Aurora couldn't sleep that night. She lay beneath her quilt, listening to the wind rattle the shutters, but her mind would not rest. The image of the stranger—his storm-gray eyes, the way the air seemed to bend around him—haunted her thoughts.
The villagers often spoke of dangers that lived in the forest: wolves with silver fangs, spirits bound to ancient trees, and creatures that lured travelers with soft voices. But Aurora had never been afraid of the woods. Until now.
At dawn, she rose quietly, slipping outside while her mother slept. Mist clung to the grass as she walked toward the edge of the forest.
She shouldn't be here. She knew that. And yet, something pulled her deeper—an invisible thread, tugging at her soul.
The forest was alive with whispers. Branches creaked like old bones, and light filtered in faint streams through the canopy.
Then she heard it.
A voice. Low, steady, and unmistakably real.
"You shouldn't have followed me."
Aurora froze. From the shadows, the man stepped into view. His cloak flowed like liquid darkness, yet no dirt clung to its hem. His face was sharper than she remembered, with features too striking to belong to an ordinary man.
"You," she breathed, her heart racing. "Who are you?"
He studied her in silence, as though weighing whether she deserved an answer. Then he spoke, his voice smooth but edged with something dangerous.
"My name is Kaelen."
Aurora repeated it softly. Kaelen. It felt heavy on her tongue, like a secret not meant to be spoken aloud.
"Why are you here?" she asked.
"Because fate placed me here," he replied. His gaze lingered on her, unsettling and yet strangely tender. "And because of you."
Aurora's stomach twisted. "Me? I don't even know you."
"You will." His tone was final, a promise rather than a possibility.
Before she could speak again, a rustling came from the undergrowth. Wolves—three of them—stepped into the clearing. Their eyes glowed unnaturally, as if possessed by some darker force.
Aurora stumbled back, fear gripping her chest.
Kaelen didn't move. He simply raised one hand. The air shimmered around him, and the wolves halted, whining, before retreating into the shadows.
Aurora's breath caught.
"You… you used magic."
Kaelen's eyes met hers, unflinching.
"Yes. And if you value your life, Aurora of Kaelridge, you will stay away from me."
But even as he said it, his voice faltered—like a man warring with his own heart.
Aurora could only whisper back:
"I don't think I can."