This is the last moon cycle before summer officially ends. My birthday passed long ago and so did Flare's. I turned ten years old while Flare turned five. Though Flare's exact date of birth and true age remain estranged from my knowledge, we just celebrate hers with mine. She's more than happy at the fact that we now share the same birthday. Notably, Flare has grown in physical size and stands tall up to my waist.

Also, my mana seems to have stopped growing but I'll keep checking it for a few days more. Today Flare has made up her mind to reveal her ability to speak in front of the others. She's been able to talk without any problems before but only chose to do so with me only. According to her, she only ever felt comfortable in front of me but now she feels ready.

As we made our way to the rest of the family, I could hear the sounds of forks clinking against plates and the aroma of food wafting through the air. Flare trotted ahead of me, and as we reached the dining room, she suddenly came to a halt. Her furry ears perked up, and her tail swished back and forth nervously.

"What's wrong, Flare?" I asked, concerned by her odd behavior. With her head down and her paws stretched out in front of her, she looked utterly dejected. As I approached her, she slowly bent all her legs in a way that made her look incredibly small, as if she were trying to shrink away from me. It was clear to me that this was deeply troubling her.

"I. . . Um. . ." she began, her voice barely above a whisper. Her tail wagged left and right, unsure of what to do next. "S-Should I. . . Really be doing this?" she asked, her eyes locking onto mine with a hint of fear.

"Are you going to chicken out now?" I asked, my voice low and firm. I could see the fear in her eyes, and I knew I had to do something to reassure her. I knelt down to be at her level, placing a gentle hand on her head. "You've already resolved yourself to do this. Don't give up now."

Taking a deep breath I looked her straight in the eye. "Listen, know that, no matter what, I'll be here by your side so you don't have to be nervous or scared. Now go ahead. . . Take the next step. I know you can do it," I told her, showing a smile in an attempt to ease her worries.

"Fine!" she cried, her eyes flashing with determination. "I'll do it!" with a deep breath, she stood tall, the fierce set of her jaw showing that she would not back down.

"Good girl," I said, a smile lighting up my face. She had shown incredible strength and resolve, making fast decisions and carrying them out with unwavering determination. I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride for her.

With each step we took, our heartbeats seemed to accelerate. We were beginning to approach our destination, and Flare's anxiety was more tangible than ever. Suddenly, I noticed something odd. A glimmer out of the corner of my eye. Looking closer, I realized that Flare's body was starting to emit a soft white light, a sign of her intense emotions. As I stared in shock, her wolfish figure twisted and transformed, morphing into something almost human-like, with arms and legs taking shape where once there were none.

Then finally it had finished. With a final flourish of energy, the transformation was complete, revealing a little girl that looked around five to six years old. But she was no ordinary girl.

With silver hair and blue eyes that sparkled with a fierce intelligence, she was a vision to behold. But that wasn't all. Two pointed wolf-like ears adorned her head, standing straight from her current nervousness. And a long furry tail, covered in soft silver hairs, waved back and forth behind her. The markings she had on her face were gone, leaving her face unblemished and clear. But as she stood there, there was one more thing that was immediately noticeable, she was completely nude.

"H-Hey, Flare!" I called out to her. She was too focused on revealing her big secret that I don't think she even noticed the change in her body. Since she still wore a determined expression on her now human-looking face.

"Huh?" she looked at me with confusion, furrowing her brows as she tilted her head to the side. As I continued to stare at her, her eyes widened and a tremble ran through her body. Suddenly realizing something was off, she quickly looked down at herself, only to find that what was once there, was no longer. Her limbs were not responding to her commands. With fear creeping in, she attempted to take a step forward, but her legs seemed to have a mind of their own, causing her to lose balance and fall to the ground.

"Huh!" she panicked as her arms shot up into the air and her legs stretched out, lashing out wildly. "AAAHHH!!!" Her fear and anxiety surged through her, causing her to let out a piercing scream that echoed through the room, high-pitched and shrill like that of a frightened child.

Her scream pierced through the air like a siren, jarring me back to reality. My hands shook as I quickly took off my coat, wrapping it around her trembling form. As her limbs flailed uncontrollably. One sudden jerk hit my leg, causing me to stumble and fall heavily onto her body in a questioning and awkward position.

As if on cue, the sound of frantic footsteps echoed down the corridor toward us, our sudden commotion must have alerted everyone that was in the dining room. Within seconds, the dining room door swung open.

"What happened- oh! Arata?" Leon stormed out first. Suddenly, his expression softened, and his eyebrows arched in surprise as he noticed me. "Oh, Arata," he said again, his voice low, and a look of disbelief flashed over his face as he saw that I was on the ground, my coat off, covering a little girl's exposed body. Then everyone else walked in. Some with anxious looks on their faces, others with open mouths in shock at the scene before them.

"It seems you have seduced yet another girl," Creon said with a sly grin playing on his lips, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "My, how fast kids grow," he continued, his shoulders lifted in a nonchalant shrug as he shook his head.

"Arata," Leon said, his eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he took a step forward. "What are you doing?" He tilted his head, openly expressing his bewilderment. "And who is that?" As he asked the question, his body language conveyed a sense of curiosity and surprise rather than anger.

"L-Listen," I stammered out, my face growing hot with embarrassment as I tried to suppress the rising panic in my chest. "It's not. . . What it looks like."

"Here we go again," Leon said, rolling his eyes. "That's what you always say in situations like these." I couldn't help but notice the frustration in his tone. When exactly has 'this' happened before? My mind started to wander as I tried to recall when we'd been in a similar predicament, but nothing came to mind.

"Who's that!?!?" Hanna exclaimed, her voice loud and piercing. Recoiling in shock, her eyes widened as if she had seen a ghost. Her hands flew up, attempting to shield her eyes from the sight that lay before her. A deep, fiery blush flooded her cheeks, spreading hotly across her face.

Nina and Mia stood beside her, their own faces coloring in sympathy. "You're such a pervert, stupid brother," Hanna muttered, her tone laced with frustration.

"Arata," Theodore said, his expression turning to one of surprise and disbelief. "I didn't know you were 'that' kind of person," He said, his eyes widening slightly as he tried to process the information. Just what does he mean by 'that'?

"Ah! Arata! Get off of her!" Emma exclaimed, her voice filled with panic, as she rushed over and grabbed me by the shoulders. With a firm tug, I found myself lifted into the air, my feet dangling helplessly as Emma pulled me away from Flare. "What are you thinking?!" she scolded. "You're way too young to be doing these kinds of things."

"IT'S NOT THAT!" I exclaimed in frustration over the persistent misunderstanding.

Flare, who was overwhelmed and embarrassed, began to cry uncontrollably. As Emma shifted her attention toward her I quickly wiggled out of her arms and rushed over to Flare. With a gentle touch, I placed the coat over her trembling body, carefully ensuring that it covered every part of her exposed skin. The coat reached just above her knees, leaving only her legs out in the cold. Despite my efforts, Flare continued to weep, her body shaking with emotion.

"A-Arata," she said, her voice choked with tears as she threw herself at me, slamming her body into mine. Her body trembled as she fell into my arms. "What happened to me?" she cried, her arms flailing around in confusion. Her tears flowed freely as she looked up at me with pleading eyes. "I-I don't know what to do," she stammered.

"It's okay," I said gently trying to comfort her. "Just relax."

"O-Okay," she answered, her body trembling as she leaned heavily into me, her head resting on my chest. Slowly, I could feel her tense muscles slowly relaxing and her breathing gradually became calmer. Her sobs tapered off and then stopped altogether, leaving only the sound of her steady breaths filling the room.

I could feel the weight of everyone's attention on me as I took a deep breath and began to explain everything that had happened - every detail leading up to her transformation as well as her ability to speak. I then explained how her Lycaon heritage was to blame and at that, everyone seemed shocked at the revelation.