Chapter 3 The Forest's call

Chapter 1 (Continued): The Forest's Call

Araya stood frozen, staring into the empty space where Kael had disappeared. The wind picked up, rustling the leaves above her as if to mock her confusion. She wanted to follow him, to demand answers, but something in the back of her mind told her it was pointless. Kael wasn't someone she could just chase after. There was something ancient about him, something that made her feel small in a way she had never felt before.

But the forest... the forest was calling to her. It was no longer a whisper; it was a roar, a command she couldn't ignore.

With a shaky breath, she forced herself to turn away from the darkness, away from Kael, and back toward Hollow Creek. Her feet moved on their own, as if drawn by the invisible threads that had guided her here. The path back to her cottage seemed longer than usual, the shadows stretching and distorting in the moonlight.

What had he meant by the Binding? Why had he warned her? And who were the wolves behind him?

Her mind raced, but every thought seemed to slip through her fingers like sand. She had to get home. She had to get out of the woods. But the feeling that something had changed-something that couldn't be undone-was gnawing at her gut.

As she crossed the threshold of her cottage, she closed the door behind her with a soft click. The stillness inside was almost suffocating. She leaned against the door, her hands trembling as she pressed them to her chest, trying to steady her breathing.

Her reflection in the small, cracked mirror above her dresser caught her eye. Her eyes were wide, wild with the remnants of fear, and her face pale. But there was something else, something subtle but undeniable. A shift. A change she couldn't put into words.

Araya slowly reached up, touching the pendant she always wore around her neck. It was an old thing, passed down from her mother, or so she had been told. A small, silver crescent moon, its surface etched with intricate patterns. She had never understood what it meant, only that it was hers, that it had always been hers.

The pendant had been with her since she could remember, but lately, it had felt heavier. As if it was growing with the power inside her. As if it, too, was waking.

A low growl broke her thoughts, sending a chill down her spine. It came from the direction of the forest.

Araya's heart skipped a beat. Was it the wolves? Had they followed her? She strained her ears, listening for any sign of movement, but the night was silent again.

She exhaled shakily, running a hand through her hair. Her fingers brushed against her scalp, and for a moment, she thought she felt something-a faint tingling beneath her skin. But it was gone in an instant.

Her thoughts turned to the man she had encountered-Kael Draven. His golden eyes, the way he looked at her. It was as if he could see through her, see into the very marrow of her bones. His presence had been overwhelming, like standing at the edge of a cliff and looking into an abyss.

And yet, for all the unease he stirred within her, she couldn't ignore the pull. The way her body had reacted to him. She had felt it-the same thing that called her toward the forest. Something deep within her, primal, ancient. Something that made her feel like she had always been a part of this world, even if she didn't fully understand it yet.

The night was quiet now, almost unnaturally so. The absence of sound pressed in on her like a weight, and for a moment, she wondered if the world had frozen in time. It felt as if she was the only one who still moved, the only one still breathing.

She didn't know how much time had passed when the first howl echoed through the forest.

It was distant, but unmistakable. The sound made her blood run cold, and for the briefest moment, she almost thought she could hear it inside her own bones. The howl of a wolf-no, not a wolf. It was something more. It was something... ancient. Something that carried with it a memory, a power, a promise of what was to come.

Her knees almost buckled, but she caught herself against the table. The howl was joined by others, a chorus of deep, mournful howls that sent a shiver crawling down her spine. She had heard wolves before, but this? This was different. These were not the sounds of creatures seeking to communicate-they were calls. Calls to something older, something forgotten.

The Binding is near.

Kael's words echoed in her mind, reverberating like a curse. The forest was awake. And whatever had been dormant was now stirring.

The pendant around her neck felt warm against her skin, and she gripped it tighter, as though it was grounding her in the midst of the storm brewing around her. She didn't know how much longer she could stay in this cottage, in this town that felt so small, so fragile against the power now rising in the distance.

Her fingers brushed against the windowpane as she stared out into the dark. The full moon hung in the sky, casting a sickly silver light across the landscape. And in that moment, Araya knew-this was only the beginning.

The storm was coming.

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A New Path

The following day dawned without warning. The night had felt long, endless, and yet the morning came swiftly, bringing with it a lightness Araya had not expected. It was almost as though the night had been a dream, a feverish nightmare that had passed with the moon's descent.

But as the sun rose, the echoes of the previous night's events began to settle into her bones. The forest's call was still there, faint but constant. And Kael's warning lingered like a heavy fog in her mind.

She dressed quickly, her movements automatic as she tried to ignore the pull she felt toward the forest. The woods were no longer a distant curiosity-they were a promise, a summons she couldn't refuse.

Before leaving the cottage, she glanced at the small mirror once more, the pendant resting against her chest. It seemed to glow faintly in the daylight, as though it, too, was waiting.

Araya stepped out into the morning, the chill of the air biting at her skin. The town of Hollow Creek looked peaceful, ordinary even, with its cobblestone streets and humble buildings. Yet she knew, deep in her soul, that this was not where she belonged. The truth she had been running from had already found her.

And the forest, with all its dark secrets, was calling her home.

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