CHAPTER 22: The Awakening of the Uber Lycan

CHAPTER 22: The Awakening of the Uber Lycan

The night in the forest was a black blanket studded with cold stars. The fire crackled between them, casting shadows that danced like specters on the cedar trunks. Fénix rubbed his arms, not from the cold, but from anticipation. He knew what was coming.

Alucard watched the flames, his sharp profile like a blade against the orange light.

"It's time," he said, his voice a whisper that cut through the night's silence. "Transform. Uber Lycan form."

Fénix felt a knot in his stomach. The memories of the last time—the pain, the loss of control, the blood—returned like a black tide.

"Are you sure?" his voice sounded weaker than he would have liked. "Last time... I couldn't stop."

Alucard turned to him, his red eyes glowing with a supernatural calm.

"If you lose control, I'll knock you out before you can blink. I'm the strongest one here, remember?" he smiled. "This time will be different. Trust me."

Fénix nodded, taking a deep breath. Alucard took out a metal box. Inside, three syringes rested on black velvet, filled with a dark liquid that seemed to absorb the light.

"You know where," Alucard passed him the box. "Eye, shoulder, spine. If you fail... well, it'll be a memorable spectacle."

Fénix took the first syringe. The needle gleamed in the moonlight. Without hesitating, he plunged it into the corner of his left eye. The pain was instant—a white bolt that shot through his skull. He stifled a scream, teeth clenched.

The second injection was in his shoulder. His arm went numb instantly, as if injected with dry ice.

The third—in his spine—was the worst. A liquid fire that spread through his vertebrae, making every nerve scream. He fell to his knees, gasping.

"This... is... worse," he managed to spit out through gritted teeth.

Alucard watched, unmoved.

"Pain is the price of power, Fénix. It always has been."

The transformation began. His skin darkened, taking on a grayish tone of polished stone. Muscles expanded, tearing his clothes. Bones cracked, reforming into a larger, deadlier structure. But this time, his mind didn't completely cloud over.

He visualized anchors—Enid, Lucian, Vanessa—and clung to them like a shipwrecked man to planks.

When he opened his eyes, he was the Uber Lycan. Three meters of pure muscle and contained fury. But something was different: his eyes—once red as blood—were now Fénix's: golden, alert, human.

Alucard whistled, impressed.

"Well, well... The pup tamed the beast." He approached, studying him. "How does it feel? To have all that power and still be able to think..."

Fénix tried to speak, but only a low growl came out. He raised a claw, examining it as if seeing it for the first time.

"You don't need words," said Alucard. "Your eyes say enough. You've won this battle."

Fénix nodded slowly. The beast roared inside him, but now it was a tool, not a master.

Fénix closed his eyes and concentrated. The power receded like a tide, leaving behind an exhausted but whole body. He fell to his knees, gasping, sweaty, but victorious.

Alucard tossed him a canteen.

"Drink. Rehydrate." An almost genuine smile touched his lips. "Not bad, Fénix. Not bad at all."

Fénix drank, the fresh water soothing his raspy throat.

"And now?" he asked, his voice hoarse but steady.

"Now," Alucard looked out into the dark forest. "The real fight is about to begin."