The streets of Luna Heights were designed in the beautiful shine of beautiful lights as Mira walked through the alley, still trying to organize herself and arrange her mind about what had just happened. Her heart kept beating faster than expected, and every step she took became heavier than the last. She was feeling the cold air more than ever before, but it didn't help clear the numerous thoughts in her mind.
Dane Voss had just confirmed everything she had suspected. He was a werewolf. And that meant everything she thought she knew about the city, about the people she had been investigating, was about to change.
She just got back to her apartment to relax, she wanted to organize her thoughts and try to understand what she had just discovered, but when she was walking in the alley, she was still with the feeling of being watched and that made everything around her seem dangerous and suspicious.
When she was sitting on the sofa to relax her thoughts, suddenly her phone rang. She was expecting the call to be a friend who could bring her thoughts away from what she was experiencing, like something to keep her mind busy. But when she saw the name on the screen Dane Voss, her breath seized. She wasn't expecting a call from him, especially not after everything that had just happened.
She didn't pick up the call immediately, the phone became heavier for her this time.
"Hello?" Her voice was shaky, it was showing her unease.
"Get somewhere safe. Now," Dane's voice came through the line, his tone commanding and urgent. "You're in danger, Mira. Move right now."
Her heart still seized. She wanted to argue, to get answers, but she didn't have the time. She needed to listen. She needed to survive.
"I know vividly what you are," she said with a calm voice. "And I won't stop. I won't forget."
There was no response from the other side of the phone for a long time, this was a silence that had its meaning. When Dane finally spoke again, his voice was low and firm.
"You don't understand. They'll come for you now. If you keep digging, if you don't walk away from this, there won't be anyone left to protect you. Forget what you saw. Forget everything. All am doing is mainly because I know you more than yourself, and also because of your father."
Mira's mind kept racing. Forget everything? Was that even possible? She had uncovered too much already, and she couldn't just let it go. The disappearances, the rogue werewolves, and the strange happenings around the city were all tied together. She was closer to the truth than anyone had ever been. And no one, not even Dane Voss, could make her forget that.
"No," she replied, her voice firm despite fear increasing inside. "I won't walk away. Not until I know the truth. I don't run from challenges."
There was another long silence between them. But when Dane spoke again, his voice was calm.
"You are not ready for this. You're not ready for the risk attached to your actions. This isn't some investigation, Mira. This is a war, a war you know nothing about."
Mira's stomach turned. A war? Her mind flashed to the two men chasing her earlier, their golden eyes were filled with anger. She had seen too much already, and the truth was becoming clearer for her. But what kind of war was Dane talking about? What was at stake here?
"I care about the truth more than myself," Mira replied immediately. "I'm not going to stop now. I am going to expose all the strange things happening in this city. I'm going to make sure people know the truth. Also, my father disappeared in this city and since then I have promised to take it upon myself to find the truth and reveal it."
There was no response on the other side of the phone, and for a moment, Mira thought he had stopped talking and dropped the call. But then he spoke again, his voice was calm now.
"Fine. If you want to do this the hard way, then I won't stop you. But know this, Mira, there are things in this city that no one can fight. You will be risking your life more this time around. You'll be risking everything you know. And you will also make me break a vow to your father."
Before she could respond, the call ended without any form of greetings.
Mira stood there, staring at the phone in her hand, her heart still beating fast. She had always known that uncovering the truth would come with risk, but she had never imagined it would feel like this and come this fast, the words of Dane had serious meaning to her now.
But there was no going back now. She had come too far and would not allow any warning, or threat, to stop her from continuing on her mission to find the truth.
She kept her phone back in her pocket and kept moving, her mind already racing with the possibilities. Who was behind the rogue werewolves? Why were they disappearing? And most importantly, why had Dane been so insistent that she forgot everything? There must be something he wasn't telling her, something more dangerous than she initially envisaged.
She got to the corner of the street and waited, her eyes checking around the place, looking for any sign of danger. It felt like everywhere stood still and waiting for something to happen.
Her phone rang again. Mira froze, her heart beating very fast as she tried to pick up her phone. Another message from Dane?
She pulled out her phone and with a near-closed eye she saw a different number displayed on the phone, one she didn't know before.
Her stomach turned with a sense of unease as she answered the call.
"Hello?"
The voice on the other end was not clear, almost like an answering machine. Mira's mind thought of many things in minutes.
"People are watching you," the person said. "I've been following you since you left the alley."
Her blood became cold. She could hear the small sound of footsteps in the background, as if the caller was moving, walking with her every step.
"Who is this?" Mira asked, her voice shaking despite her best efforts to sound confident. "What do you want?"
The voice laughed slowly, the sound was cold and wasn't friendly.
"I want you to stop digging, Mira. There are eyes everywhere. You're not the only one looking for the truth. But unlike you, some of us know the level of risk involved."
Mira's mind continued the various thoughts of searching for who it could be. Who was this person? And what did they know?
Before she could ask another question, the line went dead. The sudden silence in her ear was very loud.
She stood still, her hand shaking as she held her phone tightly. She had been followed. She wasn't imagining it. Someone had been watching her the entire time.
She went into a panic mood straight and started suspecting everything around her. She couldn't trust anyone. Not even Dane. Especially not Dane.
Her breath became faster as her eyes checked around the empty street. Every shadow seems suspicious to her. Every noise seemed too loud for her hearing. She couldn't differentiate what was real or whether it was her mind that was deceiving her or if someone, something was out there watching her.
She took a deep breath to arrange herself. She couldn't let fear control her. She had to stay focused. She had to know who was following her, who was behind the rogue werewolves, and what Dane's role in all of this was.
But as she turned the corner to move towards her apartment, she saw someone standing at the end of the street, waiting.
It was too dark to see the face properly, but they were watching her, he didn't move and kept silent. She felt her heart seize.
Her mind was telling her to run, to get away, but her feet remained as they stayed grounded to the spot. She couldn't escape now, not without answers.
And just as she was about to move forward, the person turned and disappeared without any trace.
Mira stood there, her heart beating fast in her chest.
She had just involved herself in something more dangerous and bigger than she had ever imagined. And there was no going back.
Someone has been following Mira.