The bus rumbled to a stop, its brakes letting out a sharp hiss that startled half the students from their naps. Eli blinked against the sudden sunlight streaming through the dusty windows. His reflection in the glass looked pale and slightly dazed, but when he turned his head, the sight outside made him forget everything else.
They had arrived.
Haruna Lakeside Retreat unfolded like a postcard — a glassy lake reflecting the pale blue of the afternoon sky, framed by thick cedar forests. The cabins were scattered across a sloping meadow, their wooden roofs dusted with pine needles. Somewhere beyond the trees, Eli could hear the distant roar of a waterfall, hidden but persistent. The air was sharp and clean, carrying the scent of resin and damp earth.
Kael was the first to hop off the bus, stretching his arms like he'd just escaped captivity. "Now this," he said, grinning, "is way better than last year's boring field trip."
Eli stepped down after him, his shoes sinking slightly into the soft grass. He felt lighter here somehow, as though the noise of the city had been switched off.
"Don't just stand there," a voice said from behind him. He turned to find Riven, one hand on the strap of his duffel bag. His tone was casual, but his eyes lingered just a moment too long. "Go grab your things before someone takes the good bed."
The teachers, clipboard in hand, began reading out cabin assignments over the noise of chattering students.
"Cabin Two — Eli Tan, Riven Hale, Kael Mori, and—"
Kael cut in before the teacher could finish. "Wait, we're together?" He turned to Eli with mock disbelief. "Guess you're stuck with me again."
"Lucky me," Eli said dryly, though the corners of his mouth twitched.
The three of them followed a narrow path to the far side of the clearing. Cabin Two stood a little apart from the others, half-hidden in the shadow of a cedar grove. Its wooden steps creaked under their weight, and when Kael shoved the door open, the warm scent of polished timber wrapped around them. Two bunk beds lined the walls, sunlight streaming in through small square windows.
"I call top bunk," Kael announced immediately, tossing his bag up without hesitation.
Eli dropped his own bag neatly onto the lower bunk. Before he could even turn around, Riven's duffel landed on the bed beside his — close enough that their shoulders brushed when he moved past.
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Not big on personal space, huh?"
"I like being nearby," Riven replied without looking at him, his gaze fixed instead on Eli.
The afternoon blurred into a series of welcome activities — a guided walk around the grounds, a safety briefing at the lakeshore, and the handout of bright orange life vests for the next day's kayaking. The water glimmered gold under the dipping sun, and Eli caught himself staring at it more than once, imagining what it might look like under moonlight.
By dinner, the dining hall was a storm of noise — cutlery clattering, chairs scraping, bursts of laughter from one corner or another. They found a table near the windows, where Kael immediately launched into a rapid-fire commentary about which cabins had the best views, which hiking trails were worth exploring, and how many ghost stories he could get away with telling before lights-out.
"Speaking of night," Kael said between bites, "are you guys coming for the stargazing hike tomorrow?"
"Of course," Riven answered before Eli could even open his mouth. "Eli's coming too."
Eli raised a brow. "Am I?"
"Yes," Riven said simply, like it had already been settled hours ago.
Kael laughed. "Guess you've been claimed."
Riven didn't laugh. His eyes stayed on Eli a moment longer than necessary, and Eli found himself looking away first.
That night, after unpacking, Eli stepped outside the cabin to brush his teeth. The cold air bit gently at his cheeks, and in the distance, the lake mirrored the silver glow of the moon. The world was quiet except for the occasional rustle of wind through the trees and the low hum of the water against the shore.
Footsteps crunched softly on the gravel behind him.
"You're easy to find," Riven's voice came, low and steady.
Eli turned, toothbrush still in hand. "I wasn't hiding."
A faint curve touched Riven's lips, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Good. Don't."
Before Eli could reply, Riven stepped back into the shadowed path between cabins, his dark figure melting into the night.
Eli stood there for a moment longer, toothbrush forgotten, the echo of those two words settling somewhere he couldn't quite name.
Later That Night
The wind picked up after midnight, rustling the trees with a sound like whispers. Eli couldn't sleep. Something felt off — not wrong, exactly, but tilted. Like the world had shifted half a degree and no one else had noticed.
He stepped outside, drawn by the lake's silver shimmer. The path was quiet, the cabins dark. The air was colder now, sharp against his skin, and the moon hung low like a watchful eye.
He didn't hear the footsteps until it was too late.
A figure lunged from the trees — fast, low, snarling.
Eli barely had time to scream before it was on him, claws flashing, teeth bared. He stumbled backward, heart slamming against his ribs, the world narrowing to the gleam of fangs and the blur of motion—
And then—
A second blur. A growl, deeper and more primal than anything human. It vibrated through the ground, through Eli's bones.
Riven.
But not Riven.
The creature that slammed into the attacker was massive — fur dark as midnight, eyes burning gold. It moved with terrifying grace, all muscle and fury, and Eli fell to the ground, breath knocked from his lungs, as the two figures collided in a snarl of limbs and teeth.
The fight was brutal and fast. The attacker — smaller, wiry, desperate — tried to land a blow, but the dark wolf was relentless. It drove the creature back with a savage roar, jaws snapping inches from its throat. The attacker fled, crashing through the underbrush with a yelp of pain and fear.
Silence fell.
The wolf turned.
Eli froze.
It was Riven. He knew it. Somehow, impossibly, he knew.
The wolf stepped forward, slow and deliberate. Its paws made no sound on the gravel. Moonlight caught the curve of its spine, the shimmer of its fur. Its eyes met Eli's — not wild, not monstrous. Just… his. Familiar. Fierce. Devoted.
Eli's breath caught. "Riven?"
The wolf stilled. Then, slowly, it lowered its head.
Not a threat. Not a predator.
A protector.
Eli's hands trembled as he pushed himself upright. His knees were scraped, his palms stung, but he barely noticed. All he could see was the creature before him — the impossible truth of it.
"You saved me," he whispered.
The wolf blinked once, slow and deliberate. Then it stepped closer, so close Eli could see the rise and fall of its chest, the faint tremble in its limbs. There was blood on its fur — not Eli's. Not its own.
Eli reached out, hesitating. His fingers hovered just above the thick ruff of fur at Riven's neck.
The wolf didn't move.
So Eli touched him.
The warmth surprised him. Not cold, not alien. Alive. Real.
And something inside Eli cracked open — not with fear, but with understanding. Riven hadn't just protected him. He had changed for him. Risked exposure. Risked everything.
"I won't tell," Eli said softly, voice barely audible over the wind. "I swear."
The wolf exhaled — a low, rumbling sound that felt almost like relief.
Then, with one last look, it turned and disappeared into the trees.
Eli stood there for a long time, the night pressing in around him, the lake whispering secrets to the shore.
He didn't know what this meant.
But he knew, without question, that Riven was no longer just a mystery.
He was something else entirely.
And Eli had been chosen.