It was night.
But the darkness... was deeper than the night itself.
It was as if moonlight had never existed — as if the sky, wounded and full of scars, had refused light that night. And in the middle of that darkness, there lay a body — injured, incomplete, yet still alive.
The ground was cold.
And in that cold, he stirred — slowly, restlessly. As if someone had buried him in the earth, and then suddenly brought him back to life.
His eyes opened — dry, red, and blurry. Everything seemed to sway… the trees, the stones, the broken temple roof, and even his own breath.
"Who... am I?"
His voice was unfamiliar even to himself.
Raspy, weak, distant from his own being. But the strangest thing of all was one single mark — burning at the center of his chest. Not like fire, but no less than it.
A small imprint — an ancient symbol: ࿇
When he touched it with his fingers, it felt like his entire body would turn to ash. The pain wasn't just in the flesh, it dug deeper — as if something else was inside him, something alive, something ancient… something forgotten.
And then—
The wind shifted.
A gust of cold air arrived — but there was something else in it too. Something clinging to the silence… breathing.
"So you've finally awakened…"
That voice… was human. But there was something more in it — a poisonous calm, a lonely song of a forgotten forest.
The boy turned his head.
And for the first time, he saw it.
A body — heavy, yet graceful. Walking on four legs, but with eyes that held more understanding than humans. A dire wolf of black, whose eyes glinted like knives. Mist parted before it as if its presence itself was born of the dark.
"You... are an animal?" Aarya's throat had gone dry.
"Animal?" the wolf stared. "You humans are the animals. I… am Feran."
Aarya stepped back, clutching his chest. "You... you're talking...?"
"You're hearing me," Feran replied, stepping closer. "Which means... the Mark has awakened."
"This mark?" Aarya looked at the burnt spot on his shirt, grimacing. "What is it?"
Feran ignored the question. "Name?"
"Name…?" Aarya saw the darkness spinning in his eyes. Every face was unfamiliar, every memory blank. "I don't remember..."
"Then, for now, you're only the Beastbound," Feran's eyes lit with a shadow of flame. "And your Eternal Hunt begins now."
Aarya asked himself — Hunt? Of what?
But before he could answer, Feran looked behind — beyond the temple's broken dome, a face shimmered.
A girl.
White-haired, wrapped in flowing, loose clothes, like a goddess born of snow. Upon her shoulder rested a small Ice Fox — its tail gleaming like frost.
"It's all happening again…" the girl said, with a soft fatigue and sorrow.
Feran looked at her. "Why are you here, Eris?"
"I came to see if he was truly alive." She looked at Aarya. "Seems... not yet."
Aarya tried to take a step — but his legs had no strength. "You people... who are you? What is all this?"
"Your questions are too small," Eris said. "And your time... too short."
She pointed — and the ground began to tremble. As if the earth was about to spit something out. A veil lifted beyond the mountains — and a shape emerged.
The first Trial Beast.
A snake-like body with two heads. Eyes soaked in blood. Its form seemed like every breath it took poisoned the land.
Aarya saw that terror — and something stirred inside him — something ancient, something monstrous.
"You'll either have to Tame it... or kill it," Feran said.
"But what if I can't do either?"
"Then you'll die again," Eris smiled, "just like last time."
Last time...?
But Aarya had no time to ask more. Because the Trial Beast's scream had torn through the air.
And the Divine Hunt — had begun.
His blood was still warm on the ground—still oozing from wounds, but Aarya slowly lifted a finger to look at the red liquid. It wasn't just blood. It was something deeper.
His hand trembled slightly—but his eyes were calm now. There was something in that beast's eyes that humans rarely had… understanding.
A dire wolf stood before him—but it wasn't just an animal.
It was something more. More ancient, more powerful.
Its fur was white, like night's shadow on snow. Eyes — burning embers. And beneath its throat was a small glowing symbol — 🜂 — humming through the air.
Aarya said nothing, just kept looking. Feran didn't move either.
Both still, searching for something in each other's faces — like old enemies or ancient allies.
Then, something changed in the air.
Like a cold breath, a voice slipped past his ears.
"Tame them... or kill them."
That same old woman's voice. It came either through the broken temple walls, or from some forgotten corner of Aarya's mind.
Feran took a step forward. His eyes... no longer hungry. Just... protective.
Aarya lifted his hand—but had no sword, no spell. Only a desire. Not to kill. Not to win. Only to understand.
"Were you... in my dreams?" he asked, his voice soft, and even he was surprised it worked.
Feran lowered his head. Slowly.
As if saying yes.
Suddenly, something connected. Aarya's chest burned — that mark, the Granthnishaan (࿇), flared up. It was as if fire was being poured into his veins.
"Aaaagh—!" Aarya collapsed, but Feran didn't move. He stepped closer but didn't attack. Only watched — as if waiting for something to prove itself.
At that moment, a flash of memory struck.
An image of a battlefield. Night. A beast, its body glowing in moonlight. A boy, with the same mark on his hand — but darkness in his eyes.
"Aarya…" someone called his name in that memory. But the face... was blurred.
When he regained consciousness, Feran was sitting beside him.
No hunter. No prey. Just a meeting of two minds.
Aarya reached out... slowly. Feran lowered his head and touched it to Aarya's hand.
Suddenly, the temple walls lit up with symbols — ancient mantras of beast-bonding. In the air, a circle of energy formed like a bridal veil. The symbol on Feran's throat (🜂) glowed brightly.
And the mark on Aarya's chest — the Granthnishaan — blazed in response. Both lights merged into one.
Just then... a scream echoed. A woman's.
"FERAN!!"
Aarya turned quickly to see. A girl stood at the temple's entrance.
Around 18 years old. Long white hair, a faint blue aura surrounding her. Her eyes were cold — but within them burned a hidden, ancient fire.
An ice fox sat on her shoulder — its name... was now Kitsune.
The girl looked at Aarya — and at Feran.
"You… touched him?" her voice held no belief, only shock.
Aarya didn't move. Just kept staring at her. "He didn't kill me," Aarya said, "And neither did I."
The girl narrowed her eyes. "You don't understand. This… is Feran. The Temple Guardian. He doesn't let anyone live."
"Then why am I alive?" Aarya asked, into the cold night air.
A silence settled.
Kitsune shifted on her shoulder. Snow blew in the wind from its tail.
The girl whispered softly, "Maybe... because you are Beastbound."
At that moment, the night's roof fell again. Another piece of the temple collapsed. A star blazed in the sky — and fell.
And somewhere far away... another beast awoke.
—
TO BE CONTINUED…