The night was dark - so dark it seemed the sky had swollowed all light,
Leaving only haunted silver glow of the moon .
It's pale light poured through the trees ,
casting ghostly shadows across the depth of a silent , black forest.....
And within the forest a white wolf ran ...
Blood dropping from his side ,
pain clawing at every step ,
His ocean blue eyes with terror and rage .
He wasn't just running _
He was escaping.....
Behind him echoed the shouts of forest rangers and police.
Their flashlights slicing through the night ,
and then _
a gunshot
A sharp burning pain pierced his side ....
The bullet lodged deep near his lower abdomen ----a place that would be called the appendix in human terms,,,
But he didn't stop ...he couldn't...
The path ahead ended abruptly.
Before him a roaring ocean, crashing against sharp rocks .
Behind him -- humans with gun and suspicious ..
He had no choice.
With a desperate leap , he dove into the icy water -
His white body vanishing beneath the dark waves.
Minutes passed..
Then....
From the opposite shore,
A boy emerged from the sea - not a wolf but a human .
Seventeen years old in human age.
Soaking wet, wounded, and breathing heavily..
His bared chest shimmered with the drops of salt water beneath the moonlight,
His hair clinging to his face,
and his hands clutching the wound on his side.
He stumbled beneath the shelter of an old tree,
Collapsed onto his knees ,
and let out a cry so raw with pain.....
The forest itself felt silent.
The cry brought the rangers back,
Flashlight flickered through the tree's landing on the body ---
broken , bleeding.... beautiful
"Hey! You there ! What are you doing here?" one of the officers shouted .
The boy didn't speak right away.
He simply lifted his gaze ,
and let them fall into his hypnotic ocean-blue eyes.
Time seemed to still .
The men froze -not out of fear , but out of awe
His gazed held them , softened them....
bewitched them.
His lips , red from the cold and injury, parted
"I was being chased," he said softly,
his voice a broken whisper ,
"By a group of bullies... I don't even know why.
I just ran and ended up here .
They shoot me .....I think."
The lie came easily,
but what mattered was the effect.
He looked like a painting of heartbreak and beauty .
Soaked skin glowing under moonlight.
Wounded , vulnerable, yet somehow divine .
And as they stood, dazed in his presence,
he knew.
Xavier knew exactly what he was--
and how to use it.
The sirens had long faded into silence,
but the blood on Xavier's side still dripped like a slow , ticking clock. His body was trembling -- not from fear, but from the weight of everything he carried. His shirt clung to his skin ,
soaked in blood and rain , as he leaned silently against the old tree and closed his eyes .....
A few moments late,the officers -- and rangers stepped towards him . Their boots splashed through shallow puddles as they approach with caution.
"You're in rough shape, little boy, " one of them said , his voice firm but not unkind." "You've lost a lot of blood.
You don't look okay. Let us help you .
We can take you somewhere safe .
Shelter. Medical care".... Xavier lifted his head slowly, the moonlight catching the glint in his strange ocean- blue eyes. " I appreciate your time ", he said in a quiet voice that held an edge of ice . " But I'll walk alone . I don't need your shelter."
The officers exchanged a glance .
One of them squinted at Xavier --a sharp, suspicious look . His eyes traced the boy from head to toe , lingering on the bloodied side , the clenched fists , and finally his eyes .
" They glow, " he whispered to his partner , stepping back . " His eyes ....they shine . Just like that wolf's"...
The other officer tensed . " Something's not right about him . We should keep a close watch ."..
They stepped away , not fully convinced, whispering to each other under their breath. But Xavier had already sensed it ...He knew they were watching him . He knew their curiosity would eventually turn to fear.
And so , the moment they turned away , he pushed himself up . Pain roared through his ribs , but he didn't stop . He couldn't afford to.
Through dark forest whish is full of creatures, he stumbled forward -- falling,
rising, gasping with every step . Blood soaked his side , and every breath burns his lungs . But still.... he didn't stop .
Ahead the trees thickened. The air grew colder . The wind changed .
A structure so massive it looked like the very earth had birthed it from ancient stone and shadow. A castle -- no , a forgotten fortress -- black and brown, trimmed with faded blue runs that pulsed with faint light . It's spires pierced the sky , it's roof vanished into the clouds. Moss crawled over broken archways, and whispers of wind echoed between shattered statue's.....
Xavier stumbled to the front gate -- towering, iron -- wrought, twisted with moon symbols.
He raised a trembling hand , shimmer -- light dancing from his fingertips as they brushed against the ancient metal . His lips parted, and in a breath softer than the night , he whispered:
"Pyralismoon"
The gate of wind spiraled around him ,
pulling leaves and lights into the air .
The doors creacked open -- not with force , but as if they were bowing to a name long forgotten.
And then....
Xavier stepped forward.
The moment his foot crossed the threshold, the wine exploded outward -- and in an instant, he vanished..
The gates slammed shut behind him..
And the castle --
was gon....