Dennis's heart pounded as he pressed himself against the wall. Flames tore through the room, swallowing the curtains, the door, and climbing every inch of the walls, sealing him inside. What had seemed like the perfect hideout had turned into a terrifying trap. Sweat dripped down his face as he looked around for a way out, realizing there wasn't.

Then came the piercing screech. Dennis whirled around, eyes widening as two massive, humanoid bats swooped into the room through the wall of fire. Their fanged mouths opened in a roar with their malicious, menacing eyes fixed on him. He tried to back away, but there was nowhere to go. The bats lunged clawing at him, only grazing his arms as he twisted away just in time, dodging each following attempt by a nickel. Just as his lungs felt ready to burst from panic, a young female werewolf—who felt oddly familiar—burst into the room, flanked by two adults. Help at last!

But before he could even shout a warning, one of the bats swung down, crashing into them with a brutal force that sent them to the floor, unconscious. "No!" Dennis cried out, but his voice was drowned in the roar of the flames. The bats seized his arms, and before he knew it, he was being lifted off the ground. He kicked and struggled, watching helplessly as the seemingly unconscious werewolf girl was left behind. Quicker than he thought but still too late, he saw her gradually come back to her senses and look up at him, with her eyes widening in horror when noticing he was being carried further and further away. Her sorrowful, familiar face grew distant and faint, yet she still kept calling out his name. "Dennis…Dennis…"

- Dennis, wake up. It's time to go...-.

The voice stirred him awake, gentle but firm. Dennis opened his eyes, gasping as he took in his surroundings, realizing it had only been a nightmare. He blinked and his vision cleared enough to see Winnie sitting beside him, her face softened with a small, concerned smile.

- Rise and shine, sleepy boy - she said, nudging him - I've already prepared breakfast -.

He stood up, yawning, while she slipped outside with him following close behind. The bright dawning sunlight blinded him as he looked up, forcing him to squint. Then, he sniffed, catching a delicious smell. His gaze followed it to four pigeons strung on a branch, roasting over a campfire. He headed towards them with a rumbling stomach.

- I went hunting while you were sleeping. Hope you're hungry. It took me a whole hour to bring them down – she said, a bit disappointed with herself – This area isn't exactly full of prey."

- Oh, I don't mind that... and yes, I'm starving. I haven't eaten since yesterday morning, and my body is starting to feel it -.

Winnie took the branch off the fire and offered him two of the birds, which he gladly accepted.

- Enjoy it, 'cause once I graduate business school and start running a company, you're not gonna get home-cooked meals like this anymore – she muttered on the low.

- Say what?-.

- Oh...n-nothing, don't mind me – she replied before chomping down hard to avoid giving any explanation.

"Okay, that was weird".

Both of them ate until they were satisfied, then buried the little bones and extinguished the fire to avoid leaving any evidence of their presence. After that quick meal, they headed south—or at least, that's what Dennis thought. The thick canopy of trees intertwined with each other left little to no room to see the sky so it was a bit hard to tell even with the sun just fully out, but they were at least safe from unfriendly airborne eyes. The woods seemed endless, and the only thing that broke the monotony (apart from the pink, long-sleeved shirt with a white skull that Winnie wore) was a mountain slope that seemed to never get closer. She told him that on the other side of that mountain there was a small city where they could stow away on a train to an even further city near the ghost-infested forest where the hotel was.

By noon, they reached the mountain, and Dennis looked up and sighed, already regretting the journey. She motioned for him to start climbing, and although he refused at first, he eventually agreed, realizing it was his only option. To his dismay, a few hours later, they hit a dead end. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Luckily, Winnie discovered a rocky path through, and half an hour later, the city appeared in front of them. The sun was nearly done setting by the time they arrived, leaving everything in shadows except for the city and the area nearby. The streets were bustling, with a lot of people strolling or hurrying off somewhere. That's when Dennis realized Winnie would struggle to blend in. He knew people would likely react poorly if they discovered what she was, so he went ahead to look for regular clothes to conceal anything that would give her away. He was about to enter a clothing store when he instinctively checked his pockets but felt nothing.

- Damn. I didn't bring any money or even something to trade, at least - he muttered with frustration.

Angry with himself, he kicked a trashcan and began to walk back to explain the situation to Winnie. Perhaps there could be another way to go by unnoticed, but they'd have to make do with their bare hands and wits. Just then, he heard a voice shout.

- Hey, give me that back!-.

Dennis turned around just in time to see a man running past, clutching a luxurious purse. Behind him, a pregnant woman was stumbling, calling for help. "Please, someone, stop that thief!" she cried, but then lost her balance and fainted. Dennis caught her just in time, feeling pity for her, and set her down gently before sprinting after the thief. His heart raced as he darted through the busy streets, following the thief's dark silhouette into an alleyway. The man turned cursing as he found himself cornered.

-Think you're tough, stealing from a lady like that? Hand over the bag - Dennis demanded, his voice more resolute than he actually felt.

The thief laughed, amused by the sight of a young kid challenging him. Without warning, the man's fist flew forward, landing hard on Dennis's jaw. Pain shot through his face, and he stumbled back, his hand clutching his cheek.

Dennis blinked through the haze of pain, already feeling a bruise forming, but something kept him standing. A sense of something deep and ancient stirred within him, awakening. He felt a rush of energy flood his body, steadying him as he got to his feet.

- Didn't get enough? - the thief taunted him, unsheathing a large, curved knife that glimmered menacingly under the streetlight.

Dennis's heart thumped in his chest, but it wasn't the same racing he'd felt earlier. His breathing slowed and his focus sharpened. Before he knew it, the man lunged forward, slashing the knife toward him in a swift arc. Dennis's body reacted on instinct, evading the blade with a fluid, almost unnatural grace. His movements felt impossibly fast, almost blurred.

The thief snarled and swung again. Dennis watched, detached, as his own body twisted and ducked with perfect timing, narrowly avoiding each strike. Slash after slash came, but Dennis slipped out of the blade's path, each move more precise and almost effortless.

Then, as if something else had taken over completely, Dennis's hand shot forward, fingers curling in a strange gesture he hadn't consciously chosen. He felt a surge of energy flow through his veins, and the thief froze mid-swing surrounded by a green halo, his body paralyzed in place and eyes wide with shock. Dennis barely had time to process what was happening before he lifted his hand instinctively, and the man's body rose off the ground, levitating in the air. He felt detached, like a spectator watching someone else's fight.

Suddenly, his body twisted into a powerful spinning back kick that connected solidly with the thief's chest with a force he didn't know he possessed. The man flew backward, crashing into the alleyway wall with a grunt and slumping to the ground, dazed and defeated. Dennis stood there, breathing hard, his hands still extended at the ready on a defensive stance. The sensation faded, and he felt himself snap back into control, blinking rapidly as if waking from a dream. He looked down at his hands, trembling, a mix of awe and fear creeping into his mind. Whatever had just happened…it hadn't felt like him.

Scared but still on a rush, he proceeded to quickly retrieve the purse and return to the woman, who was beginning to wake up.

- Oh, thank you! Such a handsome young gentleman - she said, smiling - I can't quite remember what happened after I fainted. How did you manage to recover my purse?-.

- Nothing much. I just did what anyone would - Dennis replied modestly.

-Don't be so sure. Only the best people help others like that - she insisted - Oh, and I almost forgot…-.

She reached into her purse, pulling out some bills. Dennis waved his hand.

- Oh, no, you don't have to -.

- Of course, I do. You helped me and this little one - she said, patting her belly - Take it; it's the least I can do -.

Grateful, Dennis accepted the money, now able to buy the clothes Winnie needed. Fifteen minutes later, he met her outside the city, carrying a bag with a hooded purple jumper, loose jeans, and boots. As soon as he saw her, he got excited and went to show her what he'd got. Somehow, no noise was made so he ended up unwillingly sneaking up on her and startling her.

- Ugh, don't scare me like that again, Dennis! Ten years have been enough - she teased, punching his shoulder playfully after the initial surprise.

- Geez, Winnie, you make it sound like I got lost for days! No need to overreact -.

- Whatever, found anything useful while you were there?-.

- Yup, I...helped some people catch a thief and got some change in return - he replied, avoiding any mention of the...outburst episode; which he still couldn't believe.

After she got changed, both entered the time with due precautions to not let her tail or ears slip pop out from her disguise. Soon enough, they found and booked a room at a nearby inn, which didn't seem to be too crowded, to their advantage. Exhausted from their journey, they settled in for the night. But as Dennis laid in bed, he purposely pushed away any thought about the incident back at the alley. It had felt empowering, but after spending so many years believing he was a normal person, to see himself capable of such things shook the very foundations of his perception. Threading from that, his mind drifted to the previous night, to the strange swirl of pink in Winnie's eyes. Had it been his imagination? Or it actually happened and meant something? If so, what? Had his eyes glowed too? He didn't know what to make of that prior ocurrence, but it wasn't as worrying to him so he decided to wait for the right moment to ask.

Little did he know, Winnie was thinking about the same thing. The only difference was, she knew exactly what it meant.

"Zing-zing…".

To be continued…

Heey, nice to see you here, folks. 'Tis the third part of this journey that began some time ago. Hope you liked this too, cuz I for sure enjoy writing about my first ever OTP diving into the world of fanfics. Fourth chapter is already on the way, but in the meantime, may this be enough to satisfy you and then some ^^
Now, about reviews:

- Swoop792003: Thank you so much! Well, more are coming indeed, so make yourself comfortable while I bake :3 Hope to be seeing you around still.

As chapters go on, I'll make a habit of replying to those of you that comment individually, so, looking forward to that back-n-forth. You're more than welcome to express your wishes, opinions, anything you'd like me to consider, know or whatever. Again, thank you guys for coming in and have a good one!