CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

The cold night air burned Elias’s throat as he ran, his breath coming in ragged gasps. The mist curled around the towering trees, swallowing every sound except for the frantic pounding of his heart. His boots sank into the damp earth, each step faltering, yet he refused to stop. He couldn’t. He must not die here.

A low growl rumbled behind him. Then another. Then another.

His legs ached, his vision blurred from exhaustion, but he forced himself to move faster. The darkness ahead stretched endlessly, offering no sign of safety.

A sharp snarl cut through the night, followed by the crunch of twigs. Elias spun around just in time to see glowing eyes emerge from the fog—wolves. Five, maybe six. Their dark pelts blended with the shadows, their movements slow, deliberate. A shuddering breath left his lips as he stumbled backward.

“No,” he whispered, raising his hands. “Please... just leave me be.”

The largest of them stepped forward, its ears flattening as it bared its teeth. Elias knew begging was useless. He had no weapons, no strength left to fight. His body trembled, his muscles screaming in protest. But he had to try.

“I don’t want to fight you,” he pleaded, voice shaking. “Just let me go.”

A growl, deep and guttural, was his only response. The wolves closed in, their eyes gleaming with hunger. His pulse pounded in his ears. He could taste the fear on his tongue.

Move, Elias.

Summoning whatever strength remained, he lunged to the side, grabbing a fallen branch from the damp forest floor. It was barely more than a stick, but he brandished it like a sword, desperation making him reckless.

“Stay back!” he shouted, swinging wildly.

The wolves flinched but did not retreat. Their eyes remained locked onto him, unblinking, calculating.

A sharp bark rang out, and suddenly, they moved. The first wolf lunged, teeth flashing, but Elias swung with all his might, striking its snout. The creature yelped, staggering back. Another darted in from the side, snapping at his arm. He barely dodged, pain flaring as claws raked across his shoulder.

He gasped, stumbling, blood seeping into his tattered shirt.

No. No, he couldn’t die here.

Desperate, he swung again, but his vision swam. His limbs were sluggish, drained from days of running, of hiding, of fighting for his life. He had nothing left.

The wolves knew it, too.

One of them circled him, cutting off his escape. Another growled low in its throat, muscles coiling to strike. Elias braced himself, chest rising and falling in ragged bursts. His fingers tightened around the branch, knowing it wouldn’t save him.

Is this how it ends?

Then—a break.

Through the shifting mist, an opening appeared. A sliver of space between the wolves. A chance.

He didn’t hesitate.

With a strangled cry, Elias lunged forward, shoving past the beasts. He felt the snap of jaws behind him, the sting of teeth grazing his calf, but he didn’t stop. He pushed through the pain, legs pumping as he tore through the fog.

Run, Elias. Run.

Branches lashed at his face, the forest blurring into a dizzying haze. He barely felt the cold seeping into his bones, the rain soaking through his clothes. Nothing mattered except escape.

The wolves chased him, their snarls echoing in the night, but Elias didn’t look back. He couldn’t afford to.

Then, through the darkness, he saw it.

A towering gate, wrought iron twisted into elegant designs, loomed before him. Beyond it, a manor—a monstrous, looming estate swallowed by the mist. Light flickered from the windows, casting eerie glows against the thick fog.

Hope flared in his chest.

With one final burst of energy, he slammed into the gate, gripping the cold bars. “Help!” he rasped, his throat raw. “Someone—please!”

The wolves slowed, their growls reverberating through the air. They didn’t dare step closer.

Elias’s breaths came in shallow gulps, his fingers white-knuckled around the iron. He could hear his heartbeat, the deafening rush of blood in his ears.

Then, the silence broke.

Footsteps.

Slow. Measured. Each step deliberate, carrying an air of unshakable power.

A figure emerged from the shadows of the estate, tall and poised, wrapped in a dark cloak. The mist curled around him, reluctant to touch his form. Silver-grey eyes gleamed under the dim light, watching Elias with an unreadable expression.

Elias swallowed hard. His body trembled, from exhaustion or fear, he didn’t know.

The man stopped just beyond the gate, gazing at him with quiet amusement. Then, in a voice as smooth as velvet, he spoke.

“You are trespassing.”

Elias shuddered. There was no anger in the words, no immediate threat, yet the weight of them pressed against his chest.

“I—I was being chased,” Elias stammered. “Please, I need—”

“I see that.” The man’s gaze flickered to the wolves still lingering beyond the tree line. They had stopped their pursuit, their postures tense, wary. Afraid.

Elias blinked in confusion. They fear him?

A slow smirk touched the stranger’s lips, cold and knowing. “It seems they know better than to step onto my land.”

Elias panted, his grip tightening on the gate. “Please. Let me in.”

For a moment, the man said nothing. Then, with a hum of amusement, he lifted a single hand.

The gate creaked. Heavy iron groaned as it swung open without a single touch. The air crackled, charged with something unseen, something unnatural.

Elias staggered forward, collapsing past the threshold. His legs gave out beneath him, the world spinning as exhaustion claimed him.

The last thing he saw before darkness took him was the stranger’s piercin

g gaze—and the wicked, satisfied smile that played upon his lips.

“Welcome home, little one.”