Before leaving for the Darkness, I decided to scrounge up some equipment in case I got attacked again. I also decided to bring food and water along just in case things took longer than expected.

The problem was, everything in the fridge had the taint of rancidity. Everything except a package of raw ground beef Eric was apparently thawing for something. In the past, I'd have been grossed out even at the sight of uncooked meat, but now, it made my mouth water.

I shoved it in my bag along with other essentials and headed into the dusk.

It was dinner time for most ordinary people, so the streets were mostly clear. Ordinary people...

What did it mean to be a werewolf?

Sure, I was stronger, faster, and bigger. But these last days, I've felt more alive than ever. And my senses... It was like Spider-Man on crack. I could hear a field mouse squeak in the bushes outside our apartment and the sirens from somewhere in the distance. I could smell people before I even saw them. Oh, and my eyes. I'd been wearing contacts for a little over two years. This afternoon, I popped them out and saw better than I could with them.

I might even be able to live forever.

I slipped into the alley beside the bookstore and got my first glimpse of the Earth Sciences Building since my battle there last night. Yellow caution tape surrounded the poor tree we'd obliterated. Chunks of brick lay in ruin around the bookstore's rear, and long gouges in the grass spoke of the struggle.

I paused at the dull green door a moment, dreading what I'd find in the Darkness. Then, taking a deep breath, I pulled the handle. The familiar hallway greeted me, beckoning me forward to the descending stairs. Darkness permeated the stairwell.

Use [Dark Sight]?

Dark Sight? Had I seen anything about that Ability? I didn't recall.

"Yeah," I whispered aloud.

Suddenly, the darkness vanished, allowing me to see a couple dozen stairs leading to a concrete landing. I guess I wouldn't need my flashlight.

As I climbed down, I pulled out the compass I'd crafted. The nail still guided me forward.

The bottom was hot and dank. A strange, mildewed smell lingered in the air like old, moldy books. It felt like someone cranked up the humidity to a thousand, which was different from the hallway above. It was as if I had entered another world.

I followed my compass down a narrow passage, which opened into a large stone room. The floor was uneven, but I had no problem navigating it. The chamber was mostly empty but for some unmarked crates and a load of dust and cobwebs.

A long, circular tunnel—much like a sewer pipe—stood on the opposite end of the room. A quick glance at the compass told me that was my intended path. When I entered, I felt the gradual shift beneath my feet as it angled downward at a slight gradient. Here, the air cooled significantly, but the thickness remained. It made me shiver. The drip, drip, drip of condensation assaulted my heightened senses, but I ignored it, pressing ever forward.

Finally, I reached a T in the system and followed the compass to the left. The new hallway, also cool, dark, and quiet, continued at a downward pitch. I wasn't sure how deep I'd gone at this point, but it was well below the level I'd started. After a few more paces, my boots clanged on a metal grate. I stopped, crouched, and listened.

Nothing.

I squinted one eye and peered inside the rusty grate. Below was a large, dark pit that made me think of the Sarlacc from Star Wars.

Three oversized, black boulders peppered the pit's floor, and a thin layer of green moss grew on the walls.

With a bit of effort, I removed the grate. The compass still pointed forward, but curiosity had me gripped. The floor below appeared to be about twenty feet away. Considering the fall I'd taken last night from the treetop, I was convinced I could handle it. But then again, I was in [Werewolf] form last night. Would I maintain the same degree of strength and resiliency as a [Human]?

It was a risk, falling and snapping a leg with no one around to give me aid, but I figured if I did anything short of killing myself, I could become a werewolf and heal up pretty swiftly. With the tunnels as narrow as they were, traversing them as a seven-foot-tall monster wouldn't prove a simple task.

My backpack securely strapped on my back, I lowered myself until I hung from the ledge.

Here goes nothing.

I let go and landed on my feet, rolling to absorb the force of the fall. I truly wondered if I'd have been able to do that a few days ago.

I rose, scanning the new cavern, and spotted yet another natural tunnel leading to the south.

With only one direction to go, I didn't bother pulling out the compass.

I kept my ears peeled for any sounds of danger. Would I run into another vampire? The thought terrified and excited me at the same time.

The tunnel continued for a while before widening. I peered around into the darkness of the tunnel ahead and saw nothing, but I heard something. Was it voices?

Fear gripped me momentarily. Should I have brought better gear and some sort of weapon?

The voices were getting closer, and I had to decide whether to fight or run. The hairs on my neck and arms stood up.

POTENTIAL DANGER. ENTER [WEREWOLF] FORM?

A blurry shape rushed past me, and I felt a prick in my left side.

"Yes!" I yelled as my HUD showed I had taken damage.

The figure rushed by again, pricking me in the left arm.

Agony overwhelmed every inch of my body. This time, I felt the claws shredding my fingertips and toes. I wasn't sure how long it took, but the next thing I knew, once the pain subsided, I stood in my [Werewolf] form.

You have entered [Werewolf] form.

I waited until I saw the blur again, then charged forward. My speed had increased since last night, and I felt the change. The vampire—for that's what it was—darted toward me, and I stopped her with an outstretched arm. My clawed hands wrapped around her throat, claws digging in and drawing blood.

She tried to fight back, but I had fifty pounds and more than a foot on her.

With a primal roar, I threw the vamp against the wall hard enough to knock a human out.

She wasn't human, though. After hitting the wall, she bounced back.

Racing toward me, she unleashed a flurry of blows, each one connecting with my abdomen. I felt each one keenly, but my rage or adrenaline kept them from affecting my mental state.

I swiped with my claws, but she outmaneuvered the attack.

She launched herself at me, teeth first, but I grabbed her hands and redirected her momentum. As she turned back toward me, I mule-kicked her in the chest.

This sent her sprawling, and she smashed against one of the dark corners, landing in a heap on the ground.

I dropped to all fours and stalked toward her.

A sinister voice spoke in my head. "Kill her. Tear her throat out."

The voice distracted me long enough for the vampire to recover. With blinding speed, she rushed forward, and in a flash of red, she was on my back, her fangs sinking deep into my neck.

I swore. "Get off!" I yelled as I tried to dislodge her. "Get off!"

"Kill her," I heard again.

With a growl, I agreed.

I reached back, grasping a clump of her hair, and threw the vampire away. I felt her fangs dragging along my neck, and warm blood poured out onto my fur.

I had no time to waste considering my condition. I pounced, landing atop her with all four limbs.

She threw a punch, and something knifelike pierced my left arm.

"Yes," I heard in my mind. "Shred her."

My vision went blood red. I opened my mouth, and I saw the terror in her eyes as I wrapped my toothy jaws around her face and tore it free of her head. It didn't kill her. She just stared at me with one remaining eye and hissed.

How to kill her? Did it work like vampires in books and movies?

I didn't have a wooden stake or a cross or anything. So, I did the only thing I could think of. I quickly planted a knee in her chest, grabbed her head with both hands, and pulled with all my might.

Her head tore from her neck with a bursting geyser of blood.

Then, both head and body burst into flames, and all that remained was the same silvery dust.

You have reached Level 3 [Werewolf] - Cub!

You have found [Vampiric Dust]

I scooped up the vampire's remains, eager to find their use.

I sat on my haunches for long minutes, letting the rage pass, before finally returning to [Human] form to heal.

You have returned to [Human] form.

Learning everything there was to being a werewolf, Stats, Abilities, and all would end up being more work than my university classes. I took a deep breath, inhaling the damp, misty air.

I surveyed my surroundings. Where was I, exactly? My dream with Cleo and Kareem returned to my mind. This all looked familiar. But where were they? They told me to find the Darkness. Was this it?

Did I even need The Midnight Hunt? I'd found and killed two vampires, leveling up without them. Why did they have to be so damn secretive?

Were they watching, assessing me, or something?

I decided to continue onward. Without Layla here to discuss things, I had no one. I'd miss another class tonight, but too bad. This was more important.

After a while, the tunnel opened into another large chamber. The ceiling was impossibly high above me, and the room was at least a hundred feet long and fifty feet wide.

But what I heard coming from the room shook me to my core.