Moonlight streamed through a window of the martial arts school as I slowly moved through the Defense Forms. My body flowed smoothly, muscle memory aiding me. When I went through the last move, I sighed. I would be better with a sparring partner, I thought wistfully.

“Good form,” a light voice said behind me. I whirled, fists raised. A boy, only a few years older than me, was leaning against the wall right next to the door to the practice room we were in. “You must’ve been practicing for a while.” His unusually long blond hair was braided and draped over his shoulder while his blue eyes stared at me. I lowered my hands.

“That’s an understatement,” I replied. The boy smiled slightly.

“I’m Sin,” he said, levering off the wall and striding to me, his blue eyes never straying from me.

“Milo.” I shook his hand. “Sin is a strange name.”

“Just a nickname.”

“Ah.” I paused. “What’s your real name?”

“That’s not important. I wanted to spar with you, especially after seeing that great structure.”

“How’d you get in here?” I questioned as he went to the weapons rack, taking out two dull blades.

“Oh, you’d be better off not knowing.”

“You’re a mystery,” I observed, taking the blade he offered me.

“Aren’t we all?” And the battle began. He advanced and swung; I raised my blade to meet his in a flurry of sparks.

“That depends.” I shoved him back, ducking under a wide swing and sliding under his legs. He whirled to block my blade with astonishing speed.

He gave me an attack like no other, his sword expertly swirling through the air like it was an extension of his arm. I managed to block his sword, barely, most times but other times I was forced to avoid it. We went on for an uncountable amount of time until suddenly sunlight blinded me. Sin’s blade tapped my chest instantly. 

“I win,” he said, smirking. 

“Unfairly! The sun blinded me!” I protested. He lowered his sword slowly.

“I still won.” I swung at him instinctively and the blade sliced through his shirt and shoulder, drawing blood. He staggered back and I dropped my sword in shock.

“Oh my God! I’m so sorry-” I rushed over to him but he shoved me back as I tried to inspect the wound. I tried to go forward again but he raised a hand; I halted.

“Stay back,” he growled, hunching over. I stared as his backbones cracked, jutting out and folding in. His clothing ripped and black fur grew over his tan skin. I stumbled backward, tripping over the hilt of my sword and falling onto my back. I scrambled to the farthest wall as a black wolf replaced Sin. Sin-the-wolf slowly stalked toward me, taking his time. His lips pulled back to reveal huge canines. My breathing quickened in fear as drool dripped from his slightly-opened jaws. 

Then suddenly the door to the practice room swung open and a tall, muscular man with a shotgun strode into the room. Upon seeing Sin, he aimed the shotgun. I was helpless when he fired, Sin-the-wolf flying away from me to slam into the weapons rack with a whimper. I looked back toward the man but he was gone. As Sin shifted back to his human form, blood pooled around him quickly. He was curled in a ball as I crawled over tentatively.

“S-Sin?” I reached toward him and he lifted his head, his gaze meeting mine. His eyes were full of pain, fear, and hopelessness. The sight broke my heart. I saw the hole in his side so I ripped the bottom of my shirt and balled it up, covering up the hole. Pulling my phone from my pocket with one hand, the other hand pressed firmly against his wound. He winced, his eyes rolling back, and fainted. I dialed 911 and an ambulance came, two people taking his limp unconscious body and putting it on a stretcher which they put in the ambulance. I got in after him. 

“Keep pressure on the wound,” one the paramedics said and I nodded, resuming pressing the nearly-soaked-with-blood ball of shirt on the hole. Sin whimpered every once in a while along the way to the hospital, flowing from unconscious to conscious over and over. 

Why am I helping a…werewolf…that tried to kill me? I thought wearily, watching Sin’s chest rise and fall gently. Then the ambulance stopped and they brought him into the hospital, me following quickly. When they brought him past the front desk though, a nurse told me to stay put so they could help him. 

“Ugh,” I muttered under my breath but went to the waiting room and started pacing. After my feet started to hurt, I sank into a chair. I didn’t realize I was asleep until a doctor woke me up to tell me Sin was in stable condition. I burst to my feet, sleep forgotten. But he grabbed my arm lightly. 

“He’s still under a sedative but he should be awake soon. Be careful and don’t mention what happened until he remembers,” he said.

“Ok,” I replied before he led me to Sin’s room. As I walked in, the doctor closed the door behind me. After pulling up a chair to his bedside, I sat patiently, waiting for the werewolf to awaken from his slumber.