The howl came again. It was not the cry of an animal lost in the forest nor the distant echo of a lone wolf. This had weight. It had intention. The sound moved through the streets of Valdrem like an invisible blade, sliding along the walls, slipping through the cracks of abandoned houses. I felt Eldan tense against Serah's shoulder.

  —The wound… —he murmured, his voice breaking—. It burns.

  Maelor bent over him immediately.

  —Burns how?

  Eldan squeezed his eyes shut, as if trying to crush something that was beating inside his chest.

  —It's not pain… it's… like it's calling me.

  The wind rose again. Another howl. Closer. Aldric slowly turned in place, searching through the mist.

  —It found us. Lyria did not look surprised. Her eyes moved along the houses at the edge of the village with the attention of someone who had been waiting for this exact moment.

  —It didn't find you —she corrected quietly—. You brought it.

  Serah tightened her grip on her weapon.

  —What do you mean?

  Lyria pointed at Eldan's black wound.

  —The Devil always takes part in the hunt.

  Maelor looked up at her.

  —Through the beast?

  —Through whatever he wishes.

  The howl cut through the air again. This time it was not far. A heavy crash echoed somewhere among the houses at the edge of the village. Wood breaking. Something heavy forcing its way violently between the walls. Eldan twisted in pain.

  —It's close… —his voice was barely a whisper—. Very close.

  I looked toward the road leading out of Valdrem. Beyond the last houses, the darkness of the valley opened like a bottomless mouth. We wouldn't get far. Eldan could barely stand, and carrying him through open paths would make us even easier prey. Aldric seemed to understand the same thing.

  —Captain…

  Another crash. A door burst outward from inside a nearby house and fell into the street with a hollow thunder. Then we saw it. At first it was only a shadow in the mist. Too large to be a man. Too upright to be an animal. It moved slowly until it stood beneath the trembling light of a torch. And then it revealed its shape. The creature stood on two legs, its shoulders as broad as a warrior's, its torso covered in dark fur that seemed to swallow the light. Its head was that of a wolf—long and narrow, its fangs bared in a grin that held nothing natural. Its eyes shone with a cold intelligence. It was not merely a beast. It was a werewolf consumed by fury. The creature inhaled deeply. As if tasting the air. Then its eyes fixed on us. Eldan screamed. He clutched his side.

  —The wound!

  The blackened skin pulsed beneath the bandage as if it had its own heart. Lyria spoke without taking her eyes off the monster.

  —The Devil is guiding it.

  The creature tilted its head slightly. Then it began to walk toward us. It did not run. It was not in a hurry. It knew we would not escape. I looked at the group. Serah helping Eldan remain on his feet. Maelor pale but steady. Aldric gripping his weapon with the determination I knew well. Lyria staring directly at the creature. There was no path back. I stepped forward and spoke.

  —Are we going to run from this beast, or are we going to fight? —I drew my sword and raised it before me—. Eyes forward, swords in hand, and grit your teeth. We are forbidden to die before we take this bastard down with us. Show me you're made of blood and courage. Soon enough we'll be kissing valkyries, warriors.

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  The beast stopped before us and growled. I struck my shield with the edge of my sword in answer.

  —Aldric, at my side! At my command, present arms! All together…!

  I took a deep breath and gave the order.

  —Shieldwall!

  Aldric took position at my left. Serah closed the formation on the right. Maelor stepped back, preparing to support from the rear while holding Eldan upright. Lyria grabbed an abandoned spear leaning against a wall and joined the circle without asking permission. The creature studied our closed formation, our shields forming a wall. Its ears twitched slightly. Then it charged. The impact came like thunder.Aldric took it first. His shield slammed against the creature's chest with a crash that shook the entire line. I felt the blow travel through my arm to my shoulder. It was like stopping a rock hurled from a catapult.

  —Hold the line! —I shouted.

  My sword came down diagonally, aiming for the beast's neck. The blade met flesh, but the fur was thicker than expected. The steel barely slid, opening a thin red line that forced the creature one step back. The beast answered with a claw. Aldric raised his shield at the last moment. The blow carved three deep grooves into the wood.

  —Damn thing!

  Serah struck from the side. Her sword found the monster's flank, and this time it drew a genuine growl of pain. The creature spun with brutal speed. Its tail smashed against the ground, throwing dust and stones into the air. Lyria seized the moment. Her spear drove between the beast's ribs with a sharp crack. The creature roared. And then it answered. The claw came down toward Serah. I managed to intercept part of the blow with my sword, but the strength behind it was monstrous. The impact shoved us backward and the formation broke.

  —Reform!

  Aldric raised his shield again while Maelor murmured something behind us. I felt the air tremble slightly, as if an invisible force were trying to push the creature away. It worked for only a moment. The wolf shattered it with sheer violence. It leapt onto Aldric. They rolled across the ground. The beast's jaws snapped shut inches from my companion's face. I advanced. My sword fell with all the strength of my arm. The steel sank deep into the monster's shoulder. The creature roared. Then its eyes locked onto mine. Something dark moved behind that gaze. Something that did not belong to a simple beast. The Devil. The claw descended. I had no time to dodge. I felt the blow tear through my armor as if it were wet leather. A brutal strike to the chest. The air left my lungs. I fell backward onto the damp stone of the street. The sky of Valdrem slowly spun above my head. I heard shouting. The clash of steel. The roar of the creature. Aldric's voice. But everything sounded farther and farther away. I tried to rise. My body did not respond. The last image I saw before darkness swallowed me was the silhouette of the werewolf towering above us. And then… Nothing.