Destined by the moon

The moon hung low in the sky, a crescent blade slicing through the velvet darkness. Elara Hayes stood at her bedroom window, her breath fogging the glass as she stared out at the woods beyond her house. They seemed alive tonight, as though the shadows were shifting of their own accord.

She pressed a hand to her chest, her heart racing from the dream that had yanked her awake. It wasn't the first time. For weeks now, the same vision had haunted her—golden eyes, a voice whispering her name, and a feeling she couldn't explain. It wasn't fear, exactly. It was a pull, like gravity, drawing her closer to something she couldn't name.

"Elara."

The sound of her name, soft and intimate, still echoed in her mind. She rubbed her temples, trying to shake it off. Dreams were just dreams, she told herself, even if this one felt disturbingly real. But as her eyes drifted back to the woods, she couldn't deny the weight in her chest, the nagging feeling that someone—or something—was waiting for her out there.

The clock on her bedside table glowed 2:43 AM, its soft light casting long shadows across her room. She glanced over at her brother Liam's room down the hall. His door was closed, and she could hear the faint hum of his white noise machine. At least he was sleeping peacefully.

Her fingers brushed the windowsill as she leaned forward. The night was unnervingly still, no breeze to rustle the trees, no crickets to fill the silence. Her house sat on the edge of Silvercrest's dense forest, and while she'd grown up with its looming presence, she'd always found it unsettling, especially at night.

Tonight, though, the woods felt different. Not just eerie, but alive.

A soft knock startled her, and she spun around, her pulse spiking. Liam's small face appeared in the doorway, his hair sticking up at odd angles, and his pajama shirt on backward.

"Elara," he whispered, clutching his stuffed bear. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" she asked, her voice soft but tense.

He hesitated, his eyes wide with fear. "Growling. Outside my window."

She frowned, stepping toward him. "It was probably just a dog or something," she said, even as unease prickled at her skin.

"It wasn't a dog," Liam said, his voice trembling. "It was… bigger."

Bigger? She swallowed hard, glancing back toward the window. "Stay here," she said, grabbing a flashlight from her desk.

Liam's grip on her arm tightened. "Don't go out there, Elara. What if it's something bad?"

She knelt down, trying to give him a reassuring smile. "It's probably nothing, but I'll check just to make sure. Lock the door behind me, okay?"

He looked like he wanted to argue, but he nodded, his lips pressed into a thin line. "Be careful."

"I will."

The cool night air hit her like a slap as she stepped outside, the screen door creaking behind her. She stood on the porch for a moment, the flashlight heavy in her hand, her breath visible in the chilly air. The woods loomed just beyond the backyard, a wall of blackness that seemed to swallow the moonlight.

"Elara, this is stupid," she muttered to herself. But despite her fear, something pulled her forward. She took a cautious step off the porch, her boots crunching on the frost-covered grass.

The beam of her flashlight cut through the darkness, illuminating the edge of the tree line. Nothing moved. No sound. But the sense of being watched was overwhelming, like eyes boring into her from every direction.

"Hello?" she called out, her voice trembling.

Silence.

She took another step forward, her breath hitching when she heard the first sound—a low, guttural growl. It was soft at first, almost indistinguishable from the wind, but it grew louder, more menacing. Her grip tightened on the flashlight as her heart hammered against her ribs.

"Is someone there?" she said, her voice shaking.

The growl stopped. For a moment, the silence returned, heavier than before. Then came the sound of movement—branches snapping, leaves rustling. She turned the flashlight toward the noise, the beam catching glimpses of shadows shifting just beyond her reach.

Her legs felt rooted to the spot, fear anchoring her in place. Then, from the darkness, they appeared.

Golden eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat as she locked onto them, glowing like molten fire against the blackness of the woods. They were too high up to belong to a normal animal, too intense to be human.

"Elara."

The voice wasn't in her head this time. It was real, deep and smooth, curling around her name like a caress.

Her flashlight flickered, the beam sputtering out as the figure stepped closer, its outline barely visible in the moonlight. It was tall—massive, even—with broad shoulders and a predatory grace that sent a shiver down her spine.

"Who's there?" she demanded, forcing her voice to steady.

The figure didn't answer, but the golden eyes held her in place, unblinking and unnervingly familiar. She couldn't explain it, but something about them stirred a memory deep inside her, something she couldn't quite grasp.

Then, just as suddenly as it appeared, the figure melted back into the shadows. The growl came again, softer this time, fading into the night as the woods swallowed the sound.

Elara stood frozen, her flashlight hanging limply at her side. She didn't move until a sharp gust of wind snapped her back to reality. Her fingers fumbled to turn the flashlight back on, the beam weak but steady now. She scanned the tree line, but the woods were empty again.

"Elara!" Liam's voice rang out, high-pitched and panicked.

She spun around, sprinting back toward the house. Liam was standing on the porch, his face pale as he pointed toward the woods. "I saw something," he cried. "It was huge!"

Elara grabbed his shoulders, forcing him to look at her. "It's okay," she said, though her heart was still racing. "It's gone now. Let's go inside."

He nodded, tears brimming in his eyes as she led him back into the house, locking the door behind them.

As she tucked Liam back into bed, his small hand clutched hers tightly. "You won't leave me, right?" he whispered.

"Never," she promised, brushing his hair back.

But as she returned to her own room, her eyes drifted back to the window and the woods beyond. The golden eyes were gone, but the feeling remained—that pull, that connection she couldn't explain.

Whoever—or whatever—it was out there, it wasn't finished with her.

And deep down, she wasn't sure she wanted it to be.