Pov Eliana (B)

  In the capital of the Republic, in a middle school located in the working-css neighborhoods of the city, a young girl was busy studying. Her name was Eliana Sikora, a simple human. She had bck hair with a violet tint, rge round gsses, and a small X-shaped hairpin. Her deep blue eyes peered curiously through the lenses. She wore a pin beige uniform with a bck dress.

  Seated at the back left corner of the cssroom, Eliana listened attentively as her teacher, a tall man with gsses, gave a lecture. The topic was about the origins of semi-humans and how they came to be.

  “As you know,” the teacher began, “semi-humans make up 50% of the popution, but many forget how they came into existence. During the Great Apocalypse, a molecule invaded the bodies of certain animals, transforming them into humanoid beings. Naturally, they were mistreated by society. But this is where a key figure comes into the picture—a semi-human revered by all of them. Does anyone know who this person was?”

  One of the students raised their hand and answered,

  “I heard her name was... Lu... Lupa?”

  “Correct! Very good. The name of this semi-human was Lupa, a wolf semi-human who united others of her kind under her banner. She fought for their rights and for them to have their own territories. This all happened a millennium ago, but Lupa remains deeply ingrained in the minds of semi-humans. One of their rituals, even today, is to howl like a wolf in moments of desperation.”

  Eliana raised her hand to ask a question.

  "Sir, did this Lupa really exist? I heard on TV that it’s just a lie made up by the semi-humans to make people fear and respect them," Eliana asked, her voice steady but curious.

  The teacher didn’t respond immediately. It had been six years since the Republic’s government issued a decree decring war on semi-humans living within its borders.

  “No political topics in css, Eliana. You don’t want to get into trouble, do you?”

  Eliana blushed with embarrassment, quickly shaking her head and answering hurriedly,

  “No, Mr. Edison.”

  The bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson. The students got up, gathered their belongings, and began heading out of the school.

  Eliana, too, packed her bag and made her way toward the bus stop. She needed to take the bus to get home. Although her house wasn’t very far, it had been raining since early morning—a dreary, steady drizzle that the young student found particurly unpleasant.

  Life had completely changed since the decree against semi-humans was enacted. Eliana once had a semi-human friend, but she hadn’t seen her since the decree was implemented, and she never found out what happened to her. As she stared absentmindedly out the bus window, gazing at the rows of apartments, the bus came to her stop.

  Startled, worried she might miss it, she quickly grabbed her bag and exited. After a short two-minute walk, she reached her apartment.

  Once inside, she slipped off her shoes, let out a heavy sigh, and moved toward the couch. Her mother was busy cooking in the kitchen, while her father sat on a chair reading the newspaper, his face lined with worry.

  “Dad, is everything okay?” Eliana asked, noticing his tense expression.

  Her father shook his head quickly.

  “The semi-human countries in the north have formed a confederation and are pnning to attack the Republic. This is terrible for business.”

  Her father was a merchant who traded goods with countries north of the Republic.

  Seeking some distraction, Eliana turned on the TV to catch up on the news, a small passion of hers. The screen dispyed a breaking news report featuring the president of the Republic, the leader of the Harmonie et Justice party.

  The president, speaking sternly, announced,

  “I am filled with rage. The northern countries have united into a confederation against our Republic, and we cannot allow this aggression to go unanswered. Therefore, I am reinstating mandatory military service for all individuals aged 16 to 25. They will be enlisted into our army immediately.”

  Eliana’s eyes widened in shock as the weight of the announcement hit her. She would have to take up arms and fight.

  Pov Ali (B)

  BOOM That's how Ali, a young semi-wolf, woke up abruptly. She jumped out of bed, heart pounding, and scrambled to change into her clothes. Ali was no warrior, despite her lineage as a semi-wolf. Instead, she excelled as a scout—fast and stealthy, her speed and quiet nature had always been her greatest strengths.

  She had long violet hair that cascaded down her back, sharp wolf-like ears the same shade of purple, and a long bck tail with violet tips. Dressing quickly, she donned her civilian outfit, as she hadn’t yet been issued a proper uniform.

  Turning toward a semi-human fox who shared her tent, she excimed,

  “What’s happening?!”

  “I think we’re under attack by the Republicans!” the fox replied, his voice tense with panic.

  Without hesitation, Ali grabbed her sidearm—a simple pistol—and rushed outside. What awaited her was chaos incarnate.

  The skies were filled with the roar of human fighter jets as they rained destruction down on the camp. Explosions tore through tents and sent plumes of dirt and debris into the air. Semi-human soldiers from the Confederation scrambled to organize themselves, dodging bombs as they geared up to defend their position.

  Ali’s sharp eyes scanned the pandemonium until they nded on Lieutenant Mackova, her commanding officer. Mackova, a towering and commanding figure with the aura of someone born to lead, barked orders amidst the deafening noise. “Ali!” he called out, his voice cutting through the chaos. “Get to the city with the rescue team. Save as many civilians as you can!”

  Her heart thudded in her chest as she nodded. The city wasn’t spared from the devastation—its skyline was alight with fires, and distant screams echoed through the air. With a deep breath, she joined the rescue team, steeling herself for the harrowing mission ahead.

  The chaos wasn’t confined to the camp. It had spread to every corner of the city, and Ali knew this would be a test of not only her speed and skill but her courage as well.

  She joined the team and headed toward the city. As she ran alongside a few medics, she couldn’t stop thinking about how much of a failure this war had become. It had been two years since it started, and the defeats kept piling up on the Eastern Front. The humans had reached their cities in just two short years.

  Once the group reached the city, they began helping the few citizens still clinging to life. Ali’s mission, along with the soldiers who had joined them, was to secure a building and protect it.

  Ali found a building still in decent shape, and the medics brought the wounded inside. She took a defensive position in a corner of the building, pistol in hand, ready to fire at any enemy.

  However, the danger didn’t come from where she was looking but from above. She heard yet another explosion, and the ceiling above her colpsed.

  Ali woke up beneath the rubble. She was lucky—she had escaped death, but she was injured. Blood trickled down her forehead. She pushed away the debris covering her. Her uniform was in tatters, and she was covered in dust.

  She looked around and saw the city engulfed in fmes. The light in the sky was radiant despite it being night. She felt incredibly weak.

  “Damn Republicans!”

  She cried out as a few tears fell from her eyes, witnessing the chaos engulfing her hometown. However, she should have remained silent, as her cry drew attention to her—a dangerous kind of attention. A group of armed Republicans surrounded her, pointing their weapons at her. One of the soldiers barked out with authority:

  "On the ground if you don’t want to die!"

  Of course, the wolf wanted to live and find a chance to escape, so she complied. The young adult slowly knelt on the ground with her hands raised. She then y down ft, pcing her hands behind her head. She heard footsteps approaching, and suddenly a sharp Ziiiiiip sound filled the air.

  Her hands were bound tightly with a zip tie, and a muzzle was strapped over her mouth. She was dragged into a truck, where about twenty other captured semi-humans were already crammed together.

  Pov Eliana (B)

  Eliana woke up in her tent, still tired from the day before. She remembered having taken part in the invasion of a semi-human town called Gadsby. She wished she could stay asleep longer, but she couldn’t—the trumpet had sounded. Two years ago, she would have been irritated by the noise, but now she was used to it. She got up and put on her military uniform.

  Stepping out of the tent, she joined her unit. The general gave orders. Fortunately, Eliana’s unit was tasked with defending the camp and managing the prisoners. A rge part of the unit would patrol the camp, while Eliana and about ten other young recruits her age would handle the prisoners. There were still a few detainees in the camp, mostly prisoners of war who were awaiting interrogation before being transported and ensved in the Republic.

  The ten recruits divided the tasks and assigned themselves prisoners to feed by drawing lots. Of course, Eliana ended up with a semi-wolf.

  From what she had heard, semi-wolves were among the most dangerous and violent of the semi-humans. She approached an iron cage, expecting to see a muscur, intimidating wolf with a killer’s stare. Instead, she found herself facing a wolf her own age, with long violet hair. Her hands were tied behind her back, and her face was covered by a muzzle.

  “Uhhh… P-prisoner, I’m here t-to bring you y-your meal,” Eliana stammered nervously.

  Eliana wasn’t the bravest person, especially in front of a wolf. The semi-wolf approached her, and Eliana could see the hunger in her eyes.

  “Take this damn thing off, and I’ll eat gdly,” the wolf said, moving her head in an attempt to shake off the muzzle.

  Eliana hesitated. Should she free her? What would happen if the wolf bit her? She remained silent, and the wolf spoke again.

  “I’m not going to eat you. I eat boar meat, not humans,” she said with a wink.

  After some hesitation, Eliana finally removed the muzzle. As expected, Ali did nothing threatening and simply exhaled a quiet “Thanks.” Eliana then handed over the meal she’d been given—a bowl of soup with some soggy pasta, but no utensils. The wolf looked at it skeptically.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” Ali said, her voice dripping with disbelief.

  “I-I’m s-sorry... O-orders are o-orders!” Eliana stammered, clearly flustered.

  Hunger, however, proved stronger than Ali’s desire to rebel. Reluctantly, she lowered her head to the bowl and began eating its meager contents.

  Something stirred in Eliana’s heart as she watched. She couldn’t understand how someone like Ali had ended up in the army.

  “...W-why did you join the military?” Eliana asked, breaking the silence.

  Ali slowly raised her head and looked at Eliana. A bit of soup clung to her left cheek, making her appear almost comically innocent despite the situation.

  “To defend my city, my home, my friends, my family...” Ali replied, her voice tinged with sadness. “I’m more of a scout than a soldier, but that doesn’t matter to humans. I’m sure the soldiers here are just waiting to interrogate me, to torture and abuse me.”

  Eliana swallowed hard. She had never witnessed an interrogation herself but had heard horrific rumors. The thought of this adorable wolf being subjected to such cruelty made her stomach churn. She couldn’t allow it. In a near whisper, she spoke.

  “I-I won’t let that happen... T-tonight... I-I’m on g-guard duty... I never wanted to b-be part of this war... W-we’ll... escape together.”

  Ali’s ears twitched slightly, and she allowed herself a faint smile. The despair in her heart seemed to dissolve, repced by a fragile glimmer of hope. She nodded.

  “Thank you.”

  As night fell, Eliana was woken up for her guard shift, and it was also the moment for her to free her new friend. She grabbed her weapon and left her bag behind. If she had packed, she would have immediately been suspected, and that was the st thing she wanted.

  She reached the cage and knocked softly to wake up the wolf. Ali woke up groggily but quickly remembered her promise to Eliana. Without saying a word to avoid drawing attention, Eliana signaled for the wolf to turn around.

  Ali struggled to turn in the small cage but eventually managed to press her hands against the cage's entrance. She cut the rope with her knife and opened the cage.

  The wolf rubbed her wrists, now marked with red bruises, and stretched. She then crouched down, hearing the sound of approaching soldiers. Looking at the wolf, Eliana quickly devised a pn. She moved behind Ali, forcing her hands behind her back, and with her best acting skills, she spoke harshly.

  "Move, you filthy wolf!"

  The soldiers looked at Eliana, one of them raising an eyebrow.

  "What are you going to do with her?"

  Eliana responded confidently, masking her nerves.

  "The general’s bored and wants to do an interrogation tonight."

  The two soldiers chuckled, and one of them spoke zily.

  "Sounds like the general's type, taking one in the middle of the night to fall asleep. Do you want help taking her there?"

  Eliana shook her head.

  "No, I’m good, thanks. I can handle it."

  The soldiers nodded and walked away. The two girls exchanged a look of relief—they hadn't been caught.

  They then ran toward the edge of the camp and disappeared into the woods, searching for a pce to hide and take refuge.