Stuck with the enemy

I shifted back into my human form, trembling as adrenaline coursed through my veins. My chest heaved with every breath, the weight of what I'd just done pressing down on me. Fear gripped me like a vice. This was only the second time I'd ever transformed, and it was the first time I had attacked anyone with such raw, unrestrained power.

I turned my gaze to Leo. His body lay slumped against the wall, unconscious, blood pooling beneath him. My stomach twisted in knots as I forced myself to take a step closer. This couldn't be real. It couldn't.

With shaking hands, I reached out to check his pulse, but all I could hear was the deafening thrum of my own heart. Panic took over. What if I'd killed him?

"Deniz," Derya's voice echoed in my mind, steady and firm, but tinged with urgency. "You have to go. Now."

"I-I think I killed him," I whispered, my voice barely audible even to myself.

"No time to think about that now. If you stay, you'll only put yourself in more danger." Derya's tone softened, though her insistence remained. "Focus. You're not safe here. Shift, and run as fast as you can."

Tears stung my eyes, but I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. Derya was right. There was no other choice. Taking a deep breath, I let her take over, and the transformation surged through me once again. The sensation was smoother this time, almost natural.

With a final glance at Leo's unmoving body, I bolted out of the room and into the maze of corridors. The stale, damp air of the underground compound gave way to the biting chill of the night as I burst outside. My paws barely touched the ground as I raced through the shadowy streets of the rogues' city, adrenaline fueling my every step.

The forest loomed ahead like a dark, menacing curtain, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. The towering trees engulfed me as I plunged into the depths of the woods, the sounds of the city fading behind me. The cool earth beneath my paws was slick with fallen leaves, and the dense canopy above blocked out even the faintest traces of moonlight.

Branches clawed at my fur as I sprinted deeper into the forest, the shadows around me shifting with every step. My heart pounded, not just from exertion but from the overwhelming fear that I couldn't escape. My thoughts raced as fast as my legs. What if someone was following me? What if I really had killed him?

"Keep going," Derya urged, though her voice wavered slightly. She was growing tired, her strength fading as the run wore on.

I pushed myself harder, my paws skidding over a patch of damp moss before I regained my footing. Finally, when Derya couldn't sustain the form any longer, I shifted back, collapsing onto the forest floor. My hands pressed into the dirt as I gasped for air, my body trembling from exhaustion and fear.

The forest at night was eerily silent, save for the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant hoot of an owl. The trees stood like silent sentinels, their gnarled branches casting twisted shadows that seemed alive. The air was cold and heavy, and the darkness felt suffocating. Every sound, every movement, sent a jolt of panic through me.

I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to steady my breathing. What have I done? I thought, the image of Leo's blood flashing in my mind. Tears streamed down my face as the weight of it all came crashing down.

"You're alive, Deniz," Derya murmured gently. "That's what matters right now. Focus on that. We'll figure the rest out later."

I nodded weakly, wiping my face with trembling hands. But as I stared into the endless darkness of the forest, one thought kept haunting me.