Justin's heart thudded painfully against his ribs, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
Behind him, the creak of the floorboards broke through the tension, and Justin stiffened, instinctively turning toward the sound. He expected to see Cigam, calm as ever, but instead it was Mason and Juliet—both of them peering out the window behind him, straight at the creatures circling the hut.
"Bloody hell," Mason muttered, his voice low and strained as he squinted through the glass. His face went pale. "They're everywhere."
"Who are?" Alex barked from the bed, "who are you guys looking at?"
Juliet stood close behind Justin, her eyes wide with fear, her hand gripping his arm tightly. "Are they… are they watching us?" She whispered, barely able to breathe, her voice breaking with panic.
"Who?" Alex roared in frustration, "hello! Is anyone going to tell me?"
Justin swallowed hard, trying to keep himself together. "Nothing for you to worry about Alex…"
Justin gawked at the shadows of the Chupacabras flickering in the moonlight, their eyes glowing with a sinister hunger. He then took a step back from the window, his thoughts were filled with fear. He could feel his pulse racing in his throat. "What the hell are we supposed to do? I thought you got them all?" Justin asked the Professor, his voice barely above a whisper, his eyes never leaving the creatures outside.
The Professor laughed, "you call yourself a headmaster? There are more of them things living around here you know." Cigam looked at Justin with that same intense, almost piercing gaze, "right listen up, us boys will take care of them, the girls can stay in here. You can take care of Alex, can't you doll?"
Juliet nodded, "yeah sure, just go quick so we can get to the hospital."
Justin could feel the weight of Cigam's words sinking in, the terror crawling through his veins like ice. His voice rose with disbelief. "You've got to be kidding. We don't know how to fight them."
"Two powerful wizards and a werewolf? I'm sure we can figure it out."
Justin looked at Mason, then back to Cigam, his mind racing. There was no way they could defeat these creatures. The chupacabras were terrifying, their eyes glowing with hunger and malice, their claws sharp enough to rip through flesh with ease. But Cigam, as calm and composed as ever, seemed so sure—too sure.
"Look, we can't just rush out there," Justin said, his voice shaking with nerves. "We need a plan. Something... something better than just running at them and hoping we don't get eaten."
Cigam turned to face him fully, his expression stern. "The plan is simple. We use the darkness to our advantage. The creatures are strong, but they are not invincible. I have enough power to protect us, but it won't last forever. So, we'll need to take them down quickly. You and Mason will help me to do that. But if you hesitate, we'll all be dead."
Mason swallowed hard, his jaw tight with frustration. "But what about Alex?"
"Well, we have two choices: we can sit here and wait to be torn apart, or we can fight and maybe—just maybe—we'll make it back in time to actually help Alex get to the hospital."
There was a pause, a silence that stretched out like a canyon between them. "Wait—what are you guys talking about?" Alex's voice broke through the tension like a crack of thunder. She pushed herself fully up onto the bed now, her face pale but still a mixture of confusion and worry.
All eyes turned to her, their faces momentarily struck by the sudden interruption. Justin's expression faltered as he realized she'd overheard them. "Alex... it's fine. Don't worry. It's nothing—"
"No," Alex cut him off, her voice sharp despite the weariness creeping through her. "What are you talking about?" She motioned to the window, her eyes wide with concern. "What's going on? Why does it sound like you're all about to face some kind of… monster?"
Mason glanced at Cigam, looking for guidance, but the wizard merely nodded in her direction, his expression unreadable.
"It's the Chupacabras," Cigam said, his tone unwavering as he turned toward her. "More of them have found us. Remember what they are? You beat the crap out of one of them earlier, when you were all wolfed up."
Alex blinked, the words not fully registering at first. "And you're going to fight them?" she asked, her voice wavering between incredulity and fear.
Cigam turned back to Justin, almost nonchalantly, as though facing bloodthirsty creatures was just another part of his daily routine. "If your so-called powerful wizard brother and dog boyfriend are man enough?"
Justin felt the weight of the decision pressing on him, the terror of the unknown gnawing at his gut. The Chupacabras were terrifying, sure—but so was doing nothing. They were being hunted.
Justin and Mason exchanged a quick glance, both of them equally terrified, "Alright," Justin said, his voice hoarse, but determined. "Let's go."
Alex's eyes locked onto his, "Wait, no," she said, sitting up fully now, the intensity of her words surprising even her. "I'm not just going to sit here and wait. I'm not helpless! Whatever's out there, we all need to stick togeth-"
Alex winced, squeezing the bedsheets under her as another contraction took a hold.
Justin stepped towards her, his face etched with concern. "Alex, you're in no condition to fight anything," he said gently, "you'll be fine here. Juliet will take care of you, and we'll be back before you know it."
Alex gave a firm nod, her decision made as the pain still coursed through her body.
"Mason, we need to go," Justin called, his tone unyielding. "The sooner we leave, the sooner we'll be back.
Mason hesitated, his gaze flicking between Alex and the door, the weight of the situation heavy on his shoulders. "But I can't leave her like this," he said, his voice edged with concern. His hand instinctively went to her arm, his fingers trembling as if afraid that if he let go, she might disappear.
Cigam, who had been silent for a moment, stepped forward, his eyes narrowing slightly as if measuring Mason's hesitation. "Mason. You don't have much time to think about this. That baby is not going to wait, and you'll only have yourself to blame if you aren't back in time…"
Mason's face tightened with a mixture of frustration and fear. He didn't want to leave Alex. He wasn't sure he could. But the words hung in the air, undeniable—Cigam was right. There was no time to waste.
With a shaky breath, Mason nodded, though his eyes never left Alex. "I'll be back soon, I promise," he said, his voice soft but filled with determination.
Mason's grip on her hand tightened for a moment before he slowly pulled away, his eyes lingering on her for just a moment longer, as if memorizing her face. He turned to Cigam and Justin, who was already moving towards the door and took a deep breath before following them, pausing only once to glance back at Alex, who was still watching him from the bed.
The door creaked open, and the heavy scent of damp earth flooded in as Justin, Mason, and Cigam stepped outside. The jungle around them was alive with sound of the distant howling wind—but there was something else too, something that made the air feel charged with danger. The Chupacabras were out there in the darkness, their eyes glowing faintly like embers in the night.
The canopy of trees overhead only amplified the feeling of being trapped in a cavern. The world felt smaller, as if the forest itself were closing in on them, and the creeping sense of dread tightened around their chests.
"Stay close," Cigam ordered, his voice steady but low, his eyes scanning the darkness. He moved with purpose, his robes fluttering behind him like a shadow, but even he couldn't mask the growing tension in his movements. The air felt thick, the jungle too still, too quiet.
"Be patient," Cigam said, not looking back. "They're waiting for us to make a move."
As if on cue, a low growl echoed from the trees—low, guttural, and full of hunger. The sound sent a chill through Justin's spine. At first, there was only a couple, creeping forward with an unnatural, almost deliberate slowness, its spiny back arched and its mouth dripping with saliva. Then, another emerged, then another. More. Dozens, perhaps, their crimson eyes fixed on the trio like a pack of predators closing in on their prey.
He backed up instinctively, but Cigam's voice rang out, calm but commanding. "Stand your ground. Do not move unless I say so."
Mason, already on edge, took another step back, his face stricken with fear. "There's too many of them. What the hell are we supposed to do?"
Cigam's eyes glinted with an unsettling calmness. "We fight.
The first Chupacabra lunged. It was a blur—one moment it was merely a shadow, and the next, it was leaping toward them with terrifying speed. Justin's heart nearly stopped as the creature's claws swiped through the air, missing him by mere inches. The force of the attack sent a spray of mud and rain splashing into his face, but he managed to duck and roll to the side, narrowly avoiding being shredded by its claws.
He gripped his wand tightly, feeling the pulse of magic surge through his veins. His body hummed with power, but the sheer number of the Chupacabras made him feel vulnerable.
Mason's eyes were wild, and with a low growl, his muscles began to ripple, his eyes flashing a deep amber. A harsh snap of bone, a sickening tearing sound, and the transformation was complete. Fur exploded from his skin as his body grew larger, his form stretching and contorting until he was fully a werewolf—towering and ferocious.
He barreled forward, charging into the pack of Chupacabras with supernatural speed, his claws slashing through the air. One of the creatures leapt at him, its jaws snapping, but Mason was faster. He swung his massive paw, knocking the Chupacabra aside like a ragdoll, sending it crashing into the nearby trees. Another Chupacabra came at him from the side, its claws raking across his fur, but Mason spun, his jaws closing around the creature's throat. The vile crack of its neck sent a jolt of satisfaction through him, but there was no time to savour the kill. More were closing in.
Justin snapped his wand to the side, muttering an incantation under his breath. A wave of purple energy shot from the tip, hitting one of the approaching Chupacabras square in the chest. The creature let out an ear-piercing shriek as it was thrown back, its body convulsing in a momentary paralysis before it crumpled to the ground.
But the creatures just kept coming.
Cigam, standing at the edge of the group, didn't flinch at the chaos. His own wand was held in a tight grip, the runes etched along its length glowing faintly in the dark. His eyes were locked on the encroaching pack, a grim determination in his expression.
"Focus your attacks!" Cigam commanded, his voice cutting through the commotion. "We need to take them down quickly."
With a snap of Justin's wrist, he cast another spell, this one more powerful than the last. A torrent of fire erupted from his wand, twisting and spiralling into the air like a serpent of flame. It streaked through the air, catching a group of the Chupacabras off-guard. They shrieked as the flames consumed them, their bodies writhing in agony before they fell to the ground, charred and lifeless. But there were too many of them.
One of the creatures darted forward, its claws flashing in the rain-soaked air. Justin swung his wand again, but this time the magic didn't respond as quickly. The creature closed in on him, and in that moment, Justin saw the teeth—long, sharp, and dripping with venom. It launched itself at Justin, claws extended and jaws wide open. He had no time to react. He felt the weight of the creature slam into him, knocking him backward, his wand flew from his hand as the Chupacabra pinned him to the muddy ground.
Mason saw the attack in an instant. His blood ran cold, his wolf instincts screaming to protect his friend, but he couldn't get there in time. The Chupacabra was too fast, too close. He watched, helpless, as it closed in on Justin, its claws poised for the fatal strike.
"Justin!" Mason howled, his voice breaking with panic. "No!"