Chapter 9: CH 7: Hybrid
The next day, at school.
Asher, Scott, and Stiles were walking near the entrance of the hallway.
"So you killed her?" Stiles asked.
"I don't know, Stiles. I woke up in my bed, but it felt so real. I don't know," Scott said, clearly still shaken.
"So it was a dream then," Asher said as he took a sip from the drink he bought before coming to school.
"I've never had a dream like that before," Scott muttered.
"I have," Stiles chimed in.
Asher raised an eyebrow. "Really?"
"Yup. Sweating all over. But they usually end a little-" Stiles was about to finish when Asher quickly cupped his hand over Stiles' mouth.
"Don't finish that. Please," Asher said, giving him a side eye.
Scott was about to speak, but Stiles jumped back in.
"Let me guess. You're going on a date with her tomorrow, huh?" Stiles said, pointing at Scott.
Scott looked caught off guard. He tried to act casual but couldn't hide the sarcasm in his voice. "Nooooo…"
"You definitely are," Asher said, sipping his drink again.
Stiles looked at Scott like he was trying to tell him something without saying it out loud.
"Okay I know what you're thinking Stiles but that's not possible. The dream can't be connected to real life. Wouldn't that be like seeing the future or something? That's not possible. I'm not gonna lose control okay?" Scott said as he caught the look.
"That's what you said last time" Asher added.
"Before you almost killed me" Stiles said, folding his arms.
Scott stayed quiet. His face grew gloomy and he let out a slow sigh.
"You know what it's okay man. Maybe Asher could teach you control" Stiles said, trying to ease the tension.
"I already tried that. He'll have to figure it out himself. Or you could ask Derek for help. He's been one longer than me. He'd probably be a better teacher" Asher said while sipping his drink.
"He's not gonna teach us. We got him tossed in jail man" Stiles replied.
Asher looked at him then shook his head slowly in disappointment.
They reached the end of the hall. Asher pushed open the door that led into the next building. But when they turned the corner, they froze.
In the bus yard ahead was a crime scene. A blood covered bus sat behind yellow tape.
"Oh shit. The bus was real" Asher said.
—————————
After they got back into the hallway, Scott and Stiles scurried off to go find Allison while Asher went to look for Sage. He hadn't seen her all day.
After turning a corner, he saw her standing by a boy with blonde hair and brown eyes. They were smiling and laughing together.
His heart clenched a little, but he collected himself. He wasn't the jealous type, and they weren't even together, but still… it stung. Quietly, he turned and started walking away.
Sage saw him just as he disappeared around the corner. Her expression shifted. She knew exactly what he must've thought, and he was wrong. The boy she was talking to was a new student she had just met. He was asking for directions around the school. His name was Cole.
"Hold on Cole, I have to do something. I'll see you later" she said quickly, before jogging after Asher.
"Okay sure" Cole said as he watched her run.
As she disappeared from view, a slow, creepy smile spread across his face.
When Sage caught up to Asher.
"Asher wait!" Sage said as she grabbed his arm.
Asher turned around looking at her. "Look Sage, I know we just met and all, and we're not together, so you can do what you want. I'm not mad…" he said, turning back around.
"Asher stop… let's talk like adults. It wasn't like that. He's a friend, he needed directions around school so I was helping."
"Okay Sage…" Asher said.
"No because you're not listening… Asher I-" she got interrupted by the PA system.
"Attention students, this is your principal. I know you're all wondering about the incident that occurred last night to one of our buses…" the principal said over the PA.
"While the police work to determine what happened, classes will proceed as usual," the principal concluded.
"You were saying?" Asher said.
"Asher I don't like Cole, he's just a friend."
"I said okay the first time, Sage," Asher chuckled and opened his arms for a hug.
She walked into his arms, giving him a hug.
"Oh also I forgot to tell you, I joined the cheerleading team, so I have even more reason to come to your games now!" Sage said.
"Oh really? That's great," Asher smiled. Then the bell rang.
"I'll see you at lunch, okay?" Asher said.
"Kay," Sage replied, then walked away.
—————————
At lunch in the cafeteria.
Asher had just got his plate and sat down at an empty table. Soon after, Scott and Stiles joined him. They started talking about Scott's dream again.
"Dude I know something happened last night… I just don't know what yet," Scott said.
"Okay but what makes you think that Derek knows what's happening?" Asher said after taking a bite of his food.
"Because during the full moon, he wasn't changed. He was in total control while I was running around in the middle of the night, attacking some totally innocent guy."
Stiles looked at Asher, then at Scott like he was dumb.
"And you think Asher was running around like an idiot with you too?" Stiles said.
"No, but Derek is different," Scott said. "Look, I can't go on that date anymore. I have to figure this out first."
"That's not really a good idea," Stiles said.
"What's not a good idea?" Lydia asked, sitting at the table. Sage came right behind her and sat next to Asher.
"Hah… uh nothing. Just homework," Stiles said quickly.
"Hey Ash," Sage said, smiling at him.
"Hey Sage. I have practice today. Are you staying after so I can walk you home?" Asher asked.
"Mmm, probably not today. I have practice too now, so you'll probably be leaving before me."
"I could wait for you then?" Asher offered.
"No, you would be tired. I don't want to burden you," Sage said.
"Hmph, just say you don't want me walking you anymore," Asher said, turning away from her playfully.
Then more and more people started joining the table, and now it was full.
Then Jackson came to the table looking for a spot. He glanced around and locked eyes on the weakest kid sitting there.
"Get up," Jackson said, staring at the kid.
"Ugh… why don't you tell Danny to get up?" the kid replied, clearly annoyed.
"Because I never stare at his girlfriend." Danny said.
The student looked like he was about to get up, but Asher calmly placed a hand on the kid's chest and turned toward Jackson.
"Move around," Asher said, his tone flat.
"What are you doing, Asher?" Jackson scowled.
"I'm telling you to go on about your day. Now I'll give you three seconds, and if I have to get up, it'll be a whole different story." Asher's voice was calm, but serious.
Jackson scoffed and crossed his arms, refusing to move.
Three seconds passed.
Asher stood up and walked over to Jackson, chest to chest, close enough to feel each other's breath.
"Asher, calm down," Sage said, grabbing his arm. Lydia stepped in to hold Jackson back.
But Jackson broke free and threw a punch. Asher swatted it away effortlessly with his free hand. Sage let go, sensing what was coming.
Asher grabbed Jackson by the collar with both hands, lifted him up, and slammed his back against the wall, pinning him in place.
"You like picking on people. How do you feel getting picked on?" Asher said coldly, as Jackson struggled in his grip.
"Okay Asher, stop," Sage said firmly, pulling him away and sitting him down.
Jackson dropped to the ground, winded. Lydia rushed over to help him up while the student he tried to bully had already moved. He knew Jackson wouldn't let it go if he didn't. Lydia sat Jackson on the opposite side of the table from Asher.
Everyone in the cafeteria went silent for a moment before slowly going back to their usual chatter. But at Asher's table, no one said a word. The tension hung heavy in the air until Danny finally cleared his throat and broke the silence.
"Ahem… so, I hear they're saying it was some kind of animal attack. Probably a cougar, right?"
"I heard mountain lion," Jackson said.
"A cougar is a mountain lion… isn't it?" Lydia asked, looking confused.
"Who cares? The guy was probably homeless anyway," Jackson muttered, still bitter.
"I actually just found the news report on it," Stiles said, pulling out his phone and scrolling.
Everyone at the table had their own conversations going for a while, but then Lydia spoke up.
"So Allison, I heard you and Scott are hanging out tomorrow?"
"Well, we're still thinking about what we should do," Allison said while giving Scott an apologetic look.
"Well, I don't feel like staying home watching those stupid videos, so how about the four of us go out and hang out? Like a double date."
"Who? Us… and you two?" Scott said, pointing at himself and Allison, then at Jackson and Lydia.
"Yes," Lydia replied.
While they were talking, Asher leaned toward Sage and tapped her arm.
"Sage, how about me and you go out to the movies tomorrow?"
"Like you and me alone?" Sage asked, almost stuttering.
"Yeah. I don't have anything else better to do except sit in the house watching sports."
"Yeah, sure. What time tomorrow?" she said, sounding excited.
"Um, maybe around ten? Maybe eleven o'clock?"
"Make it ten," Sage said.
"Sure."
—————————
After school and practice, when Asher got home, he sat on his bed and looked at his system. He still had one unused point. He didn't feel like saving it for now, so he used it.
The system loaded, and then all the information rolled out, but he skimmed past all that.
[Underworld Simulation:
Name: Asher Vantrel
Race: human
Trait: [Perception II] - heightened senses and instinctual awareness
Life Summary:
•Age 12
Asher is bitten by a rogue vampire hiding in the ruins of a battlefield. He survives the transformation, unusually young to endure the change. His early years are feral and unstable, hunted by both humans and vampires who fear what he might become.
•Age 20 to 50
Taken in by a small coven, he is shaped into a disciplined assassin. His [Perception II] trait allows him to detect movement, shifts in air, and emotional cues with uncanny precision. He becomes infamous for hunting down rogue vampires and rebellious fledglings, leaving no trace but a trail of dust.
•Age 72
He is brought into the inner circle of a vampire noble as a silent advisor and executioner. He handles the dirtiest political tasks without leaving witnesses. Vampires whisper about the boy with dead eyes who never misses.
•Age 104 to 138
Asher begins training younger vampires in stealth, survival, and efficiency. He creates the Obsidian Wing, a covert group of loyal agents skilled in vampire-on-vampire combat. They work without recognition and without error.
•Age 140 to 200
Leading operations across multiple regions, Asher dismantles several werewolf insurgencies and vampire uprisings. He becomes known as the Ghost General, a name earned from never being seen before a kill, and never being seen after.
•Age 207
He recovers a lost artifact called the Echo Crown, a black circlet that enhances focus and allows limited battlefield telepathy. It becomes his most powerful tool in coordinating his agents across vast distances.
•Age 230
Asher steps away from war and becomes the silent guardian of the vampire archives. He records lost bloodlines, war maps, and secret treaties. He refuses titles and disappears from the political eye.
•Age 237
During a rare moonless night, a lone ancient werewolf infiltrates the archive stronghold. Asher defends it alone. Though mortally wounded, he triggers the final collapse protocol, trapping the enemy underground forever. His apprentice escapes with the sealed records.]
[Please choose your reward:
1 - Perception II (Trait)
2 - Vantrel's records (Item)
3 - vampire Strain (100% Mastery)]
Asher picked the vampire strain, and his body immediately surged with power. His muscles tightened, and his senses sharpened in an instant.
"I have to try this and see what my hybrid form looks like." He stood up quickly and ran out of the house.
As he sprinted through the dark streets, he felt like he could move even faster. He pushed himself, and his body became a blur as he rushed toward the woods.
It took him less than three minutes to reach the trees.
"Hopefully I look cooler," Asher said as he stepped into a clearing.
Then the transformation began. His skin shifted to a pale blue tone, and thick white fur started to grow across his body. He stretched taller and wider, his eyes glowing a fierce yellow. He surpassed his old werewolf size, which had been 7'9, and grew to a towering 9'2 His muscles flexed under his skin as he looked down at his hands, the transformation complete.
(Picture Here)
I can't explain in words how thrilled I am right now, he thought with a sharp smirk across his monstrous face, a smirk that would terrify anyone who saw it.
He felt far stronger than he ever did in his human form.
Let's scare everyone who lives near the woods. Or in them, he thought with amusement, thinking of Derek.
He took a deep breath, filling his lungs as much as possible, and then let out a roar that rumbled through the trees. The sound echoed far and wide, shaking the air and making branches tremble.
It reached every corner of the forest and even spilled into the surrounding neighborhoods. People were frightened, and the police would be busy with calls tonight.
Asher shifted back to his human form, completely naked, but he ran so fast on his way home that no one saw a thing.
—————————
Hope y'all enjoyed.
If you liked this then you should try out my new novel, i think it's pretty cool. 🫡