on filtered through the dense branches, casting long shadows over the clearing. The cool night air wrapped around her

fter running blindly through the woods, away from everything she thought she knew, Emilia had landed here, in this quiet c

heir of the Sil

t, tried to ignore the changes happening within her, but there was no outrunning who she was.

in the forest. It was her escape, a place where she could forget about the city, about the life she had chosen. But

hat wild instinct, it was always there, just beneath the surface. She couldn't deny it any longer. She wasn't just a hun

arth. It was familiar, comforting in a way. But even the forest couldn't quiet her thoughts tonight. Sh

nstinc

d spent her entire life in the dark? She had been raised to believe in one thing, to follow one path. N

as a welcome distraction from the chaos in her mind. She couldn't sit here forever. S

n her steps that felt both foreign and familiar. Her senses were sharper now-she could hear the distant rustle of a squirrel in the underbrush, the

powerful. And t

rred her from her reverie, a stark reminder of the life she had left behind when she ran into the woods. The buildings loo

d her, trying to shake off the chill that had settled in her bones. She didn't feel like she belonged here anymore, not in the

asional glance from the few people still out on the streets. She could feel the dirt on her clothes, the gri

the worn metal handle. The apartment inside was familiar, safe, but it was also a remi

just as she had left it, but the quiet felt oppressive now. She kicked off her boots an

ross her cheeks and neck, her clothes wrinkled and torn in places from her mad dash through the woods. She stared at

person

but not the questions. What was she supposed to do now? How was she suppo

that she was supposed to lead the supernatural world back to balance. But how could she be expected to lead when she barely un

't make

ther she liked it or not. The pull of the moon, the heightened senses, the strange p

ions. The room was dark and quiet, but she couldn't bring herself to turn on the lights. She didn't

rom this forever. Sooner or later, she would have to confront Lycaon again. She woul

wash over her, hoping that sleep would come. But deep d