“The enemy currently controls the northern region of the Nekraso Archipelago and is engaged in combat with our forces in the capital area. Civilians in the conflict zones are advised to stay indoors and follow instructions from local police,”

  the radio broadcasted the latest update. Everyone was inside the café—some were asleep, others were spacing out.

  Mikhail, having learned that the doctor’s crude surgery in the café had successfully pulled his father out of danger, was visibly more at ease.

  Mikhail brought a slice of Boston pie to me, who was standing at the door with a gun. He said, “You should take a break too. You’ve been standing here for hours.”

  “No. If Remus military forces come in, I’m the only one who can resist them,” I said.

  “Alright then, but at least have this piece of cake. Thank you for helping my dad,” Mikhail said.

  “Okay. Just leave it on the table next to me,” I replied.

  After putting the cake on the table, Mikhail found a seat inside the café and lay down to sleep.

  Several hours passed. It was probably already dark outside. No other Remus soldiers had broken into this department store, but the sound of gunfire and artillery still echoed outside the building. It was hard to say whether the outside was safe, so the rest of us remained in the department store, waiting until the supplies in the café ran out before deciding to leave.

  Among everyone, only I remained calm. I suppose it was due to my past military experience. I had been in direct combat on the battlefield, surrounded, even captured. Compared to that, the situation in this café wasn’t the most hopeless. These awful memories only become useful in equally awful situations.

  Not being able to contact the Rice family still made me anxious. I kept trying to convince myself that they were important officials and family members, surely taking refuge in a place safer than where I was. Still, I couldn’t stop worrying. Finding even one friend in a time like this was already fortunate, so I shouldn’t complain about our current situation.

  After quite some time, while I was closing the café’s security gate and crouching in a corner with my rifle to nap for a while, my phone rang inside the pocket of my uniform jacket.

  I answered. It was Mr. Rice’s voice on the other end.

  “We finally got through. Ash, are you okay?” His tone sounded a bit tense.

  “I’m alright. Right now I’m hiding in a department store with a group of civilians and a classmate. Sir, may I ask—are Mrs. Rice and Lyka safe?” I asked.

  “I’m fine. They’re currently taking shelter in a secure location,” Mr. Rice said.

  “Where is it?” I asked.

  “I can’t say over the phone. It might be tapped,” he said.

  “Can you come get us?” I asked.

  “I will. Where are you?” he asked.

  I asked the café staff where we currently were.

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  After they told me, I said to Mr. Rice, “We’re at the Catial Department Store, North Forest City branch. There are fourteen people in total, one of whom is severely injured.”

  I heard Mr. Rice talking to someone in the background, and soon after, he said,

  “I’ve dispatched a helicopter to your location. Go to the rooftop—there should be a helipad up there.”

  So I informed the others of the situation and told them to come with me to the roof. Soon, we started preparing to leave. The medical personnel carried Mikhail’s father on a stretcher. I opened the gate, picked up my AKM, and took the lead, with the others following behind.

  We reached the elevator.

  First, the medics with the stretcher and I went up to the rooftop using the elevator, Because I could not be sure that the rooftop was safe.

  After confirming the helipad was secure, I told them to wait there while I brought the rest up.

  I went back down. The elevator stopped on the floor where the others were.

  As soon as the doors opened, I saw a Remus soldier standing outside, aiming at me.

  He opened fire on the elevator and shouted to someone beside him. In intense pain, I collapsed, one leg sticking out of the elevator.

  The doors, sensing my leg, reopened. I saw three Wolfkin soldiers in the elevator hall. Mikhail and the others were lying in pools of blood. I forced myself up and pointed my gun at one of the Wolfkin soldiers.

  He didn’t know I was a werewolf.

  Though it hurt terribly to get shot, werewolf bodies were hard to penetrate with standard rifle bullets. Before he could react, I shot him through the head.

  I forced myself forward.

  The other soldiers opened fire on me.

  I fell.

  They approached.

  In my human body, wracked with pain, I had no way of fighting them.

  I was out of options.

  The soldiers froze as they watched my body begin to shift, swell, and stretch upward.

  My clothes tore apart, revealing thick fur.

  They opened fire again.

  Enduring the searing pain from the bullets, I extended the retractable blade embedded in my arm and lunged at them with bared fangs.

  I tore open the throat of the soldier in front with my mouth. Blood sprayed from his neck. Another soldier fired at me. I used the corpse of the one I’d just killed as a shield and drove the arm blade into the shooter’s chest. Then I pushed upward, tearing the Wolfkin’s upper body in half.

  I ran to the fallen Mikhail and lifted him up. He’d been shot in the abdomen.

  “Mikhail! Wake up!”

  There was no response. His limbs were limp.

  “Mikhail!”

  I tried to stop the bleeding, but I couldn’t feel his pulse at all.

  “Mikhail!”

  He lay on the ground, motionless, like a corpse.

  “Mikhail! Answer meaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!”

  Trembling, I lifted him onto my back. His blood soaked my shredded clothes. I reverted to my human form, bearing the pain of the gunshots, and took the elevator.

  The elevator rose slowly. Mikhail’s blood flowed down my clothes, onto my pants, onto my shoes. I trembled uncontrollably.

  After coming to this country to start a new life, I had decided to break free from the darkness of the past. I tried to live a normal life in accordance with society’s rhythms. Though I had tried to ignore it, the past still tormented me. And now this situation...is the future going to torment me as well?