23 Who Wins? 1

They were lurking in the dark, while Neel was running fastly to the crack light far from his spot. Waves of laughter were heard around him, their dark energy pressured him. His legs and strength slowly drifting away from his body. His head spinning, yet he gritted his teeth hard and kept heading his goals. "Two minutes to go~ KAGH!" Preen reminded Neel in his right ear like a whisper, yet what he got was Neel's lightning bolt.

"Shut it!" Neel snorted at him and kept dashing his way.

Preen cried out loud and his brothers helped him. "Preen!" Craw and Clicker called him. Each of their red and yellow eyes turned sharps, as their head spun to Neel's back. They flew like the wind as if they didn't use both of their black wings.

Neel duck down and the two owl demons stood in front of them. Neel's radar warned him and he swiftly took two steps back, quite far from his enemies position.

"You dare to hurt my brother?!!!!!!" Clicker shrieked out of his lung as he flapped his wings up and down fast. His red eyes almost popped out and his neck stretched longer. His sharp peck started piercing Neel's direction. Neel averted it, from left to the right to the left again. "KYAKKK!" Clicker yelled. Neel defended himself, gave a slight jab, pushing Clicker's head intentionally onto the wall as he circled his neck so he could bypass his body.

CRASH!

Clicker's peck destroyed the rock wall, he grunted and shrieked. Claw was waiting for his turn as he helped to support his brother. Made his way to Neel, yet Neel gave him another hidden strike to his wings. Claw startled and realized his body was in blue fire. "You shi*y mouse!!!"

"I'm a wolf, idiot!" Neel shouted back at him and escape from his side. Neel looked back and sense their scents were near. 'How could they survive my strikes?' He thought shockingly. Usually a simple demon like them, he could get away and killed them easy just using his one struck of lighting. Was it because he didn't fully put a lot of power in it? Or was it because of the injuries he got from the last fighting with that black cat?

Clicker, Claw, and Preen recovered, yet not fully. Their eyes changed to serious-furious mode. "Chase them!" Clicker shouted.

They once again pursuing Neel, as Neel realized he was getting further away from the outside. He thought he should be returned to the original path. Quicken his steps, he jumped on the wall as he flipped his body up the air, he set his lighting power and shocked those three idiots from his unexpected air attack.

The three brothers didn't expect Neel was quick-witted in this situation. He could overturn his disadvantages into his playground. They got struck again from his lighting as it slowly turned into the blue fire which burned them inside and outside. At this moment, Neel gave his slight push power. "KYAAKK!" They yelped from it. Sweats slightly came out from his forehead, but he didn't care about it, for now, he needed to get away from them. Neel used his chance, heading to the exit when the two owl brothers were distracted.

After reaching the light place while carrying Sarah safely on his arms. He felt relief that he finally reached the outside with both of them being safe. But, he was wrong, he still heard those three annoying laughter. What he got wasn't the outside, rather another annoying dark place. The scent he followed to the outside was in disorder. He couldn't define which one was the correct one now. What was going on?

A chuckle reached his hearing, Preen mocked him, "Tsk! Tsk! Do you think this game is to easy? Wrong again. We are a full demon, not half like you. Your puny power wasn't slowing us down at all."

Neel narrowed his eyes into a dangerous mode. His veined popped out as his short white hair turned longer. He changed into a werewolf mode. His claws grew longer than in his wolf form. His eyes radiated dangerous signs which mean he truly hated this kind of play.

He never used his werewolf form since a long time ago, but this situation forced him to let out his third form, the combination of human and wolf strength, which he could say the strongest form he had so far. He growled to the owls, "I give you one more chance to stop!" Neel warned them again.

"Then, I give you one more chance to stop too!!" Clicker repeated his shout ridiculously as he stuck his tongue out. His head spun continuously.

Claw added as he formed an evil smirk, "Ahh~ Five minutes is over, but because I like your expression. Let's play one more time, shall we? This time we'll give you an extra three minutes." He chuckled and gave signals to his brothers. "Ready?"

The three owls flew up instantaneously and surrounded Neel from above. Neel tilted his head up and realized this cave was quite spacous for those birds freely flying. "KOOKOO!!" They were ready to do their tricks, spinning around, and at last, bumped to each other above Neel's head. They changed into black feathers which were bursting and slowly fell into Neel's standing spot. "Enjoy our ride, remember three minutes. Hahahaha!" Clicker's die laughing from all of this. He took it back his words about against this game, he loved it now!

In the hiding dark shadow, another owl was observing them attentively as they continued their so-called 'game'. "Now, who wins this round?"

...

...

Neel opened his eyes and he was in front of a red door. Red roses planted beside the window and the entrance, it gave his mind and body to calm down, yet he couldn't help himself to blink his eyes confusingly, because he felt familiar with this place. Looking down on his hands and clothes, he noticed that he was in his human form wearing a classic white shirt and black pants.

Just when he tried to turn back, the door was open. "Yes?" A honey sweet voice came out from inside the house. There stood a beautiful girl with hazel eyes, orange hair, pale skin, pink lips, and freckles on her face, looking at him quite startled. Made him slightly nostalgic. She asked, "Eh? Mr. Noname? You're back? When did you arrive? What are you doing here? Ahh! Is it Eugene? Eugene isn't here again, I'm sorry. He must be playing in the forest right now."

Neel looked at her unbelievable, felt his stomach tighten up, he felt he wanted to vomit. He called her name softly, "Cara...".

"Yes?"

"I-I'm-"

"Cara! What are you doing standing in front of the door? Look for Eugene, will you? He hasn't eaten his meal since morning." Cara's mother intercepted his words. Her mother came and stood behind her, "Eh? Who are you talking to?"

"It's Mr. Noname, Mom! The guy who lives once a month beside the village lake. He came to see Eugene, but he's not here." Cara explained the situation.

Her mother's eyes lit up, she pushed Cara to the front which made her lost her balance. Neel hurriedly caught her and her head bumped on his chest. Her floral scent tightened his heart. "Ah! Mr. Noname! How are you? I'm sorry, that Eugene isn't here again. Instead, you can take my daughter with you to have a walk, if that's okay? Hohoho!"

"Mom!" Cara blushed embarrassingly as she quickly let go of his holds, and backing away to distance herself from him. She lowered her head to cover up her red face.

Cara's mother knew what her daughter thinking and advised Neel, "I'm sorry, she's just a little shy. Don't be afraid to invite her to date. Now, go on~" She waved her hands to her daughter happily.

"Mom!" Cara yelled at her laughing mother who came inside the house as she closed the door. Cara felt awkward and turned slowly to Neel. She smiled forcingly as her hands and body sweating. "Ahem. I'm sorry about my mom, she's just you know, so hype that there's uhh... handsome man like you coming to the village. Haha, what am I saying?"

Coughing again, she shyly asked him, "Umm, if you're okay with it, umm... like usual, do you want us to walk again together? I'm sorry that every time you come, Eugene always gone somewhere from the house. I hope you're okay with me being your company." Her cheeks blushed and her wavy short hair fluttered from the wind which had rose petals dancing to her direction. The sight made her cuter than before. Neel stared at her without words, unconsciously he reached his fingers which was trying to stroke her cheeks. He touched it and she stuttered from his sweet action.

Cara looked at him unbelievable, as he did the same with her. Both staring each other in silence. "Cara... I..." Stuck on his tongue, he couldn't go so far again to say another word. Grabbing his big palm on her cheeks, she rubbed it and closed her eyes to feel his warm palm.

Opening her eyelids, she pecked it gently as she showered him her habit bright smile. She stated, "I miss you... do you know how long I've been waiting?" Gasping hardly, Neel couldn't hold on any moment, his wet eyes accumulated full enough to burst into tears.

"C-Cara!-" Just when he tried to pull her onto his chest, the scene changed. He wasn't in front of her small house anymore. He was in the village town square at night.

He stood with his two feet on the stone tiles which covered with fresh blood humans. He was panting heavily while his drools fell messily. His blue eyes scanning around the place. Bonfires, laying torches on the ground, the iconic water fountain in the middle was dirty because of stacks of dead human bodies which were burned as their ashes contaminated the water. Small shops were ruined, goods and materials were scattered, it didn't look good for selling condition. He turned behind him and it was a big black cage which was broken as if someone just crushed it.

"Hahh... hah ..." Neel was at lost what was happening. He gulped his saliva and realized he tasted some kind of iron. Sparking his blue eyes, he quickly looked down and saw his nails were longer than before, white fur body with a mix of blood and black ashes splattered on him. 'Werewolf form.' He thought as he suddenly trembling greatly. "Ah... A... A..."

Not so far from his position, he caught sight of a certain girl who was laying lifelessly beside her mother burn body. Her orange hair turned black, there was a trace red mark on her neck, her chest was pierced while her neck had been bite hard until she hardly breathed. Neel took a closer look, slowly yet steady, without hurrying. His rational snapped as if he couldn't take it what was coming to him anymore. Shakingly, he reached her side and kneel down. He picked up her body which was still warm, yet she was in a critical moment.

Fresh blood coming out from her mouth, Neel called her softly, "Cara...Cara..." Cara slightly heard him and tried her best to open her eyes. Her vision was blurry, so she couldn't see the image she wanted clearly. But the next second she could fully saw him. Terrifyingly, her body began shaken, she was trying to scream, but her voice couldn't come out.

In the end, she could only mutter quietly, "M... Monster... demon... be gone." She stared at him with her hazel eyes, showing her last bravery which reflected her angriness. Gasping hard from her pain, she finally let out her last breath as she lifted her right hand which had already a knife on it. She gripped the knife and took this final opportunity to pierce it into his chest deeply.

Blood dripped from inward, followed out through his mouth, he looked down at her in shock, "Cara?" He called to ask why, but she didn't respond to him positively. Instead, she kept muttered nonsense which he couldn't grasp due his mind was shutting down. His whole world crumbling to pieces, into the darkness. The next thing he knew, he howled along the night with the knife still thrusting on his chest.

...

...

"Wake up, you weakling." A raspy woman voice could be heard. It was strange yet familiar voice, but he didn't know why it sounded different from the person he imagined. Then, who was calling him?