Chapter One: The Night the Forest Breathed
The forest had a way of breathing at night.
Elara Vale felt it as she ran.
Leaves whispered beneath her boots, branches clawed at her jacket, and the cold air burned her lungs like it was trying to warn her—you don't belong here. But she kept running anyway, heart pounding, fear sharper than reason.
The moon was full.
Too full.
Silver light spilled through the trees, painting the forest in pale shadows. Elara hated the full moon. Ever since she moved to Grayhaven, the nights felt heavier when it rose—like something ancient woke up and stretched its limbs.
She tripped.
Her body hit the ground hard, knocking the air from her chest. Pain flared through her palms and knees, but fear forced her up again. She could hear it now.
Footsteps.
Not human.
They were too fast. Too silent. Too close.
"Stop running."
The voice cut through the forest like a blade—deep, commanding, and impossibly calm. It wasn't shouted, yet it echoed inside her chest.
Elara froze.
Her breath came out in white clouds as she turned slowly, dread tightening her throat.
He stood between the trees as if he had grown there—tall, broad-shouldered, dressed in dark clothes that blended with the night. His eyes glowed faintly gold, catching the moonlight like fire behind glass.
Not human.
Not entirely.
"I—I didn't mean to—" Her voice trembled. "I got lost."
He studied her with an intensity that made her skin prickle, like he was listening to something deeper than her words. Her heartbeat, maybe. Or her fear.
"You crossed the boundary," he said quietly.
"I didn't see a sign."
"There aren't signs for humans."
That word—humans—hit her harder than fear.
His jaw tightened, as if annoyed with himself. "You shouldn't be here on a full moon."
"Then why are you here?" she snapped, trying to sound braver than she felt.
For the first time, something like surprise flickered across his face.
"Because this forest is mine," he said.
A low growl rumbled beneath his voice—not threatening, but not entirely controlled either.
Elara took a step back.
The man inhaled sharply, eyes darkening. "Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Move. Run. Bleed." His gaze dropped briefly to her scraped palms. "Your scent is already strong enough."
Her stomach dropped.
"Scent?"
The forest went silent.
No insects. No wind. Even the trees seemed to hold their breath.
He cursed under his breath and turned his face away from the moon, as if fighting something inside himself. When he looked back at her, his eyes burned brighter.
"My name is Kael," he said. "And if you value your life, you'll listen very carefully."
Elara's voice came out as a whisper. "What are you?"
For a moment, the man didn't answer.
Then the moonlight caught his shadow—and it moved wrong. Too large. Too wild.
"I'm the reason fairy tales exist," Kael said softly.
"And tonight, Elara Vale… you shouldn't have met me."
Her heart skipped.
"How do you know my name?"
His lips pressed into a thin line.
"Because the moon knows you," he said.
"And now… so do I."
Okay who is the moon goddess?
That question was left unanswered
I pressed my lips in thin line .
I don't know what this is ,but i can feel something is about to turn Ziggy.
Please don't ask me the meaning of the word "Ziggy", because i don't know.
Okay let me take you back on how i landed in this situation.
My name is Elara vale.
I moved here six days ago ,"yeah"
You might wonder how i found myself in the forest,"
Well six days ago my mother died the only parent had , i never knew my mother lived in greyhaven until the lawyer handed me a letter and a set of rusted keys that led to an old wooden cabin in the forest,it left me with no option because my landlord decided to throw me out right after my mother died.
And now look at me standing in front of God knows what.
"Back to reality ".
The wind returned all at once, rushing through the forest like a breath finally released. Somewhere far away, a wolf howled—long, haunting, and full of longing.
Elara felt it deep in her bones.
This wasn't just fear.
It was the beginning of something dangerous.
And devastating.
Moonbound Hearts