Chapter 10: Echoes in the Dark

The infirmary reeked of alcohol And the sounds of lights buzzing.

Shiro lay motionless under the dim light, the weight of blankets nothing compared to the weight in his chest. His right arm was in a sling, ribs tightly wrapped. But none of it mattered. The pain was somewhere else—deeper, sharper, and harder to treat.

Aoi sat beside him, elbows on her knees, face unreadable. She hadn’t spoken in fifteen minutes.

Finally, she broke the silence. “When you looked at us down there… you weren’t you.”

Shiro didn’t respond. His eyes were fixed on the ceiling, jaw clenched.

“I’ve seen you fight before, but this—this was something else.” Her voice was softer now. “It wasn’t technique. It was instinct. Rage.”

He closed his eyes. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

“You didn’t,” she lied. “Just… surprised.”

Footsteps approached. Master Takeda entered, flanked by two medics and a woman Shiro had never seen before. She was tall, mid-40s, hair tied back, wearing a black coat with no insignia. Her eyes were sharp and cold—like she knew too much.

Takeda nodded to Aoi. “Give us the room.”

She hesitated, then stood. As she passed Shiro, she whispered, “Don’t let them turn you into something you’re not.” And she was gone.

The stranger stepped forward. “I’m Dr. Hayase. I oversee genetic compliance for the Bureau.”

Shiro raised an eyebrow. “That’s new.”

She ignored the sarcasm. “We reviewed your vitals from the fight. Monitored your body’s reaction. You healed a shattered arm in under three minutes. That’s not human.”

Shiro said nothing.

Takeda crossed his arms. “She’s here to run tests. They want answers.”

Shiro sat up slowly, pain shooting down his ribs. “I don’t care what they want.”

Dr. Hayase’s eyes narrowed. “You should. Whatever triggered that transformation—it’s in you. Dormant, buried, maybe even suppressed. But it’s there. And it’s dangerous.”

Shiro’s voice was low, cold. “So what? Lock me up? Run experiments like the ones who created the werewolves in the first place?”

Silence. Even Takeda didn’t speak.

Dr. Hayase turned to leave. “You’re on probation. No missions. No fieldwork. Until further notice.” She stopped at the door. “Unless you want people to start asking what you really are, you’ll cooperate.”

When she left, Shiro looked at Takeda. “You knew.”

Takeda didn’t flinch. “I suspected.”

Shiro’s fists tightened. “Since when?”

“Since your first transformation test at thirteen. You didn’t just resist the serum—you burned it out of your blood. That’s not normal.”

Shiro’s voice cracked. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

Takeda stepped closer. “Because I was still hoping you were just… exceptional. Not unnatural.”

Shiro looked away, jaw tight. “I killed my own kind.”

Takeda hesitated. “You killed a monster. That’s what matters.”

“But I’m becoming one,” Shiro whispered.

“No,” Takeda said firmly. “Not yet.”

Later That Night

Shiro stood on the rooftop again, wind whipping through his white hair. The neon of Tokyo buzzed below. His hands trembled—not from pain, but uncertainty.

From behind, Kenta appeared, carrying a duffel bag.

“Snuck you this from the armory,” he said, placing it beside Shiro. “Silver rounds. Backup knife. Basic kit.”

Shiro didn’t move. “They benched me.”

Kenta shrugged. “They don’t trust what they don’t understand. But I do.”

Shiro turned to him. “Why?”

“Because whatever’s in you—you’re still the guy who jumped into that alley to save a kid with no backup.” Kenta gave a half-smile. “You’re still the guy who nearly got killed trying to spare a transformed teenager.”

Shiro looked down at his hands. “I lost control.”

“Maybe. Or maybe for the first time, you fought with everything you had.”

They stood in silence, two hunters against a world that no longer made sense.

Then Shiro said, almost to himself, “I need to know what I am.”

Kenta nodded. “Then we start digging. Quietly.”

Elsewhere – Unknown Location

Villain X stood in a shadowed chamber, his wounds half-healed. Blood clung to his fur like war paint.

A woman stepped forward—eyes silver like mirrors, her form shifting subtly even when still.

“He survived,” she said.

Villain X snarled. “He’s changing.”

“He doesn’t know yet,” she murmured. “But soon, he will.”

Villain X licked blood from his claws. “And when he does?”

She smiled. “Then he’ll have to choose. Us… or them.”