The moonlight spilled across the quiet cottage as Eva slept soundly, curled in the warmth of the blankets. Inside, all was still—except for the place where Kyel should have been.
Outside, beneath the silver sky, Kyel stood in silence. His eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the light like polished amber. The three wolves sat at attention beside him, their massive forms cloaked in shadows.
"She's the one," Kyel whispered, his voice soft but certain. "Eva. She is your master… and the woman I love."
The wolves watched him closely, almost as if they understood every word.
"You are to guard her when I'm away. No one gets close—not without going through you."
He stepped back, giving one final glance toward the window. Her silhouette was barely visible behind the curtains, peaceful and unaware of the world she'd been thrust into.
Then, without another word, Kyel leapt into the night, vanishing over the rooftops like a shadow chased by wind.
---
Far away, in the capital, torches lit the corridors of the imperial palace. Eyan stood at his window, hands clasped behind his back. Hans entered quietly, carrying a sealed envelope.
"It's from the northern district," Hans said. "A report on the new guild's activities."
Eyan took the letter, eyes narrowing as he read the seal.
His lips pressed into a thin line.
"Have the wolves returned?" he asked.
Hans hesitated. "No, Your Highness. Not since the night you left her."
Eyan closed his eyes briefly, then turned back to the map spread across his table. Red pins marked areas of unrest. One of them—close to the guild Kyel had visited.
"Keep an eye on it," he said. "And double the security around the guild. Something's coming."
---
Back at the cottage, Eva stirred. She reached for Kyel in the darkness, but found only cold air and folded blankets. She sat up, heart skipping.
"Kyel?"
She rose and peered out the window. The wolves were gone. The night was silent.
A strange chill wrapped around her. Not from the cold—but from something else.
Something was moving beneath the surface of her quiet life.
And it was getting closer.