Hollow-Born

e first th

something duller now. Heavier. Like my body has been stitched back together wrong. Throbbing. Ache and weight and t

ot quite sound. Not quite sile

ears through my las

n the wind like they're unaware of the violence they hosted. The forest f

I d

Which surprises me

n, like someone replaced each vertebra with glass shards. My limbs drag lik

shoulder. A clean tear, like claws sliced

en I s

ur catching the light like smoke laced w

i

am. Not a hallu

w

e. Whol

ry cell in me screams that I shouldn't be seeing this. It's wrong. Wol

here

on born of shadow a

ane," I

es sna

r. Lu

lazily in my hea

falling backwar

my G

f. Same thing

ot. Her tail flicks with amusement, like she's just finished the best nap of

Typical. Humans always go down like

hoarse, thin. "You

shrug. "Dramatic entran

t. This is too much. I shouldn't have done the ritual. I should've li

no

nt

and fast, a blad

Council might. If they find out what I

ow-B

my skin like a brand. No

e stayed asle

natural wolf should be. Broad-shouldered. Pre

t you rip yourself apart? I

icknam

keep calli

l teeth and

something to call you besides 'oh-m

-hearted. My body ache

real," I

e late," s

eze.

le. That's when the veil thins. But you locked me out.

ts. Shame pulse

dn't

ough to run

m s

between us,

hands. Pale. Blood-s

t you... i

ooks

more than anything

gain, a branch sna

th fr

berating through the clearing.

ne's c

the sound-he

ts. Leave

n the dista

ced with something o

bristles like frostbite

steady legs.

oser. Protec

's

't as

eady

hbane

s feels a new wol

t the

y abomina

com