Chapter 1544: Steve’s Past (Part 1) A part of Kai truly wondered what would happen if they were to tell the truth. If, right here and now, they were to blurt out that they weren’t from this world at all, that they came from a different time, a different place, a future where magic didn’t exist, where there were no guilds, no sprawling kingdoms, but where Werewolves had lived in secret among humanity. The thought gnawed at him. As much as curiosity pushed him to imagine the reactions on the faces of Steve and his pack, he knew deep down it would not be productive. Nothing about it would help them in their current situation. Revealing their secret would only bring trouble, suspicion, or worse. These two are leaving it to me, Kai thought, stealing a glance at Gary and Lupus. They’re staying quiet, letting me carry the conversation. I guess that’s not the worst thing in the world. Who knows what they would even say if they spoke for themselves? He exhaled slowly, a little sigh leaving his lips. “Our story,” Kai began, his tone steady, “is similar to each other’s, but it’s… complicated.” Gary and Lupus listened without interrupting. Steve tilted his head with quiet interest, his piercing eyes sharp even in human form. “Me and Gary, we both come from the same town,” Kai continued. “But it’s a small place. A very small place, far, far away from here. So far, in fact, that the danger of beasts was practically nonexistent. Of course, we knew of beasts, we had heard of them, stories passed down, travelers whispering rumors, but they never truly affected our lives. You could say because of that, we were naive to the wider world.” Kai let the words hang there for a moment. “We didn’t change when we were three. Our change came much later in life, when we already had families… when we were already living what we thought were normal lives. But then, just as you said, something happened. Something changed us, turned us into these… Werewolves. A change that came on the night of the full moon.” At that, Steve’s expression sharpened. His brow furrowed slightly. “On the full moon?” Steve repeated, almost questioning the very idea. Kai’s heart skipped a beat. He had added that detail deliberately, because in his world that was what every Werewolf went through unless they had sworn the vow with Unzoku. Wasn’t that supposed to be true here as well? Or had he just made a mistake? Steve leaned forward slightly, eyes narrowing. “Both of you changed at the same time? On the day of the full moon?” Kai swallowed and forced himself to meet Steve’s gaze. “Did the same not happen to you?” he asked cautiously, as though testing the waters. Steve shook his head slowly. “I changed when I was three. That’s the way it has always been, for as long as I’ve known. But out of all the Werewolves I’ve encountered, this… this is the first time I’ve ever heard anyone mention the full moon in relation to their first change.” Kai’s pulse quickened. He forced his face to remain neutral. “Most don’t even notice the moon when they change,” Steve went on. “They’re too focused on the pain, the transformation itself. But if I had to say anything…” He shrugged. “The fact you both changed on the full moon must simply be coincidence.” It was then that something struck Gary. A memory resurfaced, sharp and clear, the conversation he had once had with Unzoku. Hadn’t the Werewolf God said that someone, long ago, had broken the vow? And when that vow was broken, the family line had been cursed? Gary clenched his jaw. His instincts screamed at him to ask, to dig deeper. “Where we come from,” he began carefully, “the moon is important. Our people… they celebrate it. There are festivals centered around it. Does the moon mean nothing to your packs? No significance at all?” Kai, beside him, nearly broke into a grin, and he wanted to give him a thumbs up there and then. That was clever, Gary. By framing the question as curiosity about traditions, Gary had managed to ask directly without revealing too much. Steve shook his head again. “There are many places that celebrate many things,” he admitted. “Festivals for the harvest, festivals for the sun, and yes, even the moon. But as for our pack?” His tone was firm. “The moon holds no special meaning for us.” None of them thought Steve was lying. His voice carried too much conviction. But the answer only deepened their unease. If his pack, and the Werewolves here, had never been tied to the moon, then… what did that mean? Were they truly part of the same history, or had something diverged long ago? Then is it just us? Kai thought grimly. Is our curse something different, something older, something they’ve never had to endure? He forced himself to continue the story. “The change… it was a shock to us. We didn’t know what was happening. We still don’t know much. And it was a bigger shock to those around us. Our families… they didn’t exactly chase us out. But they didn’t understand either. So we left. We chose to venture out and find answers, to find someone who could explain what we were becoming. For Lupus he was someone we met a little later.” His voice grew quieter at the end, but his words were enough. Lupus finally spoke, his tone blunt, short, but helping fill in the silence. “Same. Same, but just a little different.” That was all he said, but it was enough for the moment. Kai quickly continued, steering the conversation. “While on our journey as a trio, we heard rumors. That there was a Pack of Werewolves at the Redwing Kingdom. So we set our sights there. We hoped we might find them, and maybe find the answers we needed.” Steve nodded slowly, his eyes lingering on them. Kai didn’t miss it, the way a few of the other Werewolves in Steve’s group turned their heads at the mention of the Redwing Kingdom. Clearly, it was a name of weight. A name tied to history. “Is the Redwing Kingdom something we should be worried about?” Kai asked cautiously. Steve shook his head, though his expression was unreadable. “The Redwing Kingdom,” he said. “Yes, that makes sense. Many Werewolves look to them, aspire to them. They head there, searching for strength. Another pack, separate from ours, is currently there.” His eyes softened for a moment. “It’s led by my brother. Jack.” **** *** For updates on MWS and future works, follow me on my social media below. Instagram: jksmanga P.a.t.r.e.o.n: jksmanga When news drops about My Vampire System, My Werewolf System, or any other series, you’ll hear it there first. Feel free to reach out, if I’m not too busy, I tend to reply.