Lunar Ties

Selene Albright had never believed in legends or myths. As a scientist who spent hours behind a desk and in the lab, she always relied on evidence, numbers, and facts. The world along with the wild, untamable creatures that lay beyond her imagination had to be explainable through science.

But that day, Selene felt something that couldn't be explained by the scientific theories she'd spent years studying. Something that shook her beliefs.

Her spacious, organized lab in her quiet home on the outskirts of town felt emptier than usual. The fluorescent lights flickered slightly, casting faint shadows over the shelves full of tools and colorful bottles of liquid. Everything seemed normal not the kind of thing that would prepare Selene for what was about to happen.

For the past two weeks, she had been working on what she considered a groundbreaking discovery: a mysterious liquid found in ancient ruins in Eastern Europe. She was sure it held immense potential, though she couldn't yet explain its nature. But her instincts told her it was more than just a regular chemical.

At that moment, Selene lifted a glass vial containing the thick, black liquid that gleamed in the light. There was something in it that seemed to call to her curiosity something that hinted she had to go further, dive deeper.

Her hand trembled slightly as she stared at the liquid. What could happen if she tested it on a human body? Could this be a cure for an incurable disease? Or perhaps something even bigger?

"One more experiment, Selene," she muttered to herself, trying to calm down. The decision might be risky, but she felt there was no turning back. After a moment of thought, she opened the vial and poured a small amount of the liquid into a measuring glass.

The liquid shimmered, and when she stared at it, it seemed as though some hidden energy was glowing from within. Without thinking further, Selene drank it. A sharp coldness hit her throat, immediately followed by a sensation that startled her. This wasn't a typical feeling it was stronger, deeper.

A few seconds after swallowing the liquid, her body felt an extraordinary change. Her head began to spin. Heat and cold alternated, crawling through her body. Her hands and legs trembled, and her heartbeat quickened. Selene tried to stay calm, but it became harder and harder to keep control.

When she looked into the mirror on the lab wall, her face started changing. Her eyes turned red, and her skin felt as though it was burning from within. Her face swelled, and her body felt larger, her muscles seemed to grow, bursting out of her human form. A sharp pain shot through her entire body.

"This... this can't be..." Selene screamed, her voice now lower, deeper rougher. Her hands began to feel an incredible strength, her fingers, once smooth, now growing sharp claws. Gasping for breath, she tried to control herself, but it was already too late. A new instinct, not her own, took over.

Suddenly, a scream she couldn't control erupted from her throat, and her entire body shook violently. Every fiber of her being demanded change, pulling her toward the wild instincts that had been hidden all along. Selene looked at herself in the mirror she was no longer human, no longer the person she used to be.

A wolf. That's what she saw. That's what she felt. Her body continued to change, uncontrollable. So much hunger consumed her, so much urge to escape reality.

Soon after, the lab was quiet again. Selene lay gasping on the floor, still shocked by the drastic change that had just occurred. But inside her, there was a bigger question. What had she just done? Why had she turned into something that wasn't human?

Was this the end of her life as a scientist? Or was it the beginning of a life she never imagined?

At that moment, Selene didn't have an answer, only fear and confusion. She realized then that the liquid she had discovered wasn't just an ordinary finding. It was the key to unlocking a door to a darker, more dangerous world the world of werewolves, a world she never imagined would enter her life.

Could she survive it?