The first signs of something amiss came later that week. Everyone seemed on edge. Marie broke up no less than three fights during training class. I'd come to realize some of this was normal—if it was the day of or the one before the full moon. But we were still two weeks out, so something was definitely off.

As class ended that day, I realized I might be happy here, but I had no friends. After the incident with Evan, most offered wary respect, but others gave me a wide berth and ...