The Secret of Lars the Werewolf

Lars lived in a small village on the edge of the forest. He was quiet and a bit reserved, but those who knew him valued his kind nature. However, Lars kept a secret that he dared not share with even his closest friends. Every night of the full moon, his body changed; his soul and flesh took the form of a wolf.

This fate was a heavy burden for Lars. From an early age, he felt a strange pull toward the forest and the night. He didn’t understand why, but it seemed something wild and untamed lived within him. When he turned twenty, Lars first felt a strange warmth spreading through his body on the night of a full moon, followed by pain as his bones began to shift.

Transformed into a wolf, he could run through the forest like a true predator. He sensed the world in an entirely new way—hearing every sound, distinguishing every scent. But with this came the awareness that he was a man trapped in the body of a wolf. This was difficult, and upon returning to his human form in the morning, Lars felt empty.

Over the years, he learned to hide from people whenever the full moon approached. He found a secluded spot in the forest where he could wait until the moon’s magic took its effect. But one night, during one of his transformations, he accidentally found himself near the village. The people saw him and began telling legends of a nighttime beast visiting their homes.

Lars became afraid to leave his house. Neighbors began to avoid him, whispering behind his back, and Lars felt that his secret would soon be revealed. He decided to move deeper into the forest, far from people, so as not to harm them.

In the forest, he met a wise old woman who lived among the trees and knew all the forest’s secrets. She saw the werewolf and understood his true nature. “You must not fear yourself, Lars,” she said. “The wolf inside you is part of your soul, and you must accept it.”

The old woman’s words made Lars think. He had always considered his dual nature a curse, but now he realized that the wolf within him was something more. It was a strength to be embraced, not feared.

With each full moon, he learned to understand himself better. Lars felt that he no longer feared his transformations. He began to notice that even in human form, he sensed nature around him with heightened awareness, understanding the forest as no one else could. His wolf instincts helped him find shelter, predict changes in the weather, and even locate lost travelers.

One full moon, Lars decided to return to the village. He no longer wanted to hide. He wanted to show the people that he was not a monster, that he was as human as they were, just with a part of wild nature within. That night, he stood at the forest’s edge, watching the lights from the houses, and waited.

Some villagers noticed him and, recognizing the creature they had seen, were at first frightened. But then they saw Lars approach carefully. He sat on the ground, lowering his head, showing he intended no harm. Slowly, the villagers began to come out of their homes and approach him.

Lars knew that from this moment on, he would have to live openly with this duality, no longer hiding his nature. But people understood that he was no enemy and began to see him as part of their village, a protector who guarded them and the forest with the strength of a wolf.

Now, Lars lived on the boundary between the village and the forest, and people came to him for advice when they needed to find a lost animal or learn how to survive a storm. He found his place between the world of people and the world of the forest, where his wolf nature allowed him to be a protector for everyone around him.

Moral: Sometimes, to understand yourself, you must accept all parts of who you are—even those that seem wild and frightening. Lars found his place when he realized that strength and wisdom lie in harmony with oneself and the surrounding world.