The Wild Within

The first few days were a blur of hunger, exhaustion, and fear. Nova had no plan, no destination—only the overwhelming instinct to keep moving. The forest became her refuge, its dense canopy shielding her from the outside world. She slept in fits and starts, her dreams haunted by flashes of fur, claws, and the screams of her parents.

Her body was a stranger to her now. The transformation had left her with newfound strength and heightened senses that she didn't understand. She could smell water from miles away, hear the rustle of leaves in the wind, and see through the inky darkness as though it were daylight. But with those abilities came challenges. Her appetite was insatiable, her muscles constantly aching for release. Her body was was restless, something, clawing at the edges of her mind.

Nova stumbled upon a stream on the third day, its cool, clear waters offering a momentary reprieve from the chaos inside her. She knelt by the edge, cupping her hands to drink, and caught sight of her reflection. Her face was pale, her eyes sunken with fatigue, but it was her irises that caught her attention. They weren't the soft brown she'd grown up with. They glowed faintly, a golden hue that seemed almost alive.

Panic welled up in her chest, but she forced herself to stay calm. She couldn't afford to lose control again. The memory of her parents' lifeless bodies was still fresh, a jagged wound that refused to heal. She couldn't let herself lose control again—even if she didn't fully understand what she was fighting.

She spent hours by the stream, cleaning herself as best she could and trying to make sense of what had happened. Her clothes were in tatters, shredded and barely holding together, a reminder of the chaos she couldn't recall. Among the few belongings she'd had was a small bag, now slung over her shoulder, containing a change of clothes, a pocket knife, and her parents' phone, though she couldn't bring herself to turn it on. Questions swirled in her mind, but answers were elusive. Who was she? What was she? And why had this happened to her? The world she'd known was gone, replaced by one that seemed darker, wilder, and infinitely more dangerous.

As night fell, Nova found a hollowed-out tree to shelter in. The forest came alive around her, its nocturnal inhabitants moving unseen through the shadows. She listened to the sounds of the night, her heightened senses picking up every snap of a twig and rustle of leaves. For the first time, she felt a strange connection to the world around her, as though she were part of it in a way she'd never been before.

But that connection was fleeting, overshadowed by the gnawing hunger in her belly and the guilt in her heart. She'd taken everything from the people who had loved her most. She didn't deserve to feel at peace, not after what she'd done.

As she drifted off to sleep, Nova made a silent vow. She would find out the truth about who she was and why this had happened to her. And maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to make things right—if such a thing were even possible.

The moonlight filtered through the trees, casting silvery patterns across her face as she slept. The wild within her stirred, but for now, it remained silent, waiting for its time to emerge once more.