Chapter One: Carnival of freedom

The moon hung heavy and silver over Wild Crest’s annual festival, casting the carnival in a shimmering halo of magic and mischief. Paper lanterns floated above the crowd like tiny suns, flickering in every color imaginable. Music pulsed through the air—drumbeats that made your blood dance and melodies that wove between stalls heavy with the scent of roasted meat, spun sugar, and something distinctly primal.

Aaliyah ran through it all like a wildfire barely leashed, her laughter trailing behind her like smoke. She didn’t walk; she sprinted, tugging Shelly along by the wrist, weaving effortlessly between drunken dancers and glowering elders who barely disguised their disdain. Her wild curls bounced with every step, the beat of the drums echoing the rhythm of her racing heart.

"Come on, Shelly!" she called over her shoulder, breathless with exhilaration. “It’s not gonna kill you to smile once in your life.”

Shelly stumbled behind her, pale and overwhelmed, her delicate dress dusted with dirt from the bustling path. “I’m trying,” she muttered. “But you know I hate crowds. And noise. And what if someone sees us? This isn’t exactly... approved.”

Aaliyah rolled her eyes, but her grin softened. “That’s the point. We’re not here to behave.”

The crowd thickened as they neared the center of the fairgrounds, where fire jugglers and belly dancers performed for howling spectators. Shelly’s grip tightened. She bumped into a fruit vendor’s cart, sending a cascade of apples tumbling to the ground. The vendor shouted, eyes flashing with fury.

“I’m so sorry” Shelly squeaked.

Aaliyah stepped forward, flipping two coins into the vendor’s hand with a cool smirk. “Here. Keep the change.”

The vendor muttered something in a dialect only the older wolves still used, but he waved them off. Shelly whispered a thank-you, cheeks flushed with shame.

Aaliyah leaned close, her voice low. “You’ve gotta stop apologizing for existing.”

Shelly’s eyes welled up for a moment, then she blinked hard. “I just... don’t want to make trouble.”

“I am trouble,” Aaliyah said with a wicked grin. “You’re just along for the ride.”

The girls moved deeper into the chaos, the music changing slower now, more dangerous. The carnival’s true heart beat beneath the lights and laughter, in the guarded alleys where blood and thrill mingled.

“This is what we came for,” Aaliyah whispered as they reached the tented clearing. Rough wooden barricades boxed in a circular pit, and the scent of sweat, iron, and anticipation hung thick in the air. The underground fight was only spoken of in hushed tones unofficial, unsanctioned, and undeniably magnetic.

“Are you sure we should be here?” Shelly’s voice was thin, barely audible over the roar of the crowd beyond the barricades.

Aaliyah nodded without hesitation. “I’ve never been more sure of anything.”

Two guards blocked the narrow entrance. One of them looked directly at Shelly, eyes narrowing. “She eighteen?”

Aaliyah stepped forward before Shelly could speak, her gaze hard. “She’s with me.”

The guard stared for a moment longer, then snorted and stepped aside. Aaliyah led Shelly through, her pulse racing. It wasn’t about rebellion or showing off. It was something older, deeper. A calling she couldn't name.

The crowd inside surged as the fighters entered the ring. Their bodies were coated in sweat and ritual paint, muscles coiled like springs. They circled each other with the intensity of predators sizing up prey. The crowd bellowed, the energy electric.

Shelly flinched at every punch, every roar. Aaliyah, in contrast, leaned forward, eyes wide. This wasn’t just violence—it was a dance. Raw. Sacred. An expression of power and defiance.

Suddenly, she turned to Shelly, excitement glittering in her eyes. “Doesn’t it make you feel alive?”

Shelly looked sick. “It makes me want to leave.”

Before Aaliyah could argue, a sharp crack of gunfire split the air. The crowd scattered in seconds, screams erupting in all directions.

“What the hell?” Aaliyah grabbed Shelly’s arm, dragging her through the panicked throng. She barely registered the chaos: tents ablaze, smoke rising, fighters grabbing weapons. She shoved Shelly behind a stall as another shot rang out.

Then came the sound that froze her blood howls. Not the festive, drunken ones from earlier. Real howls. Warning howls.

Aaliyah shifted mid-sprint, fur bursting from skin as her body twisted into its sleek, midnight-black wolf form. Shelly shifted too, though slower, more painfully—her cinnamon-colored wolf trembling as she struggled to keep up.

The two tore through the forest edge, dodging burning branches and bodies. The village was under siege but by whom?

As they climbed a ridge toward the familiar path home, a figure blocked the cliff’s edge. His coat was torn, his face streaked with soot, but she knew him instantly.

Chris.

His amber eyes locked on hers with haunted intensity. “You can’t go back.”

“What? We have to my father”

Chris shook his head, voice breaking. “He waited for you. Right up until the end. But he’s gone.”

The truth hit like a landslide. Aaliyah staggered back, her legs collapsing beneath her as she shifted into human form, sobs choking her throat.

Smoke swallowed the stars. The carnival was no more. The girl who came seeking danger had found devastation instead.