SAVED BY ONE, BROKEN BY ANOTHER.

Nina tightened the straps of her jacket and zipped it up to her chin, bracing against the forest chill that sank deeper with every passing second. The campfire flickered weakly, its orange light battling the shadows that thickened around her like a slow, creeping fog. Milo, her loyal black retriever, lay beside her, tail thumping lazily against the forest floor as his eyes followed the dancing flames.

This place..quiet, wild, far from the mess of her real life..was supposed to heal her. No signal. No work. No expectations. Just her, Milo, and the whisper of the trees. But the silence wasn't comforting anymore. It was thick, unnatural. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.

She ran her fingers through Milo's fur, her heart aching.

Everything had changed so fast. Travis her ex had crushed her spirit over time. Controlling. Cold. And when she finally walked away, he spat poison at her back"You'll never make it on your own. You're nothing without me." That same night, she found Milo starving, alone, shivering in the rain outside Travis's apartment. It felt like fate. Two broken souls colliding.

A sharp bark snapped her from her thoughts.

Milo was up, tense. He growled low in his throat, eyes locked on the black woods beyond the firelight.

"What is it Milo?" she whispered.

Suddenly, he bolted into the darkness.

"Milo!" she shouted, panic slamming into her chest. "No! Come back!"

She scrambled to her feet, heart racing. Her boots pounded against the earth as she ran after him. "Milo, please! Don't do this!"

His growl echoed through the trees. Then it stopped.

Silence.

Then a sound. Not a bark. Not a yelp.

A scream..No..a howl.

It wasn't human. It wasn't animal either. It was... wrong...twisted.

Nina stumbled through branches and thorns, her lungs burning, tears stinging her eyes. "Oh God," she gasped. "Please no, please..."

She burst into a small clearing..and her soul shattered.

"Milo?" she whispered.

Blood. So much blood.

He lay there, motionless, his black fur matted with crimson. His eyes were open...but empty.

"Nooo!" Her scream tore through the trees. "Milo! No, please, please noo!"

She fell to her knees beside him, sobbing uncontrollably. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, baby..."

Then..movement.

A growl. Low. Guttural.

She looked up..and froze.

Something monstrous loomed at the edge of the clearing. Huge. Black. Its eyes burned like coals. Muscles rippled beneath slick, matted fur. Claws glinted. Teeth dripped.

"No..." she whispered, crawling backward. "Oh God, please no..."

It lunged.

She screamed, covering her face with her arms. "Noooo!"

But before it reached her...another blur.

Silver.

It struck the dark beast midair, sending both creatures tumbling into the dirt. What followed was chaos. A violent blur of fangs, claws, and furious roars. The silver one was larger, faster. Its fur shimmered like moonlight, and its eyes..glowing golden..never blinked.

They fought like gods. Like monsters born from nightmares.

Nina crawled backward, trembling violently. Her heart slammed against her ribs. She couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. Her body refused to move.

"Oh God..." she sobbed. "What is happening?! What is this?!"

The silver beast bit deep into the black one's shoulder, and the monster let out a horrid screech. It turned and fled, limping into the trees.

The silver one didn't chase. It turned..slowly..toward her.

"No," she whimpered. "No, please..... please don't hurt me."

It approached, its eyes locked on hers. There was something intelligent behind them. Something ancient.

Nina scrambled for a stick, flung it with shaking hands. "Stay back!"

The stick bounced harmlessly off its shoulder.

It didn't snarl. It didn't strike.

It stepped closer and pinned her gently against a tree, its massive paw pressing her shoulder with terrifying strength..but no pain. Its breath misted in the cold air, brushing against her cheek. She couldn't move.The golden eyes bore into her soul.

Then...a sharp sting.

"Ah!" she cried out, looking down.

Three shallow claw marks sliced across her arm..clean, deliberate, just enough to burn.

And then, without another sound, the creature stepped back... and vanished into the forest like a ghost.

Nina collapsed.

She scrambled into her tent, zipped it shut, and curled into a corner like a wounded animal. Her body shook uncontrollably. Her arm throbbed. Her lungs wheezed for air.

"Milo..." Her voice cracked as tears streamed down her face. "I should've protected you. I shouldn't have let you run off... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..."

Her hands trembled as she clutched his collar the one she had taken off his lifeless body. It still smelled like him.

"Oh God, no..." she whispered, rocking back and forth. "Please wake me up. Let this be a dream. Please."

But it wasn't.

Outside, the wind howled like the beast's final cry. Every snap of a twig made her jump. Every rustle tightened her chest.

She couldn't sleep.

She couldn't stop crying.

She couldn't stop hearing the growls, the fight, the sound of Milo's final breath.

And through it all she felt it.

Something still out there.

Watching.

Waiting.