**A FEW METERS AWAY...**
Cassian, Dorian, and Kane lay naked and bloodied in a forest clearing, asleep and vulnerable like any human child. The awakening of the triplets came with the sound of an approaching car, interrupting the deep sleep that enveloped them. Cassian was the first to notice, lifting his head and whispering to his brothers that something was wrong.
“Dorian, did you hear that?” Cassian asked, as Dorian, still sleepy, nodded.
“Car noise,” Dorian said, rubbing his eyes.
Kane, on the other hand, wasn't willing to open his eyes. “Just a few more minutes...” he mumbled, trying to snuggle back into sleep.
Cassian nudged the younger brother and insisted he get up. Dorian, now more alert, turned in the direction of the sound and saw the lights of a car approaching the warehouse where the trio had been.
“Maybe we should get out of here. It could be the kidnappers,” warned Dorian.
Cassian nodded, agreeing with his brother's concern. The three got up cautiously and began to move away silently, choosing the opposite direction of the approaching car.
However, amidst the tension, Dorian detected something in the air, a scent he knew well. He frowned, and after taking a deep breath, his eyes lit up. “It's the smell of our mother.”
Kane, excited, also sniffed the air. “He's right! Mom is nearby.”
Cassian also frowned, capturing the scent. “It might be her, but we need to be careful because I smell the scent of other people too. We don't know what's going on. They might be using our mother's scent to lure us.”
Kane, as impulsive as ever, began walking toward the warehouse. “It's her! Let's go see her!”
“No, Kane!” Cassian grabbed Kane's shoulder, concerned. “It might be a trap. We need to get away from here.”
Kane, however, didn't want to hear about precautions. “I want Mom,” he insisted.
Reluctantly, Cassian agreed. “Let's find Mom, but first, we need to get out of here. We don't know what awaits us.”
Dorian, suggesting a more practical solution, said, “It would be easier if we turned into wolves.”
The three brothers, hopeful, took a deep breath and focused on transitioning into their wolf form. However, something was wrong. The magic that surrounded them the previous night seemed to disappear. Cassian frowned, realizing the difficulty they hadn't experienced before.
“There's something strange. We can't transform,” Cassian observed, frowning.
A deep, masculine voice cut through the tranquil air, making the triplets startle. “You shouldn't be here.”
The three turned towards the voice, finding a tall, sturdy man watching them. Cassian's protective instinct ignited as he prepared the brothers for whatever might come.
The brothers turned, surprised, and faced the stranger. Cassian, the most fearless, asked, “Who are you? What are you doing here?”
“Believe me, knowing who I am is the least of your problems right now,” the man said, before emerging with two more from the shadows of the forest.
***
The afternoon sun was intense, and the brothers Cassian, Dorian, and Kane found themselves in a situation even more mysterious than the one they experienced in the warehouse. Each of them was on the shoulders of the mysterious men who emerged from the forest, carrying them to an unknown destination.
Cassian, always the most assertive, tapped the back of the man carrying him. “Who are you?” he asked, seeking answers in the darkness of the night. The man laughed, an enigmatic laugh, and replied, “It won't make a difference in a few hours, lad.”
Dorian, beside Cassian, directed his question to the man carrying him. “Where are we being taken?” he asked, his voice filled with anxiety.
The man, however, didn't seem inclined to provide information. “You're fools if you think we'll tell you,” was the response he received.
Kane, on the shoulder of the third man, felt scared and lost. “Please, tell us where you're taking us.” The man carrying Kane looked at him with a cold gaze. “Stay quiet and behave. Unless you want to face the consequences.”
The men led the brothers to a parked van, where, one by one, they were deposited inside the vehicle. The door was locked, plunging the boys into the oppressive darkness of the confined space. Kane, feeling the fear, expressed his concerns.
“I'm scared,” Kane confessed, his whispering voice echoing inside the van.
Cassian enveloped the younger brother in a protective hug, trying to convey a sense of security. “It's okay, Kane. It'll be okay,” he promised, though uncertain of how to fulfill that promise in their current situation.
Dorian, still trying to comprehend the situation, looked at the brothers. “We need to stay alert and find a way out when we have the chance. We can't afford to stay here defenseless.”
The van began to move, taking the brothers to an uncertain destination. In the darkness, their thoughts were a whirlwind of uncertainties and fears.
Cassian, Dorian, and Kane stayed united, facing the unknown together, hoping that the light at the end of the tunnel could somehow bring clarity to the mysteries surrounding them.
***
Inside the van, with darkness enveloping them, Cassian, Dorian, and Kane sought ways to understand the unknown unfolding before them.
Dorian, with his supernatural ability to identify scents, tried to pick up any clues that could reveal the location they were being taken to. Meanwhile, Cassian ran his fingers through Kane's hair, who had fallen asleep during.
Concern and fatigue reflected in Cassian's eyes. Amidst the silence of the van, Cassian broke the silence. “Dorian, did you sense anything?”
Dorian shook his head. “Nothing. This place is strange. I can't identify anything familiar.”
Cassian sighed, resigned. “Okay, at least we tried.” Then, Kane woke up and stared at the brothers with determination in his eyes.
“You haven't tried everything,” declared Kane, challenging apparent defeat. Cassian and Dorian exchanged curious glances at Kane's statement.
“What do you mean, Kane?” Cassian asked, not fully understanding his brother's intention.
Kane, with a mischievous smile, revealed his idea. “Each of us has a superpower, right? You, Cassian, are fast, Dorian has a keen sense of smell. So, my superpower can only be one.”
Dorian, confused, asked: “What are you talking about, Kane?” With a sarcastic tone, Kane rolled his eyes and said, “I'm talking about the wolf power that surely came from our babysitter Stacy's dog. That day we played with him in the park. He licked us, and now we're half-wolves.”
Cassian laughed. “Kane, we don't have wolf powers. That ended when we left the captivity.”
Kane, however, had a confident expression. “Maybe you two don't have it anymore, but I feel like I still do.”
Dorian, still perplexed, asked, “What power is that?”
Kane rolled his eyes, as if the answer were obvious. “Strength.”
Cassian and Dorian laughed at Kane's unusual choice. “Strength?” Cassian repeated, finding it unlikely.
“Do you doubt?” Kane challenged.
Dorian, without hesitation, admitted, “Certainly.”
Kane, determined to prove his point, approached the van's door and held it. Cassian, curious, asked, “What are you going to do, Kane?”
Kane smiled, confident. “You'll see.” With visible effort, Kane began to apply force to the door.
The metal creaked, and, to Cassian and Dorian's surprise, the door began to give way. Then, with surprising effort, Kane opened the van door with a strength that left Cassian and Dorian gaping.
“Incredible,” murmured Cassian, while Dorian smiled, admiring his brother's unexpected superpower.
Kane, proud of his show of strength, looked at the brothers and said, “I told you I had a superpower.” Cassian and Dorian, now convinced, shared surprise and admiration for what was yet to come.