality. Sure, I want her to find out the truth and get revenge against people who wronged her, but part of me hoped that she will maintain the innocent ignorance that a naïve child possesses.

Call me selfish, but it's been ages since I've met someone so unspoiled, and I enjoyed that part of Serina. It allowed me to relax and not worry if she was after my position, my possessions, my secrets, my blood, or some part of my body.

I was alarmed by the possibility that a werewolf attacked her that evening. Based on her description, it was a mature shapeshifter which means that it was not a reckless teenager.

Is he part of a pack, or a loner? There are several small packs that are involved in shady dealings, so I will look into them to see if they got a job request for the given evening.

Any mature shapeshifter learned to control his beast and how to stay hidden and he would not compromise himself over such a small job unless the payment was generous. That brought me to the point how someone with deep pockets was set on getting Serina into a sticky situation.

Were those three girls behind it? I agreed with Serina that they are pampered and spoiled, but I disagreed on the point that they were not capable of murder. Ruby, Willow, and Adele believed that Serina is from a lower class and shouldn't mingle with them (aka the elite); and I've seen people kill for less. However, I checked their backgrounds (finances included), and neither of them had any suspicious withdrawals from their accounts, so someone else paid the hefty fee a werewolf would require for his services.

It didn't make sense. Serina's life was plain. She kept a low profile and didn't stir trouble.

Are her parents involved? The trust Serina's grandmother left behind is definitely a motive. However, they are tight on funds, and even if they borrowed money, the timing was off. Sure, they wanted that money, but just sullying Serina's name wouldn't serve any purpose, and if their goal was to get rid of Serina, they would do it after she graduates, when the fund is hers officially. But I couldn't dismiss the scenario in which if they were smart, they wouldn't end up in a position where Serina's grandmother cut them off financially.

While thinking about Serina's family, I took a mental note to check her background and find more details. I was looking into her parents and grandmother, but only because I was curious about Serina's living conditions. Now that Serina brought up the possibility that she was not human, I will need to check her family's tree thoroughly.

Of course, Serina's memory could be mixed with imagination, but so far, everything she remembered was logical and realistic, and that is why I believe that she saw what actually happened.

I was also intrigued when Serina said that the werewolf lost control and started shifting after he tasted her blood. I remembered tests in the lab, how her cells would invade others and then collapse on themselves until nothing is left. Those experiments resulted in numerous dead ends, and I couldn't come up with anything useful, but what if my approach was wrong and instead of mixing cells, her cells should be ingested by a living creature?

I was itchy to head to the lab and try that theory, but I couldn't leave Serina. She was still talking.

To be honest, I was shocked by the possibility that Serina was not human. She definitely smelled like one.

Serina's portrayal of claws appearing while her body burned reminded me of the descriptions of initial changes in shapeshifters where powers are unstable. That would explain her sudden burst of strength and claws which appeared when she was in distress.

What was Serina? Based on her experience, she was some type of shapeshifter, but what kind? When she arrived, I compared her DNA with samples of species that I have in my lab and it all came negative.

She explained how there was no fur, no feathers, and no scales, only elongated nails which were slightly curved and super-sharp, and she also made a point that she only saw her hands.

Of course, this could be an incomplete transformation. However, shapeshifters morph into the form of their beast in order to tap into their powers, and Serina maintaining her human-like skin while possessing the strength to keep away a grown werewolf and even cut him with her claws was... different.

I heard of creatures like that, but only from stories that I found in ancient books.

How intriguing! Serina is like a puzzle, full of mysterious surprises.

Should I voice my thoughts to Serina? No. She already has a lot to deal with and until I'm sure, I will investigate without her knowledge. At this point, I am only guessing. Actually, even if I'm right, her death as she started transformation might have destroyed her ability to transform again so... I will keep this to myself until I have something solid.

Instead of jumping to conclusions, I asked Serina to make several drawings for me.

"Show me the results of your painting lessons, Serina. I expect you to give me drawings of the killer, your hands after transforming, and anything that stands out, and we can look into it."

Serina agreed immediately, understanding how that might help us get some answers.

I had a gnawing feeling at the back of my mind that Serina staying with me was not coincidental. Now that I think about it, what are the chances of me bumping into a (dead) mysterious creature that looks human enough to deceive me, and it happened just when I was searching for my next test subject? After numerous failures in reviving the dead, a perfect specimen fell into my hands. Is Serina's mysterious background the reason why she was not a failure? Did someone set all this up so that I can revive her?

I shook my head subconsciously, dismissing those concerns because that would be too much manipulation, and if any creature can accomplish that, he probably rules the world.

"Other than drawing, is there something else I can do?", Serina's question pulled me out of my thoughts, and I realized that she was hinting at something.

"Is there something you would like to do?"

"Adele, Willow, and Ruby set me up.", Serina said stiffly. "They spiked my drink and left me with a stranger to fend for myself. I can't let that go unpunished. I remember clearly their gloating expressions as the drugs kicked in. I want them to pay, and I want them to know that it came from me."

"Of course, they will not go unpunished.", I assured her. "However, let's not be hasty. I will get my men to gather detailed information on those three girls. At the same time, we will check their phones and other devices and see if we can find traces of those photos and if they sent them to someone." I left out the part that her parents are on the list of the suspects. She already dislikes them, and evidence will give us an answer if there was another person behind the scheme which got Serina killed.

"I would like to do more.", Serina persisted, and I understood her impatience. If I died and I knew who the culprit is, I wouldn't be able to sit calmly either.

"It won't take long, Serina. We will start getting reports within days. In the meantime, I suggest that you focus on the man with the mask. See if you can remember anything useful in tracking him down. Just saying that there was a masked werewolf in Venice at the carnival, is not a lot of information. Adele, Willow, and Ruby returned to London unscathed after they saw that man with you, and that confirms that they are not aware of his identity or how to contact him. He would not leave loose ends."

I saw that she was not happy about this, so I had to remind her, "Don't forget to practice your pheromone control. No matter what we find out about those girls or the man, you won't be able to deal with them if your pheromones are unstable."

Serina exhaled heavily. She didn't like my reminder that she can't travel freely, but she had to agree with me.

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