[POV Ethan]
The next day, I was already in my room getting ready for morning classes.
"Let's do this, day two. Hope everything goes smoothly today," I muttered to myself in front of the mirror.
As I made my way down the stairs, I came across a group of werewolves leaning against the handrail. Apparently, they were all waiting for me.
"So you're the new guy," said the guy who seemed to be leading the group, stepping forward.
"Yeah... And you would be...?" I asked, stepping down the stairs.
"I'm Lucien, the Pack Alpha. I had to step out of school for a few days for a couple of reasons, so we weren't properly introduced," he said, extending his hand for a handshake.
I looked at his hand for a second before shaking it.
"I'm Ethan. Look, Lucien, I've heard about the Pack Alpha, but I'm not a full werewolf yet—I haven't triggered my curse, and I don't intend to. For now, at least, nobody has pushed me far enough to take a human life."
Lucien offered a calm smile.
"Actually, I already knew that. I was just curious to find out someone like you existed in this school. A werewolf who can use magic... that's kind of unheard of around here. To be honest, I've never heard of anything like it."
A bit awkwardly, I gave a brief chuckle.
"Yeah, I know I'm weird even for a school full of supernatural beings... But hey, there's a first time for everything, right?"
Lucien smiled, nodding in agreement.
"These guys here are Matheus, Lucas, and Salomão," he said, pointing to the other boys.
They gave me a nod, and I returned the gesture.
"Just wanted to say that if you ever need anything, you can come talk to me. I look out for all the wolves in this school. Take care, Ethan, I've gotta run..."
"Sure thing, thanks, Lucien," I replied as they walked away down the hallway.
After that unusual encounter, I headed to the classroom. When I walked in, I noticed almost everyone was already in their seats; as usual, I was the last one to arrive. The moment I crossed the threshold, several eyes turned in my direction.
With my usual courtesy, I bid good morning to Lizzie and Josie, who were sitting in the front rows. Both responded politely, and I walked over to my seat, right next to that intriguing girl from the day before.
"Hey..." I murmured, settling into my chair.
"Hi," Hope answered, glancing at me for a brief second before returning her gaze to her desk.
As I pulled my notebook and pen out of my backpack, I decided to strike up a conversation.
"What do we have today? Which class is this?"
"On Saturdays, it's usually math," Hope said, without much enthusiasm.
I made an automatic grimace.
"Right... I'm not exactly a math genius, but here goes nothing."
The teacher didn't waste any time, covering the blackboard with advanced algebra and equations. As the minutes dragged on, I stared at my blank notebook feeling my brain slowly melt.
"If I knew that solving equations was required in the supernatural world too, I would've thought twice before coming here," I grumbled under my breath, propping my head up with my hand.
Hope merely let out a muffled huff through her nose, maintaining her reserved and focused posture. Without a word, she tilted her notebook slightly in my direction and tapped the tip of her pen on the third line of my scratch paper, pointing out where I had messed up.
"Ah... I get it. Thanks," I whispered.
She gave a small nod, redirecting her attention back to the lesson without lingering. The girl clearly kept her distance from everyone, but she was still helpful.
When the bell rang announcing the end of class, I closed my notebook with an almost spiritual sense of relief. I packed my things as Lizzie and Josie approached my desk.
"Hey, Ethan! What are you doing now?" Lizzie asked with her usual energy. "We could walk around the courtyard or go into town."
"Thanks for the invite, Lizzie, but I think I'm gonna rest a bit and practice on my own," I replied with a calm smile.
"Ah, alright then. If you need help with spells, you know where to find me!" she said, tossing her hair over her shoulder as she walked out of the classroom with Josie.
I left the main building and headed toward the outer grounds. The weather was overcast that day, with cold gusts of wind swaying the treetops and dark clouds heavy in the sky. I found a secluded tree, sat underneath it with my back against the trunk, and stared down at my hands.
I began testing my powers again, trying to focus the mystical energy at my fingertips. Tiny, invisible sparks seemed to respond to my command, flowing a bit more easily than the day before.
While watching the air shimmer with magic, my mind drifted away. I thought about my half-sister. It had been quite a while since we last spoke or had any contact. I wondered how she was doing now, whether her life in Reseda was still the same, and if she had any clue about the bizarre world I had stepped into.
That was when I heard it.
The sound of punches. The dull thud of fist against flesh, accompanied by taunting, humiliating laughter...
The focus of my magic dissolved instantly. If there was one thing I hated from the bottom of my soul, it was seeing cowards ganging up to mess with someone.
I stood up right away and followed the noise to an isolated patch of campus, hidden among the trees where the view of the buildings was blocked.
When I arrived, I saw four guys surrounding just one. The kid was curled up on the ground near the roots, covering his face to shield himself from the relentless kicks and punches. I had no idea who he was, but I didn't need to think twice before jumping in to put a stop to the bullying.
"Hey! That's enough," I shouted, stepping firmly between the kid on the ground and the aggressor who had his fist raised.
All four froze and turned toward me immediately. You could feel the hostility radiating off them like heat. They were vampires—their eyes darkened in the blink of an eye, and veins bulged beneath the skin around their eyes.
"None of your business, rookie," one of them growled, taking an intimidating step closer. "Get lost before you get hurt too."
"Look, man, I don't want any trouble," I replied, holding up both hands open to try and talk it out. "Just leave the kid alone and everyone goes their own way. Nobody needs to get hurt here."
They exchanged glances and burst into mocking laughter.
"'Nobody needs to get hurt,'" one repeated, mocking me. "How cute. The new kid thinks he can play the hero."
Before I could say another word, the first strike came too fast, aiming right for my face. I tried to dodge, but the punch landed square on the side of my mouth. A hot flash of pain hit, and the metallic taste of blood instantly filled my tongue.
I turned my head slowly and spat a bit of blood onto the dirt.
In that fraction of a second, something inside me shifted drastically.
The rustle of the wind through the trees vanished, replaced by a heavy, deafening silence. The blood in my veins felt like it was boiling. I raised my eyes to the vampire who had hit me. He met my gaze and took an involuntary step back, a clear flash of hesitation on his face as he saw something dangerous in my expression.
Too late to back down.
I lunged at him before he could reset his guard. The impact of my fist caught him flush on the chin, lifting his feet off the ground and slamming him hard against a nearby tree trunk with a dull thud.
The other three widened their eyes, but their reaction was driven purely by rage. Two of them charged at the same time, one from the left and one from the right.
I ducked under the first attack with a swift movement, grabbed the second vampire's wrist, and used it as leverage, slamming his body straight down into the hard-packed dirt. The third tried to grab me from behind, but I locked his arm over my shoulder and applied raw pressure—the bone snapped loud enough to echo through the woods. He shrieked in pain and collapsed backward, clutching his dislocated shoulder.
The fourth vampire froze where he stood, breathing heavily, all the taunting arrogance completely drained from his face. He looked at his three crewmates lying on the ground, then turned his eyes back to me, horrified.
"What are you...?" he whispered, his voice cracking.
"Someone who told you to leave him alone," I answered in a cold voice, taking a step forward as I wiped the blood from the corner of my mouth with the back of my hand.
The vampire didn't wait for a second warning. He scrambled to pull his companions up, helped the one with the broken shoulder, and bolted away at supernatural speed until they vanished among the trees.
I took a deep breath, feeling the heat in my arms slowly settle down. I turned around toward the ground, where the cornered kid was staring at me with wide, shocked eyes, unable to believe what had just happened.
I offered him a hand.
"You alright, man?"
"Yeah, thanks," he said, trying to get up.
I reached out, and he took my hand to pull himself up.
"You're the new guy, Ethan. I'm Henry, and as you can see, I have a major problem with these idiot vampires. Thanks for the help."
"Yeah, don't mention it," I replied, spitting onto the ground, saliva mixed with blood.
I looked at Henry and added:
"You've gotta fight back, man, or those guys are gonna be on your case forever. Never let anyone feel comfortable taking away your peace."
"Yeah... I know," Henry said, looking down. "I already have a way to fix this. Thanks for sticking up for me."
As I watched the kid walk away, I pondered what I was turning into. Usually, I minded my own business, but watching four on one was just something I couldn't stand by and watch.
I made my way to a nearby water fountain to rinse my mouth. As I approached, someone called out to me:
"Ethan? What happened to your face?"
I turned my head and saw Penelope walking in my direction.
"Hey, Penelope. I had a little situation, but it's taken care of."
Penelope narrowed her eyes.
"Did someone hit you?"
"Something like that. I stepped in to defend a guy who was getting bullied and ended up taking a punch... but you should see the other guy," I said, offering a faint smirk.
"Yeah... you shouldn't be smiling while your mouth is bleeding. Go wash up."
A few moments later, the two of us were sitting on a courtyard bench.
"Wow, so you fought four vampires and walked away alive? You're even more special than I thought, big guy."
I gave a weak smile.
"You haven't seen anything yet."
"Changing the subject though, Ethan... How are your magic trials going?" Penelope asked.
"Hmm, pretty good. Phasmatos levitas," I said, pointing my hand toward a small pebble in front of me, making it float into the air.
"Wow, your learning curve is suspicious, to say the least. Are you sure you didn't learn magic before coming to this school?" Penelope asked, looking at me with suspicion.
"Nope. My only abilities were super strength, hearing things from really far away, occasional fits of rage... stuff like that."
"Hmm, that's really unusual. For some reason, you seem to have almost all the powers of a triggered werewolf without ever taking a life. That alone puts you in a weird category. My guess is that because you have magic in your blood, your body develops differently from other werewolves."
I let out a scoffing laugh.
"Your theory is pretty good, Penelope, but I'm pretty sure all of this comes from that guy. My mom always said he was kind of strange, but even so, she fell head over heels for him." I made a disgusted face as I said it.
"That guy?" Penelope asked.
"My dad..."
"Ah, right. Your dad. You really don't know anything about him?" Penelope pressed.
"Only the basics my mom told me—that he was some kind of werewolf... Ah, wait! I also remember her telling me once that my dad had an imprint. What is that anyway?" I asked, looking over at her.
Penelope turned her head, looking utterly confused.
"Imprint? What's that? I've never heard of that... No, wait, I do know. I saw that in that movie saga, Twilight, wasn't that the name?" she asked herself, placing a hand on her chin, deep in thought.
"Yeah, I saw those movies too, so I thought: maybe deep down, those movies had something derived from the 'real world' we live in."
"If something like that actually existed in this world, Ethan, I would've found out a long time ago, and it would be taught in this school."
"Well, that's extremely weird," I noted. "My mom wouldn't lie to me. So maybe that scumbag lied to her instead."
"Could be..." Penelope said.
"Hold on a second, I'm gonna clear this up," I said, pulling my phone out of my pocket. "I'm calling my mom to ask her about it."
The phone rang a few times before she picked up.
"Ethan? What's wrong, honey? Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, Mom, I need to ask you something. It's about that bastard," I said.
"Don't talk like that, sweetie..." she sighed on the other end. "What do you want to know?"
"It's about that Imprint thing you said he had with you. What was that really?"
I looked at Penelope and put the call on speaker so she could listen too.
"Ah, about that... Ethan, the imprint your father explained to me back then was kind of strange. He said he would live for me, that we were bound by fate, that the universe conspired for us to be together... but the truth is, I loved him and I still do, and I know it had nothing to do with any of that..."
"You're way too naive, Mom. How can a man claim to love you like that and then sleep around with several different women? Where's the logic?"
My mom let out a deep sigh, unable to refute my words.
"I know, son. Your father was a scoundrel. Maybe he did lie to me about it, but in his eyes back then, I didn't see any lie. He said he was a different kind of werewolf—that not all werewolves feel this imprint, that it happens naturally, that it can't be triggered or felt with just anyone other than the one destined for you... So yeah, I might be naive, but I truly believe what he said wasn't a lie."
I stayed silent for a few moments, taking that in.
"Alright, Mom. I'm gonna hang up now. Bye."
"Take care of yourself, son..."
I hung up and looked at Penelope.
"So? Satisfied?"
Penelope still had her hand on her chin, mulling over the information.
"That is intriguing, to say the least. If what your mom said is true, your dad was unique in the supernatural world. I've never heard of anything like it, at least outside of movies."
"Yeah, I know. The only person who could give me answers would be that guy... but I'll probably never see him, since he's likely dead in some alleyway somewhere."
Penelope stood up from the bench, adjusting her jacket with a thoughtful, curious expression.
"Look, Ethan, I gotta head out now, but I'm genuinely curious about this whole story. I'm going to do some research in the ancient grimoires and records in the library. If I find anything about this bond or this werewolf lineage, I'll let you know right away."
"Thanks, Penelope. Seriously, I appreciate it," I replied with a genuine nod.
She gave me a slight smirk and walked away through the campus hallways.
After that whole conversation and the stress from the fight with the vampires, my head was spinning. I needed to get out of that environment for a few minutes, catch some fresh air, and unwind. I decided to head out to the street.
I walked toward the main gates of the Salvatore estate and simply passed right through the exit without speaking to anyone, keeping my hands deep in my jacket pockets.
As I walked away from the school and headed down the road toward town, a memory surfaced in my mind. I thought about my dad and one of the few things that scumbag had left behind: the 1967 Impala. The guy was utterly obsessed with that car. It was a shame the engine had blown—maybe due to its old age, or simply from a lack of proper use. I had only driven it about three times myself, right before my mom nearly lost her mind with worry seeing a 12-year-old me behind the wheel of a monster like that.
I exhaled softly, letting out a faint chuckle as I remembered her reaction back then.
As I walked down the tree-lined road, I found myself reflecting on the place I was in. All things considered, that school wasn't so bad after all. There were plenty of people like me there. Sure, there were always jerks everywhere you went—earlier's fight proved that—but that was the least of my worries, completely normal.
In the middle of those thoughts, I noticed two girls coming from the opposite direction. I vaguely recalled seeing them walking through the school hallways before.
As soon as they got closer, both flashed a warm smile at me and slowed their pace, taking the initiative to introduce themselves.
"Hey, Ethan! I'm Stefani," said the first girl in a friendly tone.
"And I'm Suelen," the other added, looking at me with curiosity.
I treated them with my usual politeness.
"Hey, girls. How's it going?"
"Good! We saw you leaving... Where are you headed?" Stefani asked.
"Just stepped out to clear my head a bit," I answered with a light smile. "My mind's full of stuff today."
Both nodded understandingly.
"We totally get it," Suelen said. "If you ever need anything or want some company, just let us know, okay?"
Stefani gave me a playful, charming wink before turning around, and the two walked back toward the school, giggling quietly between themselves.
I watched them walk away for a second before resuming my walk. I was starting to think this school was a bit strange... I had already noticed that there were tons of girls around, but very few guys. I mean, it's not like I was complaining—far from it, I actually liked it—but it was still kind of unusual.