The city never felt the same after that night.
Aria walked through the streets of Ravencrest with a careful awareness she hadn't known before. Every sound, every shadow, every movement drew her attention. The hum of traffic, the chatter of students, the stray bark of a dog all of it resonated in her chest, in her bones, as though the world itself had turned into a symphony of hidden signals.
She tried to keep her head down, to focus on ordinary things: the rhythm of her steps, the hum of her bag against her shoulder, the warmth of her coffee cup. But nothing could mask the sensation that had taken root deep within her: she was no longer entirely human.
Even at the university, cracks were beginning to form.
In class, the whispers started first. Not of students talking, but inside her mind echoes she didn't fully understand. She would glance around the lecture hall, and the low hum of conversation would twist into murmurs that only she could hear, urgent, almost pleading.
Lila noticed first.
"Aria, you're spacing out again," Lila whispered during History of Mythology, her eyes narrowing in concern. "Seriously, what's going on with you? You're… not yourself."
Aria forced a smile, fingers curling around her notebook. She could feel the pulsing energy of the forest even here, even among the stone walls and chalkboards. "I'm fine," she said, though her voice sounded distant, hollow even to her own ears.
The sensation worsened at night. The dreams, once fiery and symbolic, now seemed to seep into her waking life. Shadows moved differently, murmurs crept along alleyways, and she could sense the presence of creatures wolfish, humanlike, something in between watching her from corners she hadn't known existed.
One evening, she found herself drawn to the edge of town, where the city met the old forest. The scent of pine and damp earth filled her senses, a pull she could no longer resist. It called to her like a heartbeat she shared.
Damien was there when she arrived, leaning against a tree, eyes golden in the fading twilight. "You came," he said softly, as though her presence had been expected, inevitable.
"I couldn't stay away," Aria admitted. Her voice wavered. "I feel… restless. The city feels… wrong. And the forest… it calls to me."
He studied her, expression unreadable. "It will always call. That is your nature now. But you cannot abandon your human life completely. There must be balance."
Aria shook her head, frustration bubbling. "Balance?" she echoed. "I can barely manage the pull in the forest. How am I supposed to pretend I'm normal among humans? I hear things, I see things… I feel things that no one else can. Lila thinks I'm… crazy."
He stepped closer, the golden glow in his eyes reflecting the last light of dusk. "You are not crazy. You are evolving. The pull you feel, the instincts, the heightened senses they are part of who you are. You cannot deny it."
She ran her fingers through her hair, voice cracking. "But what about school? Lila? My friends? My life before all this? It's… slipping. I can feel it. Everything is changing, and I can't control it."
Damien placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, grounding her. "Then let it change you. But do not let it destroy what you hold dear. Control will come with training, focus, and patience. You are stronger than you know, Aria."
His words soothed her, but only slightly. The city never felt normal again. Every face she passed seemed sharper, every sound more pronounced, every shadow a possible threat. She found herself avoiding crowds, avoiding the night, avoiding any situation where she might lose control.
And yet, the pull of the forest never faded. It called to her relentlessly, whispering promises she didn't fully understand. The fire in her veins, the golden sparks in her eyes all of it demanded she embrace it, even as her human life cracked around her.
School became a struggle. Simple tasks like walking between classes, focusing on lectures, and maintaining friendships turned exhausting. Aria's powers sometimes surged uncontrollably: a heightened sense of hearing causing migraines, an involuntary flicker of golden eyes startling classmates, a whisper of energy that made nearby objects vibrate subtly.
Lila remained her anchor. She noticed more than anyone else. "Aria, I'm serious," Lila said one afternoon as they walked through the courtyard. "You can't keep pretending everything is fine. I know something's happening something… unreal. You need to tell me, or I can't help you."
Aria stopped mid-step, heart pounding. Could she trust her with this secret? Could she explain the forest, the fire, the golden-eyed stranger, the hunters, Damien? Could she explain herself when she barely understood what she had become?
"I…" Aria faltered, words choking in her throat. She wanted to confess, to share everything, but the fear of being misunderstood, of being seen as… different, held her back. "It's… complicated, Lila. I promise I'll explain one day. I just… need time."
Lila's expression softened, though worry lingered. "Okay. But don't shut me out completely. I'm not going anywhere, you hear me?"
Aria nodded, grateful but conflicted. She knew her world was shifting in ways Lila could never fully understand, and the cracks in her normal life were only growing wider.
That night, alone in the apartment, the pull of the forest was stronger than ever. She could feel it in her bones, in her blood, in the very rhythm of her heartbeat. It was a call she could no longer ignore.
She left the apartment without thinking, slipping into the streets as shadows deepened. The city seemed quieter now, as though it sensed her departure, as though it knew she belonged somewhere else entirely.
The forest welcomed her like an old friend, the mist curling around her legs, the air thick with the scent of pine, earth, and something wilder, untamed. Her golden eyes shimmered in the moonlight, sparks of power dancing across her irises. She felt alive in a way that the city could never replicate.
Damien emerged from the shadows as always, silent and commanding. "You cannot keep leaving your human life behind completely," he said. "But you must embrace this part of yourself, or you will destroy the balance."
Aria's voice was soft, trembling. "I don't know how to do both. I don't know if I can."
He stepped closer, eyes locking with hers. "You will learn. I'll teach you. But you must be willing. You must choose to step into who you are, fully and without fear."
The forest seemed to lean closer, alive and expectant. Aria could feel the energy flowing through her, the power calling, begging to be released. Her body trembled with the need to surrender, to embrace the fire that had haunted her dreams for weeks.
"I… I want to," she whispered, voice barely audible. "I want to be… me. But I'm scared."
Damien's hand brushed her cheek, warm and grounding. "Fear is part of the path. It will not disappear. But courage does not mean absence of fear. It means moving forward despite it."
Aria exhaled, letting the tension leave her body, if only for a moment. The cracks in her normal life remained, widening with every passing day, but here, in the forest, among shadows and whispers, she found clarity.
The human world was fading, its edges blurring. The pull of the forest, of power, of destiny, was becoming undeniable. And for the first time, Aria realized that she could not resist it.
She was changing.
And the world as she had known it would never be the same again.