The days that followed the attack were a blur of fear and uncertainty for the villagers of Bagbinda. The unease that had settled over the community after the shepherd's death had deepened into a palpable terror. The villagers, once a vibrant and lively community, now moved about in hushed whispers, their eyes darting nervously at every rustle in the undergrowth.
Azhar, meanwhile, was consumed by a conflicting array of emotions. Guilt gnawed at him, a constant, heavy weight on his chest. The memory of the attack, the raw, animalistic ferocity of the Were-Tiger, haunted him day and night. He tried to convince himself that it was an accident, a momentary lapse of control, but the truth, cold and undeniable, clawed at his conscience. He had taken a life, and the weight of that act threatened to crush him.
He avoided Rani, his guilt making him feel unworthy of her presence. He feared that she, with her deep connection to the forest and its ancient wisdom, might somehow sense the darkness within him, the beast that lurked beneath the surface. He longed to confide in her, to seek solace in her understanding, but the fear of her rejection, of her disgust, held him back.
The full moon loomed closer, casting an ominous glow over the village. Azhar, terrified of what he might become, spent the days holed up in his hut, battling the primal urges that surged within him. He tried to suppress them, to control the beast that clawed at the surface, but the struggle was a losing battle. The moon, a malevolent eye in the night sky, seemed to exert an irresistible pull, beckoning him toward the darkness.
He knew he couldn't continue to live like this, a fugitive from his own body, a prisoner of his own monstrous nature. He had to find a way to control the beast, to find a way back to the man he once was. But the path ahead was uncertain, fraught with danger. The jungle, once a source of solace, now felt like a cage, a constant reminder of his monstrous transformation.
The next full moon would be his reckoning. He knew it with a chilling certainty.