Desmond was done waiting.
The world around him was changing. The wolves were watching him. Elias knew more than he was saying. And Desmond?
He wasn't about to be left in the dark.
It was time to start making moves of his own.
A Meeting in the Shadows
Desmond made his way to a quiet part of town that night. He wasn't just wandering—he was hunting for information.
If the werewolves had saved him, there had to be a reason. And if they were watching him, he had to know why.
That's when he spotted them.
A man leaned against the alley wall, arms crossed, eyes glowing faintly in the dark. A werewolf. Not one of the ones who had saved him, but that didn't matter.
Desmond approached. "I need answers."
The werewolf barely reacted, only tilting his head slightly. "You should walk away, human."
Desmond didn't. "You people saved me from a vampire. That wasn't charity. What do you want from me?"
The werewolf chuckled. "Maybe we just don't like vampires."
Desmond stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Bullshit. You didn't save me out of kindness. If you wanted me dead, I'd be dead. But I'm alive. Why?"
A moment passed. Then the werewolf's smirk faded. He wasn't laughing anymore.
"…He's awake now," the man muttered.
Desmond froze. That phrase. He'd heard it before.
"What does that mean?" Desmond demanded.
The werewolf shook his head. "You're asking the wrong questions."
"Then give me the right ones."
The werewolf studied him for a long moment before sighing. "You're not normal. You know that, right?"
Desmond stayed silent.
"You survived something no human should have," the werewolf continued. "And your very existence is causing ripples. Vampires, wolves, others—they're all watching."
Desmond narrowed his eyes. "Because I'm an anomaly."
The werewolf nodded. "And anomalies? They either become kings… or they get erased."
Knowledge is Power
Desmond returned home that night with his mind racing.
He already knew he wasn't normal. His shield, his strange resilience, his unnatural instincts—it all pointed to something more than just a reincarnation.
But now? He knew something even more dangerous.
Other people knew it too.
The vampires, the wolves, maybe even Elias—they all saw him as something unnatural.
That meant two things:
Some would try to use him. Some would try to kill him.
Desmond needed to get stronger. Fast.
But strength alone wasn't enough. He needed knowledge.
If people were keeping secrets about him, he'd rip those secrets out of them himself.
A Lesson in Power
Training with Elias the next day felt different.
Desmond wasn't just throwing punches or dodging attacks anymore—he was analyzing. Every movement, every word, every reaction.
Elias had been training him hard, but Desmond realized something.
Elias wasn't training him to win. He was training him to survive.
Desmond blocked a strike and countered with a precise jab, making Elias stumble back slightly.
The man wiped his chin. "You're improving."
Desmond took a breath. "No thanks to you."
Elias raised a brow. "Oh?"
"You're holding back."
Elias chuckled. "And what makes you think that?"
"Because you're not teaching me how to fight. You're teaching me how to avoid dying."
Elias's smirk faded slightly. Desmond had hit a nerve.
"Smart," Elias admitted. "But tell me, what's the difference?"
Desmond clenched his fists. "Survival isn't enough."
Elias studied him before nodding. "Alright then."
Then, without warning, he vanished.
Desmond barely had time to react before something slammed into him, sending him flying across the training ground.
Pain exploded in his ribs as he crashed into the dirt.
Elias stood over him, his stance completely different. More aggressive. More lethal.
"You want to learn how to win?" Elias said calmly. "Then stop thinking like a survivor."