Part Two

Aster awoke to find himself in a ball and in human form again. He sat up and saw a mystical-looking pendent on his bedside table along with a note. He seized the note and saw Satorius' handwriting stating that this was the pendent he spoke of and reminding Aster that it was only to be used for those nights when being human was essential.

Good. I have a duel tomorrow night. He stowed the pendent in the table's drawer before grabbing his school supplies and homemade lunch and heading off to school.

The world seemed different to him and a test with his nose confirmed that, to him, it was brighter, sharper, and clearer. I have the senses of a wolf in human form. This has to be the positive perk I was told about. These sharper senses seem to make being a werewolf not the bad thing I thought it was.

Aster spent the morning subtly playing with his senses and thoroughly enjoying it. That enjoyment turned to confusion when he opened his lunch. It had some rice and vegetables, but it largely contained meat of different varieties and states of preparation. It ranged from raw to medium-rare. He suspected why there was a lot of meat, but did not care for raw, barely cooked meat and intended to let Satorius know as he further suspected that his manager was responsible for this. He pushed the raw portions aside and consumed the cooked ones alongside his sides.

It was after school that Aster was reminded of why he had been cursed in the first place; up ahead of him was Jaden and his two roommates. They were talking and, thanks to his sharp hearing, he could hear what they were discussing. It wasn't anything he hadn't already heard: The white dorm and the odd yet challenging duels that Jaden had won lately. The duels Aster was familiar with having watched them in the shadows, but this Society of Light that Chazz had joined and convinced most of Obelisk to join. What was it? The only clues were that it solved all of Chazz's problems and that Satorius was the founder.

Seems to me that everything odd that's been going on here, leads to Satorius. He still hasn't answered all of my questions and I'm going to try again. I won't let him distract me this time; cursing me was a way to distract me, I'm sure of it.

"Hello, Aster. Are you prepared for tomorrow night?" Satorius asked the moment Aster entered.

"I am, but I want answers to a couple of questions from today as well as the ones I didn't get yesterday."

"Very well. Ask your questions."

"My first question is more of a statement. My lunch contained a lot of meat, most of it uncooked."

"I thought that since you're a werewolf, you would appreciate more meat to your meals. Furthermore, wolves eat it raw and you will be able to handle it better than you could before."

"The quantity I can handle, but I would prefer it thoroughly cooked."

"I will see to that. Your next question?"

"Yes. The Society of Light. What is it? Chazz said that you're the founder."

"I did found it but I'm afraid you're not ready to know what it is or does."

Not ready. That's fine. "Now, your talk of fate and reading futures and my duels with those tarot cards."

"The cards predict the future and only those gifted enough can interpret them. The future is fate, but once in a while, a rare person defies fate."

"Rare person. You mean Jaden."

"Precisely. The cards said you would have a re-match with him when you went to that midnight duel and that you would win. Jaden, however, defied that fate. I knew then that he was special just as you are."

"Special. How are we special?"

"That is not important right now. Trust me, you will discover it when it is time."

Another round of vague answers but Aster was satisfied this time. He turned and was at the door when he heard Satorius muttering to himself; of course he heard it clearly because of his sharper hearing.

"Aster is a fool. He is but a pawn in the grand plan. Jaden is the one who can ruin everything, but once he is bitten, I can proceed in brainwashing the world to join the Society and worship the Light of Destruction with me as its vessel."

"Light of Destruction!" Aster exclaimed as he turned around. "You plan to brainwash the world and I'm just a pawn!?"

Satorius rose and came around to face Aster with a demented expression on his face. "Yes. That's all true. Jaden could ruin my plan. When you bite him, he will be on my side, unable to stop me. I may either dispose of you or trap you as a wolf once my plan succeeds."

"You…madman!" Aster said, anger bubbling up at learning that he was being used. A wolf growl came out and, to his surprise, he shifted into his wolf form. He stared down at his paws. "What? But, it's not dark yet."

"Another aspect of the curse, you fool," Satorius sneered. "If you become angry, you change into a wolf and cannot change back until the following morning."

"Great. Just great," Aster grumbled.

"This is perfect, actually."

"How's that?" Aster growled, looking up at him.

"Now that you've changed out of anger, you'll be able to change any time before dark and it fits with my plan."

"Forget it. I refuse to be used by you."

"Really?" He pointed at Aster. "I order you to hunt as a vicious wolf would. Go. Now!"

Once again, Aster felt his body stiffen and leave the boat. He had no control over himself as he headed into the woods. Things worsened for him as the mindset of a wolf took over him. He was still aware of himself but his body was controlled by a different mind, planted there by Satorius' orders. He was forced to watch himself hunt.

He looked through his eyes and heard his voice growl as he stalked for something to eat. Satorius said to hunt. How far does hunting go for wolves? A more intense growl was heard and Aster saw the ground was closer, meaning his body was crouched. Does this mean that prey's been scented? I can see and hear, but I can't smell anything or feel anything.

He heard a short snarl and the ground blur for a second before seeing a doe dashing away from him. The doe was fast but he was obviously faster as the doe got closer. Then, the neck was in front of him. He heard the deer cry out in panic and fear before it was abruptly cut off. He saw the ground approach and then his view shifted to see a dead deer. His vision turned black as he closed his eyes and howled in triumph.

Okay. I've killed something. I should regain control soon. Aster tried to move, but his body approached the deer, tore it open, and began to feast. Aster was truly horrified. He had stalked, chased, and killed and yet it seemed that, for a wolf, feasting was part of the hunt. Well, of course it is, he chided himself. Predators hunt to eat. He was forced to watch as his body ate its fill before trotting away. It wasn't until he was at the lake that he could smell and feel again.

His stomach was full, but his throat needed water. Aster, however, was too wrapped up in his recollection of what he had just witnessed to give his thirst a thought. He had lost control of himself and acted like a vicious wolf on the hunt.

I truly am under Satorius' control when he commands me, he thought as he finally drank. Only…I don't think that really is my manager talking. I think an evil force has possessed his body. I know how that feels. Aster tilted his heard up and howled sadly to the sky above.