I thought of Magnus.
Before heading to the infirmary, I looked at the inexplicably healed wound on my face. After some hesitation, I finally took out a bandage and stuck it on. I didn’t understand what was happening to my body or why the wound had vanished without a trace. But if it wasn’t because of Magnus’s medicine, he would surely suspect something was wrong with me. I didn’t want anyone making a fuss about my condition again.
I arrived at the infirmary.
Magnus occasionally helped out there as part of his internship. I saw him tending to a boy, one of the club members, who had severe bruises on his face and arms, with some wounds still bleeding. Magnus was carefully treating them.
“Be careful with these areas. Avoid getting them wet when you shower, and try to reduce your training intensity for now. Make sure you get plenty of rest,” Magnus advised.
The boy nodded and left with his medication.
Magnus’s gaze shifted to me.
His blue eyes were gentle, as if they could embrace everything. Every time our eyes met, I felt a sense of calm wash over me. There was something extraordinary about him. Though he was studying clinical medicine and would become a surgeon, I couldn’t help but feel he’d make an excellent psychologist.
“Good afternoon, Seraphina. How’s your injury?” Magnus asked, his eyes fixed on my face.
“It’s better,” I replied, knowing it was wrong to lie, especially to someone as kind as Magnus. I couldn’t bring myself to meet his gaze.
“Let me take another look,” he said, reaching out to cup my face.
“No!” I quickly stepped back. “I’m here to talk to you about something.”
“Oh,” he glanced at my ID badge and smiled. “Are you here to clean? That’s not necessary. I usually tidy up myself.”
“No, I need someone to listen to me,” I admitted.
I felt like I was on the verge of breaking down under the weight of my emotions. I desperately needed someone to hear me out, or I might explode. I wasn’t sure why I chose Magnus, but perhaps it was because of what happened last night.
“What’s troubling you?” Magnus turned and poured me a glass of water, placing it in front of me.
“Lately, I’ve felt like I’m being stalked by a monster,” I said, clutching the cup and shrinking into myself. Talking about it made me nervous.
“A monster?” Magnus frowned.
“Yes, a monster. I don’t know how to describe it… Maybe it’s just a giant bear from the town? Or…” I wasn’t from this town. I’d only moved here for university. The legends and stories were things Evelyn had told me about last night.
“Calm down, Seraphina. Take your time,” he said, pulling up a chair for me to sit.
“Last night, on my way home from your apartment, I felt like someone was following me, but I couldn’t see who it was,” I took a sip of water.
“Then, in the middle of the night, I got up to drink water and saw a huge monster with red eyes and black fur crouching on my balcony.”
The memory of that terrifying sight sent shivers down my spine.
Magnus noticed my fear. “Seraphina, give me your hand,” he said.
I set the cup down and extended my hand. It was ice-cold, as if fear had slowed the flow of my blood.
Magnus took both of my hands in his. His palms were broad and warm. The heat from his hands spread through mine, warming my entire body.
“Thank you, Magnus,” I said gratefully.
“They all say I’m hallucinating, but I know I’m not,” I forced a smile. “Do you believe me?”
I was afraid Magnus would think I was losing my mind, just like Rebecca had.
Magnus looked into my eyes for a long moment before smiling. “Of course I believe you, Seraphina. You look perfectly healthy. There’s no way you’re mentally unstable.”
I hadn’t expected him to believe me so readily. Tears welled up in my eyes. “I’m sorry… thank you. I don’t know what to say.”
Magnus gently wiped my tears with his fingers.
“Don’t cry, Seraphina. It’s going to be okay,” he said softly.
We were close now, and I could see the deep concern in his eyes. I felt embarrassed for showing him such a vulnerable side of me.
I grabbed a tissue and wiped my tears before continuing. “Today, while I was cleaning the trophies in the exhibition room, the monster appeared again. It looked like a giant wolf, but much more terrifying than any normal wolf.”
“A wolf?” Magnus frowned. “Are you sure it looked like a wolf?”
“Yes.”
“Could it have been a werewolf?”
The word “werewolf” brought back Evelyn’s words. I couldn’t help but ask, “Have you heard stories about werewolves too?”
“Of course.”
“You believe me?” I asked, gripping Magnus’s hand in excitement.
“I believe you, Seraphina, because I’ve seen one too,” Magnus said, squeezing my hand reassuringly.
I was stunned. My mouth opened slightly, but no words came out. After a moment, I stammered, “In… in the town?”
This was unbelievable!
“In the lab. I was conducting an autopsy when I discovered a body that was twice the size of a normal person. When I examined its teeth, I found fangs,” Magnus explained.
My eyes widened. “What happened next?”
“I was terrified. I’d never seen anything like it. I reported it to my professor, but by the time he arrived, the body had returned to normal. He thought I was hallucinating due to stress. After that, I did some research.”
He looked at me intently and took a deep breath.
“I learned about the legends in this town. Someone told me it was a werewolf mutation.”
My God! There were things in this world that science couldn’t explain!
“Who told you? Are you sure? There’s no record of such things,” I said.
“History and science are often revised. Some people might not want us to know about the existence of other intelligent beings,” Magnus replied.
He stood up and walked to a cabinet, pulling out a tablet.
“Let me show you something.”
Magnus opened his tablet and displayed a series of blurry images, likely taken from surveillance footage. The creatures in the photos had black fur, sharp fangs, and eyes that glowed with various colors.
“Do these look like what you saw today?”
“Exactly the same!” I nearly jumped out of my seat, knocking over the chair. My breathing became rapid, and I felt like I was suffocating from fear.
Magnus noticed my panic and pulled me into a hug. “Breathe. It’s okay. You’re safe.”